Our Impact
The Allapattah Collaborative CDC started as an Equitable Development Action Plan community engagement process. Since its creation, the Collaborative has flourished into a well-funded place-based initiative ready to engage the community in ownership, wealth building, advocacy, equitable development, and increasing economic inclusion.
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Hours of listening and community engagement- Over 1,300 hours of listening and community engagement to identify needs and pinpoint adequate solutions
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Dollars invested and leveraged in this effort so far- Over $3.9 million invested into this effort so far by local, regional and national organizations
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Amount of dollars secured in access to capital for small businesses – Over $3.1 million in access to capital secured for microbusinesses in the corridor
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Number of Hours of technical assistance provided to small businesses- Over 2,800 hours of direct technical assistance provided to locally owned small businesses on the 17th Avenue commercial corridor
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Number of Businesses Supported- 75+ locally owned businesses supported in 2021
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Number of Businesses Participating in SBRC Cohort I- 9 participants in our second Small Business Resilience Cohort.
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Number of collaborators- Over 100 local, national and international partners and collaborators assisting us in implementing our selected strategies and continuing ongoing research
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Number of best practices reviewed – Over 165 best practices were reviewed to drive our approach
The Bigger Picture…..
The impact of the Dominican community in Miami, FL, has been felt most in Allapattah.
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After the McDuffy riots and a few distressing situations (political, paradise lost, etc.) the Allapattah area was depleted. At the same time, political turmoil was wrecking the Dominican Republic. Miami and Santo Domingo are deeply connected through their maritime trade, as we have been primary trading partners (#1). This provided an opportunity for immigration, and Allapattah´s proximity to the Miami River made it a natural landing spot for Dominican immigration. As Dominicans started to populate the area in the 80s and 90s, the Dominican entrepreneurial spirit led to the start-up of many small businesses. They began taking up abandoned commercial space (for which you could not get liability insurance due to high risk) to open up shops that supported the newcomers- barbershops, travel agencies, restaurants, multi-services, bodegas, etc.
This created a micro-economy that sustained the neighborhood and its residents. In 2003, the City of Miami named a portion of the area "Little Santo Domingo." They also changed the name of the park and 17th avenue to Juan Pablo Duarte to commemorate the contribution of the Dominican community in Miami. Gentrification and lack of protective policies have taken a hard hit in our community in the past ten years. Our initiative aims to renew that dream, reignite our commercial prowess and infuse Miami with Dominican culture where it all started- Allapattah!
