Calusa golf course redevelopment is once again under scrutiny as Miami-Dade commissioners prepare for a rare do-over vote that could decide the future of a long-shuttered West Kendall property.
Nearly five years after losing a critical Miami-Dade zoning vote aimed at stopping homes from being built on the former Calusa golf course, community activist Amanda Prieto is returning to County Hall. She is reviving the “Save Calusa” campaign ahead of a renewed zoning hearing scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 22. Prieto says the green T-shirts and protest signs that once filled commission chambers in 2021 have been waiting in storage for this moment, as she and her neighbors seek another chance to argue that the project is too large and would strain traffic in their suburban neighborhood.
This second vote is the result of a lengthy legal challenge that reached the Florida Supreme Court two years ago. The court ruled that Miami-Dade County failed to properly advertise the final zoning hearing in 2021, forcing developer GL Homes to restart the approval process. The new vote will determine whether the builder can proceed with plans for a 540-home development on the 168-acre golf course near Southwest 127th Avenue and Killian Parkway.
Despite the legal victory that reopened the case, it remains unclear how much the landscape has changed at County Hall. The original approval vote was decisive, and six of the 10 commissioners who supported the project in 2021 still sit on the 13-member board. The two commissioners who voted against the development have since left office, potentially making the outcome difficult for opponents to reverse.
However, the project itself has changed since the initial approval. One of the most controversial elements of the original plan — filling in a lake to create additional homesites — has been removed. Neighbors, including Zoo Miami ambassador Ron Magill, argued that the lake served as a critical nesting area for rare birds and that eliminating it would cause irreversible environmental harm.
Under the revised proposal, the lake remains largely intact, including the island that serves as a bird rookery. GL Homes now plans to preserve the island permanently, with maintenance funded through homeowner association fees. Nesting studies conducted as part of the approval process confirmed the presence of endangered tri-colored herons, prompting the builder to reduce the project by 10 homes and adjust the design to protect the habitat.
GL Homes executives say the changes come at a significant financial cost but are part of navigating the county’s approval process. The builder also points to shoreline redesigns intended to improve conditions for wildlife, arguing the habitat will be more bird-friendly than before.
The renewed vote comes amid scrutiny of political donations as well. A Miami Herald analysis found that entities linked to GL Homes donated roughly $100,000 to Miami-Dade commissioners’ political committees in 2025, placing the builder among the county’s top political donors. While the company says such contributions are part of routine civic participation, opponents argue the influence raises concerns as the zoning decision returns to the commission.
Environmental groups remain skeptical that the revised plans go far enough. The Tropical Audubon Society has urged the county to require a 300-foot buffer around the rookery island, citing concerns that human activity could disturb nesting birds. Current plans include buffers as narrow as 100 feet in some areas, a point that is expected to be heavily debated during the hearing.
As commissioners prepare to reconsider the fate of the Calusa golf course — closed since 2011 and long targeted for redevelopment — residents are gearing up for another showdown. Prieto says neighbors will again pack the chambers wearing their green shirts, hoping the new vote reflects lessons learned since 2021. “This is why our voice matters,” she said, pointing to the nesting studies that validated the community’s earlier concerns.
