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CITYSCAPE

GRAND PLANS

By Jenny Starr Perez

SOLÉ MIA IS TURNING 184 ACRES INTO MIAMI’S MOST AMBITIOUS COMMUNITY, BRINGING TOGETHER RESIDENCES, RECREATION, AND RETAIL TO A GROWING AREA.
In Miami real estate, luxury often arrives in unexpected forms. Today’s developments offer everything from private chef tastings to art curators on call, from meditation domes to cryotherapy suites. As amenities evolve, so does the scale of ambition. In North Miami, one of the most expansive residential developments in the region is taking shape—not in the form of a single tower, but as a city-within-a-city.

Spanning 184 acres between Biscayne Boulevard and Biscayne Bay, SoLé Mia is a long-term project backed by LeFrak and Turnberry. It includes residential buildings, retail, a manmade lagoon, health and wellness facilities, a future charter school, and miles of landscaped pathways. Plans call for more than 4,000 residences and 1.5 million square feet of commercial space. The development currently houses over 1,000 residents, and more buildings are either rising or planned.
“What makes SoLé Mia a unique community is that at every turn, we put a luxury lifestyle ethos into practice,” said Jackie Soffer, Chairman and CEO of Turnberry. “We’ve created a neighborhood centered around the only Crystal Lagoon in South Florida, complete with the valued amenities that make life rich and full: an abundance of green spaces, fantastic restaurants like Sesame Bakery and Pura Vida, deluxe racquet sport experiences at Reserve Padel, the forthcoming UHealth medical center and K-5 charter school, a dog park and much more.”

At the center of the development is Laguna SoLé, a seven-acre, freshwater lagoon designed for swimming, paddleboarding, and beachside lounging. The space is bordered by shaded walking trails and native landscaping, adding visual rhythm to the otherwise new construction that surrounds it. Nearby are a number of completed and under-construction residential towers, including The Shoreline, Villa SoLé, and Villa Laguna, as well as ONE Park Tower, the project’s first for-sale condominium offering.

“Our first condominium offering, ONE Park Tower, has achieved strong success because people are drawn to the rare opportunity to live on a waterfront in this part of Miami,” Soffer added, noting that the building is more than 80% sold. Designed by Arquitectonica, The Shoreline includes two 17-story towers and reached full occupancy shortly after opening. The neighboring Villa SoLé and Villa Laguna bring a more boutique scale, with amenities such as co-working lounges and rooftop pools. The buildings are unified by open- air walkways, high ceilings, and natural finishes.

“Each rental building has its own unique architectural identity with its own set of amenities,” said Mario Gaztambide, senior managing director of residential properties at LeFrak. “The overarching result is a curated residential experience, anchored by Laguna SoLé and augmented by our many outdoor walking trails and spaces, like an interactive play structure modeling a Florida panther by Danish design studio Kompan, that are functional as well as beautiful.”

Recreation is being layered in through partnerships and purpose-built venues. Reserve Padel, opening in January 2025, will feature 10 courts, a 100,000-square-foot facility, and a health and wellness center. The club will also house the largest Pura Vida café location to date, with a menu designed around whole ingredients and a terrace overlooking the central court.

“Reserve at SoLé Mia is an amazing addition to the healthy, active lifestyle we have created,” said Soffer. “Whether it’s a resident playing on a Wednesday afternoon, a UHealth doctor winding down after their shift, or young players forming a weekend padel team, Reserve is going to be an integral part of SoLé Mia’s resort-caliber experience.”

The healthcare component of SoLé Mia includes UHealth at SoLé Mia, a 363,000-square-foot outpatient facility scheduled to open in 2025. The building will house 10 operating rooms, 110 exam rooms, and a range of specialties, including oncology and cardiology.

Education is also planned as part of the community’s infrastructure. A Mater Academy K–5 charter school is under development and will serve residents and surrounding families. The inclusion of both healthcare and education reflects the project’s intent to function as a comprehensive neighborhood rather than a housing-only district.

While many Miami developments prioritize towers and skyline views, SoLé Mia’s layout expands horizontally, with deliberate spacing between buildings and amenities. Much of the land is shaped by landscaping, trails, and public areas rather than dense vertical clusters. In place of high-traffic retail corridors are curated standalone venues like Sesame Bakery, where fresh breads, pastries, and Middle Eastern–inspired dishes are served in a light-filled, design-forward setting.

Though still in progress, SoLé Mia has become a case study in how urban planning, private development, and lifestyle branding intersect. Construction continues across the site with new phases expected to open in the coming years. The project’s location near FIU, Oleta River State Park, and Bal Harbour situates it within reach of major Miami destinations, while its scale and infrastructure suggest a longer-term vision that’s still unfolding.

Whether viewed as a residential anchor or a civic experiment, SoLé Mia reflects a shift in how developers are responding to the needs—and expectations—of today’s urban dwellers.

Photography is courtesy of SoLé Mia.

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