The claw of an excavator pulled down the porte-cochere at Miami Lakes Golf Club on Friday, launching a new era for the landmark property.
See video here: https://buff.ly/4ao91vi.
To rise at the corner of Miami Lakes Drive and Northwest 77th Avenue: A $110 million mixed-use project called The Residences & Shops on NINE, designed by Roger Fry & Associates, P.A.
It will have 278 apartments and parking in a seven-story building; a five-star banquet facility; a driving range with 29 indoor and outdoor practice bays and a building with a bar, restaurant and private video teaching rooms, and 12,000 square feet of retail space along Miami Lakes Drive.
On the misty and windy morning, the business end of Alpha Wrecking of Pompano Beach’s excavator looked like an angry Tyrannosaurus Rex.
It easily poked through the porte-cochere that had sheltered so many valets and visitors at the entrance to the golf club. The machine pulled the tired structure to the ground with ease, shaking and shredding it while a man from the wrecking crew aimed a water hose at the growing pile.
The Graham Companies built the property 60 years ago. It is undertaking the redevelopment because the current uses were not financially viable.
It hopes that the anticipated financial success of The Residences & Shops on NINE will enable the company to install a new drainage system for the golf course, which is not playable on the back nine after heavy rains.
Demolition of the golf club building and Hotel Indigo next door will continue through December; it will take two months to remove the debris. The golf course will remain open for play during demolition and construction.
The Graham Companies and family friend, the late NFL Coach Don Shula, formed a business partnership in the late 1980s. When Shula lived in Miami Lakes, his home was on the 16th hole of the golf course.
The original Shula’s Steak House opened there and served many professional athletes and celebrities over the years. Gloria and Emilio Estefan dined there during its 30th year in 2019. Just a few months later, the restaurant and hotel closed at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March this year, the golf club became home to the First Tee youth golf program. It teaches children of all abilities how to play the game, instructing players from ages 4 to 18 in the traditions of the sport and how to compete with integrity, resolve conflicts, manage emotions and set goals.
The golf club continues to be a destination for annual trips by families and friends and hosts many golf tournaments, especially charity fundraisers.
Video edited by Alexandra Herrera.