The rebranding of the Overtown community includes new multi-million dollar developments, more businesses, dining and entertainment venues and programs for the youth. During the Soul Basel VIP Champagne Brunch in Overtown, a panel of some of Overtown’s biggest advocates considered those focal points as the key to the revitalization of the area.
The Sunday Brunch on Dec. 6, featured a panel of six, including Overtown residents, business owners and leaders. After feasting on the soul food brunch in the lobby-turn-reception area of the Historic Lyric Theater, the nearly 100 attendees attentively listened to the panel on their views of Overtown rebranding and what that would look like.
On the panel was Barron Channer, CEO of Bach Real Estate and Overtown developer, Clarence Woods, director of Southeast Overtown/Parkwest Community Redevelopment Agency, Elijah Wells, film making prodigy from Overtown, Andre Williams, owner of the Overtown Media Hub and EyeUrbanTV.com, Teri Williams, president of OneUnited Bank and Emily Gunter from the Overtown-based, nonprofit organization, Urgent Inc.
Channer, whose housing and retail development project will be one of the main attractions on Northwest Eighth Street, said one of the ways to continue rebranding Overtown is to raise awareness of what’s positively happening in the community.
“We need as a community to have folks who are on the peripheral, in the now, and connected to the other communities around town who are helping to advance our cause,” said Channer who sits on boards of the Miami Foundation, the Knight Foundation and the Perez Art Museum Miami.
He mentioned that with the new Soccer Stadium slated to be built in Overtown that the residents and community leaders should make sure it has an economic impact past the soccer games that will be played there. He also said with all the developments planned for Northwest Eighth Street, including the stadium, Miami World Center and a new convention center and hotel, the corridor will be an important connector into the Overtown community.
CRA Director, Woods said that he’s working to make sure that Overtown residents are not left out when those developments come in.
“Our goal at the CRA is to take vision and desires of the leadership,” he said in regards to working with CRA Chairman and Miami Commissioner Keon Hardemon. “I think what’s most important is vision and where we go as a community. We’re supposed to eliminate slum and blight and increase the property values of the real estate here and take that money and reinvest it into the physical environment.”
He added that he’s not for or against the soccer stadium development spearheaded by superstar soccer player, David Beckham, but like Channer he wants to see how that deal will affect Overtown residents.
Elijah Wells, filmmaker and the youngest on the panel at 18 years old, brought a perspective on what younger Overtown residents may view of the rebranding of the community. His ideas would include more opportunities to work in the visual arts as well as opportunities for jobs in general. Wells said through his work he tries to show a different perspective of the area, whose media coverage isn’t always favorable and sometimes highlights the violent crime in the area.
The panel discussed how more homeowners and business owners will help to combat crime in the area, as they will provide jobs to people who need them. The new Overtown will need more homeowners to come in and remain in the community, said Williams.
However, Gunter spoke of how educating the youth of the community will be the crucial link to long-standing revitalization in the community.
“Without the children we have no future; without the children we have no vision,” said Gunter. “They come up with an idea and by time they finish talking it is put into practice. It is the youth’s wonderful vision and brains and talent who speak things into existence.”
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Source:
http://miamitimesonline.com/news/2015/dec/09/rebranding-overtown/
