During the Miami Lakes Chamber of Commerce’s final luncheon of the year, Mayor Manny Cid spoke on topics of interest to the business community: The town’s economy, public safety and fostering an environment to grow commercial investment.
“Main Street is back,” Cid said to 60 attendees at Shula’s Hotel & Golf Club on Dec. 8. “Things are happening. The town is moving and shaking.”
Cid described how The Graham Companies and a previous town council that included luncheon guests Ceasar Mestre and Frank Mingo worked together to create a Town Center District.
It allowed for building a public parking garage and the 6600 Main luxury apartment complex, where residents could live, work and play, and which rose near Town Hall.
Despite what Cid said was some public resistance to the development, “The center core of our city is back,” he said. “It’s led to more economic development in our town.
“You go to any shopping center in our community, even on a weeknight, and it’s jam-packed,” he said.
Cid also credited new Main Street restaurants Chela’s Beer Garden, Korner 67, the soon to open The Garrison and the renovated movie theater with bringing more people and disposable income downtown.
And he described how a low inventory of homes for sale, the town’s historic low crime levels and municipal efforts to develop Northwest 59th Avenue as positive indicators for the town’s
future.
Cid praised business owners for investing in and living in Miami Lakes.
“We can make the town pretty, we can make it safe, we can fix the parks,” he said. “But the reality is [it’s due to] people like you all, that reinvest in our community.”
Chamber President Fred Senra said the group grew to 125 members this year and wants to double membership by the end of 2022.
He called Cid’s speech “great” and said, “He brought up a lot of good points, about public safety, revitalizing the town. Young adults are coming to Miami Lakes.
“When we had the Christmas tree lighting outside Town Hall, there were couples with strollers and little kids.
“How nice that we see this?” Senra said.