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In 2002, the residents of Miami-Dade charted their own course for progress in South Dade by participating in the Cutler Ridge Charrette. This seven-day planning event was held at the site of the current Southland Mall, and it included a diverse cross-section of the community.
Residents, businesses and property owners met and deliberated on the path forward for South Dade. Together, with the county’s own Planning and Zoning staff, they outlined a master plan that promised transformative economic growth, innovative development, and additional housing for the residents of South Dade.
Today, the county must navigate a housing crisis that demands our urgent attention.
The Miami-Dade Homeless Trust, whose work I deeply respect and support, is at the helm and doing what it can to respond to these challenges faced by our most vulnerable populations, like our unsheltered seniors. Their goal is to end homelessness in the county.
On the horizon for South Dade residents is the over $1 billion Southland Mall redevelopment project—a beacon of hope in a sea of uncertainty. This investment is the type of ambitious and comprehensive project that South Dade needs and deserves.
This redevelopment, aligned with the shared vision of Cutler Bay residents and their citizen-driven master plan, promises transformative change for the community. With the lack of affordable housing reaching even more critical levels, the time for bold action is now.
But not so fast: someone else wants to steer this ship using our taxpayer dollars. Enter the owners of the La Quinta Inn property in Cutler Bay—and the district I represent—with a proposal to sell at an inflated price to the taxpayer this property at 10821 Caribbean .Blvd., between U.S. 1 and Florida’s Turnpike.
An April status report from Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said the plan to convert La Quinta hotel can move forward. Units at the property would be retrofitted with kitchenettes prioritized for low-income seniors on annual leases, Ron Book, the head of the Homeless Trust, said.
Urban planners will tell you that if a community is desperate for anything, then they will get the worst of everything. Equally troubling is the absence of dialogue with the residents, mayor, and council of the Town of Cutler Bay. The proposal to heavily invest in the La Quinta property occurred without soliciting feedback from the very community it intends to serve.
Let me be clear: a decision to specifically earmark the La Quinta Inn property for the Homeless Trust’s mission will swiftly capsize our community’s vision.
Many residents have contacted my office wondering why an unlisted property now suddenly commands the attention of the county, with an agreed-upon price tag far exceeding the appraised value — by a staggering $4 million.
The Town of Cutler Bay, too, has questioned why this proposal has left them out of the conversation.
This lack of transparency became obvious during the Dec. 12, 2023 county commission meeting, where I championed a resolution, supported by my colleagues, urging the administration to compile a report on potential alternative sites in District 8.
On April 9, 2024, the administration released the requested report, finally setting the stage for an open and collaborative dialogue with my colleagues and stakeholders.
We must do better for residents facing homelessness and we can be better stewards of taxpayer dollars while doing so.
It has always been my strong belief that, by working collaboratively with our residents, there is still hope for steering a path forward that respects the local community’s role in change while adapting it to the tempestuous challenges we face today.
We need to balance the needs of our community but not at a $4 million mark up — why let La Quinta Inn win the lottery with taxpayer money?
Danielle Cohen Higgins is a Miami-Dade commissioner representing District 8..
Cohen Higgins
