Developers propose 6 million-square-foot retail project on edge of Everglades

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

MIAMI — Call it retail-tainment. Just don't call American Dream Miami a mall.

Developers are proposing a massive 6 million-square-foot project on the edge of the Everglades in bustling South Florida that would dwarf any other shopping mecca in North America, including Minnesota's Mall of America.

Miami-Dade County officials could approve it this fall, despite criticism that it will worsen the region's already choking traffic problem and produce mostly low-paying jobs. And malls have been in decline as shoppers flock to the internet.

Developer Triple Five Worldwide Group of Edmonton, Canada, says this will be different, combining retail space with an indoor ski slope, a water park, a submarine ride attraction, a skating rink, 2,000 hotel rooms, theaters, a performing arts center, and places to eat and drink.