Residents push back against proposed expansion of Bal Harbour Shops

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BAL HARBOUR, Fla. — The Bal Harbor Village Council is considering a development proposal for the Bal Harbour Shops.

The council received some pushback from residents.

It’s a sprawling project of four new buildings towering nearly 300 feet in the air, offering a mix of hotel, residential units and office space on the site of the Bal Harbour Shops.

The project has been repeatedly rejected by village leaders and residents.

The pushback has sparked a lawsuit by developers trying to build under Florida’s Live Local Act, which allows them to bypass village approval, but set aside 40% of the 500-plus new residential units as affordable.

The back and forth in courts prompted mediation between the two sides.

Monday night, a compromise offer that was made by developers was made public.

The new plan slightly scales back the proposed plan down to three buildings and a lowered height, as described by an attorney working for the village.

Residents packed Monday’s special village council meeting to lodge their opposition.

Increased traffic congestion, overcrowding in schools and a lack of infrastructure to handle anomalies like flooding are among the reasons they don’t want Bal Harbour Shops to expand.

Ultimately, commissioners decided to reject the new proposal and continue fighting the developers in court.

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About The Author
Terrell Forney

Terrell Forney

Terrell Forney joined Local 10 News in October 2005 as a general assignment reporter. He was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, but a desire to escape the harsh winters of the north brought him to South Florida.