Miami-Dade approves 524 homes on closed Kendall golf course. Here’s what to know

The Miami-Dade County Commission has voted 8-5 to approve a zoning change allowing developer GL Homes to build 524 single-family homes on the old Calusa Golf Course in West Kendall. The decision caps a nearly decade-long dispute over the 168-acre site, which has been closed since 2011.

FULL STORY: Miami-Dade clears way for hundreds of homes on Kendall golf course

Here are key takeaways:

• The project shrank significantly. GL Homes originally proposed 1,300 homes. A settlement with the Tropical Audubon Society widened the buffer zone around a rare bird nesting site from 100 feet to 330 feet, reducing the plan from 540 homes to 524.

• Not everyone agrees on the deal. Save Calusa Inc., the nonprofit that has fought the development for years, did not sign the settlement. Leader Amanda Prieto said she was “definitely disappointed” and called it “a tremendous loss for the community.”

• A legal challenge may follow — again. Save Calusa Inc.’s attorney said he had not yet decided whether to file a lawsuit or appeal. A previous lawsuit after a 2021 approval went to the Florida Supreme Court and forced the developer to restart the zoning process.

• The developer is proceeding with caution. GL Homes senior executive Richard Norwalk said the firm will start permitting right away but noted the project’s rocky history: “We passed zoning just like this in 2021, and here we are today, so you’ll get no predictions from me.”

• Home prices are expected to exceed those of surrounding houses. GL Homes did not specify pricing, and Norwalk could not say when construction would be completed.

This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.