The future of Opa-locka Hialeah Flea Market site? A logistics and e-commerce hub
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Closing up Shop
The Opa-locka Hialeah Flea Market is shutting down, leaving hundreds of vendors and thousands of shoppers looking for a new venue.
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The future of Opa-locka Hialeah Flea Market site? A logistics and e-commerce hub
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From flea market to e-market.
That sums up the dramatic change envisioned by the developers of the Opa-locka Hialeah Flea Market after it closes later this year. Instead of knock-offs and second-hand goods, the business plan of the future is aimed at capitalizing on the booming business in e-commerce and online purchases.
Developers plan to turn the market, which is slated to shut its doors on Sept. 30, into a sprawling commercial and logistics hub that they believe will generate over 700 permanent jobs and more than $90 million in new investments. The owner and developer, Link Logistics, has filed plans with the city of Opa-locka to create a complex of six buildings — with over 740,000 square feet of space for commercial and logistics companies.
Link Logistics, through a spokeswoman, said the site in Opa-locka is ideally located in the middle of densely populated South Florida, and close to Interstates 95 and 75 and the Palmetto Expressway.
“The site is eight miles north of Miami International Airport and 13 miles northwest of Port Miami. It is an excellent location for people to easily get to work and for packages to be delivered quickly to many different communities,” spokeswoman Melissa Sachs said.
“Adding to the growth of small manufacturing in South Florida, the growth of e-commerce in general and the accelerated growth caused by the pandemic has resulted in retailers needing to be close to populations centers, with an excellent workforce and close proximity to major transportation corridors. Opa-locka has all of these things.”
The iconic South Florida market, which sits on 43 acres of land in Opa-locka on Le Jeune Road, first opened in 1985 and has changed hands a couple of times over the years. In 2017, Gramercy Property Trust purchased the market and adjacent land for $80 million. The company was later purchased by real-estate fund Blackstone, which created Link Logistics to operate its large national logistics operations.
That adjacent property across Le Jeune Road — which once hosted auto auctions — is also being developed into four “modern logistics sites.”
The proposal for the Opa-locka Hialeah Flea Market will be heard before the city’s planning and zoning board hearing in July, and then it’ll be heard by the city commission. Developers hope to break ground in early 2023. The company says the development would generate about 1,000 construction jobs.
According to the plans, the facility will feature buildings ideal for smaller businesses and tenants who can have retail, showroom and office space along Le Jeune Road. “The proposed plans also incorporate traditional Moorish architecture to complement the surrounding community and general design goals of the City of Opa-locka,” according to Link Logistics.
No tenants have signed up yet. Link Logistics says it does not plan to sell the property, and will partner with real-estate company Avison and Young to lease the buildings.
This story was originally published July 3, 2022 at 7:00 AM.