PROUD TO BE A LITTLE HAVANA RESIDENT

FOR NEARLY TWO DECADES

Love the historic preservation, curated tenants and human-scaled revitalization by the Barlington Group.

Great assets such as Ball &Chain, Futurama and soon to open Tower Hotel.

Proud to be a part of the ongoing evolution of Miami’s most-authentic neighborhood.

We have great housing stock, restaurants with emerging chefs and diverse people.

Bill Fuller (Barlington) helped ignite the revitalization of Little Havana, reopening the Ball & Chain nightclub that was a fixture in the neighborhood in the early part of the 20th century but was closed for decades. He keeps his office a block away and owns and operates many of the commercial properties in the neighborhood.

Though he calls himself an avowed free-market capitalist, he said other developers in the region know to keep their skyscrapers out of Little Havana.

"I know some of the developers that have built some of the stuff around us … and I've told them, 'Listen, you can build where you want, and I'm not going to put up the public battle, but if you come into these three blocks, you're going to hear from me,' " he said.

https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/nation/2020/01/31/miamis-little-havana-no-longer-majority-cuban-but-roots-remain/4587792002/

Our 100 year old house is just stone's throw SW of the "SW 8th St" label just to the right of the bold Calle Ocho marker

Gratified to have worked with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and others on this project for historic Little Havana

TOP 12 PRESERVATION WINS IN 2019

An international symbol of the role of immigrants in the American story, Little Havana—named a National Treasure in 2017—is Miami’s most iconic neighborhood. 

Yet poverty, displacement and other issues threaten this vibrant community, prompting the National Trust to create a road map for improving life for Little Havana's residents while protecting this one-of-a-kind place.

In partnership with local organizations led by PlusUrbia Design, and developed with input from more than 2,700 residents, stakeholders, and public health advocates, the award-winning revitalization plan focuses on building a healthy, equitable, and resilient neighborhood that retains its unique character. 

Drawing on best practices from a variety of fields, the plan increases incentives, lowers barriers, and respects the existing heritage of Little Havana. 

With this innovative tool in hand, Little Havana now has a path forward that will help future generations continue to thrive.

--Text by National Trust for Historic Preservation

https://savingplaces.org/stories/recent-preservation-wins?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social#.XdrlnVdKi71

THIS IS WHY CALLE OCHO MUST BE ENHANCED FOR PEDESTRIANS

HARDWORKING ENTREPRENEURS LIKE SUZY BATLLE AND BILL FULLER DESERVE A MAIN STREET, NOT A COMMUTER HIGHWAY IN FRONT OF THEIR BUSINESSES

From Saveur:

On Miami’s Calle Oche, the busy throughway that traverses the heart of Little Havana, nestled between a cigar factory and Latin dance club, there’s a pastel blue building dedicated to Cuba’s favorite food: ice cream.

In Havana, wolfing down 15 scoops of ice cream in about as many minutes is commonplace; that’s why ex-banker Suzy Batlle decided to open Azucar Ice Cream Company, Miami’s first store dedicated to Cuban spins on the frozen treat.

“The Latin people want their Latin food,” Batlle says, “and Cuban people love their ice cream.”

Full Story here

In Miami, Cuban Culture, No Passport Required

The New York Times Loves Calle8 -- Can we please redesign it for pedestrian safety.

By COLLEEN CREAMER 

APRIL 7, 2016

An excerpt: 

As night approached so did the lure of Little Havana’s night life. Ball & Chain, I discovered, is a gorgeous, lush modern stab at a classic Cuban nightclub with napkin-over-forearm service.

The mojitos here are a near-perfect blend of rum, lime, club soda, fresh mint and sugar, and the tapas are flavorful and Cuban inspired.

During the 1950s, the club brought in headliners like Billie Holiday, Count Basie and Chet Baker.

It closed in 1957, and reopened in 2014 to rave reviews.

That night, the bar was packed with millennials, the back of the club having transformed into a tropically decorated open-air patio, and the Pineapple Stage animated with Latin jazz.

Full story -- click here

UNIVISION PRAISES PLUS URBIA DESIGN'S VISION FOR CALLE OCHO

EN ESPANOL

A cada uno de sus costados, la Calle Ocho está bordeada por gruesos edificios con forma de cajas: gasolineras, tiendas de empeño, ferreterías, supermercados y la ocasional panadería cubana ofreciendo cafecito, croquetas y pastelitos.

