Apr 5, 2006 9:41 pm US/Eastern
DeFede: Development For Overtown Not The Wealthy
by Jim DeFede
OVERTOWN (CBS4 News) ―
For decades, the residents of Overtown have been ignored, their concerns and needs relegated to an afterthought by politicians and developers.
But as the condo boom that has transformed Downtown Miami slowly spreads west, developers now have their sites set on Overtown. One development project in particular has come to symbolize the evil of gentrification – a project known as Crosswinds.
Crosswinds would encompass three city blocks west of the old Miami Arena. It would contain more than 1,000 condo units, selling between $200,000 to $300,000.
"Our thought is that if we could build up the neighborhood, we could attract the workforce community, the middle class blacks who need to be a part of Overtown to really make it work," said Mark Coats, spokesman and consultant for the project.
Attracting the black middle class blacks to Overtown is an admirable goal, but what about the folks that already live there?
The two to three hundred thousand dollar price tag may be low compared to the million dollar units lining Miami's waterfront for the people of Overtown, whose median income is just $15,000 a year. Those units are every bit as inaccessible.
Coats notes that 50 of the 1,000 units will be donated to the city for use by some of the current residents in Overtown and that 20 percent of the rest will be geared toward affordable housing. Those numbers sound good but are entirely inadequate, prompting community activists like Denise Perry to cry foul.
"The project is environmental racism, serving only the interest of the wealthy. The project disrespects Overtown legacy of a rich black historical community. The project does not offer affordable housing options," said Perry.
As director of Power U, a community based group advocating for the rights of the residents of Overtown, Perry has been one of those leading the charge against Crosswinds.
Last year, Power U filed a suit against the City of Miami and the Crosswinds Development. They have demanded that the people in Overtown be given greater say over hose the land – public land – should be used.
On Wednesday, Perry, and others from Power U gathered on the proposed site of the proposed Crosswinds Project to celebrate an important victory.
After resisting for months, calls for a study to determine the impact of the Crosswinds project on the neighborhood, The City of Miami finally agreed to allow such a study to go through.
The study would also include looking at alternative uses for the land.
Beatrice Gilbert, who was born and raised in Overtown, hopes those uses will ultimately allow her and her children to see the promise of Overtown fulfilled once again.
"We're not against development. We want development that benefits us. We want something that includes us. We live here. We are not a piece of trash that someone can just throw around and pick and toss here and toss there. We have roots and we want to make sure we stay here and we live in a clean and healthy environment."
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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