Mold Remediation in Miami Gardens, FL

The city of Miami Gardens is gearing up to expand its footprint as an arts and cultural hub with its very own performing arts center, the construction of which would coincide with the construction of a brand new city center.

Planned for the east side of the lot adjacent to Miami Gardens City Hall, behind the parking lot, the Miami Gardens Performing Arts Center (PAC) would span approximately 74,000 square feet across three levels and offer a range of features.

The ground floor would accommodate between 1,000 and 1,220, according to city manager Cameron Benson, who gave a presentation on the PAC during the Nov. 13 Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) board meeting. It would also include what Benson referred to as "The Black Box Theatre," a key component dedicated to performances for younger audiences focused on arts and cultural activities. The ground floor would also house office spaces, classrooms, and a culinary arts facility.

The second floor would include a youth center, made possible by a $1 million donation arranged by Congresswoman Frederica Wilson. This floor will also feature a STEM facility, funded through the city’s $60 million General Obligation Bond program, approved by voters in 2014.

On the third floor, a mezzanine area would offer views of the cityscape.

"No matter where you are sitting, you will get a great view, regardless of any acts at the Performing Arts Center," Benson said.

Funding for the PAC has already been secured from various sources: nearly $21 million from the city itself, $26 million from Miami-Dade County via Chairman Oliver Gilbert, Wilson’s $1 million appropriation, and a verbal commitment of $2 million from Rolling Loud. An application for an additional $30 million in funding from the state of Florida is also pending. The project's total cost is expected to be around $60 million to $70 million.

Timelines

The schematic design phase for the PAC is slated to begin in the winter of 2025, with a goal of completing all construction drawings by the summer of 2026. Construction is set to start in fall 2026, with the facility expected to be completed by 2028.

Councilwoman Linda Julien was the first to voice her concerns over the timeline and it coinciding with construction of the Miami Gardens City Center. The city center is a 35-acre development located near Hard Rock Stadium within the Entertainment Overlay District (EOD). This project, which broke ground on July 22, 2024, will include two hotels, a Formula One museum, multi-family apartments, and entertainment facilities. It is scheduled for completion in 2026 at Northwest 191st Street and Northwest 27th Avenue.

Benson explained that construction of the two projects will likely overlap, but the city center is expected to open first.

Still, Julien expressed hesitation about the PAC’s proposed timeline.

“I really want to enjoy this before my second term ends in 2028,” she said.

Councilman Robert L. Stephens III also raised concerns.

“I think a year for the drawings is excessive,” he said. “I do want to see if we can consolidate the drawing process.”

Benson said that he would look into expediting the process but reminded everyone that these projects take time.

“The PAC and the Miami Gardens City Center are anticipated to have a mutually beneficial synergy where both attractions and their associated amenities will complement each other,” Benson told The Miami Times. “Our community deserves an iconic PAC in our city, where dynamic cultural events and productions can take place.”

This week's real estate news.

Landmark QOZB Construction LLC, owned by Juan Carlos Mas of the Mas Group of Cos. and Synergy Equipment, wants to take over a land lease on county land for a mixed-use project near Miami Gardens.

The Miami-Dade County Commission awarded a land lease on 146.8 acres at 20000 N.W. 47th Ave. in 2018 with 13 Pista LLC to build a private racing club. County staff said the tenant defaulted on the lease. Now, Mas’ company wants to take assignment of the lease for a new project that costs at least $500 million.

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It would contain at least 1,000 workforce housing units; at least 65,000 square feet of retail; at least 1 million square feet of warehouses; at least 100 hotel rooms; and at least 20 acres of recreation, including sports facilities, athletic fields and a 25,000-square-foot privately owned community center.

The owner of the Lauderhill Mall could build a mixed-use project with apartments on the outparcels.

Lauderhill Mall Investments LLC, an affiliate of IMC Equity Group, filed plans to develop on 3.2 acres on the south side of the mall at 1267 N.W. 40th Ave., replacing an auto service building. The project would feature 233 apartments and 14,186 square feet of commercial space in five- to eight-story buildings, plus a clubhouse.

POAH Cutler Manor LLC, an affiliate of nonprofit Preservation of Affordable Housing, wants to completely redevelop its Cutler Manor Apartments near Cutler Bay.

It would demolish the 220 affordable apartments on 9.6 acres at 10875 S.W. 216th St. over three phases and replace them with 332 apartments. That would include 10% workforce housing, with the rest of the units affordable housing.

An apartment complex was proposed in Hollywood by 102SW1st LLC, managed by Igor Petryuchenko, Olena Beriia and Denys Hortov in Miami.

The developer would replace the 13 apartments on the 20,000-square-foot property at 2306 Van Buren St. with a four-story building containing 39 apartments and 61 parking spaces. There would be amenities on the rooftop, including a sports court, fitness room, business center and several hot tubs.