La calle es sede de varios íconos culturales: bares de jazz como Hoy Como Ayer y Ball and Chain, así como Versailles, el restaurante cubano favorito de todos.

Alrededor de la 15 Avenida los turistas salen de autobuses para echar un vistazo al Parque del Dominó, esperando ver a los viejitos exiliados cubanos insultándose con malas palabras y riendo mientras juegan.

Cerca queda el Tower Theater, un excelente ejemplo del estilo Art Deco de arquitectura, donde los inmigrantes cubanos antes iban a ver películas estadounidenses.

http://www.univision.com/noticias/citylab-arquitectura/el-rediseno-que-necesita-el-corazon-de-la-pequena-habana

A hangout place for East Little Havana

PLUS URBIA DESIGN SUBMITTED THIS IDEA TO THE PUBLIC SPACE CHALLENGE BY THE MIAMI FOUNDATION

My idea to improve this place...

Create a parklet out of a parking space in East Little Havana (ELH) residential area. A parklet is a low-cost, high-impact urban oasis created out of parking spaces (asphalt). ELH has virtually no open space. This parklet would create an open space (to play dominoes) in a densely populated area that lacks gathering spaces. Civic pride can be strengthened through the simple joy of a safe, welcoming place carved from the intensity of the city.

So that people could...

Have a gathering place in the dense urban neighborhood lacking on open space. Diversity, density and proximity to jobs are East Little Havana’s strengths. But all those people have very few places to gather to play dominoes, discuss politics and rest their bones on comfortable chairs. This parklet is for the locals, away from the tourists of Calle8. Separated from traffic, raised above street level to connect to the existing sidewalk, this small grouping of tables and chairs can be the start of something big – an emphasis on livability in East Little Havana.

Click here to like, support and comment on this idea 

Patios for Calle8

 PlusUrbia Design Suggested this improvement

 

My idea to improve this place...

Create a parklet out of two parking spaces in the heart of Little Havana’s Calle8. A parklet is a low-cost, high-impact urban oasis created out of parking spaces and made even with the sidewalk for easy access. A parklet can create green space out of concrete. Some serve as outdoor café space to activate the street. This parklet would use iconic design to strengthen the identity of Miami’s most famous, historic and authentic neighborhood.

So that people could...

Enjoy the history, music, food, architecture and ambiance of Calle8 while taking a big step toward humanizing the urban corridor. Three million people per year visit Little Havana, but many are taken aback by the 3-lane, 1-way commuter highway that Calle8 has become. This parklet will capture the essence of Little Havana’s art, salsa music, domino players, coffee windows and Cuban heritage. A parklet will unlock Calle8’s potential as a safe, walkable, prosperous and livable main street destination for locals and visitors.

Please support this Miami Foundation Public Space Challenge idea at 

8 REASONS TO FALL IN LOVE WITH LITTLE HAVANA AND CALLE OCHO

COURTESY OF MIAMI.COM

By Tere Figueras Negrete | negretecommunications@gmail.com 3/12/2016

From the strains of salsa music that spill from storefronts to the iconic ventanitas that dispense potent doses of Cuban coffee – and even more potent political discourse – you’d be hard-pressed to find a Miami neighborhood more, well, Miami than Little Havana.

Changing demographics and the ever-shifting geopolitics of our hemisphere has meant that the neighborhood is also now proudly home to not only Cubans, but Nicaraguans, Hondurans, and other immigrants from the Caribbean and Latin America. But it will forever remain the spiritual center of Miami’s Cuban exile community, both burdened and blessed by history and circumstance. 

Where else can you find street art that celebrates both dissident Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez and Pitbull?

Here’s just a few reasons why we will always have big love for Little Havana:

#3. Ball & Chain

Like most everything in Miami, the swinging bar and live-music venue on Calle Ocho has a dubious past. First opened in the 1930’s, its history includes a clientele that represented the finest of Miami’s criminal underbelly and a shady repertoire of former owners -- one of whom was sued for said shadiness by the legendary Count Basie. New owners Bill Fuller and brothers Zack and Ben Bush have kept the place legit, resurrecting the bar’s architectural charms (and great mojitos) and keeping the now-trademark neon sign aglow since 2014. Can’t make it out to Little Havana? This year the club began broadcasting a live jazz radio program on WDNA, which features live performances from the Ball & Chain stage

CLICK HERE FOR THE ENTIRE STORY 

MYCALLE8.ORG