North Miami, Florida
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| North Miami, Florida | |||
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| Nickname: "NoMi" | |||
| Motto: City of Progress | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country State Counties |
 United States Florida Miami-Dade |
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| Settled | 1890 | ||
| Incorporated | February 5, 1926 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Type | Mayor-Council | ||
| - Mayor | Kevin Burns | ||
| - City Manager | Clarance Patterson | ||
| - City Clerk | Frank Wolland | ||
| - City Council | Michael R. Blynn, Jacques Despinosse, Scott Galvin, Marie Erlande Steril | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 25.9 km² (10.0 sq mi) | ||
| - Land | 21.9 km² (8.5 sq mi) | ||
| - Water | 4.0 km² (1.5 sq mi) 15.32% | ||
| Elevation | 3.96 m (13 ft) | ||
| Population (2005) | |||
| - City | 57,654 | ||
| - Density | 2,732.8/km² (7,080.0/sq mi) | ||
| - Metro | 5,422,200 | ||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| Zip Codes | 33161, 33162, 33167, 33168, 33169, 33181, 33261 | ||
| Area code(s) | 305, 786 | ||
| Website: http://www.northmiamifl.gov/ | |||
North Miami is a city located in northeast Miami-Dade County, Florida about 10 miles north of the City of Miami. The city lies on Biscayne Bay and hosts the Biscayne Bay campus of Florida International University, as well as the North Miami campus of Johnson & Wales University. Originally the town of Arch Creek, the area then incorporated as the Town of Miami Shores, which changed names to The Town of North Miami in 1931. Then in 1953, the town changed names to The City of North Miami.
The city is also home to the Oleta River State Park, which is the state's largest urban park.[1]
As of 2005, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 57,654.[2]
Contents |
[edit] History
In the final phase of Indian inhabitation of the area that eventually became "North Miami," United States Army Soldiers in 1856 cut a Military Trail through nearly impassable thickets and rivers connecting Fort Lauderdale to Fort Dallas at the mouth of the Miami River. This eight foot trail, Dade County’s first roadway, crossed a unique natural bridge --a natural limestone bridge spanning 40 feet across the creek that still stands today in Arch Creek Memorial Park-- in the in an area that would attract a settlement that early on would be known as Arch Creek. Even before 1890 a handful of adventuresome pioneers spent brief periods around the Arch Creek Natural Bridge, a centuries-old Indian settlement.
In 1891 was the first to put down roots in the Arch Creek vicinity. He purchased 80 acres from the State of Florida at one dollar an acre in the area of today’s N. E. 116th Street and Biscayne Boulevard. The place was so remote that his nearest northern neighbor was thought to live in Ft. Lauderdale. Mr. Ihle built a temporary palmetto frond shelter. During the next 27 years he grew shallots, coontie, squashes, bananas, sugar cane, Puerto Rican pineapples, lemons, guavas, limes, rose apples, Jamaican apples, and tomatoes.
By 1905 the area surrounding the nine year old Arch Creek Railroad Depot had become the community’s hub. It was located at 125th Street and the F.E.C. tracks. That year a post office and a school were opened nearby. By 1912, eighteen homes, a church, a general store, a blacksmith shop, and two tomato packing houses were located around the railroad. The population was estimated at less than one hundred. Farming was still the principal occupation.
The Florida land boom that was underway in the 1920’s spread to Arch Creek farming community. The Biscayne Canal was dug in 1924 to remove farmland from flooded conditions. But as a consequence, the soil began to lose its moisture, and the farming which had been the backbone of the economy, was no longer profitable. However, in step with the times, this drained land became available for partitioning , lot sales, and development.
Thirty eight out of the forty seven registered voters, at the encouragement of developers Earl Irons and Arthur Griffing, showed up and voted to incorporate into a town on February 5, 1926. North Miami, between 1926 and 1931, was named "Town of Miami Shores", partially because its early eastern boundary was the Atlantic Ocean. The Town limits were: bounded on the South by Miami and Miami Beach, on the East by the Atlantic Ocean, on the West by 17th Avenue, and on the North by a line which approximates Golden Glades Drive or 166th Street. Incorporation moved costs from developers to residents and lot purchasers. Late in 1926 a bond issue of $287,000 was passed to build streets, sidewalks, a town hall, a water system, and fire protection.
