Politics
Nearly 2.2K affordable units, health service, park upgrades planned in North Miami development
A long-vacant stretch of land in North Miami will begin transforming next year into one of the city’s largest mixed-use developments, featuring housing, health care, and retail components.
Miami Beach-based workforce and affordable housing builder Redwood Dev Co. is months from breaking ground on Claude Pepper Global District, a 12-acre mixed-use development adjacent to Claude Pepper Park in North Miami.
The project will include workforce housing units, medical services, retail space, and a $10 million investment in improvements to the nearby park.
A master plan approved by North Miami officials last July, designed by Miami architect Kobi Karp, calls for eight buildings comprising 2,193 residential units and approximately 125,000 square feet of retail space.
Redwood co-founder David Burstyn said in a statement that his company spent years engaging with residents, local leaders, and community stakeholders to ensure the product it brought to North Miami meets local needs.
“We’ve listened closely,” he said, “and we’re proud to bring in top-tier partners like Miami Jewish Health and a major grocer operator, which will deliver real value from Day One.”
The first phase of the project will include 203 affordable senior housing units, a 20,000-square-foot Miami Jewish Health PACE Medical and Urgent Care Center, and 9,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space.
Phase 2 comprises 255 affordable housing units for families, along with a full-service grocery store designed to serve both the development and its surrounding communities. Miami Jewish Health — a top employer of Haitian Americans in Miami-Dade County, according to the nonprofit’s reports — will operate the medical center, offering high-paying jobs locally.
The park component includes renovated multipurpose fields, upgraded community space, Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant walking trails, concessions, dugouts and fitness equipment.
Public access will be maintained during a phased construction timetable, which is expected to begin in early 2026, according to Redwood.
In a statement, Redwood co-founder Brian Sidman emphasized his company’s focus on meeting local needs.
“At Claude Pepper, that means delivering urgently needed senior and family-oriented housing, access to medical care, job opportunities and a revitalized park,” he said.
Redwood included a supportive message from musical artist, entrepreneur and philanthropist DJ Irie — real name Ian Grocher — whom many know as the Miami Heat’s official DJ.
Irie, who has committed to providing programming for the project’s new amphitheater, called the project “exactly what the people of North Miami want.”
“This project isn’t about buildings,” he said. “It’s about building community.”
To ensure long-term local impact, Redwood founded the Pepper Foundation and committed $500,000 to neighborhood-rooted organizations. Its first donation went to Little Haiti FC, a youth soccer program with deep community ties.
The North Miami City Council unanimously approved the Claude Pepper Global District in July 2024, signing off on a plan for eight 18-story buildings, some 121,500 square feet of retail space, and more than 4,100 parking spaces on roughly 27.7 acres.
Critics of the proposal, including residents of the adjacent Mitchell Lake Estates, have expressed concerns that the $1 billion project could negatively alter the character of what has been a quiet, “bedroom community.” Some complained that, contrary to Redwood’s official line on the process, they never heard about the project until it came before a City Council vote.
The development replaces a lakefill site that has remained undeveloped and environmentally degraded for decades.
Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2026.
Post Views: 0
The horrific shooting in Australia that claimed at least 16 lives during a Hanukkah celebration has prompted an expression of sympathy from Florida lawmakers.
The Florida Jewish Legislative Caucus issued a statement of condemnation of the violence during the Jewish observance on Sydney’s Bondi Beach. The Caucus published its statement Sunday afternoon.
“The Florida Legislative Jewish Caucus unequivocally condemns the horrific and senseless killing that occurred during Hanukkah in Australia. An act of violence against Jews celebrating their faith is an attack not only on a single community, but on the fundamental values of freedom, religious liberty, and human dignity,” the Florida Legislative Caucus said in a news release.
“We stand in unwavering solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters in Australia, with the victims’ families, and with Jewish communities around the world who are once again forced to confront hatred simply for being who they are. The State of Florida’s Jewish legislators join in mourning, remembrance, and resolve.”
