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Remembering the Honorable Shirley Gibson
Our founding Mayor, Shirley Gibson, was a great person. She stood her ground; she was the matriarch, and we must pay her all the respect. There are a number of ways we are hoping to honor her legacy. We had the opportunity to celebrate her as a pioneer with the Miami-Dade League of Cities. We named the Miami Gardens City Hall in her honor, and she witnessed that. We’re going to miss her, but her legacy will live on for a long time.
Mayor Rodney Harris Reflections on the 20th Year of Miami Gardens
The City has blossomed in the past two decades. We celebrated our 20th anniversary in May and documented our story in a well-received souvenir book that shared the Miami Gardens journey to incorporation and its subsequent development into the thriving community it is today. I’m excited to be the Mayor of this City, and I’m looking forward to continuously serving and moving Miami Gardens in the right direction.
Many people thought we wouldn’t still be a thriving municipality, but we are. Our credit rating is strong, and we continue to develop our City. Our City Manager, Attorney, and Clerk have done a great job. We are nearing the completion of the projects under our 60 million dollar General Obligation Bond (GOB) program. We’re breaking ground almost every month on new properties. We’ve created a CRA to bring entertainment, restaurant, hotel, and hospitality services to our community. The journey continues. Now, we’re creating the PACE District for Performing Arts, Culinary, and Entertainment.
Community Engagement and Development
Events in Miami Gardens continue to be successful as the Council and I intentionally create programs for all our residents to enjoy right here in our community. The Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex is active year-round, with various programs and events for all to enjoy. Councilman Leon’s Karaoke in the Gardens takes place there and has grown from having a few hundred attendees to over 7,000. Our educational partnerships, also housed at this facility, conveniently allow our residents to attend and obtain college degrees here in our City.
The home values in Miami Gardens continue to rise, and for the 11th year, the City’s millage rate did not change. Development continues in the City of Miami Gardens. The Calder site is being transformed. The five-acre property across from City Hall will become a mixed-use development with at least an 85/15 split of market rate and workforce housing. In the PACE District, next to the Fire Department, there will be a performing arts center, a culinary center, and a boutique hotel. Adjacent to that is the 35-acre property, where there will be two hotels, some apartment complexes, restaurants, entertainment, and the world’s first Formula 1 Museum. We’re building a true destination City. We want to ensure that our residents have first priority on the jobs coming from those developments and that the developers become great partners with the City as well.
Holiday Initiatives
Giving back is essential to spreading the holiday cheer. In my capacity as the President of the Miami-Dade County League of Cities, we will be collecting toys and distributing them to the terminally ill kids at Jackson Memorial Hospital. Personally, I’m looking forward to quiet moments with my family. For our residents, I wish nothing but the best this holiday season. I hope your dreams are all fulfilled.
