Doral council authorizes eminent domain to acquire Lakeway Drive for repairs

The City of Doral council voted to authorize the city attorney to begin eminent domain proceedings to acquire privately owned Lakeway Drive so the city can make long‑needed safety and drainage improvements.

Mayor Kristy Fraga and the city attorney told the council the privately owned road has suffered poor maintenance, inadequate lighting and no sidewalks for years, and multiple HOA agreements failed to sustain proper upkeep. The resolution authorizes the city attorney's office to retain experts and pursue a negotiated conveyance or, if necessary, condemnation.

The move follows more than two years of discussion between the city and homeowner associations. The city attorney said the administration's preference is a voluntary conveyance negotiated "at no cost to the city," but that a threatened taking via eminent domain is the legal mechanism to secure transfer if negotiations fail. The city indicated that once the road becomes a public street, initial repair work will be assessed to the properties that benefit rather than charged to the city's general fund.

Public Works provided preliminary estimates during the discussion but emphasized they were not final. "Until we're in there and determine what the ultimate design is installed, what lighting is used, what that long term cost could vary," a Public Works representative said. Council members repeatedly stressed that final assessments and the scope of improvements will be determined after engineers complete design work.

Councilmembers who spoke in support framed the action as a quality‑of‑life fix for thousands of residents who use the road, particularly during heavy rains that have produced recurring flooding in adjacent areas. After discussion the council took a roll‑call vote and approved the resolution.

Next steps: the city attorney's office will retain experts, continue negotiations with the HOA counsel, and return with design and cost details for the council's review and any subsequent assessments or construction contracts.