Miami-Dade’s aviation department moving to new digs after $26M purchase of office building near MIA

Miami-Dade County paid $26.3 million for an office building for its aviation department. 

The county bought the six-story, 112,500-square-foot building at 7200 Northwest 19th Street in an unincorporated area of the county, north of Miami International Airport, from Walton Street Capital, according to records and real estate database Vizzda. 

Completed in 1982, the building is on a 5.1-acre lot, Vizzda records show. 

Miami-Dade has been planning the purchase, aiming for its aviation department employees to vacate MIA Building No. 5A at the airport and allow for more profitable uses of that building. Now, MIA Building No. 5A can be used for airport operational needs, such as serving passengers, according to a July 16 county staff memo. The move also allows the county to promote the potential redevelopment of MIA Building No. 5A. 

MIA Building No. 5A, completed in 1966 on a 10-acre site, previously served as the headquarters for Eastern Airlines. The aging structure is pending its 40-year recertification, according to the county memo. By vacating the structure, the county can save up to $11.5 million in repair costs associated with the recertification.

The aviation department will occupy 60,400 square feet at 7200 Northwest 19th Street, slightly less space than it occupies at MIA Building No. 5A. Other tenants at the 19th Street building include Euro Cargo Express, Universal Services of America and Marchon Eyewear. 

Miami-Dade has been reevaluating its office needs in recent months. In June, commissioners approved a plan to buy the six-story Flagler Corporate Center at 9250 West Flagler Street, in the county’s Fontainebleau neighborhood, for $182 million. 

Flagler Corporate Center will serve as the West Dade Government Center, where Miami-Dade real estate permitting and approval departments will be consolidated. These divisions are now in offices spread across the county. 

The $182 million price tag marks a $23 million reduction from the originally proposed price of $205 million, which had prompted much pushback and controversy, as it was more than two appraisals deemed appropriate for the site. 

The consolidation into Flagler Corporate Center would cost Miami-Dade $256 million, including debt for the purchase, due diligence costs and capital improvements.