Coral Gables commission votes in favor of 8-story building that would house Crystal Academy

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — It’s a project that has divided a community for years.

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On one side is a a developer proposing an eight-story building with nearly 200 residential units.

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On the ground floor of the building will be a new home for Crystal Academy, a school dedicated to serving children with autism.

But for many who live near the site, they say the issue isn’t the school, it’s the size of everything else that comes with it.

Neighbors say their streets are already congested and they worry hundreds of new residents would only make traffic worse while putting even more pressure on roads and city infrastructure.

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However, many supporters of the project point to the development providing a permanent home for Crystal Academy, with a 99-year lease, rent free, because their current facilities are old and nearly unusable.

After hours of discussion, public comment, and Coral Gables commissioners trying to find a middle ground with design plans, they voted in favor of the building.

Developers said afterwards that they are ready to get to work, while those not in favor indicated their fight was not over.

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