Colossal Little Haiti project with $31M aid get initial approval

This Friday, Miami commissioners gave the first approval on the massive commercial and residential project that would irreversibly alter Little Haiti. The debate included a $31 million aid package from the developers to alleviate its impact on the underprivileged community.

The project that would sprawl over nearly 18 acres straddling Northeast 62nd Avenue, would bring towers as tall as 25 stories to a low-scale neighborhood of modestly scaled one- and two-story buildings, raising fears of accelerated displacement in Little Haiti amid a wave of gentrification.

The vote doesn’t mean a green light to developers yet, the commission approval still needs to be ratified in a second vote on June 27. The victory this week only came after commissioners and city planners compelled developers for substantial improvements in the aid package to address concerns from critics who say it doesn’t deliver sufficient benefits for the community.

Among the changes is the acceleration of the payments from the developer, which under the agreement would be paid out only gradually as construction progressed over 15 years, and adjusting the payments for inflation.