Within months, the Broward County Commission is expected to sign off on a plan that would allow Dania Beach to grant approvals for the construction of up to 4,000 new homes of any variety — rental apartments, townhomes, condos and single-family homes, or a combination of them.
Dania Beach is gearing up for growth, and it will mean as many as 4,000 more homes being built in the coming years.
Within months, the Broward County Commission is expected to sign off on a plan that would allow Dania Beach to grant approvals for the construction of up to that many new homes of any variety — rental apartments, townhomes, condos and single-family homes, or a combination of them.
Developers have been waiting for this approval to start submitting plans, according to Dania Beach’s deputy city manager, Candido Sosa-Cruz.
The prospective number of units that could be constructed with the county’s blessing “could take us into the next 10, 15, 20 years. Because as of right now, you cannot build.” If a developer owned land, for example, “you cannot build because there are no residential units available.”
This swath of land, dubbed the Regional Activity Center in 2010, originally had an allocated 7,800 units that already are accounted for. Some residences have been earmarked for future projects, but not yet built. “Currently the city has zero residential dwelling units available within the RAC, so no further residential entitlement can occur until the replenishment is granted,” Sosa-Cruz said.
The Broward County Planning Council recently signed off on adding up to 4,000 potential homes within the Activity Center region — 1,344 acres that cover a significant portion of the city. Generally, it is framed to the north by land that’s just south of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, partially to the west by a stretch of I-95 and to the south by Sheridan Street. The eastern boundary is just east of Gulfstream Road by East Dania Beach Boulevard.
Sosa-Cruz said the city has already committed to the county that 15% — which is 600 units — of whatever is built would be dedicated to affordable housing, and that it would happen throughout the process, not just the tail-end.
The county has previously said it has an estimated 150,000-unit deficiency with rents unaffordable for average workers.
Before the thousands of additional homes would be allowed, the activity center already has seen inroads with new development. Among the undertakings is the Dania Pointe plan, which includes two residential development projects that recently opened for occupancy, both eight stories in height, with 300 units in each building.
It also includes two Marriott hotels. A new Spirit Airlines headquarters is currently under construction on 8.5 acres within Dania Pointe, as well as a seven-story, 200-unit residential building that will be used as “corporate housing” for flight crews on layovers and other Spirit Airlines employees.
Also currently under construction is City Place, an affordable housing development approved for 99 residential units, situated directly south of the City Hall campus.
County records show the average rent for a two-bedroom residence in Dania Beach is $2,821, but the median renter income is $41,273 — creating a monthly affordability gap of $1,789. There is an estimated supply gap of 2,181 rental units in Dania Beach alone.
The average single-family home in Dania Beach costs $552,500, according to county records. There’s a 1,349 unit gap of homes, too.
“We’re trying to focus on smart growth,” Sosa-Cruz said, not just chase the tallest building and the highest density. “That’s not what we’re looking for.”
Until now, a developer could provide additional amenities within the activity center in exchange to double the height allowed within the activity center, and build as high as 14 stories.
In September, the City Commission tentatively agreed to cap future height at seven stories for the 4,000 new units. Final approval is expected in March.
The Broward County Commission is expected to vote on the issue in February. Approval by the city will follow by March.
Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com. Follow on X, formerly Twitter, @LisaHuriash
