City Village West {Amera Corp}
A major development project in Coral Springs is moving forward with a new phased approach after initial plans that included a Whole Foods store were rejected by city officials.
The 12-acre site on the northwest corner of Sample Road and University Drive, which has been in development planning for several years, is now proceeding with what developers and city officials call City Village. A first phase, City Village West, focuses on the western four acres. It will include 300 residential apartment units and over 20,000 square feet of retail and commercial space, according to the property’s owner and developer, Amera.
“We’ve always wanted to build something very special on that corner,” said Amera president Gisele Rahael, who grew up in Coral Springs and whose family has lived and worked in the city for over 45 years.
“My dad started acquiring the different pieces of the eastern portion of that [corner] piece by piece in the 1980s,” Rahael told Coral Springs Talk. “It’s a very big deal for us to do this, to do it right, and to make a lasting impact on this community.”
Amera’s original plan, presented to city commissioners in November 2023, included Whole Foods as an anchor tenant, along with additional retail, restaurants, and residential units. However, the plan fell apart when special exceptions needed to accommodate Whole Foods were not approved.
Whole Foods required surface parking between their store and the road, which conflicted with city code requiring buildings to be positioned directly on the street.
The revised plan, presented in November 2024, takes a two-phase approach, Rahael said. The first phase focuses on the western portion of the property with residential units and retail space, while the second phase will develop the eastern eight acres with approximately 65,000 square feet of commercial, retail, and restaurant space.
Currently, the project is in the city’s development review committee process for the first phase, which will include a structured parking garage.
George Rahael, Gisele Rahael, and Michael Rahael of Amera Corp. {courtesy city of Coral Springs}
The development team projects that the western four acres alone will generate around $63 million in revenue for various taxing authorities, including the city, over the next 30 years.
Rahael said phase one of City Village West is expected to break ground later this year.
“We are working feverishly to make that happen despite challenging market conditions (including increased construction costs, high interest rates, and pending tariffs),” she said.
Amera, Rahael said, envisions a “vibrant mixed-use destination with thriving retailers and restaurants that will transform this corner and fulfill the city’s vision for Downtown Coral Springs.”
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