The 73-year-old gate that drains Aventura may get a $280 million replacement
Plus preschool tuition, September 8 hearings, and a new community on the way.
Nothing on this week's calendar is loud, but a few things that landed will shape the next several years around here. Here is what changed and what to watch.
The structure that pushes stormwater away from our side of the county is 73 years old. The South Florida Water Management District wants to replace it.
The S-29 Coastal Structure sits in the C-9 Basin, which drains Aventura and nearby communities. That basin covers about 100 square miles and serves more than 540,000 residents. Its capacity has slipped as the sea has risen. At 1963 sea levels, S-29 could move 8,000 cubic feet per second. Today it moves closer to 5,000.
The plan would cost up to $280 million. It calls for a corrosion-resistant spillway, elevated gates and a new 2,500-cfs pump station. The pump station is the part that changes the math. It can push water out when the tide is too high for gravity to do the work.
Design is finished. Federal review is still pending, and no construction date has been announced.
$200 million Greenview community launches home sales
Home sales are open at Greenview at Presidential, a $200 million gated community just west of Aventura. BH Group and Lennar hired Douglas Elliman to handle sales.
The plan calls for 103 homes on 104 acres at 19200 Northeast 14th Court, near I-95. Prices range from $2.5 million to $3.5 million.
The site was the Presidential Estates golf course, which closed around 2013. The developer describes Greenview as the area's first new single-family community in more than 25 years.
Miami-Dade opens preschool enrollment for 3-year-olds
Miami-Dade County Public Schools has opened enrollment in PK-3 Sprouts, a preschool program for 3-year-olds. The nearest site to us is Greynolds Park Elementary, at 1536 NE 179th Street in North Miami Beach.
Tuition runs $7,200 per year. Families pay $720 a month for 10 months, plus a $150 registration fee. Classes go from 7:30 a.m. to 1:50 p.m. Optional aftercare runs until 6 p.m.
There is no single sign-up window. Children can enroll year-round once they turn 3, if a seat is still open. For families with a late-birthday toddler, that flexibility matters. It also means seats can go early, so calling ahead is the safer move.
A local skincare founder comes back to the mall on September 19
- When
- Saturday, September 19
- Where
- Aventura Mall
- Address
- 19501 Biscayne Boulevard, Aventura
Virginia Landi launched Butter & Blush at the Aventura Mall farmers market in 2025. She returns for the mall's Made At The Market series to show how her botanical skincare is formulated.
The session is set for September 19 at 19501 Biscayne Boulevard. A start time and price were not included in the announcement, so check the event page before making the trip.
Zoning map changes are on the September 8 agenda
The city has a stack of hearings set for September 8 at City Hall, 19200 West Country Club Drive.
The local planning agency takes up a cleanup of the land development code. Second readings are scheduled on school budget amendments and on the lien fee process. Zoning map amendments for the MUC1 and MUC2 areas are also on the list.
The zoning map items are the ones to read closely. Map changes decide what can be built where, and they are hard to undo later.
Hearing times are not posted with the notice subjects. Check the city's public notices page before you plan to show up.
When Aventura Mall had a Sears and a Taco Viva
When Aventura Mall opened in the 1980s, Sears and its automotive center anchored a corner. Taco Viva was in the food court, and TGI Friday's was the top restaurant.
The mall added higher-end stores and restaurants through later expansions. A March 2001 aerial image in the Miami Herald archive preserves one stage of that change before the center reached its current scale.