The devastating September 1926 hurricane burst the real estate land speculation. The local community recovered from the damage, but lot sales came to a stop, and the northern tourists names showed up in great numbers on the delinquent tax list. Some money from the bond issue was used to build a Spanish-Mediterranean style city hall building at N. E. 8th Avenue and 125th Street in 1928. The City Hall also housed the police and fire departments. In the 1930’s a new water plant and gravity tank was installed behind City Hall. The first newspaper, "The Miami Shores Bulletin", was published in 1927-28 and chronicled the events of the times. The historic William Jennings Bryan school was constructed in 1928 on the same spot where the Arch Creek Elementary School had burned down the year before.[3]
Seven miles of Atlantic Oceanfront beachland property from the Broward County line southward to Surfside were removed from the town limits as a result of a 1931 Florida Supreme Court decision. The 1926 hurricane ended plans for a causeway to deliver municipal services to that area of town. With no services being received, the beach area instituted a lengthy court lawsuit to separate and form their own community.
The wealthy Shoreland Company, located to the south of the Town, lobbied the 1931 Florida Legislature to officially grant their huge development the name "Village of Miami Shores". The Legislature did so. It also passed an official act abolishing "Town of Miami Shores" as a name. The next step was for the local population to choose a new name. The municipality was renamed The Town of North Miami.
During the Depression years, in 1933, Mrs. Cecille Sevier and Mrs. Ella S. Klefeker became the first two women elected to the Town Council. The 1940’s census stated that 1,973 inhabitants lived in the "Town of North Miami".
At the end of World War II in 1945, the large and constant influx of former military veterans and their young families changed the face of North Miami by ushering in a great growth period. Homebuilding, road building, shops, stores, and office business construction now continued for decades almost without stopping. By 1951 it was reported nationally that North Miami was one of the fastest growing towns in the United States.
Partially to meet this challenge of fast growth, the voters of North Miami in 1952 voted to adopt a new charter and a new name. The new charter, enacted as an official statute of the Florida Legislature on May 27, 1953 provided for the establishment of a full-time administrative head [City Manager form of government] to carry out the policies of the elected Mayor / Council . The new and present name officially introduced on this date - The City of North Miami.[4]
[edit] Geography
North Miami is located at (25.895022, -80.185747)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25.9 km² (10.0 mi²). 21.9 km² (8.5 mi²) of it is land and 4.0 km² (1.5 mi²) of it (15.32%) is water.
Adjacent Municipalities
- North Miami Beach, Florida - North
- Biscayne Park, Florida - South
- Opa-Locka, Florida - West
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 59,880 people, 20,541 households, and 13,577 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,732.8/km² (7,080.0/mi²). There were 22,281 housing units at an average density of 1,016.9/km² (2,634.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 34.8% White, 54.9% African American, 0.32% Native American, 1.92% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.16% from other races, and 4.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino were 23.2% of the population. Non-Hispanic Whites make up 18.1% of the White population.
North Miami is known for its large Haitian-American population. In 2001, voters made Republican Josaphat Celestin the first Haitian American mayor of a large Miami-Dade County community.
There were 20,541 households out of which 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were married couples living together, 20.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.51.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,778, and the median income for a family was $31,760. Males had a median income of $25,388 versus $20,712 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,581. About 20.7% of families and 23.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.5% of those under age 18 and 17.2% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Local Industry
North Miami concentrates over 2,500 businesses in almost every retail and service category. Retail store concentration occurs primarily along the downtown (NE 125th Street), Biscayne Boulevard, West Dixie Highway, and NW 7th Avenue (US 441).
Local industry strongly represents the film, video, and recording industries. The City's largest industrial area located north of 141 Street and adjacent to Biscayne Boulevard and the Florida Fast Coast Railway is the core of the Film, Video, and Recording Telecommunications Industrial Park with over 250 businesses related to the industry. Over 70 companies provide studio space, post-production facilities, sound stages, equipment rentals, camera operators, writers, producers, and music arrangers to the many productions taking place in North Miami every year. In addition, many other businesses provide support services such as legal, accounting, and catering.
North Miami is home to an increasingly active, growing, and prosperous business community. Over 3,000 businesses are located within the City's four business districts and industrial areas offering all kinds of goods and services to its residents, from supermarkets to specialty "mom and pop" stores, and from shopping centers to refined antique stores, eclectic coffee houses, gourmet restaurants, and artist studios.
