Matthew Whitman Lazenby and Bal Harbour Shops
A looming special election tied to easing height restrictions for the Bal Harbour Shops would give the luxury shopping center’s owners the flexibility to possibly add a mid-to-high rise building in the future. But some prominent residents fear Whitman Family Development wants to bypass the village’s voters in seeking approval for a skyscraper more than 290 feet tall.
As of Thursday morning, 391 mail-in ballots had been turned into the Miami-Dade elections department for the special election that will be held Tuesday. Voters, who will also be allowed to cast ballots in-person on election day, will decide whether to amend the Bal Harbour village charter and allow height increases above five stories in the special business improvement area, which encompasses the Bal Harbour Shops at 9700 Collins Avenue. Currently, the village charter prohibits structures above five stories from being built anywhere in Bal Harbour.