The City of Miami is set to break ground Friday on a new residential development in Overtown that will bring 11 units to the neighborhood, with 10 reserved as affordable housing. The groundbreaking, scheduled for October 16, is intended to expand housing opportunities in the neighborhood.
According to an announcement from the City of Miami
, the public is invited to the ceremony, which the city describes as building more housing opportunities for the community. The city lists the project address as 1433 and 1453 NW 1st Court, while a separate Omni Community Redevelopment Agency announcement lists the address as 1433 and 1435 NW 1st Court — a discrepancy that has not been resolved in available materials. Both announcements describe 11 residential units. The city says 10 are affordable, aimed at expanding housing opportunities in the surrounding community.
The Omni CRA groundbreaking flyer names the agency directly, tying the project to its broader mission. On its website, the agency states that, together with the community, it is “transforming underutilized spaces, creating affordable housing, stimulating economic growth and enhancing the local quality of life,” per Omni CRA materials.
A Grant Tied to Rehab Work in the Same Area
Separate reporting sheds light on funding that may be connected to the site. Last year, the Omni CRA board approved a grant of up to $2.9 million to developer Evelina Bessemer to rehabilitate 11 rental units at 1433 and 1435 Northwest First Court, with rents restricted for 30 years, according to citizenportal.ai. That approval came as part of three resolutions the board passed on June 26, 2025, the outlet reported. The city's groundbreaking announcement describes the project as new residential development, while the grant reporting describes it as a rehabilitation effort — the available materials do not clarify how the two characterizations fit together.
The Omni CRA approved up to $995,000 to redevelop and rehabilitate a separate 10-unit affordable housing project at 1731 Northwest 1st Place, with rents there restricted for 20 years, per the same account from citizenportal.ai.
Affordable Housing in Overtown
Affordable housing is a need in Historic Overtown, and the project is intended to expand housing opportunities.
Housing costs have risen, while wages have failed to keep pace, according to the Herald's reporting.
Miami-Dade lost population from 2020 to 2022, the newspaper reported.
What Comes Next for the Overtown Site
Friday's ceremony marks a visible step forward for a project that has moved through funding approvals and public announcements over the past several months. The public is invited to the ceremony this week, where the project is set to break ground as part of efforts to expand housing opportunities in Overtown.
