A development firm is planning a 211-unit apartment complex in the Naranja neighborhood of south Miami-Dade County. The project, called Aura Living, will include workforce housing units and is part of a growing trend of residential development in the area.
Alcazar Development Group, based in South Miami, has proposed the complex for 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 Miami-Dade County, Alcazar submitted a zoning verification request to the Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC) last week. This step is necessary for developers seeking funding and incentives for affordable and workforce housing projects. FHFC offers state and federal financial support for developments that include below-market rate apartments.
The filings indicate that at least 12.5 percent of the apartments—27 units—will be offered at workforce rents. In Miami-Dade County, workforce housing is designated for households earning between 60 percent and 140 percent of the area median income (AMI). The current AMI for Miami-Dade stands at $87,200, according to FHFC data.
Aura Living received administrative site plan approval in 2021. Designed by Anillo. Toledo. Lopez, the development will feature two six-story buildings and one four-story building.
Alcazar purchased the land for $3.1 million in 2015, property records show.
The company is led by Jose Jorge Figueroa, Justo Fernandez, and Guillermo Villar. Alcazar specializes in residential and multifamily projects, primarily located in south Miami-Dade.
In 2018, Alcazar completed The Olivia, a three-story apartment complex with 288 units on Southwest 284th Street and Southwest 150th Avenue in Leisure City near the Aura Living site. Alcazar sold The Olivia to an entity associated with Artemis Real Estate Partners and Grand Peaks for $70.5 million in 2021.
Most of Alcazar’s planned developments are concentrated in south Miami-Dade.
Developers have increasingly focused on south Miami-Dade due to high demand for housing and 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 areas like Naranja, Leisure City, Princeton, and Goulds.
Other major projects are also underway nearby. MAS AJP—led by Alberto Perez and Juan Carlos “J.C.” Mas—is planning Mandarin Lakes Traditional Neighborhood Development on more than 200 acres in Naranja. This mixed-use project would bring over 500 homes and significant commercial space to the area.
Elsewhere in Naranja, Brickell-based Aconcagua plans a seven-story building with 239 apartments at South Dixie Highway and Southwest 264th Avenue/Bauer Drive. Additionally, Shadi Shomar, Gonzalo De Ramon, Ghassan Abboud, Roger Abboud, and Royal American Construction have proposed two eight-story buildings totaling 278 units at another location within Naranja.
