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Aventura, Florida

Aventura, Florida is a planned community located in northeastern Miami-Dade County. The suburban Miami city was named Aventura (Spanish for adventure) after one of the developers of the original group of condominiums in the area remarked to the others, “What an adventure this is going to be.” Aventura, FL was initially developed during the late 1970s and into the 80s as a high-rise residential area by Oxford Development Company, when the area was still mostly swampland known as Biscayne Gardens. Founders Park was dedicated to the Founders of the City whose vision led to the incorporation of the City of Aventura in November 1995. Today, Aventura, Florida has 28,205 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The motto for the city of Aventura, FL is “The City of Excellence.” Since the city’s incorporation, millions of dollars have been spent on infrastructure improvements including streets, sidewalks, lighting, park development, beautification projects, drainage, pedestrian and safety improvements. Aventura is a diverse city, with 42% of the people living in Aventura in 2007 foreign-born, and 47% speaking a language other than English at home.

The Aventura Express shuttle bus, free to Aventura, Florida residents, operates within the city. The Miami-Dade Transit and Broward County Transit bus systems also serve Aventura, FL. The main north-south road in the city is Biscayne Boulevard and the main east-west route is the William H. Lehman Causeway. I-95 is also nearby. Aventura is between south Florida’s two main airports — the Miami International Airport and the Fort Lauderdale / Hollywood International Airport.

Aventura, FL is served by the Miami-Dade County Public Schools System. The Aventura City of Excellence School is a charter public school; there are two private schools in Aventura: the Tauber Academy and Biscayne Academy.

Aventura, FL is home to the Aventura Mall, a high-end regional mall featuring upscale shopping and dining. The Community Services Department provides several parks for the enjoyment of residents. These include the Founders Park, the SplashPad, the Don Soffer Exercise Trail, Arthur I. Snyder Memorial Park, Veterans Park, Waterways Park and Waterways Dog Park. Aventura, Florida has become a sought-after destination for tourists because of its outstanding climate. As a result of being located near two bodies of water, it has an extremely pleasant tropical climate which is not too hot even in the summer.

Aventura, Florida is part of the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida, which serves Miami-Dade County. The 11th Judicial Circuit is the largest in the state and the fourth largest trial court in the nation with 123 Circuit and County Court judges. Florida currently operates under a two-tier trial court system of circuit and county courts, established in 1972. In the circuit and county trial courts, disputes are resolved by jury trials or by non-jury trials. County Courts are courts of limited jurisdiction where misdemeanor and civil cases are heard. In the Circuit Courts, which are the highest state trial courts in Florida, felony, civil, family, juvenile and probate matters are heard.

The Eleventh Judicial Circuit has four main courthouses which house circuit and county court judges. The Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building, located at 1351 N.W. 12th Street, Miami, Florida 33125, is where circuit and county criminal cases are heard. The Dade County Courthouse, located at 73 West Flagler, Miami, Florida 33130, is where circuit and county civil and probate cases are heard. The Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center, located at 175 N.W. 1st Avenue, Miami, Florida 33128, is where family and domestic violence cases are heard. The Juvenile Justice Center, located at 3300 N.W. 27th Avenue, Miami, Florida 33142, is where juvenile delinquency and dependency cases are heard.