Voters in Coconut Grove, Allapattah will decide who will represent two Miami districts
The city of Miami’s five elected representatives decide how much people pay in property taxes, how much public parking will cost, whether electric scooters are allowed on city streets and if developers should be allowed to construct massive new complexes.
Typically, all it takes is three votes to make a big decision. This November, voters will have the chance to fill two of those five seats — and they have several choices.
Eleven people have qualified to run for Miami City Commission. The deadline to qualify was 6 p.m. Saturday. In District 4, Commissioner Manolo Reyes was automatically re-elected when no one filed to run against him.
Seven candidates are running for an open seat representing District 1, which includes the Allapattah, Grapeland Heights, the Health District and portions of West Flagler and Flagami. The current District 1 commissioner, Wifredo “Willy” Gort, is term-limited out in November.
The seven candidates who qualified for the District 1 race are:
▪Horacios S. Aguirre
▪Alex Diaz de la Portilla
▪Miguel Angel Gabela
▪Verania “Betty” Hermida
▪Yanny Hidalgo
▪Eleazar Meléndez
▪Francisco “Frank” Pichel
District 1 is a largely working-class area. The Allapattah neighborhood has roots in the Dominican Republic — the area is known as Miami’s unofficial little Santo Domingo. The Grapeland Heights neighborhood, a single-family home section between Allapattah and Miami International Airport, lies to the west of Allapattah. Industry lines the Miami River in some of the district, though redevelopment is pushing along the river and through Allapattah. The district is drawing attention from investors, making it another setting for Miami’s affordable housing crisis and wave of gentrification.
On the west end of the district, Melreese golf course forms the boundary of the city abutting the airport. The city-owned course faces potential redevelopment under a proposal to transform the space into a massive, $1 billion office park, hotel, mall and 25,000-seat soccer stadium that would host home games for David Beckham’s upcoming Major League Soccer team, Inter Miami. Gort opposes the plan, which will advance only if four of five commissioners approve a no-bid 99-year lease to Beckham’s local partner, MasTec chairman Jorge Mas.
If current commissioners do not vote on the lease before the election, the next District 1 commissioner could be the crucial swing vote on the item.
In District 2, which includes Coconut Grove, Brickell, downtown, Edgewater and Morningside, incumbent Commissioner Ken Russell faces three challengers:
▪Jim Fried
▪Javier Gonzalez
▪Rosa Maria “Rosy” Palomino
Miami’s coastline is vulnerable to rising seas fueled by climate change. The city’s strategy for how to adapt or retreat from the water will likely be influenced by the District 2 commissioner.
With a dense slice of the urban core in the district, the commissioner would also grapple with how to manage large-scale development while tackling a lack of affordable housing. In the West Grove, settled by Bahamians who helped found the city of Miami, the character of the neighborhood and affordability have been consistent issues that have spurred attempts to curb overdevelopment and protect historically significant housing.
This story was originally published September 25, 2019 at 6:39 PM.
