For generations, a beach day in South Florida has meant one thing: driving east. Whether it was for waterfront dining, a sunset stroll, kayaking or simply relaxing by the water, the region’s coastal lifestyle has largely been reserved for communities along the Atlantic. But that’s beginning to change in Miramar, west of Miami and Fort Lauderdale, where one of South Florida’s fastest-growing corridors is redefining what waterfront living can look like. Nearly 477,000 people now live within five miles of a single intersection in Miramar, yet many still have to drive to the coast to enjoy a true waterfront experience. Miramar Cove aims to change that by bringing a beach-inspired lifestyle closer to home with a beach club, a swimmable waterfront, waterfront restaurants, scenic walking trails and inviting public gathering spaces.
Miramar Cove, the 125-acre mixed-use destination that broke ground at Miramar Parkway and Red Road in May 2026, is bringing a new kind of waterfront experience to inland South Florida. Nearly one-third of the property is dedicated to water. At the heart of the development is a 5.5-acre waterfront featuring translucent blue water, choreographed fountain shows, waterfront restaurants, homes and inviting public spaces designed to bring people together. A private beach club and a designated swimming area for residents create a beach-inspired experience unlike anything else in West Broward, offering many of the experiences people typically associate with the coast without the drive east.
The water at the heart of the waterfront community is produced by Blue Mar Basins®, a technology that creates multi-acre, man-made basins designed for swimming, relaxation, and spending the day by the shore.
Here’s a closer look at how Blue Mar Basins technology is making this new waterfront destination possible, and what it could mean for the future of West Broward.
What Is the Blue Mar Basin at Miramar Cove and Why Is It So Different?
The Blue Mar Basin is the 5.5-acre body of calm, swimmable, translucent blue water at the center of Miramar Cove. Picture a protected cove where walkways, restaurants, and apartments wrap around the shoreline and the water’s edge serves as the community’s main gathering place. That setting is where Miramar Cove takes its name, and it’s why the basin is sometimes referred to simply as the Cove. Experiences like this are often found at resort destinations, including Carnival Cruise Line’s Celebration Key on Grand Bahama Island and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas, where the water is the centerpiece of the experience.
What does the basin bring to Miramar Cove?
Florida has no shortage of swimmable attractions, and most of them work the same way: you drive in, swim, pack up, and head home. Miramar Cove was designed around a different relationship with the water. The basin sits at the center of the neighborhood, with homes and restaurants facing the shoreline and a five-mile network of walking paths tying it to the rest of the 125 acres, including the 10-acre Founders Park and a 25-acre natural area called The Estuary.
In practice, for residents, that means the waterfront becomes part of everyday life rather than a destination reserved for weekends and special occasions. A morning walk follows the shoreline, an afternoon is spent at the private beach club or relaxing by the water, dinner comes with a view of the basin, and visiting friends naturally gather along the waterfront instead of planning a trip to the coast. For visitors, Miramar Cove offers a place to shop, dine, stroll along the waterfront, and spend quality time with family and friends after work and on weekends.
Why Is a Beach-Inspired Waterfront Coming to West Broward?
The answer is simple: people want more places to enjoy close to home. Over the past two decades, communities across West Broward and Northwest Miami-Dade County – including Miramar, Pembroke Pines, Weston and Davie – have attracted hundreds of thousands of new residents with family-friendly neighborhoods, top-rated schools and convenient access to major highways. But when it comes to waterfront restaurants in West Broward, things to do in Miramar, family-friendly activities near Pembroke Pines, or simply enjoying a day by the water in South Florida, many residents still have to drive east to Miami or Fort Lauderdale.
Miramar Cove was designed to bring many of those experiences closer to home. Anchored by the Blue Mar Basin, the 125-acre destination will also feature 13 acres of natural lakes, an 18.3-acre estuary with walking trails, and more than 40 acres of parks and open space. The vision is to create a place where residents and visitors can enjoy waterfront dining in Miramar, spend an afternoon by the water, explore scenic trails, gather with family and friends, and experience a beach-inspired destination in West Broward – all without making the drive to the coast.
“Miramar Cove is providing the family-oriented entertainment and lifestyle destination that is missing in southwest Broward,” says Andy Ansin, CEO and President of Sunbeam Properties & Sunbeam Development, the project’s owner. “For years, people have had to drive east for waterfront dining, entertainment, and that lifestyle experience. Miramar Cove changes that by bringing a true waterfront destination to South Florida’s western communities for the first time. Miramar Cove is setting a new standard for waterfront living in South Florida.”
What will surround the Blue Mar Basin?
The basin anchors a full town center. When complete, Miramar Cove will include:
- Approximately 2,874 residential apartments, many with waterfront views
- About 400,000 square feet of shops, restaurants, and a 35,000-square-foot grocer, as well as an entertainment district
- Around 125,000 square feet of Class A office space
- A 185-key full-service hotel
- More than 40 acres of parks, trails, and open space
Residents will also have access to a private beach club and residents-only access to swim in the Cove, the kind of amenities that usually come with a coastal address.
Can visitors enjoy the Blue Mar Basin?
Yes. Miramar Cove is designed as a destination for the entire region, not just the people who live there, with waterfront dining, open-air retail, an entertainment district and year-round events and programming anchored on the basin. A centerpiece of the basin will also be a nightly fountain show that will dazzle visitors as it sprays water in time to music and lights. Hard Rock Stadium sits just minutes away and hosts more than 100 major events a year, which makes the water’s edge another natural place to gather before and after games and concerts.
The technology behind Blue Mar Basins®
The basin is built on Blue Mar Basins®, patented technology from Orlando-based Martin Aquatic. The system relies on a proprietary process for filtration, automation, and water distribution to keep large-scale swimmable amenities pristine, and it’s what gives the basin its calm, translucent blue water.
“Our Blue Mar Basins technology was designed for destinations exactly like Miramar Cove, where the water becomes the heart of the community,” said Josh Martin, President & Creative Director of Martin Aquatic. “When you combine exceptional water quality with a safe, inviting environment, you create an amenity that becomes a lasting community asset.”
Martin Aquatic is a global leader in water-driven destinations, with nearly 3,000 projects completed worldwide. If you’ve visited Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Baha Mar Resort in The Bahamas, or Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay, you’ve seen their work. Miramar Cove marks the technology’s first appearance in the corridor.
When Will Miramar Cove Open to the Public?
Miramar Cove broke ground on May 27, 2026, and the first phase is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2028. Located at 11125 Miramar Parkway in Miramar, Florida, at the intersection of Miramar Parkway and Red Road, the 125-acre mixed-use waterfront destination in West Broward sits adjacent to the Miramar Park of Commerce, one of South Florida’s largest business parks. Designed to serve residents across West Broward and Northwest Miami-Dade County, Miramar Cove will bring together waterfront restaurants, shopping, entertainment, parks, walking trails and a beach-inspired waterfront experience in one destination. After decades of South Florida’s waterfront lifestyle being concentrated along the coast, the area west of Miami and Fort Lauderdale is finally getting a waterfront destination of its own.
Want updates on the Blue Mar Basin and Miramar Cove? Follow along as construction progresses toward the Q4 2028 opening. Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social.
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