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Jun 5, 2009 12:11 am US/Eastern
I-Team: Modern-Day Ghost Town Revisited
FLORIDA CITY (CBS4) ―
In South Florida we are surrounded by empty buildings and empty homes. It's almost become part of the landscape. But what we found in Florida City was different: 10 families living in a modern-day ghost town. The police department didn't even know they existed. Six months after the
I-Team's first report, everything has changed for this development, because of the efforts Florida City's Mayor and a developer with a heart.
THE MODERN DAY GHOST TOWN
When
CBS4 met Jorge and Carolyn Pichardo in January they were at a point of giving up. "It's a little frustrating and depressing to see it like this," Jorge Pichardo said, as he looked at the ruins of Floridian Key.
Pichardo's wife Carolyn was about to give birth in just two weeks. She was living in fear in their brand new home. There were just nine neighbors, and all of them had just learned the developer was being foreclosed on. The community was spiraling out of control. There were break-ins and squatters.
The US Post office wouldn't deliver mail. 911 didn't have a clue where they were. "We called the Florida city police; they couldn't find us in the system. They transferred us to Homestead Police. Homestead couldn't find us. We got transferred to Miami-Dade police," said Pichardo.
Floridian Key promised more than 500 townhomes, parks, lakes and a clubhouse. Only 58 units were built. Developer Antonio Alonso avoided us. He did speak briefly through a call box at his $2 million dollar mansion in Kendall.
"We tried to do everything we could" said Alonso. He blamed Regions Bank for the community's failure. With the property in the bank's hands, it appeared Jorge, Carolyn and their nine neighbors were on their own in this modern day ghost town.
"We were at a point where we thought we might even have to get up in leave. And everything that we had just started putting into this. We were going to lose. That's how we felt," said Jorge Pichardo.
FINDING HELP
CBS4 News worked for weeks trying to find answers and soon realized help was on the way the moment we went on the air with the Pichardo's family story.
"I felt terrible for the people that lived here," said Florida City Mayor Otis Wallace. "I think people had, were chasing their dream of having their own home and ended up with a mini-disaster on their hands. And I felt we had to do something about it. So your piece, I think spurred everyone into action."
Mayor Wallace knew of Floridian Key's demise but had no idea people lived there. After our story he knocked on everyone's door promising action.
"I always try to put myself in the shoes of the people I serve, and when I came over here along with the chief, it wasn't a place I would want to be under those circumstance and so we acted," said Wallace.
Mayor Wallace ran into the same problems we did, such as finding the right person at the bank who was capable of fixing the problems at Floridian Key. But then the bank found a buyer for the property. That new owner called Mayor Wallace. They told him to trust them to make everything right. "Trust is difficult," said Wallace at the time.
The last investor didn't leave much to be trusted. Mayor Wallace fronted the money for the installation of street lights. The new owner put a security guard in the neighborhood to stop the burglaries.
A DEVELOPER STEPS UP
A few weeks ago Ruben Bertran, a contractor, officially took over the project. He is not looking back. "There is going to be a total of 513 units, a clubhouse," said Bertran. "There's a few parks that the city of Florida City requested. You know kiddie parks and stuff like that, very nice layout."
It turns out Bertran saw the
I-Team's report too and he was moved to do something about it.
"It broke my heart. Mostly for the people living here. These ghost towns they are all over the place right now. So that doesn't, that didn't surprise me all that much. It's just the people living here, that really affected me. It saddened me a lot." said Bertran.
Bertran may be a developer, but he certainly doesn't sound like one. He's preaching Floridian Key will be a prime example of South Florida's return to basics. "Back to basics. Back to the way it should be. People that can afford a house will have a house. Developers, like myself are going to build affordable houses, beginner homes. Beginner homes have disappeared in Dade County," said Bertran.
LOOKING FORWARD
Jorge Pichardo is thrilled to have the community moving forward. "We didn't know what else to do; that's why we turned to you guys. As soon as that aired, everything, people started coming by. Police cars started patrolling the area. Everything just completely turned around in the last four months," said Pichardo.
Tuesday night the street lights came on for the first time ever. The Pichardo family, which now includes little Tatiana, is thrilled. It's all because of a developer and a mayor who stepped up to the plate.
Mayor Otis Wallace isn't looking for a pat on the back though. "That's our job. It's not something heroic that we did. I think people are entitled for their government to function. We just felt it was our responsibility. We weren't going to leave them cold. That's for sure," said Wallace.
Floridian Key may become the first community in South Florida to overcome the odds by rising out of foreclosure. "All the news reports you see about everybody else that is having a hard time and you know you find yourself in the same situation, and you actually get some positive results out of it. Not losing your townhouse. Losing your neighbors . Losing pretty much everything you invested in." said Pichardo.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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