Having It All
Pedestrian-style, mixed-use town center offers complete package to Doral, Florida, residents.
Susan H. Fishman

Park Square at Doral is a 51-acre urban enclave that combines office, retail, and residential space.

Shoma Development Corporation has broken ground at The Park Square at Doral, a 53-acre, mixed-use town center in Doral, Florida, that will feature an office tower, pedestrian-style retail center and mixed residential development.

Headquartered in Doral, Shoma Development Corporation has been one of the largest home developers in South Florida for nearly 20 years, as well as one of the most prolific privately held companies. Although residential development has been its prime focus, the firm has been involved in numerous commercial projects as well. Park Square at Doral represents a new and exciting venture for the company, says Masoud Shojaee, president of the company.

“People are bored with traditional suburban form and unimaginative sprawl. Additionally, the need has intensified for a complete environment where people can work, shop and live, while enhancing their quality of life. I am a true believer that people can have it all. With Park Square at Doral, we will deliver the precedent for all town centers to follow.”

Located in the heart of the Doral concourse at 82 Avenue between N.W. 33rd Street and N.W 36th Street, the project includes more than 135,000 square feet of avenue-style pedestrian retail opportunities, a newly constructed office tower of approximately 240,000 gross square feet and more than 1,000 residencies, including town homes, carriage homes, apartments and lofts. The proposed redevelopment plan accommodates approximately 2 million square feet of mixed-use development in total.

Park Square at Doral will contain 135,000 square feet of pedestrian-oriented retail space.

Park Square at Doral is a 51-acre urban enclave that combines office, commercial, and residential architecture in exciting landscape of diverse volumetric forms. The architect for the project is Bernard Zyscovich from Zyscovich, headquartered in Miami. The company’s work has been highly acclaimed, and Mr. Zyscovich has had a significant impact in the urban redevelopment in South Florida.

Formally composed to create a dynamic sense of place, the community is entered via a single lane avenue leading into a congregational mixed-use center. This oval plaza, formed by a 10-story office tower and a 14-story residential mid-rise was spatially inspired by Italy’s Piazza Navona. It will be used for special events such as art festivals and concerts and act as Doral’s main meeting location. The project also includes fountains, sculpture, market-related activities and a Central Park-type landscape that serves as the nexus for the residential community.

“The pedestrian experience is a foremost feature of Park Square at Doral’s livability along with a splendid list of amenities,” notes Shojaee. The town square and avenue-style retail, adjacent to a Class A office building and infused with numerous residential offerings, creates a sense of place, a terrific lifestyle and a true urban oasis where you can park your car and have it all.”

An overview of the 51-acre Park Square at Doral development.

The main residential entrance is off N.W 33rd Street via a gated entry point. This portion of the development will feature designated green park spaces, numerous pedestrian paths and lush landscaped areas that will connect the various recreational buildings.

The newly constructed office tower of 240,000 square feet will raise six stories with 932 parking spaces, and its architecture will complement the design of the overall project.

“The building will provide highly efficient floor-plates and state-of-the-art building infrastructure,” says Shojaee.

Cushman & Wakefield of Florida, Inc. has been awarded the leasing of both the retail and office components. The project will feature high-quality food services, from a coffee on-the-go to a white-tablecloth restaurant, as well as high-end boutiques and ancillary service uses.

Park Square at Doral is perfectly at home in the City of Doral, according to Shojaee. The development is 12 miles from Downtown Miami and just 1 mile from Miami International Airport. The surrounding Doral area is a thriving business sector and provides space for such notable companies as Carnival Cruise Lines, Gap, Humana, Wachovia Financial and Starboard.

“This is one of the most anticipated projects in Miami and will serve as the premiere destination for the city of Doral,” Shojaee says. “Over 100,000 people travel through the city of Doral daily, and Park Square is located directly in the middle.”

Incorporated in June 2003, Doral is one of 34 municipalities in Miami-Dade County and home to approximately 30,000 residents and 100,000 employees. While young and dynamic, Doral is attracting more and more corporate names, including numerous Fortune 500 companies, that have discovered the area to be uniquely qualified to serve an upscale business community, in addition to historically being home to a wide variety of commercial enterprises. The Doral location is even more interesting in that the city is bordered on the west by the Florida Turnpike and on the east by another significant South Florida artery — the Palmetto Expressway.

“At the same time, it is considered an oasis of green in western Miami-Dade County,” adds Shojaee, “and has emerged as a vibrant community in which to live completely and enjoy a high-quality, South Florida lifestyle.”

The Park Square at Doral is expected to begin its first stage of delivery in 2008 with a completed office tower as well as the completion of the majority of retail and residential components.


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