HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem #71 - Discussion ItemCITY OF MIAMI. FLORIDA
INTER -OFFICE MEMORANDUM
TO Honorable Mayor and
Members of the City Commission
Cesar H. Odio
FROM: City Manager
DATE: V U L i 198h FILE:
SUBJECT: St. Johns Development
Corporation
REFERENCES:Clty Commission Agenda
Discussion Item
ENCLOSURES:July 10, 1986
On June 26, 1986, Vice —mayor Dawkins requested that a discussion item
concerning the St. Johns Community Development Corporation be placed
on the July 10, 1986 City Commission agenda.
The St. Johns Community Development Corporation, a neighborhood
based nonprofit community development organization, was organized by
St. Johns Church in 1985 to sponsor housing and economic development
projects in the Overtown neighborhood. St. Johns CDC is one of two
Miami based neighborhood nonprofits selected by the Enterprise
Foundation for intensive technical training and financial assistance
in housing rehabilitation and development under the terms of the
Foundation's contract with the City. The Foundation recently
provided the St. Johns CDC with an administrative start—up grant of
$1 5,000.
The St. Johns CDC's initial project will entail the rehabilitation of
a church —owned, mixed use structure located at 1301 N. W. 3rd Avenue.
An application for financing the rehabilitation of the residential
portion of the projects, which will consist of five rental
apartments, has been submitted to the City and is now being processed
by staff.
t The Corporation is also proposing to develop 30 sales townhouses on
two vacant parcels of land in Overtown slated for acquisition by the
City. As per the City Commission's directive, when the land is
C acquired, an RFP will be published calling for the development of
nonprofit sponsored sales housing on the sites.
St. Johns CDC submitted a request to the Community Development
Advisory Board for an administrative/operational grant of $50,000
during the 12th Year Community Development Block Grant planning
process. The Advisory Board recommended approval of the
Corporation's request, but projected 12th Year CDBG funding cuts
precluded positive action on the request by the City Commission.
JG/mc
3isc uss ). 0 N
92
of
ST. JOHN CDC AFFORDABLE HOUSE PROGRAM
ti•
A proposal
requesting administrative funding for:
St. John Community Development Corporation, Inc.
1328 N.W. 3rd Av2nue
Miami, Florida 33136
(305) 371-3212
371-3821
Contact person: Mr. Elmer Hewitt
0
ST. JOHN'S BAPTIST CHURCH/ST. JOHN'S DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
INTRODUCTION
St. John's Development Corporation
the Overtown neighborhood of Miami. It
Church (an 80 year old institution in
assistance of Dade County Legal Services.
grew out of a deep commitment and concer
in the Overtown section of Miami.
is a new organization located ii
is formed by St. John Baptisl_
the Overtown community) with th=
St. John's interest in housing
1 to maintain the black communitl
Overtown, the oldest black neighborhood in the City of Miami, ha:
seen a tremendous loss of population and housing units over the past tw,
decades. Much of this loss occurred due to the building of three freeway:
and the Metro -Rail line. These projects destroyed many housing units ant
chopped the community into pieces . More recently, code enforcement
efforts in the Overtown area led to the condemnation of several building
resulting in the displacement of approximately 500 families. The arer
currently has many deteriorated rental buildings which are severely over-
crowded. Homelessness is also a problem in the area.
St. John's Baptist Church has over an eighty year history in th=
Overtown community going back several generations. Currently the churci
runs a day care program serving over 100 children and an elderly drop ii
program. Plans are in the works for the establishment of an elderly meal=
program. St. John's members have a deep commitment toward the communit,
evidenced by their desire to positively impact housing conditions in thei•
immediate area. Members of the church passed the hat and raised $40,001
to purchase an 8 unit apartment building, containing some commercial spat:
across the street from the church. In addition, the church now owns an
shaped parcel of land on the'- same block as the eight unit building
containing two additional commercial buildings and developable vacant
land.
