The proposed location of American Dream Miami is part of the Everglades region of Florida, near Everglades National Park but within Miami-Dade County's Urban Development Boundary. The site was first dredged in the 1920s and used as a dairy farm by Ernest "Cap" Graham, a farmer who was later elected to the Florida State Senate. Graham also founded the Graham Companies, which owns hundreds of acres of real estate in the area and developed the town of Miami Lakes. After the Graham family stopped running the dairy in the 1950s, the site became vacant wetlands and remains one of the few large undeveloped areas within the Urban Development Boundary. Triple Five announced its plans for the site in March 2015, having been in the planning phase with governmental involvement for at least a year before the announcement. It was originally known as "Americana World", but the name was changed to match its sister project before plans were unveiled. Within the month, the board of county commissioners approved Triple Five's plan to purchase state land for construction. Another preliminary county board vote in January 2017 gave tentative and almost unanimous approval to the project. On May 17, 2018, the county board gave final approval to the commercial zoning for the site, allowing Triple Five to begin obtaining the permits needed for construction. The project will not receive any taxpayer funding through the county. The complex will include 2,000 hotel rooms and luxury condominiums. A related project by the Graham Companies plans to create 2,000 apartment units, additional retail spaces, and of office space in a complex that will be finished by 2040. Like Triple Five's other malls, American Dream Miami will feature several major attractions as part of its entertainment complex, including:
As of May 2019, construction has not yet begun, pending regulatory approval of the project. The mall's proponents argue that it will create jobs, contribute billions of dollars to the local economy, and provide convenient entertainment to Miami residents. Opponents of the plan are concerned that development will hurt the nearby Everglades National Park, that it will create significant traffic problems, and that the retail market in the region is already oversaturated. The government of neighboring Broward County is considering a lawsuit against the project, arguing that Miami-Dade County underestimates the potential impact on Broward County traffic. American Dream was originally projected to open as early as 2020, but the opening date has been pushed back to 2022 while waiting for approval. The debate over construction of the mall became an issue in the Democratic primary of the 2018 Florida gubernatorial election, as candidate Gwen Graham was criticized by environmentalists, progressives, and UNITE HERE for her ties to the project.
