Fourth phase of Liberty Square housing gets its start

Ground has been broken to begin the latest phase of the rebirth of an aging public housing project in the heart of Liberty City.

Miami-Dade County and Related Urban Development Group (RUDG), the affordable and workforce housing arm of Related Group, celebrated the groundbreaking of Serenity Liberty Square, the fourth phase in the ongoing redevelopment of the city’s historic Liberty Square.

The new mixed-use development will include 193 units of mixed-income housing across three buildings available to families and individuals earning 30% to 80% of the area median income (AMI).

“With each phase of the Liberty Square redevelopment project, Related is not just building homes, we’re building a brighter future for this historic community,” said Albert Milo, RUDG president.

“From the beginning, our priority has been ensuring that Liberty Square continues to stand as a testament to the power of transformation and the enduring spirit of its residents. This is a significant stride towards providing more accessible and vibrant housing options,” he said.

Liberty Square is a 55-acre Miami-Dade County public housing site currently undergoing redevelopment to become an affordable mixed-use neighborhood.

The public housing previously within Liberty Square was constructed in the 1930s and was occupied well past its habitable lifespan.

The nine-block area is bounded on the north by Northwest 67th Street, the east by 12th Avenue, the south by 62nd Street and the west by 15th Avenue.

The latest of nine phases, Liberty Square Phase Four will welcome home the remaining 27 original families that lived in the neighborhood prior to the redevelopment.

Residents will have access to improved amenities, green spaces and enhanced infrastructure as part of the Phase Four.

The new property will house the new Jessie Trice Healthcare Center, which is to provide medical services and support to surrounding areas.

The development will also include the new headquarters for the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce and serve as a hub for business development, networking and economic growth, designed to strengthen the fabric of the Liberty Square community.

Liberty Square Phase Four has various funding sources, including tax-exempt bonds, Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Equity, the Florida Housing State Apartment Incentive Loan program (SAIL) and the Miami-Dade County Surtax.

Notably, $2 million loaned to a previous phase of Liberty Square has been repaid by RUDG in advance and will be redeployed for the development of Phase Four.

Upon completion of all nine phases, the 60-acre Liberty Square is to include about 1,900 new public, affordable and market-rate units, as well as community amenities.

This includes renovations to the Liberty Square Community Center, a new educational center, healthcare facilities, a national grocer, green spaces and more.

Within the last several months, RUDG has broken ground on two additional affordable and mixed-income housing communities, Lincoln Gardens Elderly and Princeton Landings.

Lincoln Gardens Elderly is a 77-unit elderly affordable housing development in Miami’s Brownsville. The new building will be available to seniors earning 60% of AMI.

Construction on Lincoln Gardens Elderly is expected to be completed in September 2024.

In what is to be Related Urban’s southernmost project in Florida, it also recently broke ground on a 334-unit mixed-income housing community, Princeton Landings.

The development is to offer 16 one-bedroom, 237 two-bedroom and 80 three-bedroom apartment homes to individuals and families that are relocating to the southern reaches of Miami-Dade County. Of these units, 134 will be reserved for residents earning 60% of AMI while the remaining units will be available for those earning up to 120% AMI.

Consisting of seven garden-style buildings and one mid-rise building, Princeton Landings is expected to be completed in December 2024.