Community Background Report

City of Miami Gardens

County

Miami-Dade

Boundaries

North: County Line Road
South: N.W. 151st Street
West: N.W. 47th Ave
East: North Miami Ave

Community Type

Municipality

History

In the wake of the construction of I-95 in the late 1960s, many middle and upper income African American and West Indian American families migrated from Miami neighborhoods like Liberty City to what became Miami Gardens (also called Carol City, Norland or Norwood). Race-based covenants were outlawed with the Fair Housing Act, and mostly lower income Blacks moved into the Liberty City and Little Haiti neighborhoods surrounding Liberty Square and Edison Courts.

Miami Gardens was incorporated on May 13, 2003. The City's neighborhoods of Andover, Bunche Park, Carol City, Lake Lucerne, Norland, Opa-Locka North, and Scott Lake were previously unincorporated areas within Miami-Dade County. The City of Miami Gardens, with a land area of 20 square miles, is the third most populous city in Miami-Dade County.

In 2007, Mayor Shirley Gibson said that the City would no longer allow any low-income housing developments. Many residents blamed the developments for spreading crime and recreational drugs throughout the City. Around that time, the City's tax revenues dropped to the third lowest in Miami-Dade County.

In 2012, Oliver Gilbert, only the second mayor the City has had, proposed the formation of a Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). CRAs are formed to remove "slum and blight", to improve the physical environment of a city, and to combat the social and economic problems typical of slum areas. CRAs are funded with property tax increases, which funds are used, in part, to stimulate private investment in the rehabilitation of the community.

Community Dynamics

One of Miami Gardens’ challenges is in establishing its unique identity. Though some of its neighborhoods have their own character, many do not. Place making is a top priority for the City, which is actively forming partnerships with faith-based organizations to build community support and participation among its residents. The City has identified ongoing beautification projects and code enforcement as crucial to its success.

According to City Rating, Miami Gardens’ crime statistics have decreased in the past 7 years. The crimes that have decreased the most are property crimes and violent crimes. The crime rate for Miami Gardens for 2012 was expected to be lower than in 2010. In 2010, Miami Gardens’ violent crime rate was higher than the violent crime rate in Florida by 77.64%, and the City’s property crime rate was 38.05% higher.

According to DataUSA, Miami Gardens has a population of 112,021 people, with a median age of 35.2 and a median household income of $38,253. Between 2014 and 2015, the population of Miami Gardens grew from 110,867 to 112,021, a 1.04% increase, and its median household income declined from $39,545 to $38,253, a 3.27% decrease. The population of Miami Gardens is 70.8% Black, 24.5% Hispanic, and 3.26% non-Hispanic White. In Miami Gardens, 31.3% of the population speaks a non-English language, and 87.6% are U.S. citizens. The median property value is $129,800, and the homeownership rate is 65.1%. From 2014 to 2015, employment in Miami Gardens grew at a rate of 1.26%, from 45,698 employees to 46,275 employees.

Business Landscape

The City of Miami Gardens’ top employers include Comcast, the football stadium, Calder Race Track, Wal-Mart, Precision Response Corporation, and US AIG Insurance Company. Two private universities, St. Thomas University and Florida Memorial University, and various retail businesses, follow these. All of these firms are located near limited access highways. The City's existing commercial development is characteristic of sprawl, with large surface parking lots, strip malls, and single level structures. Residential and commercial development can continue in Miami Gardens, as it still has vacant and under-utilized land. The City receives Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding and Economic Development Incentive (EDI) funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), to provide economic development assistance to businesses within the City’s limits. The eligible activities funded relate to façade improvement, which is consistent with a policy to strengthen community identity.

Transportation Characteristics

As the third largest city in Miami-Dade County, Miami Gardens spans approximately 20 square miles, an area containing SunLife Stadium, Calder Race Track, and several bustling commercial corridors. With its proximity to the Golden Glades Interchange, the City is easily accessed by Florida’s Turnpike, Interstate 95, and the Palmetto Expressway (SR 826). In addition, the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) Tri-Rail commuter rail line runs along the southeast border of the City. Metrobus serves the City. The City’s Parks and Recreation Department boasts 18 municipal parks, along with the County’s Library Walking Trail, Dolphin Linear Park, Snake Creek Trail, and Scrub Oak Preserve. The stadium built by Joe Robbie remains the home of the Miami Dolphins and is a major attractor of event traffic to the City.

The City is continually seeking ways to enhance its facilities, with a focus on strategies to improve the important non-motorized transportation network of Miami Gardens, including enhancing the city-wide bicycle/pedestrian safety network, and improving traffic flow and safety for intermodal transportation.

Most people in Miami Gardens commute by driving alone, and the average commute time is 29.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Miami Gardens is two cars per household.