Hialeah to Receive a Makeover

By: Ismael Rodriguez

Elected officials for the city of Hialeah hope their approval of a new redevelopment agency for 121 acres in the eastern part of the city can help this modest, long-neglected industrial district.

Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez gathered council members during a luncheon hosted by the Commercial Industrial Association of South Florida last week to discuss the many ways in which they can attract mixed-use projects to enrich the city’s economy.

“The goal is to create a community where millennials can afford to live, work and play,” Hernandez told the press. “In Miami-Dade, we haven’t built for the younger generation the last few years. It has all been dedicated to building for the investors, if we don’t start building for the millennials, they are going to leave.”

The city and the Miami-Dade County Commission went on to approve a community redevelopment plan that targets the east side of Hialeah, distributing tax dollars evenly among public and private projects within the CRA guidelines. The most promising area being the Hialeah Market Tri-Rail Station at 1200 Southeast 11th Avenue, which sits on a 462,363-square-foot vacant lot.

PlusUrbia was hired by the city to redesign the district, bringing more residential and commercial projects, pedestrian-friendly streets, enhanced public space, higher buildings and reduced parking requirements.

“I think Hialeah is the perfect place for that market,” Hernandez told the press. “This is something that the private sector has to work with us on.”

As a result, developers have already started submitting plans.