A new luxury 16-story student housing development is coming to Coral Gables, offering University of Miami students new off-campus residences within minutes of campus.
Alta Development, the developer of the project led by Henry Pino, plans to construct a 16-story building with 173 apartments and 675 beds ranging from studio apartments to four-bedroom suites. The development — named SOMI Walk — will be located 1.4 miles from UM’s campus. Its location would give students a three-to-five-minute drive or a 20-minute walk to campus.
For upperclassmen at UM, housing can be competitive. On campus, the University offers four residential options: Centennial Village, University Village, Lakeside Village and Eaton Residential College.
Although the University of Miami is actively working to expand on-campus housing and add beds through a multi-phase Housing Facilities Strategic Plan designed to replace existing facilities with higher-capacity, modern spaces, the process takes time.
This plan is intended to accommodate more students in the future, but does not address the immediate shortage of on-campus housing. With more than 12,000 full-time, degree-seeking undergraduates and more than 6,000 full-time degrees-seeking graduates, students face challenges due to limited residences each year.
Centennial Village was completed in August of 2026. As part of the project, Stanford and Hecht Towers were demolished and replaced with five new buildings, resulting in a net gain of 2,025 beds.
The next phase of the plan is Gables Village. In the summer of 2026, the Mahoney-Pearson complex was torn down and will be replaced with two new buildings. The project is expected to provide 1,458 beds.
However, SOMI Walk’s size and proximity to UM offer students another choice.
“The Alta Development team continuously toured competing student-housing properties, on-campus options, and luxury residential developments both in Miami and across the country,” said Jonathon Pavlov, executive VP of Acquisitions & Asset Management of Alta Development. “Having developed numerous luxury condominium projects in Miami over the past 30 years, we wanted to bring that same level of quality, design, and attention to detail to the UM student.”
The one-acre site was originally purchased by Alta Development for $29 million on May 1st, 2026, with the intent to build standard luxury residences. The company later acknowledged the shortage of modern student housing near UM. After the property was zoned for eight stories, Alta successfully lobbied for a zoning bonus that allows the building to reach 16 stories, potentially increasing the project’s revenue.
SOMI Walk will offer amenities including “a Miami-style rooftop pool overlooking the Coral Gables and South Miami canopy, as well as a third-floor pool surrounded by our state-of-the-art fitness center and student lounge,” said Pavlov. “On the ground floor, our wellness center will include massage chairs, tanning beds, a sauna, cold plunge, and a healthy grab-and-go café.”
The development will also offer custom furniture and rent-by-the-bed living, allowing each resident to have a private bedroom and bathroom. Residents will pay one monthly rate for the all-inclusive housing experience, according to the SOMI Walk website.
“Ultimately, SOMI Walk is the culmination of the best attributes we found in student housing, luxury residential, hospitality, and wellness projects both within and outside the Miami market,” said Pavlov. “We’re bringing the best of all of those worlds together specifically for the UM student[s].”
The residences are expected to be completed in 2028, at which point SOMI Walk can provide an alternative to on-campus housing, though its pricing and availability to students will determine how accessible the development will be.