How to fix South Miami’s downtown is the big issue in the city’s November election
Javier Fernandez is making his return to politics as a candidate for mayor of South Miami, running against one of the city’s most experienced leaders, Horace Feliu, who previously served three terms as mayor.
This time, Fernandez, a former state legislator, seeks to spearhead change on the local level, with plans to reinvigorate the center of the “City of Pleasant Living,” enhance its parks and public spaces, and expedite the transition from septic tanks to a sewer system.
“South Miami is an unpolished gem blessed by its geography, diversity and assets, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that now is the right time to bring my skill set to my city,” said Fernandez, 47, an attorney who specializes in land use law. He represented House District 114 as a Democrat in Tallahassee from 2018 to 2020 and was chief of staff for former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz.
“The most fun I had in government was working for a mayor and with mayors and learning how a mayor can shepherd a signature vision for a city to reality,” he said. “The public will get value out of my experience.”
Fernandez wants to see downtown South Miami “reinvent itself.”
“The staying power of any downtown is being adaptive, and ours has been stagnant,” he said. “As I’ve been talking to residents, they tell me our walkable downtown is a priority because the energy at the heart of our community creates a sense of connectedness.”
The white elephant in the city of 12,000 is the Shops at Sunset Place, previously the Bakery Center — an open air shopping/restaurant/movie theater complex that has never caught on and is again plagued by vacancies. The developer who redid CocoWalk in Coconut Grove was ready to do the same at Sunset Place, but, frustrated by wrangling with the city, gave up and sold the property.
“There was a lack of confidence in the city and we missed an opportunity for significant investment,” Fernandez said. “From the new developer, I’d love to see some office space and a hotel along with the multi-family housing that would really help our food and beverage businesses.”
Fernandez’s other goals include refreshing the city’s parks, annexing properties that represent gaps in the city’s footprint and obtaining funds to convert 2,000 homes from septic to sewer.
He also has ideas for improvements to the historically-Black Marshall Williamson neighborhood.
“The neighborhood has such a rich history,” he said. “Look how the Red Rooster restaurant has drawn people to Overtown. We could cultivate a culinary scene. And I’m impressed by the musical talent of our church congregations.”
Feliu, 68, former mayor, vice mayor and commissioner, is running on his long record of service as a 32-year resident, his ideas for preserving South Miami’s character and his commitment to the city’s less affluent residents.
“We need to have a comprehensive plan and stick with it,” Feliu said. “We can’t let developers do whatever they want and turn our city into another Brickell. The false premise developers feed politicians is that by going higher and higher they’ll prevent us from going over the Urban Development Boundary in West Miami-Dade. We are 2.3 square miles in South Miami. Do you really think we’re going to stop suburban sprawl from here?”
Feliu, who teaches part time at a nursing college and is author of a suspense novel entitled “The Nativity Conspiracy,” advocates finding solutions for the city’s traffic problems and adding officers to the police force. He also laments the state of Sunset Place and wants to give homeowners a choice on sewer hookups, providing financial aid to those who can’t afford it.
“When I was mayor we were able to lower taxes by cutting out government waste,” he said. “I live on the poor side of U.S. 1 and even there I see people knocking down houses and investing a lot of money in new ones while taxes and assessed values keep going up.”
During Feliu’s tenure the city built the Gibson-Bethel Community Center, made improvements to Sunset Drive, welcomed new businesses and created the Green Task Force to integrate energy efficient design into construction.
Feliu was charged with illegally accepting a campaign check from a city parking vendor in 2004 but was found not guilty.
As of Sept. 30, Fernandez raised $53,361 for his campaign and holds a commanding lead over Feliu, who raised $4,957, according to campaign finance records.
Also on the ballot are two commission races.
In Group 1, incumbent Luis Gil, an IT project manager who has raised $9,575 through Sept. 30, is running for re-election. He wants to implement effective traffic calming measures, develop affordable housing and promote a vibrant business district, citing the reopening of Fox’s Lounge as a step in the right direction.
His opponent is Steve Calle, an electrical engineer, businessman and managing director of SoMi Development who has raised $13,705 as of Sept. 30. Calle states on his website that “igniting economic growth on Main Street will generate the tax revenue necessary to hold the line on taxes while improving city services.”
In Group 4, Lisa Bonich, the city’s Planning Board chair, is running against Michelle Readon, a Planning Board member. As of Sept. 30, Bonich has raised $24,327 vs. Readon’s campaign fund of $7,260.
Both are focused on quality-of-life issues, including city services, public safety, traffic and parking and a dynamic downtown.
This story was originally published October 27, 2022 at 11:36 AM.
