By Lisa J. Huriash, South Florida Sun Sentinel
The first of the businesses within the 102-acre Dania Pointe residential and entertainment complex opened Thursday.
Kimco Realty Corp.’s project, which will have hundreds of new residences, shopping and entertainment activities, occupies the spot of the former Dania Beach wooden roller-coaster ride that was dismantled years ago.
On Thursday, BrandsMart, Shoe Carnival, Ulta Cosmetics, Five Below, Verizon, Starbucks, Aspen Dental, and Men’s Wearhouse celebrated their official openings. Burger King and Advance Auto Parts had previously opened.
The grand opening of BrandsMart USA's eighth location in South Florida at the Dania Pointe Shopping Plaza just east of I-95 on Stirling Road in Dania Beach. (Susan Stocker / Sun Sentinel)
The next round of businesses, expected to open before year’s end, includes:
Youfit Health Club
Padrino’s Cuban Cuisine
Firehouse Subs
TooJay’s Deli
First Watch
Eyeglass World
Lee Nails
Hobby Lobby
Opening in 2019 will be:
Lucky’s Market
PDQ
Bento Asian Kitchen and Sushi
Dania Pointe Phase II
The second phase of the project, which broke ground in July, will include an additional 370,000 square feet of lifestyle retail, dining and entertainment, along with two Marriott hotels with 350 rooms combined, two 250,000-square-foot office buildings,and 600 residential apartment units.
The first apartment building will be Avery Dania Pointe, which will have eight stories and 264 units. Leasing will begin in late 2019, with move-ins planned for 2020, according to Kimco. The remaining units will be built within a second tower 18 months after this one nears completion, also part of Avery Dania Pointe, said Paul Puma, president of Kimco Realty's Southern Region.
“We believe Dania Pointe is going to be a new destination within South Florida,” Puma said Thursday. “Its location is unrivaled. It’s very unique in the market. It’s a remarkable location.”
Phase II retail to open in 2020 includes:
Bowlmor
Tommy Bahama
Forever 21
B. Young & Co.
Lindbergh menswear
American Soul clothing company
The rollercoaster
The Hurricane, a 100-foot tall rollercoaster, had been a familiar site to commuters along Interstate 95 for more than a decade. It was known as the tallest wooden amusement park ride in Florida.
It closed in 2011 but remained standing until spring 2016, when the developers disassembled the ride to make way for the shopping center.
“With Dania Pointe, we recognized the potential in what was essentially a gravel quarry and a defunct rollercoaster, and transformed it into a grocery-anchored shopping experience in an inviting atmosphere where shoppers will want to gather, work, play and ultimately live,” said David Jamieson, Kimco’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, in a statement.