The Florida LegislativeJewish Caucus has a dozen members from the House of Representatives and two State Senators.
Hundreds of people had gathered Sunday at the beach for an event to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah, when gunmen opened fire. At least 38 others were injured in the attack.
New South Wales Health Minister Ryan Park said the death toll had risen from 12 to 16 overnight, including a 12-year-old child. Three other children are being treated in hospital, he said.
“This is absolutely horrendous for the community broadly, but particularly the Jewish community. … What we saw last night was the worst of humanity, but at the same time, the very best of humanity,” Park said.
The massacre at one of Australia’s most popular beaches followed a wave of antisemitic attacks that have roiled the country over the past year, although the authorities didn’t suggest those and Sunday’s shooting were connected. It is the deadliest shooting in almost three decades in a country with strict gun control laws.
One gunman was fatally shot by police and the second was arrested and in critical condition, authorities said. Police said one gunman was known to security services, but there was no specific threat.
At least 29 people were confirmed wounded, including two police officers, said Mal Lanyon, police commissioner for New South Wales state, where Sydney is located.
“This attack was designed to target Sydney’s Jewish community,” New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said.
The violence erupted at the end of a summer day when thousands had flocked to Bondi Beach, including hundreds gathered for the Chanukah by the Sea event celebrating the start of the eight-day Hanukkah festival.
___
Material from The Associated Press was used in this report with permission.
Behavioral health officials have a list of precautions for Floridians to deal with anxieities heading into Christmas and New Year’s Day.
While the holidays can bring a lot of comfort and joy, the can also be a stressful time and Florida’s health management entities are providing some helpful tips to deal with yuletide anxiety.
There are seven behavioral health managing entities in the state and all of them are aware that stress heading into Christmas and New Year’s Day can seem overwhelming at times. They’re advising balance may be one of the key elements in dealing with the holidays.
“The holidays are a time of joy, but they can also be a time of stress, sadness and triggering situations,” said Natalie Kelly, CEO of the Florida Association of Managing Entities. “Florida’s behavioral health Managing Entities remind Floridians that behavioral health services are available, even to those who are uninsured or underinsured.”
The state’s behavioral health professionals are also providing a list of tips to help come to grips with any holiday tension including:
— Get plenty of exercise. Exercising boosts your mood and combats depression.
— Limit alcohol intake. Alcohol is a depressant that can cause feelings of anxiety, sadness and depression.
— Set healthy boundaries and don’t overextend yourself. Setting realistic expectations can help reduce stress.
— Seek the help of a counselor for mental health needs. If you feel overwhelmed or the need to get help to address your feelings, contact a counselor.
— Call 2-1-1 if needed to connect with resources in your community.
— Call 9-8-8 if you or a loved one is having suicidal thoughts.
A mental-health treatment network has been established in the state for providers who deliver services to residents needing help. Those services extend to parents and children, veterans and the homeless.
Providers serve patients for not only mental health needs, but substance use, housing, transportation and employment help. Those managing entities are often overseen by community organizations and administrators and are accountable to state and federal funds.
2 People Found Dead at Rob Reiner’s Los Angeles Home
Wisconsin Man with Army Training Reportedly Person of Interest in Brown Shooting
Lululemon CEO exit sparks hopes of reset at athleisure pioneer
-
Politics8 years agoCongress rolls out ‘Better Deal,’ new economic agenda
-
Entertainment8 years ago
New Season 8 Walking Dead trailer flashes forward in time
-
Politics8 years ago
Poll: Virginia governor’s race in dead heat
-
Entertainment8 years ago
The final 6 ‘Game of Thrones’ episodes might feel like a full season
-
Entertainment8 years ago
Meet Superman’s grandfather in new trailer for Krypton
-
Politics8 years ago
Illinois’ financial crisis could bring the state to a halt
-
Business8 years ago
6 Stunning new co-working spaces around the globe
-
Tech8 years ago
Hulu hires Google marketing veteran Kelly Campbell as CMO