Miami City Hall should move downtown, not to soccer stadium location | Opinion
Moving city hall
It’s about time Miami City Hall relocated from the historic Coconut Grove Pan Am Terminal Building. City leaders have squatted there, with million-dollar waterfront views, for way too long.
That building has an illustrious history for its design and use as our first airport. It should now be repurposed as, perhaps, a museum dedicated to the achievements of flight, a community center, a performing arts center, a movie theater, a farmers market or even a restaurant.
City Hall’s relocation should not be to Freedom Park next to Nu Soccer Stadium; it should be placed in downtown where our mayor, commissioners and administration may have direct contact with their constituents and become considerably more aware of the plight of the unhoused and mentally ill people who inhabit our streets. Perhaps then they will do a better job of looking out for all our citizens, especially the most vulnerable and needy.
Harry Emilio Gottlieb,
Coconut Grove
Talking heads
When you can’t trust a statement by the president of the United States until confirmed by the Ayatollah of Iran, it’s time to invoke the 25th Amendment.
Philip K. Stoddard,
South Miami
Protecting protectors
Every day, first responders run toward trauma while the rest of us run away from it. Police officers, firefighters, paramedics and dispatchers are exposed to repeated critical incidents, fatal crashes, child deaths and violence. Yet, systems designed to support them, particularly their mental health, often fall short.
I have more than 20 years in law enforcement and as a social work student at Barry University, preparing to graduate, I have witnessed firsthand the cumulative impact of trauma on first responders. I have also seen how stigma, lack of confidentiality and limited access to culturally competent care prevent many from seeking the help they need.
Too often, departments or municipalities treat mental health as a box to simply check off with brief training, a generic employee assistance program or a one-time wellness initiative. Mental health is not a box to be checked; it is an ongoing, critical component of operational readiness, officer safety and long-term well-being. When support is superficial, the consequences are not.
When first responders are struggling, it impacts decision-making, job performance, family systems and ultimately, public safety. Supporting their mental health is not optional; it is essential to maintaining effective emergency response systems across our state.
Expanding peer support programs, increasing access to confidential counseling and investing in clinician training specific to first responder culture can significantly improve outcomes. These approaches are evidence-informed, cost-effective and already being implemented successfully in select departments nationwide.
Critics may argue that resources are limited or that employee assistance programs are sufficient. However, generalized services often fail to meet first responders’ unique needs, particularly when concerns about confidentiality and career repercussions remain unaddressed. Targeted, trauma-informed interventions are not an added luxury, they are a necessary adaptation to a high-risk profession.
By prioritizing first responders’ mental health, policymakers can strengthen not only the workforce but the communities that depend on them. Investment in prevention and support will reduce long-term costs associated with burnout, turnover and critical incidents.
Are we willing to prioritize their well-being in the same way they prioritize our safety?
Samuel M. Simon,
Miami
Shaky ground
The Miami Herald recently published some plans for the Trump Presidential Library to be built in downtown Miami, which included a large statue of Trump, his right hand raised in a clenched fist. It was vaguely reminiscent of a similar statue erected in Iraq of Saddam Hussein that was eventually toppled by Iraqi citizens. Such is the fate of authoritarians.
The right arm and hand raised is also disturbingly similar to the salute of certain European dictators who came to power in Europe in the 1930s and ‘40s. They all met a similar fate.
When one man’s ego requires putting his name in bold letters on a public building, or placing a large banner on a governmental office building, like recently happened in our nation’s capital, one wonders if it is caused by insecurity or mere insanity.
Peter M. Brooke,
Doral
Gables must change
In the April 2 Herald story, “Why are there empty stores on Miracle Mile?” a reporter posed this and other questions to various top business advocates in Coral Gables. Jorge Arrizurieta, president of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce, said the problems stem from rising rents and the type of tenants that can afford the area.
However, there is a much stronger and solid reason: people are changing the way they buy goods, shifting from in-person retail to the more convenient way — online.
Service businesses and restaurant/food businesses, on the other hand, can find Miracle Mile a highly suitable and desirable place, hence the success of ScandyCandy, a candy food store.
On another note, the article also mentioned that the Chamber backs an idea proposed by Mayor Vince Lago to assess commercial property owners a “beautification fee.”
Won’t this, in turn, allow the owners to keep raising the rent?
The call is to change with the times.
Sylvia Viyella,
Coral Gables
Dubious case
I was born in 1945 on Native American lands to an undocumented immigrant mother and a U.S. born father. My mother didn’t become a citizen until about 1970. According to the birthright citizenship case before the U.S. Supreme Court, I should not have been granted citizenship at birth.
Does this mean I should be deported to Holland?
I am an example of how far-fetched this ruling is.
Tracy Maxwell,
Hobe Sound
Healthy drinking
April is Alcohol Awareness Month, a time to reflect on our alcohol consumption. For adults who choose to drink, the new 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasizes moderation, advises that drinking less is better for overall health than drinking more and notes that some people should not drink at all.
The science-based report that informed these recommendations defines moderate drinking as up to one drink per day for women and up to two per day for men. Examples of one drink include 12 oz. beer, 5 oz. wine, or 1.5 oz. distilled spirits. Each contains the same amount of alcohol.
The spirits industry has long supported federal guidelines and encourages responsible consumption throughout the year. Adults questioning how alcohol fits into their diet should talk to their health providers, who will help determine what is right for them based on individual risk factors such as family history, genetics and lifestyle.
Amanda Berger,
senior vice president,
science and research,
Distilled Spirits Council,
Washington, D.C.
Justified consequence
According to the April 1 Herald article, “Trump releases first renderings of massive Miami high-rise presidential library,” Eric Trump (one of five children from the president’s three different marriages), said that “Miami deserves this building.” He was, of course, referring to the abomination to be built on public land which would loom over every other high rise in the Magic City.
I don’t think I “deserve” this.
If this project is actually completed, Donald Trump will hopefully be, by then, doing the time behind bars that he deserves.
Alan Thomas,
Miami
Woman power
Daniela Kroslak has been appointed by the U. N. to head its Support Office for the Gang Suppression Force that is entering Haiti.
After reading about her distinguished record in her 25 years of service, previously as chief of staff for the U.N. Mission for Justice Support in Haiti, I hope this is the beginning of bringing sanity back to Haiti — lead by a woman.
Howard L. Sorkin,
Kendall
Too slick
How many times and in how many ways do we need to learn that oil is not worth it?
Gray Read,
South Miami