Doral, Florida

For other uses, see Doral (disambiguation).
Doral, Florida
City

Aerial view of western Doral

Seal
Nickname(s): Doralzuela, Little Caracas
Motto: "Live, Work, Learn and Play!"

Location in Miami-Dade County and the state of Florida

U.S. Census Bureau map showing the former CDP limits
Coordinates: 25°48′29.32″N 80°21′11.96″W / 25.8081444°N 80.3533222°W / 25.8081444; -80.3533222Coordinates: 25°48′29.32″N 80°21′11.96″W / 25.8081444°N 80.3533222°W / 25.8081444; -80.3533222
Country  United States of America
State  Florida
County Miami-Dade
Incorporated June 24, 2003
Government
 • Type Council-Manager
 • Mayor Luigi Boria
 • Vice Mayor Christi Fraga
 • Councilmembers Sandra Ruiz, Pete Cabrera, and Ana Maria Rodriguez
 • City Manager Edward A. Rojas
 • City Clerk Connie Diaz
Area
 • City 13.6 sq mi (35.3 km2)
 • Land 13.2 sq mi (13.2 km2)
 • Water 0.5 sq mi (1.2 km2)  3.52%
Elevation 3 ft (1 m)
Population (2014)
 • City 54,116
 • Density 4,099.7/sq mi (1,582.9/km2)
 • Metro 5,422,200
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
Zip Codes 33178
Area code(s) 305, 786
FIPS code 12-17935[1]
GNIS feature ID 1867137[2]
Website www.cityofdoral.com

Doral, incorporated on June 24, 2003, is one of thirty-four municipalities in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is located just one mile from Miami International Airport and twelve miles from Downtown Miami. The City regularly hosts in excess of 100,000 people who work in Miami. The City of Doral occupies a land area of 15 square miles bordered on the west by the Ronald Reagan Turnpike, to the north by the Town of Medley, to the east by the Palmetto Expressway and to the South by the City of Sweetwater.

The City of Doral has operated under the Mayor-Council-Manager form of government since incorporation. Policymaking and legislative authority are vested in a governing council consisting of the mayor and four other council members. The Council, which is elected at large, is responsible among other things, for passing ordinances and resolutions, adopting the annual budget, appointing the City Manager, City Clerk and City Attorney. The City Manager is responsible for carrying out the policies and ordinances of the Council, for overseeing the daily operations of the government, and for appointing the heads of various departments.

The City of Doral offers a wide range of services through its departments including the Office of the City Manager, Office of the City Clerk, Finance Department, Community Development Department, Public Works Department, Parks and Recreation Department, and Police Department. Described as the premier place to live, work and play, our many assets provide for a superior quality of life in an urban center known for its commerce.

For a city of its size, Doral has a large number of shops, financial institutions and businesses, especially importers and exporters, primarily because of its proximity to the airport. In 2008, Fortune Small Business and CNN Money ranked Doral as 51 on a list of 100 cities with the best mix of business advantages and lifestyle appeal.[3]

Originally built by Alfred and Doris Kaskel, who coined "Doral" by combining their names, the city is referred to by some as Doralzuela due to the city's recent influx of affluent Venezuelan immigrants.[4][5]

History

In the late 1950s, real estate pioneers Alfred and Doris Kaskel purchased 2,400 acres of swampland between Northwest 36 Street and Northwest 74 Street and from Northwest 79 Avenue to Northwest 117 Avenue for about $49,000, intending to build a golf course and hotel. In 1962, the Doral Country Club opened in western Dade County, featuring the blue, red and par-3 golf courses, along with a hotel on Miami Beach. The "Doral" name combined Doris and Alfred. As Doral's very first structure, the Doral Hotel and Country Club became the area's hot spot: guests were transported from the beach to the country club for a day on the golf course.

In the second year of operations, the Kaskels hosted the first Doral Open Invitational, Florida's major PGA event. Alfred offered $50,000 in prize money to attract well-known golfers. According to the South Florida Golf Foundation, at the time only three other tournaments were held in Florida, offering a combined total of $65,000 prize money.

By the early 1980s, Doral started to experience its first residential growth spurt, when Alfred's and Doris' grandson Bill developed Doral Estates, followed by a joint venture with Lennar Corporation to build Doral Park. Both communities were named after the hotel, a trend that was to be repeated many more times. Although younger families started flooding the area, there were no stores, schools, or parks. Initially, most new homes were investment properties or second homes, but early full-time residents started coming together as a community.