STATEMENT OF NEED
_i Miami's Overtown community, located directly north
today characterized by vacant lots, high unemployment
rundown housing. A few small businesses struggle among
boarded up buildings.
of downtown, i
and overcrowded
the abandoned an
The situation has not always been quite so grim. Overtown was th
economic hub of* Dade County's black community. It contained black-owne
stores, restaurants, nightclubs, and other enterprises Its econom
_ { revolved around commerce, entertainment, and servicing nearby downtow
c' Miami.
Overtown continued its relative stability during the 1950's bu
things changed drastically during the 1960's. By 1965 much of Overtow
had been razed for highway construction and "urban renewal". Interstat
95, which today is Miami's primary north -south artery, and the East -Wes
Dolphin Expressway were both constructed directly through the heart o
f C-1
Overtown. Later Metrorail, Miami's new urban mass transit systemr was
also routed through the community causing further dislocation.
These same forces that destroyed or altered the physical structures
also weakened the social underpinnings of the community . Businesses
folded, churches closed, and many residents were forced to leave .
Overtown's population has declined from 40r000 in 1960 to approximately
10r000 today . Slightly more than 40% of all housing units are
overcrowded, a 7% increase in the past 10 years. Much of the housing is
in need of repair. In 1975, 65% of the housing in the Culmer Park section
of Overtown either was dilapidated or needed major repair.
Much of the present day overcrowding, rodent infestation, and
dilapidation are directly caused by governmental policies of urban renewal
and highway construction which have caused massive displacement (with
little or no replacement housing) resulting in overcrowding of remaining
units.
GOALS
The goal of this project is to improve the quality of life for low
and moderate income persons in Miami's Overtown target area by providing
decent affordable housing. St. John CDC will obtain control of vacant land
suitable for the development of thirty-two (32) new housing units. St.
John will be assisted in this effort by the Enterprise Foundation and
Legal Services of Greater Miami Inc. The City of Miami has indicated that
it will use Community Development Block Grant funds to purchase the
necessary sites and then convey them to St. John CDC. The St. John CDC
will utilize a number of sources including Dade County's Documentary
Surtax Program in order to obtain low cost financing.
OBJECTIVES
2 To construct 32 new housing units that would be affordable to low and
moderate income home purchasers.
Long range objectives are to create jobs for low income residents,
-E promote business opportunities for minority owned firms, and to revive the
overall economic vitality of the Overtown community.
Contact has also been made with a private landlord concerning thf
purchase of a 29 unit building adjacent to the land already owned by St
Johns. Future* development ideas include the rehabilitation of multi,
family apartment buildings, the development of single family housing and..
C- 202 project for the elderly.
AMOUNT OF FUNDS REQUESTED
St. John Community Development Corporation Inc. (St. John CDC) Seel
Administration and Operational funds to implement its program of creati,
affordable housing for low and moderate income families in Miami
Overtown Community in the amount of $50,000.00.
- _ .�.-�..r.+..r... w..�r... �'�d'','ftE:+ 5�'a44'.eiv4'i`k': k3:rcf'-ti;_. ^�Y e•:'. :: �..
The utilization of these funds will be used for the following
budgetary items:
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OFFICE MANAGER (PART—TIME)
SECRETARY
OFFICE SUPPLIES
XEROX RENTAL
EQUIPMENT RENTAL
TELEPHONE
POSTAGE
UTILITIES
�.
i
N 1�1 �No AvE.
owN V, au. Ip
I
'90 S.S I Z L
Re-"AJ3
?os'!s%BV-E
Re"pk-6
". uj. 2 " D Cr..
S kXt4 IT
'R r-- '" A
N. W. 3RD A F- -
C-
Iz
ST J ovi N
;-7 10 2r-
a-
r% H
Ts its
pGyELUPPA9-
LLL2i=
M-an
it , +f3 i VON, k 3
Its 80-year
anniversary
is Sunday
By BEA L. HMLS
lierUld Stuff Writer
in 80 years, the neighborhoods
a r
surrounding St. John
I
Institutional Baptist Church at
1328 NW Third Ave. have
YV
changed drastically.
