Redevelopment Plans include Warehouses For Former Miami Herald Headquarters

A developer is proposing to demolish the former Miami Herald headquarters in Doral to make way for two warehouse buildings on the site.

On March 12, the Doral City Council will review the site plan submitted by Doral LPIV LLC, a division of Atlanta-based Panattoni Development Co., for the nine-acre property located at 3511 N.W. 91st Ave. The developer acquired the property for $29.9 million in August 2024.

Currently, the site houses a 158,268-square-foot office/flex building, originally constructed in 1997 to serve as the headquarters for U.S. Southern Command. The Miami Herald moved into the building in 2013 but vacated during the COVID-19 pandemic as much of its staff transitioned to remote work. Later, a private school occupied the space.

Now, Panattoni plans to demolish the existing structure and build two industrial buildings totaling 153,654 square feet, along with 171 parking spaces. The proposed buildings will each cover 76,827 square feet and feature a 36-foot clear height.

A spokesperson for Panattoni explained, “This centrally located property offers exceptional access to Miami International Airport and major expressways serving South Florida. The current office building is underutilized, with 95% vacancy, and we are excited to move forward with the planning process for two Class A industrial buildings totaling approximately 154,000 square feet.”

The development application is being represented by local attorney Melissa Tapenas Llahues, with Ware Malcomb serving as the project architect.

This redevelopment follows a trend in Miami-Dade County, where office buildings in suburban areas are being replaced by warehouses. This trend is similar to the conversions of former headquarters for companies like Ryder System and TracFone Wireless in West Miami-Dade. While office space generally commands higher rent than industrial space, the demand for warehouses has been stronger in recent years. However, the industrial market has shown some signs of softening over the past year.

According to Colliers‘ fourth-quarter report, the industrial vacancy rate in Miami-Dade rose to 5.6%, up from 3% in the previous year, as the supply of warehouses outpaced leasing activity. The average asking rent for warehouse space dropped to $16.33 per square foot, down from $17.36 per square foot. In the Airport West submarket, which includes Doral, the vacancy rate for warehouses was 4.5%, with an average asking rent of $19.18 per square foot. Out of the 4.3 million square feet of industrial space under construction throughout Miami-Dade, only 328,736 square feet is located in Airport West.

Source: SFBJ