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On May 13, 2021 the City of Miami Gardens will celebrate its 18th birthday. Hear below from the Mayor and Councilmembers on this upcoming milestone in the City’s history.
Mayor Rodney Harris
“Miami Gardens, congratulations on 18 years! We are proud to be an All-America City. We’re looking forward to continuing to provide good and well thought out services to our residents, and we’re excited about where we’re going.
New businesses are popping up almost every day. For instance, the Miami Dolphins built their practice facility and it’s now getting ready to open up; we’ve got the Tennis Open at the stadium; and on 441, we’ve got the new Dutch Pot. The City is continuously growing in a positive direction.”
Vice Mayor Reggie Leon
“I’m very proud that Miami Gardens is celebrating this 18 year anniversary. I remember as a freshman in college, Councilwoman Audrey King came out and recruited some of us for one of the very first City Council elections. I actually walked around, got signatures and campaigned for her. The City status of Miami Gardens is something I was a part of from the very beginning. To be sitting here on the 18th year as the Vice Mayor is a wonderful feeling, knowing how far this City has come.”
Councilwoman Shannon Campbell
“It’s been 18 years since Miami Gardens’ inception, and the City is well on its way to achieving the goals set by the founding members. They came together to bring a good quality of life to a predominantly African-American community. You can see the City looking more beautiful. We’ve established a Police Department, we’ve got some amazing parks with splash pads and nice football turf. The right-of-ways have been enhanced, especially along the NW 27th Avenue corridor. We’re doing all this with the approval of the community. They voted on it. Now we have major stores and big businesses like Marshalls and Burlington that have come here, with more to come.
We have a lot of small businesses that have expanded, like Lorna’s and Arlene’s. There were a lot of vacant land in Miami Gardens, but we don’t have that anymore. That’s the reason we’re an All-America City. Congratulations to Miami Gardens for that achievement. I’m glad I’m here to be part of that.”
Councilwoman Shannan Ighodaro
“Congratulations to Miami Gardens on celebrating 18 years. Since the incorporation of the City, we’ve seen its evolution and visible growth, particularly in the areas of economic development and our investment in the City’s public infrastructure, and that’s what we’re celebrating. Just seeing this growth allows us to foster a healthier community overall.”
Councilwoman Katrina Wilson
“I grew up in Miami Gardens. I went to high school, got my Master’s and undergraduate degrees from college here. I am so proud of Miami Gardens and the people that make up this City. It took a lot of courage to say, “We want to try our own way, our own hand at self-governance.” We’ve been patient with ourselves as we’ve grown. We are still a very young City, and the cool thing about Miami Gardens is we don’t have to desire to be like Atlanta or Chicago or Memphis. We can proudly just be ourselves. We have our own uniqueness in our diversity. We have an incredible Caribbean and African American population that is rich in cuisine and entertainment. We have some very intelligent, outside-the-box thinkers with an entrepreneurial spirit. We really are seen as a single family, residential, middle or even upper middle-class community of color.
We have to prepare the next couple of generations for their leadership role in the City. We have to develop a succession plan so that as the baton is handed off, we maintain the momentum. We came in understanding that crime had to be dealt with, that development needed to be brought into the City, and that a reshaping of the City had to take place. Now, we are a viable destination for people not just to come through, but to come to.”
Councilwoman Linda Julien
“Miami Gardens has grown into a gem. I am so proud to be a resident of this City and to serve as a Council person. We are the third group of Council members since the City’s inception. We’re seeing Council people of different backgrounds and heritage, and that speaks to the growth of our world-class City. Let’s continue to take Miami Gardens to the next level of prosperity.”
Councilman Robert Stephens, III
“I’ve been a Miami Gardens resident since 2006, and I am amazed at what the City has become. I was a little boy seeing this new City grow and evolve.
We’re seeing the improvements in our Parks and Recreation Department, seeing how clean the City is now being kept, and seeing a growing and thriving Police Department. Crime is down, and that’s because of the great leadership in our Police Department. Our City has become the model for many cities around South Florida. Great leadership and great residents who are well informed: that’s how we’re able to keep moving forward. Miami Gardens, congratulations! Happy birthday!”