From 1983 to 1985, Miami-Dade County imposed a building moratorium to protect the area's water wells. Once the ban was lifted, Doral experienced tremendous growth. In 1989, Morgan Levy helped organize the West Dade Federation of Homeowner Associations to stand strong against any proposals that threatened the community's welfare. Thus, they secured a police station instead of a jail, as well as convinced county officials to implement higher development standards as well as more lighting, roads and landscaping.

In 1995, residents began lobbying for incorporation in earnest, dissatisfied with the high tax rate relative to the services they received, as well as unchecked growth. The county met the first attempt at incorporation with a year's deferral. Some classified Doral as a "donor community," meaning that the taxes paid were more than the cost of operations. With the deferral, incorporation efforts intensified even more. In 1996, the community elected its first community council: Jose "Pepe" Cancio, Sr., Mario Pita and Barbara B. Thomas were elected and three other members were appointed. The council initially met once every month.

In 2002, Governor Jeb Bush appointed Cancio to fill the remainder of Miami-Dade Commissioner Miriam Alonso's term of office. Doral residents hoped that his appointment would bring the community closer to incorporation, and their hopes were realized. Although Cancio endorsed Juan Carlos Bermudez, the City of Doral's first elected Mayor, as his replacement on the Community Council, Bermudez declined the offer, ran for the seat and was elected. At the time, Bermudez was president of One Doral, a civic organization formed to counteract the perceived influence of the West Dade Federation on the new Council. However, both One Doral and the West Dade Federation proved essential to the incorporation process.

In January 2003, following a seven-year battle, 85% of Doral's voters voted in favor of incorporation. In June of the same year, 92% voted to accept the City Charter and elected their first Mayor and City Council.

The City of Doral has attracted positive attention from Fortune 100 corporations, mom-and-pop businesses, young families and retirees. Mayor Luigi Boria, elected in November, 2012, became the second Venezuelan-American mayor in the United States, and only one still in office (Caracas-born Philip Giordano, three-term mayor of Waterbury, Connecticut and former opponent of Senator Joseph Lieberman, having given up his position after federal felony convictions). Current city council members include Christi Fraga and Sandra Ruiz.[6] In January, 2015, the city hosted events relating to Miss Universe 2014.

Media

The city of Doral has its own newspaper, "Doral Community Newspapers, which is published bi-weekly and is part of Miami Community Newspapers. Also, ''The Miami Herald , El Nuevo Herald and the Doral News have a shared headquarters in Doral.[7][8]

The City of Doral, Fla. is served by the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale market for local radio and television. Doral has its own local map, Discover Doral City Map, published quarterly since 2005 and distributed in all the shopping centers, hotel lobby, car rental, and visitor information centers. Two big media outlets have their headquarters in Doral: Univision Network/Fusion and CBS-owned & operated affiliate WFOR-TV, Channel 4. Several studios and other TV operations work out from Doral. In addition, the Telemundo chain has a presence in the City of Doral, with one of its main office and production units located there.

Geography

Doral is located at 25°48′29″N 80°21′12″W / 25.808145°N 80.353322°W / 25.808145; -80.353322.[9]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.6 square miles (35 km2). 13.2 square miles (34 km2) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2) of it (3.52%) is water.

Surrounding areas

 Town of Medley
  Unincorporated Miami-Dade County Hialeah
Unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Tamiami   Miami Springs
  Tamiami West Miami
  Fontainebleau

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
19903,126—
200020,438553.8%
201045,704123.6%
Est. 201556,035[10]22.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
Doral Demographics
2010 CensusDoralMiami-Dade CountyFlorida
Total population45,7042,496,43518,801,310
Population, percent change, 2000 to 2010+123.6%+10.8%+17.6%
Population density3,293.4/sq mi1,315.5/sq mi350.6/sq mi
White or Caucasian (including White Hispanic)88.7%73.8%75.0%
(Non-Hispanic White or Caucasian)14.6%15.4%57.9%
Black or African-American2.5%18.9%16.0%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)79.5%65.0%22.5%
Asian3.6%1.5%2.4%
Native American or Native Alaskan0.1%0.2%0.4%
Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian0.0%0.0%0.1%
Two or more races (Multiracial)2.1%2.4%2.5%
Some Other Race3.0%3.2%3.6%

As of the 2010, there were 17,785 households out of which 14.3% were vacant. As of 2000, 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.12.

