On December 5, 2000, Miami Lakes became Miami-Dade’s 31st city following nearly a decade-long campaign to bring a government closer to home to adequately and rapidly address local issues to reflect the quality living standards that made the original community, created by The Graham Companies, the model for residential and commercial development throughout the United States.
On Saturday, December 19, 2015, lawmakers, residents and the incorporation leaders who worked tirelessly to bring Miami Lakes its own bureaucracy, will celebrate the town’s 15th anniversary with a day filled with live entertainment beginning at 11 a.m. at Miami Lakes Picnic Park West, 15151 N.W. 82 Avenue.
The carnival-themed event, featuring rides, food trucks and a skating rink, was originally scheduled for December 5 but was postponed due to a torrential down pour.
In addition to the live entertainment, Mayor Michael Pizzi said he will recognize former council members and residents who were part of the incorporation movement which started in the 1990s.
Pizzi, who was an original council member, said Miami Lakes of today is a far cry from the newly-minted town created in 15 years ago, when the city had a skeleton staff and a make-shift town hall inside a store front on Main Street.
“Our first city hall was a retail store space. We had no money, no office for the town manager, no place for our police department, no place for parks, and no place for the finance department,” he said. “We started out absolutely hard. It was really a struggle. It was a real team effort. And in those short 15 years, we have emerged as one of the finest cities in the United States of America.”
The mayor said Miami Lakes accomplished the achievements it set out since incorporation, including opening up N.W. 87th Avenue, building a stand alone Town Hall building, opening up a new youth center and a new fire station on the west side of town.
The mayor acknowledged council members, town staff and volunteers for their hard work and dedication in developing Miami Lakes among the best cities.
“They worked so hard for the past 15 years to build this,” he said.
Council members also shared their experiences during the 15 years they have lived in Miami Lakes.
Councilmember Manny Cid was a high-school student when Miami Lakes incorporated and later had the opportunity to serve on the Town Council with two original lawmakers, Pizzi and former mayor Wayne Slaton.
"I moved to Miami Lakes at the age of eight with my parents and sister,” Cid said. Twenty four years later, we all continue to live in the town and enjoy the same great quality of life. I am humbled to have been able to grow up here and now serve the same community that afforded me great opportunities. All the folks whom began the incorporation movement deserve a lot of credit as does Ernest Graham and the entire Graham family for their forward thinking vision."
Councilmember Tony Lama said he fell in love with the small town feel of Miami lakes at a “very” young age. “And it's no accident that when people speak of Miami Lakes today, they still reference that "feel" as a reason for wanting to live in our town,” Lama said.
“The current and previous councils have made tremendous efforts to protect and expand our canopy, to protect and expand our parks, to keep our lakes pristine, and to encourage, and in many cases fund, events that bring us together as a community of Miami Lakers.
Low millage rates, utilization of technology, and capital improvements like our newly constructed youth center are great accomplishments that increase the value of our community, but it's events like the Festival of Lights, the Lighting of the Hanukkah Menorah, the Concert at the Park, and our Spring Fling (to name a few) that make our community one of the best places to live in the United States. I'm proud to call myself a Miami Laker."
Councilmember Nelson Rodriguez, who has lived in Miami Lakes since 1992, said he has had the privilege to represent the town over the past three years and contribute to its success.
“My priority has been to maintain the beauty, culture and small town feel that the Graham family started over 50 years ago,” he said. “As we enter our sweet 16th as a town, keeping Miami Lakes as a great place to live, work and play is my goal. The development of the new Bridge Park will continue Miami Lakes in the path of Growing Beautifully.”
The 15th anniversary celebration will feature local schools performing on center stage including the Bobcat Jumpers, Bobcat Law Society, MLK-8 Salsa Squad, the HML band, Miss Hispanidad and Miami Dancity.
The event, activities and rides are free, but the Town is encouraging residents to bring unwrapped toys to be donated to His House Children’s Home.
Sponsors for the event include The Graham Companies; Miami Lakes Auto Mall; Green Source Landscape & Sports Turf; Gestido Construction, LLC; SFM; Kimley-Horn and Associates; Baptist; CrossFit Miami Lakes; and Miami-Dade Commissioner Esteban Bovo Jr.