North Miami residents recently attended a meeting at the Joe Celestin Center to discuss the plan for a future Chinatown district. The city of North Miami developed plans more than one year ago related to creating a Chinatown district in the area. The community forum held February 27, 2017, allowed residents to voice their opinion and ask questions related to the new development.
The Chinatown district is planned to be located on Northwest Seventh Avenue from 119th to 135th streets. This area is generally the home to a combination of Latin, African American, and Haitian cultures. Residents are asking why the city would spend money on creating a Chinatown when there are about 2% of the Asian population living in the area. The 2014 U.S Census revealed that only 139 people in North Miami identify themselves as Chinese.
According to Judy Brown, president of the Sunkist Grove homeowner’s association, “We have so many other things that we need to prioritize. Our water meters need to be updated, we have cracking sidewalks.”
Most North Miami residents are agreeing with Ms. Brown. They feel there are plenty of other improvements that need to be made in the city. There are issues that should be addressed before a Chinatown is implemented into the area.
Concerned residents stated they like the area the way it is and have noticed new fast food restaurants moving to the area. Most residents don’t understand why the city would focus on creating a Chinatown when there are hardly any people with Chinese ancestry in the area. Some residents that look at the situation from a different angle agree that it could attract tourists to the area and increase revenue.
However, some residents feel that once the Chinatown district is created, the Asian population will increase in the area which brings new businesses. Some people fear the rush of Asian residents will eventually push out the Latin, African American and Haitian residents from living and working in the area.
Last year the Chinatown development idea was met with low fanfare. However, just one year later more people are becoming excited about the possibilities of a Chinatown development.
The leaders in the City of North Miami have focused on the increasing number of Chinese students that have courses at FIU’s campus in the area. The number of Asian students is expected to increase due to the partnership with the campus in Tianjin. Currently, the process is in the master plan stage which could take up to six months. Once the plan has been finalized it needs to meet the approval of city council before being implemented.
