A 211-unit multifamily residential project is planned for the Naranja neighborhood in south Miami-Dade County. Alcazar Development Group, based in South Miami, has filed documents with the county to develop Aura Living, a complex that will include workforce housing units.
The proposed development will be built on a 4.3-acre vacant parcel at the southeast corner of Southwest 280th Street/Waldin Drive and Southwest 152nd Avenue. According to filings submitted last week, Alcazar applied for a zoning verification from the Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC), a step required to access funding and incentives for affordable and workforce housing projects. FHFC offers state and federal financial support for developments that provide below-market rate apartments.
As stated in county filings, at least 12.5 percent of Aura Living’s apartments—27 units—will be offered at workforce rental rates. In Miami-Dade County, workforce housing is intended for households earning between 60 percent and 140 percent of the area median income (AMI). The current AMI in Miami-Dade is $87,200.
The site plan for Aura Living received administrative approval in 2021. The design by Anillo. Toledo. Lopez includes two six-story buildings and one four-story building. Alcazar purchased the property in 2015 for $3.1 million.
Alcazar Development Group is led by Jose Jorge Figueroa, Justo Fernandez, and Guillermo Villar. The company specializes in residential and multifamily projects across south Miami-Dade, according to its website.
In 2018, Alcazar completed The Olivia, a three-story apartment complex with 288 units located nearby in Leisure City. This property was sold in 2021 to an entity linked to Artemis Real Estate Partners and Grand Peaks for $70.5 million.
Development activity continues throughout south Miami-Dade as demand for housing remains high. The region encompasses municipalities such as Homestead and Florida City as well as unincorporated neighborhoods like Naranja, Leisure City, Princeton, and Goulds.
Other major projects are also planned near Aura Living’s location. MAS AJP has proposed Mandarin Lakes Traditional Neighborhood Development—a mixed-use project on more than 200 acres featuring over 500 homes and significant commercial space—and intends to begin with row house complexes totaling nearly 300 homes on a portion of the site at South Dixie Highway and Southwest 280th Street.
Additional developments are underway elsewhere in Naranja: Aconcagua plans a seven-story building with 239 apartments at South Dixie Highway and Southwest 264th Avenue/Bauer Drive; meanwhile Shadi Shomar, Gonzalo De Ramon, Ghassan Abboud, Roger Abboud, and Royal American Construction are planning two eight-story buildings totaling 278 units at another local site.
