Community Background Report

City of Miami Springs

County

Miami-Dade

Boundaries

North: Okeechobee Road
South: Northwest 36th Street
West: Northwest 67th Avenue
East: Intersection of Okeechobee Road and Northwest 36th Street

Community Type

Municipality

History

The City of Miami Springs was founded by Glenn H. Curtiss in 1926, and was originally known as Country Club Estates. The area we now know as Miami Springs was originally 17,000 acres of land bought by Curtiss to create a flight school for the growing air travel from Miami. From the original 128 residences that occupied the area, the City has grown with the expansion of Miami’s air travel needs.

Historically, the development of Miami Springs has been tied to Miami International Airport, and the airport still serves as the largest economic engine within the City. The economy of Miami Springs took a major hit in the early 1990s with the bankruptcy of Pan American and Eastern Airlines. Since then, Miami Springs has developed a more diversified economy that caters to the needs of its residents and the people living within the surrounding area, while remaining closely tied to Miami International Airport and the airline industry.

Due to the original planning of Glenn H. Curtiss, Miami Springs has developed in a relatively well-planned and organized manner, providing its residents with green space, schools, and easily serviceable areas. As the City has grown in population, so have its needs. It is because of this that the City is exploring the possibility of annexing land in order to provide for its residents and its growing economy.

The significant landmarks include Pueblo style homes, the Curtiss Mansion, the Fair Haven Nursing Home, the Hotel Country Club, and the Miami Battle Creek Sanitarium.

Community Dynamics

Miami Springs is one of the more economically prosperous municipalities in Miami-Dade County, posting higher average and per capita incomes, and lower poverty rates than the rest of the county. Miami Springs has seen an economic resurgence with the continuing growth of Miami International Airport. Since the initial shock following the closure of Pan Am and Eastern Airlines, bringing a rise in unemployment and a drop in land values, Miami Springs has become a model of economic recovery, with the airport and its support structure being the City’s second largest employer.

The average age of Miami Springs residents, 43.9 years, is higher than that for the county, which is 39.3 years. Nonetheless, the population of Miami Springs is getting younger. In 2015, the percentage of people under the age of 17 reached 17.2%.

According to DataUSA, Miami Springs has a population of 14,397, with a median age of 43.9 and a median household income of $53,688. Between 2014 and 2015, the population of Miami Springs grew from 14,255 to 14,397, a 1% increase. Its median household income grew from $52,021 to $53,688, a 3.2% increase. The population of Miami Springs is 73.1% Hispanic, 23.7% White, and 1.85% Asian. Speakers of a non-English language make up 75.4 % of the population, and 78.3% are U.S. citizens. The median property value in Miami Springs is $289,000, and the homeownership rate is 58.2%. From 2014 to 2015, employment in Miami Springs grew at a rate of 0.9%, from 7,224 employees to 7,289 employees.

Business Landscape

In 2007, the City of Miami Springs abolished the Airport, Marine and Highway Business District to create three separate Districts in its place. They are the Airport Golf District, the North West 36th Street District, and the Abraham Tract District, with a focus on accommodating office and commercial businesses, restaurants, hotels, retail service operations, mixed-use projects, and adult-related business activity.

Transportation Characteristics

The 2012 City of Miami Springs Comprehensive Plan promotes a multi-modal transportation system with minimum negative impact on the quality of life of its citizens. This includes regulating peak hour Level of Service standards, particularly on major roadways within the city boundaries. Included are NW 36th Street, Okeechobee Road and Royal Poinciana Boulevard. Other parts of the plan support development of bicycle path facilities, landscaping on the Miami River Canal and the Ludlam Canal, enhancement of parking infrastructure, reduction of noise levels, and increasing the frequency of bus service along NW 36th Street, Okeechobee Road and Le Jeune Road.

In 2015, a flyover was built to connect Le Jeune Road to Okeechobee Road. Recently, FDOT awarded a $597,466 grant for a Westward Drive bike path, and an $885,900 grant for retrofitting city sidewalks with federally mandated ADA-compliant ramp installations and repairs.