After Delays & Resident Concern, 38.5 Acres Of FL Farmland Sold To Large Homebuilder For $16.5 Mil.

Photo byCallan Bird, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

When I report on farmland or orange groves being sold for development in Florida, some readers express dissatisfaction, like with JackRBT Farms and Alger Farms. Development is a fact of life in Florida, but some Floridians believe that farmland should be preserved. However, 39 acres in Miami Dade County were just sold to Lennar Homes for just under 100 homes and, if the history of this transaction is any indication, some residents were opposed to the sale.

The History Of The Transaction And Resident Dissatisfaction: In 2022, large Florida-based homebuilder Lennar had a 39.5-acre site of farmland owned by JMC Groves LLC. (which grew avocados) under contract. The homebuilder sought a permit to build 196 single-family homes on the site at the northeast corner of Southwest 162nd Avenue and Southwest 276th Street.

In March of 2023, Lennar Home applied for a change to Miami Dade County’s Comprehensive Development Master Plan to allow more building per acre. (Lennar is reportedly the second-largest homebuilder in the United States.)

A Facebook page of The Concerned Citizens Of Redland notes that in October of 2023, residents were attending a town hall meeting at South Dade Park. One poster named Jeanette wrote:

"You need to show up and state grievances. We need to express how much our community does not want this type of housing here!!"

Many posters agreed to attend. However, although their efforts may have arguably resulted in fewer homes, the sale would eventually go through.

The Recent Purchase: In mid-September of 2024, Lennar Corporation officially purchased the 38.5-acre piece of land owned by JMC Groves LLC. for $16.575 million or $430,519 an acre.

Lennar is reportedly approved to develop 96 homes on the property, fewer than the 196 originally sought.