AvalonBay Communities has acquired a full city block in South Miami, positioning the company for a new mixed-use development on the site. The approximately 1.18-acre property was purchased from longtime owner Robins Plaza in an off-market transaction. The base purchase price for the block was reported at $22 million.
Cushman & Wakefield advised on the sale, with Virgilio Fernandez representing AvalonBay Communities in the transaction. The off-market nature of the deal underscores the long-term relationship between the seller and the property, as well as AvalonBay’s interest in securing a sizeable development site in South Miami.
The acquisition clears the way for Avalon South Miami II, a planned 16-story mixed-use community. The project is expected to include 251 apartments, with unit types ranging from studios to three-bedroom residences. Plans also call for approximately 17,713 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, positioning the property to deliver both residential and retail components on the same site.
Avalon South Miami II is being designed by Corwil Architects. The program includes a sixth-floor pool and a rooftop lounge, adding elevated amenity spaces to the planned tower. Parking plans call for 394 spaces to support residents and visitors to the on-site commercial space.
The South Miami area has recently seen movement on other large-scale mixed-use plans. In October 2024, the City Commission unanimously approved the redevelopment of the nearby Shops at Sunset Place. That project is planned as a 1.47-million-square-foot urban village that will feature 1,513 residences, a 287-key hotel, a 1,300-seat theater and towers rising up to 33 stories. Heatherwick Studio is designing the redevelopment.
Together, AvalonBay’s site acquisition and the approved Shops at Sunset Place redevelopment highlight a growing pipeline of mixed-use and residential density in and around South Miami. The combination of new apartments, retail space, hospitality and entertainment uses points to a continued focus on urban-style projects in this part of the market.
