Aventura billionaire Jeffrey Soffer wants to replace the aging Big Easy Casino in Hallandale Beach with a 165,380-square-foot entertainment complex featuring restaurants, live music and expanded gaming facilities.

Soffer's Fontainebleau Development submitted a land-use waiver application for the property at 831 N. Federal Highway, The Real Deal reported Oct. 9.

The proposal was scheduled for consideration by the Hallandale Beach Planning and Zoning Board on Tuesday, Oct. 13, according to the city's official meeting agenda. The application seeks permission to establish a development parcel larger than city regulations ordinarily allow.

Restaurants and live entertainment

The proposed development would include slot machines, a card room, a music venue, a smoking lounge, a steakhouse, a sports restaurant and a bar.

Dining facilities would occupy approximately 34,300 square feet, while administrative offices would account for another 9,800 square feet. Plans also call for approximately 1,700 parking spaces, including an 818-space garage.

Las Vegas-based Steelman Partners, an architecture firm known for designing major casino resorts, is handling the project.

Aging casino slated for redevelopment

The existing 262,900-square-foot building dates to 1963, although the property's racing and gambling history stretches back to 1934.

The Big Easy currently offers approximately 700 slot machines, electronic table games and poker tournaments. Its last major renovation occurred around 2006.

Soffer purchased the casino and former greyhound racing track for $12.5 million in 2018, when it operated as Mardi Gras Casino. He subsequently rebranded the property as the Big Easy Casino.

In December 2025, a Fontainebleau Development affiliate sold approximately 12.2 vacant acres to Kadima Developers for $31.1 million while retaining the casino parcel, according to The Real Deal.

Project requires additional city approvals

Miami attorney Graham Penn, representing Fontainebleau Development, described the proposal as "the most significant reinvestment in the property's history" in documents submitted to the city.

Penn said the redevelopment would create jobs and stimulate commercial activity in Hallandale Beach.

The initial application seeks a waiver from restrictions on parcel size. Approval would allow the developer to pursue plat approval and submit a detailed site plan, but would not authorize construction.

The city's published agenda identifies the applicant as 831 Federal Highway Property LLC and lists the request under application RD-26-04748.

Soffer's casino expansion plans

Soffer's holdings include the Fontainebleau Miami Beach resort and Fontainebleau Las Vegas, the luxury hotel and casino that opened on the Las Vegas Strip in 2023.

He previously sought to transfer gambling rights associated with the Hallandale Beach property to the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, but the effort faced opposition from Miami Beach officials and residents.

The latest proposal would keep the gambling operation in Hallandale Beach while replacing its aging facilities with a modern entertainment destination.

The Planning and Zoning Board meeting was scheduled for 6 p.m. Oct. 13 at City Hall, 400 S. Federal Highway. The outcome had not been independently confirmed as of publication.