Miami-Dade County is pointing to two Atlantic Pacific Companies projects — one newly opened in Overtown, one on the way in Perrine — as proof that placing affordable housing next to transit lines can work at scale across the county.

The ribbon was recently cut at Atlantic Square in Overtown, a mixed-income, mixed-use development that Atlantic Pacific describes as the largest transit-oriented affordable housing project of its kind in the region. The complex sits adjacent to rail and bus rapid transit infrastructure, reflecting a deliberate design philosophy the developer says is now central to its South Florida playbook.

Building on that momentum, Atlantic Pacific has announced a second phase of its Perrine Village project along the South Dade TransitWay. The expansion would add 101 apartment homes restricted to residents 55 and older, bringing dedicated senior housing to a transit corridor that runs through one of the county's more underserved southern communities.

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has embraced both projects as emblematic of the direction the county wants to move. She described the pairing as a model for development that is at once inclusive and connected — housing that gives residents without cars meaningful access to jobs, healthcare, and services through the transit network rather than requiring them to rely on automobile infrastructure.

The transit-adjacent model, sometimes called TOD — transit-oriented development — has gained traction in city planning circles nationally, but Miami has been slower than many peer metros to align affordable housing production with its existing rail and bus rapid transit assets. Atlantic Square and Perrine Village Phase 2 represent one of the more concrete attempts to close that gap in Miami-Dade.

For Overtown, the opening of Atlantic Square carries particular weight. The neighborhood has deep historic roots as Miami's oldest Black community and has long contended with displacement pressures as development creeps closer from Brickell and the Health District. A project that preserves income-restricted units in the heart of Overtown while anchoring residents to the transit network offers a counter-narrative to gentrification-without-benefit — though advocates will be watching closely to ensure the mixed-income balance holds over time.

The South Dade TransitWay corridor, meanwhile, has often been discussed as an underutilized asset. Adding 101 units of affordable senior housing along that route signals that the county and private developers are beginning to treat the corridor as a real backbone for community investment rather than simply a commuter amenity.

Atlantic Pacific Companies has not released a construction timeline or total unit count for the full Perrine Village Phase 2 project beyond the 101 senior apartments announced.

This story was originally reported by the South Florida Times.