Sweetwater OKs Flagler Center District on Ex-Li’l Abner Site

SWEETWATER, Fla. — The Sweetwater City Commission approved amendments to the city’s Comprehensive Plan, Future Land Use Map, Zoning Code and Official Zoning Map on Feb. 9, creating the new Flagler Center District land use category and zoning district, according to meeting records and developer attorney Alejandro Arias’ statements to the city. The 105-acre site, located near the intersection of Flagler Street and NW 112th Avenue close to Florida International University’s engineering campus and the Dolphin Expressway, was previously the Li’l Abner Mobile Home Park, which housed about 900 families before closing. Early plans call for more than 6,000 residential units — including at least 1,000 affordable, workforce and senior housing units — plus hundreds of thousands of square feet of retail, office, medical and institutional space, a 250-room hotel, a new school, self-storage and a comprehensive medical campus with a 400-bed hospital, per project filings cited in commission discussions. Developer CREI Holdings envisions phased construction as a Community Development District under Florida Statutes 190.005 and 190.046, fully within city limits. A December letter from Arias to Sweetwater’s building department estimates the project will produce over $25 million in new annual tax revenue — 62 times current collections — 29,000 construction jobs and 5,000 permanent jobs over its course. The commission also approved first reading of a 30-year master development agreement for the 104-acre district during a subsequent meeting, deferring final plats, as noted in city commission agendas. Development of the first phase awaits further approvals. This rezoning aligns with Florida’s economic boom, where unemployment hit 2.8% in April amid robust job growth, and supports state infrastructure pushes like nearby Brightline rail expansion. Amid rising public safety concerns in Miami-Dade, the project’s density near major highways and a proposed transit stop at NW 107th Avenue could boost local tax bases for enhanced services.