With urban renewal came
gigat :ic, concrete highways
curving around the churches
�►,':;t%''
steeple. It also brought the
r 's•" yr:�:�SL
demise of Good Bread Ailey, a
neighborhood of shotgun shacks
J' ;
that formed a semicircle around
It
the church. Across the street, the
A. ,4; •
Infamous Bucket of Blood
.C; -^`i4-'i►}��''">
neighborhood has disappeared.
All that remain of that
dy^!q ,V, *T
once colorful neighborhood are
scattered rocks, a few flowering
in�`a'af.;R^'`: i
trees — and St. John
Institutional Baptist Church.
Yi; ; -7 r• =
ToJay, the Gothic -style
church, once a giant among the
surrounding houses, seems
smaller. But it stands as a
never faltering beacon in an area
,
that seents almost foreign to�,,„;
some of the old-timers who'y
�:
tra%cl from as far as Richmond
��""� ;°: •.: r ;`_'
Heights or Broward Count
6 Y for
weekly services.
At 4 p.m. Sunday, the
congregation will celebrate eight
decades in Miami, The Rev.
The congregation at St. Johl
Alexander Bostic and the
pastor.
congregation from First Baptist
of Bunche Park will be special
1,000 and a new church was
guests for the anniversary
under construction two blocks
service. Refreshments will be
away. Drake died in 1951..._
served after the service in the
The Rev. Thedford Johns -in.
churches fellowship hall.
then the assistant pastor, became
It was on June 17, 1906. one
pastor a few months after Drake
month shy of the city of Bllami's
died. lie remained pastor fur
loth birthday, that seven people
more than three decades.
met in a tiny frame building at
The church acquired rental
Northwest Second Avenue and
property, built a fellowship hall
I Ith Terrace (then called Avenue
and bought an apartment
'f G and Wood Street) to organize
building that now serves as
what was to become one of
classrooms for preschoolers.
Miami's most prestigious black
When Johnson resigned in
churches.
1985 to found Canaan Baptist
In the first six months, St.
Church at 76th Street and
John had two pastors — the Rev.
Biscayne Boulevard, the church
John Bynom, who left after three
split as some members left with
months, and the Rev. N.B.
Johnson.
Williams.
Last Sunday, the Rev. Henry
Williams increased church
Nevin, a Jamaica native who
membership and found a home
lived in Philadelphia for more
for the church: a 50-by-48-foot
than two decades, was installed
frame building at what was them
as St. John's new pastur.
Orange Street and Avenue H and
"Our goal is to win souls for
is now Northwest 12th Street
the Lord," he said. "We have a
and Third Avenue.
beautiful outreach program,
But Williams resigned after
where several members go as a
four years and the church
group to people in the
suffered through three more
surrounding neighborhood to
pastors and a decline in
pray with them,
membership until 1912, when
"We want people to come
the Rev. Jarius Wilkerson Drake,
back to the church. The church
who had been transferred to
belongs to the neighborhood. We
Miami by Afro-American Life
want the people to feel that."
Insurance, took over. •
According to Eimer Hewitt,
Drake started with 23•
head of the church's trustee
members and a debt of $900, but
board, St. John is growing again.
' by 1939 the bills were paid, •' ' `'."'Nearly 200 people have'
imembership reached more Chart ,., Ivined the church. since. Lite... .. .
joins in the singing with the choir to welcome their new
Rev. Henry Nevttl
reality within the next year. The
split," " liewitt said. The
homes will be built across the
street from the church at
membership now is about 550."
In addition, the church In
13th Street, between
founded the St. John Community
y
Second Court and Third Avenue.
Hannah Mitchell,c1936 a member at
Development Corp, to develop
housing for low-income people
all Uolut since 1936, summed it
in Overtown. .... ..
become a
. P' • ' .
' "We' havrrnnch to be tbarthftit•�
.The,dreatrtshould
- .. _.. .. . 'for.,.
.. ,