D
eveloper Joseph Kavana secured initial approval from Sunrise commissioners to increase density at his long-planned Metropica project. The 65-acre mixed-use development has been in the works for over a decade on land sandwiched between the Florida Everglades and Sawgrass Mills mall. On Tuesday, the City Commission granted first reading approval to amend the land use plan for Metropica's Transit Oriented Development district, a 92-acre area.

    Metropica Lands LLC is seeking permission for up to 3,300 residential high-rise units, an increase of 500 units from the original plan. The developer also wants to boost office space by 140,000 square feet, though this only affects city-owned land. Residential units will include a mix of townhouses and multifamily rentals, with commercial space, a hotel, and park areas.

    The density increase will be applied vertically, keeping building footprints the same. Kavana expects infrastructure work to begin in October and take about eight months to complete, followed by construction on a 370-unit rental building. Metropica's Transit Oriented Development district has already seen some development, with 679 residential units and commercial space built.

    Kavana's company secured approvals in 2014 but began acquiring land for the project in the early 1990s. Last year, they halted efforts to find a joint venture partner due to high interest rates, but plan to restart the search soon. The city of Sunrise approved the Metropica Community Development District last year, allowing it to secure up to $65 million in bonds for infrastructure improvements and services on part of the site.