A new City Hall for Homestead is the battle cry of those believing it will breathe life into Downtown Homestead's Historic District. Mind you there is not one shred of evidence to this assertion. A government building's primary function is to provide its citizens with the services they need. The current proposed location on Washington Avenue has limited parking shoe horned on a parcel that's not easily accessible by the residents on the East Side of town. One could venture to assume the purpose of this location was to limit access to the building by the residents instead of increasing it. The East Side of Homestead is where most of its citizens will reside in the future so why not move the permanent site there? The temporary site is already on the East Side, a good move, since the old site on N. Homestead Blvd and Campbell Dr. has been evacuated due to mold. The citizens of Homestead need the City Council to seriously consider where the demographics of the city will be by 2020. With the recent approval by the City Council of an annexation study east of the city, it's obvious that the city will be growing in that direction. If the annexation comes to fruition the city may nearly double in size. Notwithstanding areas that will not be built, like Homestead Air Force Base (AFB) and Biscayne National Park.
The city's geographic center has already shifted and more so if the city annexes the study area. Downtown Homestead has the potential to become a tourist destination be it by its historic significance, antique corridor, or art and music festivals. However, this government building will not be the catalyst that will spur redevelopment. Regrettably this idea has raised expectations unrealistically. An idea conjured up with conjecture and emotion with little data to back it up. It's time for the City Council to make wise investment decisions for the future of our city by deciding on an East Side parcel to build the new City Hall.
Reference Link:
South Dade News Leader
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