In addition, the City is the capital of South Florida's Film, Video, and Recording Industry. Some of the best known television and film productions in North Miami include: Star Trek, Miami Vice, Flipper; Nightly Business Report, MTV Latino, True Lies, The Specialist, License to Kill, Unsolved Mysteries, Striptease, and others. Among the artists recording and filming music videos in the City are Gloria Estefan, Julio Iglesias, Whitney Houston, the Bee Gees, R.E.M, the Eagles, and Bob Dylan.[5]
[edit] Transportation
In December 2004, the City of North Miami implemented a free community bus service called the NoMi Express, in order to increase the number of local destinations that can be reached through public transit. Since its birth in December, 2004, the NoMi Express averages approximately 750 boardings per day, which translates to 16,000 boardings per month or 190,000 boardings annually.[6]
[edit] Attractions
- Further information: Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami
- The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) is a museum located in the heart of downtown North Miami, Florida. The 23,000 square foot structure was designed by the internationally acclaimed architect Charles Gwathmey of Gwathmey Siegel, New York, who worked in conjunction with the Miami firm of Gelabert-Navia to create the building.
- Further information: Oleta River State Park
- The Oleta River State Park is the largest urban park in the Florida State Park system. The park is located on 1043 acres (4.2 km²) - 993 acres (4.0 km²) of land and 50 acres (0.2 km²) of inland water - on Biscayne Bay, in the northeastern end of the city of North Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida, and adjoins the Biscayne Bay Campus of Florida International University. In some documents, the park is designated as the Oleta River State Recreation Area. The park contains one of the largest concentrations of Australian Pine trees (an invasive species) found in a Florida State Park.
- Further information: Arch Creek
- The Arch Creek Park was formally dedicated on April 25, 1982. Today, Arch Creek is an eight-acre site at the junction of N.E. 135th Street and Biscayne Boulevard in North Miami, FL, and offers many opportunities for botanical, historical and archaeological study. It has a museum/nature center modeled after an early Florida pioneer home, displaying Indian artifacts dug from the grounds, and live animals from the nearby hammock. Remains of the original coontie mill are still visible across the creek, and the Park exists as the only preserved archaeological site in the County.
[edit] Biscayne Landing
- Further information: Biscayne Landing
Biscayne Landing is a mixed use commercial/hotel/residential community being developed on the site of the Munisport Landfill Superfund Site. [7]. The City of North Miami will retain ownership of this Brownfield site and the developers, Boca Developers, will retain a 200 year lease for the development of the project.
The master-planned development will feature approximately 120,000 square feet of commercial office and retail space, 2,800 to 5,000 residential units, a park and recreation facilities. As part of the development agreement for the site, the project’s developer has also committed to renovating the city’s library and building a school, Olympic training facility, and affordable housing on several sites located in North Miami. Completion of all elements of the project are projected by 2021.
A portion of the Biscayne Landing site includes some of the wetlands of Biscayne Bay, which will be preserved in the form of a 35 acre environmental park, containing nature hikes, jogging paths, information plaques that describe the resident wildlife and trees, benches, a canoe landing and a boat house. It will also have connecting trails to Oleta River State Park.
[edit] Education
Miami-Dade County Public Schools serves North Miami.
- North Miami High School
- North Miami Middle School
- North Miami Elementary School
- Natural Bridge Elementary School
- W.J. Bryan Elementary School
- Linda Lentin K-8 Center
- Gratigny Elementary
- Florida International University (Biscayne Bay Campus)
- Johnson & Wales University (North Miami Campus)
[edit] New Schools
In late 2006, the City Council of North Miami unanimously approved a plan to trade city land for new schools. In a deal that's been in negotiations since Mayor Kevin Burns took office in 2005, the city will trade some 14 acres of land to the county school board for a new elementary school and the right to share some school facilities. The city will have five new schools worth $200 million by 2010. A new North Miami Senior High School will go up on city land along Northeast Eighth Avenue, with new middle and elementary facilities nearby, and a smaller high school on the east side of the city near the Biscayne Landing development called Janet Reno High School. A fifth school, the David Lawrence Jr. K-8 Center, recently opened in August of 2006.[8]
[edit] See Also
- Arch Creek
- Biscayne Landing
- Miami-Dade County, Florida
- Munisport Landfill
- Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami
- North Miami High School
- North Miami Middle School
- Oleta River State Park
[edit] External links
- City of North Miami
- City of North Miami History
- North Miami Police Department
- North Miami Community Redevelopment Agency
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
[edit] References
- ^ Florida State Parks Guide
- ^ http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2005-04-12.xls
- ^ City of North Miami official site - History Page 1
- ^ City of North Miami official site - History Page 2
- ^ North Miami Business Profile
- ^ Miami-Dade CITT Insider
- ^ US Environmental Protection Agency - Sites in Reuse, Munisport
- ^ Red Orbit
