American Dream Miami facts for kids
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| Location | Unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States |
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| Coordinates | 25°56′21.1″N 80°21′25.1″W / 25.939194°N 80.356972°W |
| Opening date | 2023 |
| Developer | Triple Five Group |
| Total retail floor area | 6.2 million square feet (580,000 m2) |
American Dream Miami is a huge shopping mall and fun entertainment place planned for Miami-Dade County, Florida, in the United States. When it's built, it will be the biggest shopping mall in all of America! This exciting project is being created by a company called Triple Five Group. They also own three other very large malls in North America: American Dream in New Jersey, West Edmonton Mall, and Mall of America.
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Building the Dream: Development Plans
The place chosen for American Dream Miami is in the Everglades region of Florida. It's close to Everglades National Park, but still inside Miami-Dade County. This land was first used as a dairy farm in the 1920s by a farmer named Ernest "Cap" Graham. He later became a state senator in Florida.
Early Plans and Approvals
The Triple Five Group first shared their plans for this huge project in March 2015. At first, it was called "Americana World." But the name was changed to "American Dream" to match their other big project in New Jersey.
Just a month after the announcement, the county leaders agreed to let Triple Five buy state land for building. In January 2017, the project got more approval from the county board. Finally, on May 17, 2018, the county board gave its last approval for the land use. This meant Triple Five could start getting the permits needed to build. The project will not use any taxpayer money from the county.
What Will Be Inside?
The American Dream Miami complex will have many exciting features. It will include 2,000 hotel rooms for visitors and fancy apartments. Another company, Graham Companies, plans to build 2,000 more apartments and office spaces nearby by 2040.
Like Triple Five's other large malls, American Dream Miami will have many major attractions. These are part of its big entertainment area. Get ready for lots of fun things to do!
- An amusement park with thrilling rides.
- A water park that even has an indoor beach!
- A giant Ferris wheel for amazing views.
- A Legoland Discovery Center for building fun.
- An ice rink where you can skate.
- An indoor ski slope to practice your moves.
- A sea lion park to see amazing animals.
- An artificial lake where you can take submarine rides.
Challenges and Concerns
As of May 2019, building had not yet started. This was because the project was still waiting for final government approvals. People who support the mall say it will create many jobs. They also believe it will bring billions of dollars to the local economy. Plus, it will give Miami residents a fun place to visit.
However, some people are worried about the project. They are concerned that building such a large complex could harm the nearby Everglades National Park. Others worry it will cause huge traffic problems in the area. Some also think there are already enough stores in the region. The government of nearby Broward County is even thinking about suing the project. They believe Miami-Dade County is not fully understanding how much traffic it will create for their county.
The mall was first expected to open in 2020. But the opening date has been moved to 2023 while waiting for all approvals.
The discussion about building the mall became a topic in the 2018 Florida governor election. One candidate, Gwen Graham, faced criticism because of her family's connection to the land. Environmental groups and others were concerned about the project's impact.
