Kendall has long been one of Miami-Dade’s most family-friendly corners, known for its good schools, parks, and easy access to the rest of the county. It is also one of the few areas with real room left to build, so it is no surprise that 2026 has brought some headline projects. Here is a friendly rundown of what is taking shape, and what each one signals for anyone thinking about putting down roots here.
The old Calusa golf course is finally moving forward
The biggest story in Kendall this year is the former Calusa Country Club site. After nearly seven years of debate, the Miami-Dade County Commission voted on April 23, 2026 to approve a plan by GL Homes to build 524 homes on roughly 168 acres in the Calusa neighborhood.
The approval was close, passing on an 8 to 5 vote, and it followed years of back-and-forth between the developer and longtime residents. The revised plan expanded the site’s lake and removed homes that had been planned next to a protected bird rookery. It is worth setting expectations on timing: GL Homes still has to work through permitting before home construction begins, a process that can take many months. Still, for a community that has watched this land sit idle for years, the vote is a real turning point.
GL Homes has also begun some early site work along the property’s edges. According to the builder’s community update, a limited perimeter soil clean-up is getting underway in the areas closest to existing homes, separate from the 524-home zoning approval. The first phase involves clearing vegetation along the perimeter fence and installing windscreens, followed by removing and replacing impacted soil, adding drainage, and regrading. GL Homes notes that some existing trees in the clean-up zone will be removed for this work, and says the finished community will eventually have over 6,000 trees, compared with around 1,000 on the property today.
For buyers, a project of this size eventually adds a meaningful supply of newer single-family homes to a part of Kendall where inventory has been tight. That is something to keep an eye on over the next couple of years.
A brand-new Lennar community: Verdana Grove
Big master plans grab the headlines, but if you are hoping to buy a brand-new home in the near term, a smaller new-construction community can be the real opportunity. One to watch just south of the Kendall area is Verdana Grove by Lennar.
If you are not familiar with the builder, Lennar is one of the largest homebuilders in the country, and it is one of the most active builders here in Miami-Dade. That scale tends to mean a streamlined buying process and homes that come with modern features built in.
Verdana Grove is a new community of 54 single-family homes near Southwest 127th Avenue and Southwest 212th Street in the 33177 area of south Miami-Dade, a short drive south of Kendall. The homes offer three to five bedrooms and a two-car garage, and notably, the community has no HOA, which is a real draw for buyers who want more freedom and no monthly association dues. It sits close to parks and convenient transportation routes.
The community is opening soon, and pricing is expected to start from around the $800,000s. Because it is so new, exact prices and the release schedule are still taking shape, so the best move is to keep a close eye on it as homes become available. We are glad to track Verdana Grove for you and let you know the moment pricing and floor plans are released.
What it means if you are looking in Kendall
New construction tends to ripple outward. Large projects can ease some of the pressure on a tight resale market over time, and they often bring fresh attention and investment to the surrounding streets. If you are weighing a move in or around Kendall, it is worth understanding both the new options coming online and the established neighborhoods nearby that offer value today.
We know this area well and we are always glad to walk you through it, with no pressure and no rush. Reach out any time and we will help you find the right fit.