“The Overpass,” a redevelopment vision prepared for a strategic City of Miami-owned public site, was awarded first place by the Urban Land Institute Southeast Florida/Caribbean Leadership Institute 2025 for its integrated approach combining health tourism, public life, and long-term economic value creation.
Developed in Florida, the project aims to create a new health, lifestyle, and public-space destination between Allapattah and Miami’s Health District, one of the city’s most important growth corridors.
Designed for an approximately 36,000-square-meter General Services Administration site owned by the City of Miami, The Overpass features an estimated $300 million investment vision, including 256 residential units, a 308-key medical hotel, medical office space, retail areas, municipal service areas, a 740-space parking facility, and extensive public park space.
The project seeks to make more efficient use of an existing public site while strengthening the area’s health tourism potential and supporting Miami’s long-term urban growth through a mixed-use model.
One of the team members contributing to the project, Didem Günal, serves as the executive responsible for business development and marketing strategy at Florida-based Desart LLC. Günal contributed to the project particularly in relation to investment value, user profile, market positioning, and a multi-stakeholder development approach.
Commenting on the project, Günal said: “Being part of a vision for the future of such a strategic City of Miami-owned public site is a great honor. The Overpass is a strong example of a project that brings together Miami’s goals for health, quality of life, and
economic development. Contributing to a project that can support Miami’s future in the United States is deeply meaningful to me.”
The Overpass stands out as a notable urban redevelopment example showing how public land can be evaluated not only through its development potential, but also through its ability to generate value in health, mobility, quality of life, and long-term economic growth.
The full content of this article is only available to paid subscribers. If you are an active subscriber, please log in. To subscribe, please click here: SUBSCRIBE
