Miami-Dade committee hears public push for worker protections, affordable-housing guarantees in Swerdlow Group redevelopment

The Miami-Dade County Housing Committee on March 11 heard hours of public comment and follow-up questions from commissioners on a proposed Swerdlow Group redevelopment in Little River/Little Haiti that includes promises of worker heat protections, replacement public housing under RAD and community benefits funding.

Supporters and construction workers urged the committee to make several developer commitments contractual rather than voluntary. "We're encouraged with this... project that we're referencing in 3a," said D'Angelo, who identified himself as representing carpenters, power drivers and millwrights in South Florida, adding labor wants developer commitments placed in the development agreement. Community organizer Geneva Claus of the Build A Better Miami Coalition asked the committee to earmark $500,000 for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) and $1 million for emergency small-business grants to protect historic neighborhood businesses.

Why it matters: Speakers told the committee that, without enforceable terms, the community benefits and worker protections could be difficult to hold the developer to and that longtime residents and small…