Soul of Miami: Liberty City awarded $325,000 in community development grants
Affordable housing developer Related Urban and the Related Philanthropic Foundation awarded $325,000 in community investment grants Friday to support residents of Liberty City, site of one of the nation’s first public housing projects.
Related Urban is rebuilding and more than doubling the size of Liberty Square housing complex, revitalizing the old community built in 1937 within the inner city of Miami, into much-needed new homes for people from a wide range of incomes and diverse backgrounds.
The original Liberty Square consisted of 700 apartments. Today, 300 families that lived in the original community already are living or soon will be in their new homes. Once the $300 million redevelopment that began in 2015 is completed in 2026, there will be 1,455 apartments along with complementary buildings for educational, community and business uses.
The developer and foundation officials chose Juneteenth weekend to celebrate the economic development grants. Black, green and red balloons drifted overhead on the bright, sunny day and a gospel singer performed to the delight of the gathering of about 100 people. A bonus was the free chicken and waffles made by a Granny’s food truck.
The commemorative event also served as the unveiling of the Soul of Miami Avenue, a street extending from 62nd Street and 12th Avenue to 71st Street that recognizes the work of Miami’s Black community to advance the arts. A series of plaques were also attached to Liberty Square’s Segregation Wall to pay homage to the generations of families that have lived there.
State Rep. James Bush III spoke emphatically about the importance of having a new street in Liberty City that honors the area’s heritage. Bush remembered growing up in Liberty City as a high school student in 1972 and spoke to the nearly 50 youth in attendance about why they should have a reverence for their community.
“A man without any knowledge of his history is like a flower without its roots. It has no particular growth,” Bush said. “You understand that you can be anything in the world. Your opportunities are greater than ours.”
Meanwhile, the grants will help benefit youth in programs like Helping Hands, a program providing students with financial literacy education, social skills training, arts and culture and physical fitness.
Related Urban, the affordable housing division of big South Florida developer Related Group, is intent on maintaining a connection to the Liberty City community as it works four more years to finish the new Liberty Square.
This story was originally published June 17, 2022 at 7:59 PM.
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