Miami's most "endangered" neighborhood: Little Santo Domingo
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Photo: Clara Toro/Allapattah Collaborative CDC
Little Santo Domingo in Allapattah is one of America's most "endangered" historic places, according to a new report by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Why it matters: Allapattah is one of Miami's oldest neighborhoods and its commercial corridor is experiencing rising rents, speculative real estate development and the demolition of older structures, a National Trust spokesperson tells Axios.
What they're saying: Mileyka Burgos-Flores, CEO of Allapattah Collaborative CDC, tells Axios that Little Santo Domingo is a cultural gem, a place where barbers trim famous Dominican-born baseball players and tailors create bespoke wardrobes for Caribbean reggaeton artists.
- It's also the epitome of the American dream, Burgos-Flores says, where immigrants came in search of opportunity and built their own businesses.
- "We believe Little Santo Domingo is one of the last places in the nation where that narrative has a chance to survive, a last frontier of immigrant entrepreneurship and hustle."
Threat level: Rising rents in Allapattah have forced residents to leave and businesses to close, both groups say.
- "Those who've managed to stay are every day at risk of being wiped out by a rental increase or losing their storefronts to demolition," Burgos-Flores says.
- The group's primary focus is strengthening small businesses through training, technical assistance and connecting owners with grant opportunities.
What's next: The Allapattah Collaborative recently launched the Thrive in Place Fund to help buy commercial properties in the neighborhood.
- Burgos-Flores says the plan is to partner with the South Florida Community Land Trust to place the purchased properties in a land trust, which would allow the Collaborative to "preserve their affordability forever."