In 2000, the city population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 43.6% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 4.8% who were 65 years of age or older. As of 2000, the median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the CDP was $53,060, and the median income for a family was $57,193. Males had a median income of $46,324 versus $32,827 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $27,705. About 9.5% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.8% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2000, speakers of Spanish as a first language accounted for 74.50%, while English accounted for 16.15%, Portuguese was spoken by 5.02%, Chinese made up 0.98%, Tamil at 0.64%, Japanese at 0.53%, and Arabic was the mother tongue for 0.50% of the population.[12]

As of 2000, Doral had the highest percentage of Venezuelans residents in the US, with 8.22% of the population (Weston was the second-highest, with 4.10% of the population.)[13] It had the thirty-third highest percentage of Cuban residents in the US, at 15.20% of the city's population,[14] and the sixth-highest percentage of Colombian residents in the US, at 8.71% of the its population.[15] It also had the tenth-most Peruvians in the US, at 2.95%,[16] while it had the forty-eighth-highest percentage of Dominicans, at 2.64% of all residents.[17] It had the thirteenth-highest concentration of Brazilians, with 2.50% of the city (tied with Newark, NJ and Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts.)[18] Doral's Nicaraguan community had the twenty-sixth-highest percentage of residents, which comprised 1.69% of the population.[19] It is also home to the fifty-first-highest percentage of Ecuadorian residents, which made up 1.18% of the population.[20]

Economy

Carnival Corporation and Carnival Cruise Lines headquarters in Doral

In 2005 Doral had over 10,000 businesses. During that year Carnival Cruise Lines, Ryder, and Univision had operations in Doral. For years leading into 2005, Doral attracted businesses of various sizes.[21]

Carnival Corporation and subsidiary Carnival Cruise Lines have their headquarters in Doral.[22][23][24]

Amadeus North America, AAXICO,[25] Benihana,[26][27][28] and Perry Ellis International have their headquarters in Doral.[24][29][30]

The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Miami Branch Office, one of the five Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta branch offices, is located in Doral.[31]

Martinair operates its Americas headquarters in the Doral Corporate Center One in Doral.[32][33][34] Avianca operates a Miami-area sales office in Doral.[35] Grupo TACA operates a Miami-area TACA Center in Doral.[36] El Al has its Miami-area office in Doral.[37] Hellmann Worldwide Logistics has its USA head office in Doral.[38]

Before Doral was incorporated, the second (1996–1998) Pan American World Airways had its headquarters in Doral.[39] At one time Ryder had its headquarters in Doral.[40] In 2002 Ryder announced that it would move its headquarters to a new site in Miami-Dade County.[41]

Portions of CSI: Miami episodes were filmed at CBS' Doral studios, which is home to its owned-and-operated affiliate, WFOR-TV, as well as MyNetworkTV affiliate WBFS-TV.

Top employers

According to Doral's 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[42] the top employers in the city are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Carnival Corporation 2,380
2 Marriott International 1,031
3 Univisión 800
4 Supreme International 525
5 Amadeus North America 500
6 Perry Ellis International 420
7 Florida Blue 412
8 Brink's 366
9 Gold Coast Beverage Distributors 286

Government and infrastructure

Local government

The Doral Police Department was started on June 2, 2008,[43] with 93 officers to service the growing Doral area.[44] Previously, the Miami-Dade Police Department would service the area with a sticker on the side of the car showing the Doral logo. From its inception, the new police service has started a routine of parking at busy intersections or roadsides in an effort to catch speeders, thus forcing the entire city to slow down its speed on its once fast streets.

