Proposed American Dream Miami Would Be Nation’s Largest Mall

A massive 6-million-square-foot project known as American Dream Miami has been proposed for the bustling South Florida area.

A massive 6-million-square-foot project known as American Dream Miami has been proposed for the bustling South Florida area, and this one is one for the ages. The project would absolutely dwarf any retail mecca in North America, including the venerable Mall of America in Minnesota. As Mercury News shares, it’s safe to say that this is not your average everyday shopping mall. 



Shopping aficionados can rest assured, as the project would include millions of square feet of retail. However, this is not just some shoppers paradise, as a whole wealth of other options are slated to be included.  

“We are not mall developers. That’s not what we’re trying to build,” notes Don Ghermezian, president of developer Triple Five Worldwide Group of Edmonton, Canada. “A lot of it is ‘retail-tainment.’ What we’re trying to create is an economic engine.”

To Ghermezian’s point, plans call for an indoor ski slope, a submarine ride attraction, a waterpark, a skating rink, 2,000 hotel rooms, a performing arts center, theaters, and a plethora of places to eat and drink.

“World-class cities have world-class facilities. All of the great things that we have going in this community, a huge disadvantage is we don’t have a lot of family entertainment and amusement activities,” said Dennis Moss, a Miami-Dade County commissioner. “This is a game-changer.”

That doesn’t sound like hyperbole, and Ghermezian’s previous projects provide testament to that fact. This project will end up drawing even more tourists to the area in its own right, and it could provide a template for other developers to replicate on a smaller scale.  

“What’s on the way out are the tired strip malls that haven’t been updated in 30 years. What’s in are beautiful shopping complexes, entertainment destinations,” notes Faith Hope Consolo, chair of retail, marketing and sales at Douglas Elliman Real Estate in New York. “What’s going to work in the future is the focus on experience, one-of-a-kind places where you want to go.”

Early estimates say the American Dream Miami would draw 300,000 visitors a day and create about 14,500 permanent jobs. That’s a huge selling point that should help get it through the approval process swiftly, and some local residents just can’t wait for ground to be broken.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that we should make every effort to make happen rather than finding ways to thwart it,” said one local resident. “There are greater goods to consider in this situation.”

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