Liberty City development must be built by people who actually care about the community | Opinion

We’re concerned. Miami-Dade County is considering a deal to develop the Poinciana Industrial Center (Poinciana)without community input or benefits. Development projects in Liberty City must respect the interests of this historic Black community, including businesses, as happens with other communities in the county.

Poinciana — a 23-acre parcel of land in Liberty City — has been vacant for more than 40 years. For the past three, the 79th Street Corridor Initiative has engaged the community and county to create a holistic development proposal for the property.

The Initiative is a 501(c)(3), established more than 20 years ago with the sole mission of enhancing the lives of residents, the vitality of small businesses and employment opportunities along the 79th Street corridor. We cannot stand by and allow a housing-development project to be rushed through.

One year ago, the Initiative, with Mana Holdings, a financial and business operating partner headed by billionaire Moishe Mana, submitted to the county a well-documented proposal for Poinciana. The Initiative updated and re-submitted the Poinciana proposal in 2022, based on a recent ordinance. The proposal was developed with active community input and support. Well-established businesses committed to the project, which would immediately create jobs in the community. Furthermore, county staffers were active participants in developing the proposal, and elected officials encouraged the public/private partnership and joint-venture approach.

Unlike the proposal currently being rushed through, which largely is housing, our well documented proposal includes permanent jobs, training, small-business opportunities and other community benefits — in addition to workforce housing.

Sound community and redevelopment principles would support that the best use of Poinciana is a holistic plan that provides more than housing. Any proposal must also include high-quality career and business opportunities for current residents, thereby retaining and expanding talent in Liberty City. Yet, despite the quality of our proposal, the county has not formally responded to either of our two submissions. This lack of engagement sends a terrible message of disrespect to our community.

To be specific, our proposal features a $3.35 million investment in public infrastructure, including environmental clean-up that the county has not addressed for 20 years. The Initiative has already begun the work with a $300,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. Our proposal also includes: 1. 200-300 permanent, high-paying jobs in trade and logistics and other important industries; 2. a $1.9 million investment in job training and community projects; 3. 90,000 square feet of space dedicated to community businesses, including the 79th Street Foreign Trade Zone; 4. 92 workforce-housing units; 5. a 3,000-square-foot community center; 6. a document-management facility; and 7. the expansion of LEASA Industries, which has operated in Liberty City for more than 30 years, providing hundreds of jobs. Also important: The proposal also includes more than $47 million in lease payments to the county, 51% community ownership and a phased development approach with strict contractual time frames.

To be clear, the transformational nature of this project and the expansive community benefits may raise issues for Miami-Dade County. We welcome the opportunity to address them with the county. However, we cannot accept silence, a backroom deal with opportunistic parties or no for an answer at all.

County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has expressed her commitment to economic development that reflects Greater Miami’s diversity. Black Americans make up almost 20% of Miami-Dade County’s population, yet participate in less than 1% of its governmental economic engine.

We request and expect the mayor’s office to work with Miami-Dade County commissioners to fulfill her commitment to diversity where it counts — the Black community in Liberty City.

Ron Butler is executive director of the 79th Street Corridor Initiative. Oliver Gross is chairman of the Initiative and president New Urban Development LLC. Teri Williams is director of the Initiative and president & COO of OneUnited Bank.

This story was originally published August 24, 2022 at 8:44 PM.