CIty of Miami GOVERNMENT SERVICE ADMINISTRATION (GSA) SITE

Overview

In 2019, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez announced the intent to redevelop the City of Miami's Government Service Administration property, what is known as the Allapattah GSA site, located between 1970 NW 13 Ave and 1950 NW 12 Ave at Northwest 20th Street. This 18-acre city-owned land is currently used to service several city departments including Solid Waste, the General Services lot, the Public Works Department, the Parks and Recreation Department and Fire Station 5. The parcel is in the heart of a Allapattah neighborhood which has recently drawn the interest of developers, for a variety of reasons including its proximity to the Health District.

Considering the redevelopment of a lot this size will affect the neighborhood for years to come, PLPG advocates approached the City of Miami about ensuring local residents and business owners have a say in the land’s future. The City verbally committed to partnering with community organizations to conduct engagement in Allapattah regarding the redevelopment and use those findings to inform its Request for Proposal (RFP) criteria and process including a community benefits agreement (CBA). During Mayor Suarez's reelection speech in November 2022, he mentioned (see video 2:56) Public Land for Public Good among his priorities. 

Community Insights Campaign

In the summer of 2021, we solicited proposals received from six agencies and selected Urban Impact Lab to help embark on a public engagement process. We ultimately interacted with 117 Allapattah residents and business owners over four engagement activations. This work was anchored by The Allapattah Collaborative CDC, a community-based not-for-profit partner of PLPG. We then drafted a report and presentation shared with city administration and funded by the South Florida Health Foundation as well as the City of Miami; it provides a snapshot into resident and business owners’ views on Allapattah’s needs and the community’s understanding of the redevelopment occurring in their neighborhood. The outcomes include a desire for more (1) public greenspaces, (2) deeply affordable housing, and (2) services/resources through community centers.

RFP Process

In the summer of 2022 an unsolicited proposal was submitted by NR Investments, which should have triggered an RFP (published September 2022) with the intent to "help develop the GSA Site into a mixed-use development with residential, retail, office, and hotel uses, as well as various public benefits." The City anticipates entering into a long-term lease and development agreement with a responsive and responsible Proposer who will, among other tasks, relocate or accommodate the existing uses and redevelop the site in accordance with the requirements specified in the RFP The process that has since been paused with no further public announcements. We continue engaging city administrators and commissioners for insight on next steps for the site.