Activists demand affordable housing on Allapattah land
Community leaders in Allapattah will call on Miami officials Thursday to incorporate affordable housing, green space and community services into a nearly 19-acre site poised for development.
Driving the news: Public Land for Public Good, a coalition of community groups, is holding a news conference with residents, church leaders and nonprofit Allapattah Collaborative CDC about potential changes to the city-owned site.
The background: In 2019, the city invited developers to examine best uses for the property at Northwest 20th Street and 14th Avenue, which is sometimes referred to as the “GSA Lot.”
- That same year, about 30 community groups formed Public Land for Public Good to raise concerns about rising costs and increasing gentrification in the working-class neighborhood.
- They’ve asked city officials to include coalition members in the decision-making process for the land, but some say they feel their pleas are being ignored.
In July, commissioners received an unsolicited bid from South Florida real estate developer NR Investments, which proposed leasing the property for 99 years and building 2,500 apartments, a hotel, retail stores and offices in the area.
- The city is now opening up public bidding for the land.
Between the lines: Coalition leaders have launched a petition asking that the city require any development to include:
- Park and green space
- 20% of housing units to be affordable for those earning 60-100% of the area median income, which is $68,300.
- A community center.
What’s next: Miami is set to issue a formal request for proposals by Monday.
