Terra Locks Down $291 Million In Permanent Financing For Phase 1 Of 38-Acre Centro City In West Miami Dade

Coconut Grove-based development firm Terra, led by David Martin, has secured a total of $291 million in permanent financing for the newly completed first phase of Centro City, a 38-acre mixed-use development located in the center of Miami-Dade County, just west of Little Havana.

JVP Management has issued a $187 million loan for the development’s multifamily residential component. Hudson Bay Capital has issued a $104 million loan for the retail component. The two loans will be used to pay off the development’s existing construction financing, which was provided in 2022 by Apollo Global Management and Mack Real Estate Credit Strategies.

Now complete, Centro City’s first phase includes a total of 350,000 square feet of revamped and newly built retail space, along with three 8-story multifamily buildings with 470 market-rate apartments. Leasing is now underway for the development’s residential component and tenants are expected to begin move-ins this March.

A Walker & Dunlop team led by Keith Kurland and Gangemi Law Group represented Terra in the transactions. Holland & Knight partners Joe Dewey, Brett Holland, Shawn Amuial and Shaina Kamen, and associate Brian Piper, led the firm’s representation of Hudson Bay Capital.

"Securing long-term financing for Centro City represents a significant milestone, not just for Terra but for the South Florida real estate market as a whole," said David Martin, CEO of Terra. "This project embodies our vision of creating vibrant, sustainable communities that enhance the way people live, work, and connect. Centro City’s completion will provide much-needed housing options, state-of-the-art retail experiences, and community spaces in the heart of Miami-Dade, setting a new standard for mixed-use developments in the region. We are excited to continue building momentum with future phases that will further contribute to the area’s growth and vitality."

Arquitectonica’s vision for the development’s residential component includes multifamily buildings lining the perimeter of the property featuring a series of courtyards, pool decks and lushly landscaped sidewalks. Market-rate units – priced from $2,500 per month – range from studios to two-bedroom apartments measuring between 500 and 1,250 square feet in size. Community amenities include multiple pools, poolside cabanas, barbecue grill areas, a children’s playground, a dog park, resident lounges, game rooms, and more.

The development’s retail component, which included the redevelopment of the property’s existing Central Shopping Plaza, is anchored by a 100,000-square-foot Target and is 95% leased to new and existing tenants including Ross Dress for Less, DD’s, Fresco Y Mas, Walgreens, and Bank of America. Designed by RSP Architects, the reimagined shopping center has been upgraded with a newly conceived façade, common areas, landscaping and signage along with the construction of new retail outparcels.

All told, Centro City’s master plan will come alive in multiple phases and include up to 1,200 market-rate residential apartments, green space for residents, a newly reimagined shopping center with lifestyle-oriented retail and restaurants, a Class A office building, and a Mater Academy K-8 Charter School. Construction of the development’s second phase, which will include approximately 518 multifamily apartments, is expected to commence later this year.

Centro City’s location in West Little Havana – on the northwest corner of NW 7th Street and NW 37th Avenue – is near some of Miami’s largest employment centers, including Miami International Airport, the planned Inter Miami soccer stadium, the Coral Gables Business District, and Blue Lagoon Office Complex. Additionally, the property is across the street from the historic Magic City Casino gaming and entertainment venue, and less than two blocks from the 836 Expressway, providing unparalleled access.

Terra’s portfolio of newly completed mixed-use commercial and multifamily developments across South Florida includes Grove Central, a transit-oriented mixed-use development with residential and retail uses in Coconut Grove; Pines Garden at City Center, a garden-apartment community in Broward County’s City of Pembroke Pines; Natura Gardens, a multifamily community in Northwest Miami-Dade County; and Doral Atrium and Doral Square, two lifestyle-driven retail developments in the City of Doral. Terra is also currently developing Upland Park, a $1 billion mixed-use transit-oriented community that will transform West Miami-Dade County’s Dolphin Park-and-Ride/Transit Terminal Facility into a 47-acre multimodal transportation hub with residential, retail and commercial uses.