More than a year in the making, Dolphin Mall’s first expansion will begin welcoming visitors on Sept. 15, complete with a 1,300-space high-tech parking deck and the addition of new restaurants.
“One of our biggest demands is parking,” Pete Marrero, general manager of the mall, told The Real Deal. The new deck will be near the property’s entrance on the south side, he said.
After 18 months of construction, the shopping center’s 32,000 square feet of new restaurant space will include BRIO Tuscan Grille and Kona Grill. Cabo Flats Cantina & Tequila Bar, the first in Miami-Dade, will open in November, and Burger & Beer Joint will open later this year. A fifth restaurant will open in 2016, Marrero said.
The parking deck will feature technology that guides customers to the best available space. Shoppers will also have access to two kiosks that will help them locate their vehicles. The renovations also include upgrades to the outdoor Ramblas Plaza, including new furniture, planters, ornamental shading and LED lighting; and a new valet area.
The mall, at 11401 Northwest 12th Street, averages 200,000 to 250,000 visitors on the weekends, Marrero said.
Taubman Properties owns the shopping center, which has more than 240 stores. In May, H&M announced it would open a store at Dolphin Mall. IKEA opened its nearby 416,000-square-foot location nearby in 2014.