Overtown

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Overtown

• Still
• An Unfortunate Woman

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Builders of Miami

• One of Miamis original settlements named
  Colored Town in 1890s
• Only area platted where black residents could
  purchase land
• Home of black workers who built and serviced the
  railroad, streets, and hotels of Miami

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Harlem of the South

• Vibrant community (despite Jim Crow laws) by
  1904, public school, churches, cemeteries,
  businesses, newspaper
• Business, shopping, entertainment center of
  community (1920s-1940s)
• Lyric Theatre Nat King Cole, Lena Horne, Billie
  Holiday
• Retreat for Thurgood Marshall, Dr. Mary McCleod
  Bethune

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Urban Renewal

• Construction of freeways
• Destroyed business district
• Razed large numbers of homes
• Public hearing by SRD (1957)

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Overtown was Decimated

• Freeways bisected the Overtown community
• I-95 and I-395 covered 30 square blocks (1960s)
• Metrorail (1980s)

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Sociocultural Effects

• Disastrous impact/destroyed a once viable and
  thriving black community
• Community changed/experienced economic and social
  decline
• Displaced 12,000 another 5,000 left
• Lost 51 population (30,000 in 1960) and 33 of
  300 businesses (1960-70)
• 55 of Overtown in poverty (2000 census)
• They took our homes, our businesses, our land

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Community Revitalization

• Overtown Collaborative
• Historic Churches and Congregations
• Overtown Advisory Board
• The Black Archives
• Lyric Theatre
• Historic Overtown Folklife District

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Redevelopment OR Gentrification?
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Road projects continue to evoke anger and
heartache

• SR 836/I-395 (1992-1996)
• I-95 _at_ NW 8 St./NW 5th 6th Sts. truck ramps
  (2002-2003)
• I-95 _at_ NW 9th St. hook ramp (2002-2005)
• I-95 _at_ NW 14 St. access ramps (2001-2005)
• I-395 2004-present
• SR 836 (MDX) 2007-present

RIP
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I-95 _at_ NW 8th/5th 6th Sts. Truck Ramp

• Provide interim alternate access route for
  trucks from the
• Port of Miami to SR 836 via NW 6th St. ramp
  onto I-95
• Environmental Justice letter to Secretary
  Abreu
• Terminated by MPO (2003) Reconsidered by MPO
  (2006)

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Historic Mt. Zion Church

• Concerns of vibration impacts to church, loss
  of parking, increased traffic
• Strong opposition to hook ramp by Pastor Ross

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I-95 _at_ NW 14 St. Access Ramps

• Restore direct access to Overtown previously cut
  off by I-95 (FIU Study) provide
  bicycle/pedestrian safety
• Opposed by Power U BTW Alumni after public
  hearing accused purpose to provide access to new
  PAC
• Terminated by MPO (2006)

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Protest 2/23/06
Not another I-95 in Overtown!
The community is outraged It is environmental
racism
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Stakeholders

• Government
• City/County Commissioners Police Fire Depts.
  Community College Public Schools (BTWHS)
  Community Redevelopment Agency U.S. District
  Court State Federal Reps/Senators/Congress
• Business and Trade Organizations
• Overtown International Longshoreman Florida
  Stevedoring Overtown Merchants Association
• Civic Groups and Non-Profits
• Overtown Advisory/Community Oversight Board
  Overtown Empowerment Assembly Overtown Civic
  Partnership Overtown COC Black Archives YWCA
  St. Johns CDC Historic Overtown Folklife
  District Improvement Assn BTW Alumni Assn
• Homeowner Associations
• Town Park Coop Association Poinciana Village
  Condominium Assn
• Historic Churches
• Mt. Zion Baptist Church Central Baptist Church
  Bethel AME Church St. Johns Baptist Church

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Listening to the Community

• Strong concerns about safety of children
• Concerns of increased noise, air pollution
• Substantial opposition at workshops and hearings
  many letters received
• PDE studies did not go forward to final design,
  even after alternatives revised per community
  input (reflects successful PI?)
• Public outreach office opened by FDOT in Overtown
  (per EJ letter)

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I-395 PDE Study

• Original PDE Study of SR 836/I-395 in 1992
• put on hold in 1996
• Reinitiation of PDE Study in 2004 include urban
  design as major component
• Continue to use Community Liaison w/experience in
  Overtown community
• Continue to hold One-on-One meetings (approx. 70
  in 13 mos.)
• Improve outreach efforts via Website, Project
  Advisory Group Field Office

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I-395 from I-95 to Biscayne Bay (1.5 mi)
Alternatives No Build, Elevated, Tunnel, Open Cut
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A wasteland and a haven for undesirables
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I-395 Elevated Alternative (Alt. 3)
Reconnects local streets creates usable space
under highway
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Attempt to mitigate perceived impacts Encourage
revitalization.

• Open up area/provide light
• Improve pedestrian experience
• Enhance visual quality of
• Highway.

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I-395 Public Outreach Office

• Opened December 2006 (FHWA funded) would
  continue to be open during SR 836 (MDX funded)
• Located in heart of Overtown
• Staffed by local residents
• Monthly project briefings held by team
• In part as a result of requests to keep community
  informed on all Overtown-related transportation
  projects

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Field Officers Martha Betty
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We promise to be honest and open with the
community
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Ill fight DOT tooth and nail People are
confused
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I-395 Field Office Monthly Briefing
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I-395 Field Review 2007
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I-395 Project Advisory Group
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Culmer Neighborhood Center
I-395 Public Workshop May 2007
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Power U Center for Social Change
Overtown activist group scores court victory in
its battle vs. controversial Crosswinds condo
development
What is Power Us proposal for Overtown?
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Overtown Community not Public Involvement!
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Culmer Neighborhood Center
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Common theme of input is Will there be.

• . more homes and businesses taken ?
• . economic/community redevelopment ?
• . affordable housing built ?
• . job creation/training ?
• Workshop results 50 No Build / 50 Elevated
• What will be the fate of the I-395 PDE ???

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Lessons (Still Being) Learned

• Recognize sins of the past try not to be
  defensive
• Realize fallacy of unified perspective no such
  thing as true consensus in such a fractured
  community
• Accept that the Community Liaisons role may be
  misinterpreted
• Make genuine effort to build trust (via
  repetition, staff continuity)
• Learn from local residents with (family) history
  of living in area, vs. non-locals who resort to
  disinformation and fear-mongering tactics
• Dont assume that you (govt) know whats best!

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All were searching for is the truth
Lord, let us not put buildings before bodies