Gentrification at heart of South Florida Haitians’ cultural cradle

Wherever you go in Little Haiti, new developments with “for lease” signs greet you and construction sites dot the neighborhood as gentrification fully settles in. 

What’s the draw for developers? For starters, Little Haiti—an 18 acre neighborhood named for the Haitians who settled there en masse in the 1980s— is only a 15-minute drive north of downtown Miami. It borders designer shops, late-night bars and art-galleries in the Design District and Wynwood to the south and new boutiques, cafes and apartments in Little River and Buena Vista to the north.

Plus, Miami is susceptible to rising sea level, a climate phenomenon causing many to move away from the coastal areas to Little Haiti, which sits about 10 feet above sea level. 

For wealthy investors, Little Haiti proximity is a potential bonanza able to draw people in affluent income brackets looking for nightlife, short commutes and other Miami attractions.

Still, even as the number of Haitians in Little Haiti dwindles, it remains the cultural heart of the diaspora in South Florida. Part of that effort entails working with the Magic City Innovation District, as the major development project is called, through the Little Haiti Revitalization Trust, established to support Haitian homes and businesses. The district agreed to donate $31 million to a trust in increments, with $6M available to date.

On the northern section of Little Haiti, the proposed “Sabal Palm Village” would replace a 512-unit multifamily community with skyrise apartments, office and commercial buildings.

In this Haitian Times mini-documentary, three small business owners share their experiences of striving to keep alive the culture whose name Little Haiti bears. They are: 

Jonathan Salomon, a millennial whose grandmother gifted him the neighborhood botanica and variety store she opened. 

Jean-Marie Denis, better known as Jan Mapou, an 81-year-old bookstore owner in business for the last 36 years. A veritable fixture in the South Florida Haitian community as stalwart as the tree his Kreyol last name conjures. 
Ashley Toussaint, who resides in Little Haiti and works part time at his late father’s immigration consulting business. He also joined the board of The Little Haiti Revitalization Trust in hopes of helping to distribute small business and homeownership grants and loans to the community.