A 211-unit multifamily project with workforce housing is planned for the Naranja neighborhood in south Miami-Dade County. Alcazar Development Group has proposed the Aura Living apartment complex on a 4.3-acre vacant site at the southeast corner of Southwest 280th Street/Waldin Drive and Southwest 152nd Avenue, according to recent filings with the county.
The firm submitted a zoning verification request to Miami-Dade County last week, a step required by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC) for developers seeking funding and incentives for affordable and workforce housing projects. FHFC offers state and federal loans and grants for developments that include below-market rate units.
At least 12.5 percent of apartments at Aura Living—equivalent to 27 units—will be offered at workforce rents, according to county filings. In Miami-Dade, workforce apartments are designated for households earning between 60 percent and 140 percent of the area median income (AMI). The current AMI in Miami-Dade is $87,200, as reported by FHFC.
The project received administrative site plan approval in 2021. Designed by Anillo. Toledo. Lopez, it will consist of two six-story buildings and one four-story building.
Alcazar purchased the development site for $3.1 million in 2015. The company is led by Jose Jorge Figueroa, Justo Fernandez, and Guillermo Villar.
In 2018, Alcazar completed The Olivia, a three-story, 288-unit garden-style apartment complex nearby in Leisure City. The Olivia was sold in 2021 to an entity associated with Artemis Real Estate Partners and Grand Peaks for $70.5 million.
Most of Alcazar’s other planned projects are also located in south Miami-Dade.
South Miami-Dade has become a focus for residential development due to its available land at lower prices compared to other parts of the county. The region includes municipalities such as Homestead and Florida City as well as unincorporated neighborhoods like Naranja, Leisure City, Princeton, and Goulds.
Other major developments are also underway near Aura Living. MAS AJP plans Mandarin Lakes Traditional Neighborhood Development—a mixed-use project on more than 200 acres in Naranja featuring over 500 residential units and commercial space totaling approximately 82,000 square feet. Initial phases include row house complexes with nearly 300 homes on a portion of the site near South Dixie Highway and Southwest 280th Street.
Elsewhere in Naranja, Aconcagua has proposed a seven-story apartment building with 239 units at South Dixie Highway and Southwest 264th Avenue/Bauer Drive; another group including Shadi Shomar, Gonzalo De Ramon, Ghassan Abboud, Roger Abboud, and Royal American Construction plans two eight-story buildings totaling 278 units at another location within Naranja.
