Southside Developers Reach Out to Community

The Brickell Homeowners Association began out of a desire to raise awareness on important issues including the future of Southside Park.  In 1990, the future of the park was threatened by big development and the BHA helped to save it.  The end result was the establishment of the Brickell Homeowners Association by Tory Jacobs. Local condo associations joined BHA to form a strong and unified voice to advocate for quality of life in the Brickell community. 

Fast forward to a surprising event which occurred at  the height of the pandemic. A redevelopment plan for Southside Park was passed by the City Commission without any public comment. Residents reacted with concern about the lack of transparency during negotiations between the City of Miami and the developer, JDS Development Group. Residents interviewed with the Miami Herald to bring attention to what appeared to be a no-bid land giveaway. You can find the article here. 

By winter of 2020, JDS Development Group staff proposed offering an informational presentation about the project to the BHA community. This was the first of what would become 5 informative discussions to convey the concerns of BHA members.   

Residents asked: 

Will the park close during construction? (Final answer: No)

Was the land given away by the City of Miami? (Final answer: No)

Who will own the park post construction? (Final answer: The City of Miami)

Who will maintain the park? (Final answer: 1 Southside Park will generate over $4.3 million dollars in park impact fees to the City of Miami alone. On an annual recurring basis, 1 Southside Park will contribute over $4.9 million in ad valorem taxes to the City of Miami General Fund for use in City services including ongoing staffing and maintenance of Southside Park.)

Do the residents have any input into the park design? (Final answer Yes, JDS Development has a community outreach team to seek resident input) 

Although details such as a water feature, dog runs and restoring a use to the schoolhouse building on site, continue to be discussed, BHA President Ernesto Cuesta announced that the Brickell Homeowners Association supports the enhancement of the neighborhood's quality of life. BHA is in support of the redevelopment of Southside Park by JD Development. Our member input and involvement remains critical to our success.  Please continue to contact us with your feedback as this project moves forward.