Carver Theater in Liberty City to become apartments site

The partnership renovating the Carver Theater in Liberty City has applied for $7 million in local funds for construction costs to upgrade facilities and create affordable apartments on the property.

Today (7/13), the Miami City Commission is set to approve a fund request from Carver Theater Ltd. that would infuse millions into the new mixed-use affordable housing development. Once completed, the reimagined theater is to supply 40 low- to middle-income units, a modernized performing arts center and enhanced amenities.

The resolution, sponsored by Chairwoman Christine King who represents the area of the Carver Theater, would appropriate $7 million from her district’s share of the Miami For Everyone (MFE) program for the project.

MFE was created in April to assist communities struggling with long-lasting complications resulting from declared emergencies, like the Covid-19 pandemic, and address the specific needs of the most vulnerable residents and businesses.

If approved, the money will be paid out Carver Theater Ltd., a joint venture between the Martin Luther King Economic Development Corporation (MLKEDC) and Atlantic Pacific Communities.

Non-profit MLKEDC has served Liberty City, Model City, Brownsville and the surrounding community since 1975 with services and economic development opportunities for low-income and underserved residents. Atlantic Pacific is an apartment-focused real estate firm with expertise in acquisitions, property management, investments and affordable housing.

The two organizations are partnering on Lofts at Carver Theater. Plans detail construction of a mixed-use high-rise to include multifamily units, a 400-seat performing arts center and a parking garage.

The units are to be affordable for residents with income averaging 60% of the area median. The deal stipulates a minimum of 40 one-bedroom units.

The redevelopment is estimated to take four years, to end in 2027. The requested funds will go toward construction of the multifamily apartments.

Background documents list total project cost at $36,849,007. The schedule of values includes site work, building materials like concrete, metal and wood, thermal and moisture protection, doors, windows, finishes, equipment, furnishings, mechanical and electrical.

MFE funding is subject to approval by the city’s Housing and Commercial Loan Committee, which has not yet reviewed the completed proposal. Once approved, developers say the project can commence construction within six months of the loan’s closing date.

The Carver Theater building at 6016 NW Seventh Ave. has been vacant for decades. It opened in the 1940s and ran shows until the 1960s. It later served the historically black community as a church, but eventually closed and has remained empty since.

In 2018, the city bought the property for $1.53 million with funds from the Community Development Block Grant, a federal program that assists with housing and other developments.

At that time, officials said the Liberty City neighborhood needed more affordable housing, additional community space for events and a restored theater to revitalize the area.

In June 2019, the city transferred the property to MLKEDC for redevelopment. Last month, the commission approved the updated proposal and entered a purchase and sale agreement with MLKEDC.