Demolition Day for the Dania Beach roller coaster probably won't come until 2016.

The Hurricane, once known as the tallest wooden amusement park ride in Florida, was expected to be torn down earlier this year to make way for a massive open-air shopping center just east of Interstate 95 at Stirling and Bryan roads.

But developer Paul Puma, president of the southern region for New York-based Kimco Realty, expects the Hurricane to remain standing until the first quarter of next year as plans for the development, called Dania Pointe, have been pushed back until 2017.

Puma said signing leases and getting city approvals for the shopping center is more of a priority now than knocking down the roller coaster that closed in 2011.

The abandoned ride is an eyesore visible from Interstate 95, but Dania Beach Vice Mayor Albert Jones said he hasn't received any complaints about it.

"It will come down when it needs to come down," he said.

The nearly 1 million-square-foot Dania Pointe is planned for 102 acres assembled by Master Development of Aventura and Salzman Real Estate Advisors of Dania Beach. They later approached Kimco about a joint venture.

Bob Shapiro, president of Master Development, originally hoped to open the center by late 2015 or early 2016. But Puma said the 35-acre first phase, which will include discount retailers and "big box" stores, won't be ready until the fall of 2017.

The second phase, which will include more retailers, restaurants, 1,000 residential units and two hotels, will follow in the fall of 2018. By that point, construction should be started on 500,000 square feet of offices, Puma said.

Kimco said the project, once known as DaniaLive, will be a destination for an estimated 1 million residents living in the surrounding trade area and millions of domestic and international tourists visiting the region each year.

"It's a game-changer for the city of Dania Beach," Jones said.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/realestate/fl-dania-beach-roller-coaster-20150925-story.html