More than half the homes in a new 322-unit development coming to Lakes by the Bay will carry rent restrictions for essential workers and military personnel, after the Cutler Bay Town Council voted unanimously June 17 to approve the project's binding covenant.

The Contemporary + MedSquare at Cutler Bay will rise on roughly 18.5 acres of vacant land along SW 216 Street, between SW 88 Place and SW 93 Path. The site has sat empty for more than a decade.

Of the 322 residential units, 167 (about 52 percent) will be subject to rental restrictions or caps, according to the town's official announcement. That restricted pool breaks down into two components: 147 Essential Worker and Hero Housing units and 20 units dedicated to military housing.

The Essential Worker units include 120 age-restricted apartments for residents 55 and older and 27 non-age-restricted workforce housing apartments. Priority leasing will go to law enforcement personnel, firefighters, healthcare professionals, educators, public school employees and Town of Cutler Bay employees. The 20 military units will prioritize Homestead Air Reserve Base service members or civilian employees.

The remaining 155 units carry no rental restrictions. Of the full 322, a total of 120 are age-restricted for residents 55-plus, and 202 have no age limit.

More than apartments

The covenant requires the commercial portion to open at the same time as the residential buildings. That means 25,000 square feet of medical office space, 15,500 square feet of retail and two restaurant spaces totaling 8,500 square feet will arrive alongside the homes.

Community amenities written into the covenant include a 3.4-acre linear park and walking trail, 12 outdoor exercise stations, 854 parking spaces, 51 public golf cart spaces with charging stations, a Town circulator stop and pullout bay, and public open space.

The developer also committed to environmental cleanup of the site through Florida's Brownfields Program.

A long-vacant site gets a new plan

The property has a complicated history. A Treo Group affiliate acquired it through foreclosure in 2013 for $1,100, according to The Real Deal. In October 2022, the council approved a smaller, seniors-only version of the project, then 196 units, but that plan never broke ground.

The June 17 vote approved an amended covenant for a substantially larger, intergenerational version. At the meeting, several residents spoke in support, and representatives from the Lakes by the Bay community submitted an official letter of support. Councilmembers recognized the project's improved design, the addition of intergenerational housing, the military housing component and the public open space as major benefits.

"This project is an example of how responsible planning and strong negotiations can result in a better outcome for our residents," Mayor Tim Meerbott said in the town's June 29 announcement. "The approved covenant helps bring needed housing, restaurants, medical services, and public amenities to the Lakes by the Bay community while ensuring environmental cleanup efforts and community benefits are part of the project."

Town Manager Rafael G. Casals called it "a long-discussed property" in the same announcement, saying the town's goal throughout negotiations was to protect residents' interests and secure meaningful community benefits.

What comes next

The covenant is now a binding legal record, but construction is not imminent. The project must still clear site plan review, a traffic analysis, security-related design conditions and ongoing compliance reporting before building can begin. No groundbreaking date has been announced.

Traffic on SW 216 Street emerged as a top concern among residents on social media after the town published its announcement. A Cutler Bay Social Facebook post about the project drew 149 reactions and 125 comments, with traffic impact and overdevelopment among the most-discussed issues.

The next public opportunity for residents to engage with Town leadership is TConnect at Town Hall, scheduled for Friday, Sept. 4, at 9 a.m. at Cutler Bay Town Hall, 10720 Caribbean Blvd., Suite 105.