On January 20, 2015, former basketball star Shaquille O'Neal was sworn in as a reserve police officer for Doral's police force.[45]

County government

The Miami-Dade Police Department has its headquarters and the Midwest District Station in Doral.[46][47] The Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department has its headquarters in Doral.[48]

State and federal representation

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement operates the Miami Regional Operations Center in an unincorporated area that was formerly a part of the Doral CDP and is not within the city limits of Doral.[24][49][50]

The National Transportation Safety Board operates the Miami Aviation Field Office in Doral.[51]

The United States Postal Service operates the Doral Branch Post Office in Doral.[52]

Transportation

The City of Doral Trolley was launched on February 1, 2008 and has been available to residents and visitors alike for a convenient FREE RIDE. The pilot program involved a weekday route that ran from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm with one trolley servicing one route. Since then, the City has added five new trolleys and has expanded service with two additional routes which connect to Metrorail. Currently the system has three routes serviced by seven trolleys.[53]

Parks and Recreation

The city of Doral operates and maintains six parks with an abundance of amenities for every age and lifestyle.[54] Doral Meadow Park Doral Central Park Trails & Tails Park Veterans Park Downtown Doral Park Morgan Levy Park

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Private Schools

Shelton Academy

Divine Savior Academy

Public Schools

Doral is a part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools system.

Residents are zoned to the following education facilities:[55]

Public Schools (MDCPS)

Charter schools

Colleges and universities

Public libraries

The Miami-Dade Public Library System operates the Doral Branch, which had re-opened on July 5, 2003 after an expansion, in the Doral Isles Shopping Center.[56] In addition the system operates the 7,500-square-foot (700 m2) International Mall Branch in Doral. The library was the second to be built after the opening of the Main Library in 1985.[57]

Miscellaneous education

The Miami Hoshuko, Inc. (マイアミ補習校 Maiami Hoshūkō), a supplementary weekend Japanese school, has its school offices in Doral.[24][58] Its classes are held in Westchester.[58][59]

References

  1. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. ↑ "100 Best Places to live and launch – 51. Doral, Fla. (51)". www.cnnmoney.com. Retrieved 2008-04-15.
  4. ↑ "Meet The New Mayor Of 'Doralzuela'- The First Venezuelan Born Mayor In Florida" (Archive). WLRN-FM. Thursday January 10, 2013. Retrieved on April 30, 2014.
  5. ↑ Semple, Kirk (January 23, 2008). "Rise of Chávez Sends Venezuelans to Florida". The New York Times.
  6. ↑ http://www.politicalcortadito.com/2012/11/27/rich-man-luigi-boria-buys-er-wins-doral-election/
  7. ↑ "Contact Us." The Miami Herald. Retrieved on January 24, 2014. "The Miami Herald 3511 NW 91 Ave. Miami, FL 33172"
  8. ↑ "Contáctenos." El Nuevo Herald. Retrieved on January 24, 2014. "El Nuevo Herald 3511 NW 91 Ave. Miami, FL 33172"
  9. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  10. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  12. ↑ "MLA Data Center Results for Doral, Florida". Modern Language Association. Retrieved 2007-11-19.
  13. ↑ "Ancestry Map of Venezuelan Communities". Epodunk.com. Retrieved 2007-11-19.
  14. ↑ "Ancestry Map of Cuban Communities". Epodunk.com. Retrieved 2007-11-19.
  15. ↑ "Ancestry Map of Colombian Communities". Epodunk.com. Retrieved 2007-11-19.
  16. ↑ "Ancestry Map of Peruvian Communities". Epodunk.com. Retrieved 2007-11-19.
  17. ↑ "Ancestry Map of Dominican Communities". Epodunk.com. Retrieved 2007-11-19.
  18. ↑ "Ancestry Map of Brazilian Communities". Epodunk.com. Retrieved 2007-11-19.
  19. ↑ "Ancestry Map of Nicaraguan Communities". Epodunk.com. Retrieved 2007-11-19.
  20. ↑ "Ancestry Map of Ecuadorian Communities". Epodunk.com. Retrieved 2007-11-19.
  21. ↑ "COMPANIES FLOCK TO DORAL." Miami Herald. April 23, 2005. 33WW Special Edition. Retrieved on January 9, 2010.
  22. ↑ "Corporate Address." Carnival Cruise Lines. Retrieved on January 9, 2010.
  23. ↑ "E-Mail Alerts / Privacy Policy." Carnival Corporation & plc. Retrieved on January 9, 2010.
  24. 1 2 3 4 "Map of the City of Doral." (Archive) City of Doral. Retrieved on September 16, 2012.
  25. ↑ "How to Contact Us." AAXICO. Retrieved on January 9, 2010.
  26. ↑ "Contact Us." Benihana. Retrieved on January 24, 2014. "Benihana Inc.[...]8750 NW 36th Street Suite 300 Doral, FL 33178"
  27. ↑ Walker, Elaine. "Doral, Fla.-Based Benihana Discloses Secret of Its Success." Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. May 26, 1999. Retrieved on January 9, 2010.
  28. ↑ "Franchising Contacts." Benihana. Retrieved on January 9, 2010.
  29. ↑ "Contact Us." Perry Ellis International Corporate Apparel. Retrieved on January 9, 2010.
  30. ↑ "Contact Us." Perry Ellis International. Retrieved on January 9, 2010.
  31. ↑ "Miami Branch." Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Retrieved on September 3, 2011. "9100 N.W. 36th Street Miami, Florida 33178-2425"
  32. ↑ "Worldwide Offices." Martinair. Retrieved on March 8, 2009.
  33. ↑ "Doral Corporate Center." Hines Interests Limited Partnership. Retrieved on September 6, 2009.
  34. ↑ Bowden, Marilyn. "Hines buys Doral Corporate Center for $55.75 million." Miami Today. Week of December 7, 2006. Retrieved on September 6, 2009.
  35. ↑ "Offices rest of the world." Avianca. Retrieved on January 27, 2009.
  36. ↑ "TACA Offices." Grupo TACA. Retrieved on January 27, 2009.
  37. ↑ "Worldwide Offices USA." El Al. Retrieved on September 29, 2009.
  38. ↑ "Hellmann Head Office USA." Hellmann Worldwide Logistics. Retrieved on November 6, 2010.
  39. ↑ Ostrowski, Jeff. "Codina, Swerdlow set sights on Sawgrass Mills." South Florida Business Journal. Friday March 28, 1997. Retrieved on May 23, 2009.
  40. ↑ "Contact Ryder." Ryder. Retrieved on January 9, 2010.
  41. ↑ Tamen, Joan Fleischer. "Ryder Headquarters to be Located Near Broward County, Fla., Border." South Florida Sun-Sentinel. December 5, 2002. Retrieved on January 9, 2010.
  42. ↑ City of Doral CAFR
  43. ↑ "Police Services." Miami-Dade County. Retrieved on March 12, 2010.
  44. ↑ "Doral Police To Be Sworn In." WPLG. Friday May 9, 2008. Retrieved on March 12, 2010.
  45. ↑ http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/doral/article7791585.html#storylink=cpy
  46. ↑ "Miami-Dade Police." Miami-Dade County. Retrieved on September 9, 2012. "Miami-Dade Police Department 9105 NW 25 ST Doral, Fl 33172"
  47. ↑ "Midwest District Station." Miami-Dade Police Department. Retrieved on September 8, 2012. "9101 NW 25th Street Doral, FL 33172"
  48. ↑ "Contact Us." Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department. Retrieved on September 8, 2012. "Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department 9300 N.W. 41st Street Miami, Florida 33178-2414"
  49. ↑ "FDLE Regional Contacts." Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Retrieved on March 7, 2010.
  50. ↑ "Doral CDP, Florida." (Archive) U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on January 9, 2010.
  51. ↑ "Regional Offices: Aviation." National Transportation Safety Board. Retrieved on May 15, 2010.
  52. ↑ "Post Office Location – DORAL BRANCH." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on May 5, 2009.
  53. ↑ "Doral Trolley". City of Doral. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  54. ↑ https://www.cityofdoral.com/all-departments/parks-and-recreation/facilities-and-rentals/
  55. ↑ "Doral Fact Sheet: Education". www.cityofdoral.com. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
  56. ↑ "Doral Branch." Miami-Dade Public Library System. Retrieved on February 26, 2010.
  57. ↑ "International Mall Branch." Miami-Dade Public Library System. Retrieved on February 26, 2010.
  58. 1 2 "ホーム" ("Home"). Miami Hoshuko. Retrieved on April 30, 2014. "借用校・校舎 Iglesia Bautisita de Coral Park 8755 SW 16 Street Miami, FL. 33165" and "補習校事務所 Miami Hoshuko, INC. 3403 NW 82 Ave, Suite 340 Miami, FL. 33122"
  59. ↑ "2010 Block Census Map Westchester, Florida" (Archive). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on April 30, 2014.

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