Bluenest Development filed two rezoning and comprehensive development master plan amendments for properties in the Princeton neighborhood of Miami-Dade County.

It has proposed 60 for-sale townhouses on the 4.5-acre site at 24425 S.W. 127th Ave. and 57 for-sale townhouses on the 5.2-acre site at 24000 S.W. 124th Ave. Both sites are under contract from homeowners. Each project would have 20% workforce housing.

The entire Inverrary on the Lake Condominiums in Lauderhill could be seized in a $3.23 million foreclosure lawsuit.

Seacoast National Bank (Nasdaq: SBCF) filed a foreclosure complaint against CTS Property Holdings LLC and Starview Investments LLC, along with managing member Shimon Mazar. Property data firm Vizzda confirmed the parties in the lawsuit and the property description.

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The lawsuit targets the 36 condos at 2571 and 2561 N.W. 56th Ave. That covers all of the units in the Inverrary on the Lake, which was developed as apartments on the 2.7-acre site in 1989 and converted to condos in 2007. The garden-style buildings are operated as a rental community.

Attorney Alan Grunspan, who represents Seacoast National Bank in the lawsuit, declined comment.

Legacy Bank of Florida originated the mortgage to CTS Property Holdings LLC and Starview Investments LLC for $3.5 million in 2021. The loan had a fixed interest rate of 4.375% with a 25-year amortization period and a maturity date in March 2026. Seacoast National Bank acquired Legacy Bank later in 2021. According to the lawsuit, the borrower defaulted on the loan by missing payments starting on June 30, 2024, and owes $3.23 million in principal, plus interest and fees.

Attorney Carolyn Hochberg, who represented Starview Investments in a recent tenant eviction lawsuit, couldn’t be reached for comment regarding the foreclosure case. CTS Property Holdings LLC and Starview Investments LLC have filed seven tenant eviction lawsuits this year.

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Updated: November 8, 2024 at 3:04 PM

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – A Miami Gardens pastor, Eric Readon, who has been the subject of multiple Local 10 News investigations, has lost his church property following foreclosure proceedings.

Records show Eric Readon served as both pastor and CEO of New Beginnings Missionary Baptist Church, while his wife, Lakeisha Readon, is listed as the president of the organization. Lakeisha Readon is also a teacher at Van E. Blanton Elementary School.

The New Beginnings Missionary Baptist Church, located at 2125 NW 155th Street in Miami Gardens, was sold at auction for $569,100 after failing to keep up with mortgage payments.

Court documents reveal that the church, led by Readon, had not made a mortgage payment since July 1, 2022, resulting in a debt of $760,522.94 owed to City First Mortgage. The bank acquired the property at auction.

When asked for comment, Readon responded to Local 10 News Investigator Jeff Weinsier, saying, “Get your facts straight, buddy.” In an email statement, Readon also said, “I never realized how much power I have, wow this is impressive the media has a special interest in me man that big I feel like TD Jake’s or Joel Osteen.”

This foreclosure marks the latest in a series of controversies surrounding Readon, whose legal troubles and allegations of misconduct have been reported by Local 10 News since 2017.

Readon’s history of allegations began in 2017 when several individuals accused him of financial wrongdoing. Lorenzo Johnson claimed Readon stole a check from his daycare office, forged it, and deposited it. A court ultimately ordered Readon to pay Johnson $9,000 plus interest. In another case, a woman named Latasha Blue sued him for $3,000, claiming that he failed to deliver a car he was selling her. Despite the judgment, she reported never receiving the payment.

One of the most serious allegations came from Edward Fuller, a 70-year-old Miami resident who said that Readon manipulated him into signing over the deed to his home temporarily to secure loans. Fuller alleged that Readon later sold the house for $380,000 without informing him and provided no compensation. Fuller, who said he trusted Readon because he was a pastor, claims he was left with nothing from the sale despite Readon’s promise to return his home.

Additionally, Readon has been accused of bouncing multiple checks, including rent payments for a house he rented in Miami Lakes. Others claimed they had given him deposits for rentals, cars, or church events, only to face resistance when asking for refunds. One individual alleged that Readon threatened their job when they tried to recoup their money.

Readon filed a $50 million lawsuit against WPLG INC., claiming our reporting had damaged his reputation.

Readon lost the case.

The Third District Court of Appeal upheld the ruling against him, ordering Readon and his attorneys to pay over $73,000 in attorney fees and court costs to WPLG INC.

In 2022, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office filed charges against him, including organized fraud, exploitation of the elderly, and grand theft for defrauding Fuller.

“Elderly exploitation so often is a complex shell-game depending on great trust being quietly transformed into financial deception via a movement of signed contracts, deeds and paperwork,” said Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle at the time of Readon’s arrest.

That case is still going through the court system.

In 2022, Readon was also charged with organized fraud, two counts of grand theft and unlawful filing of false documents in Broward County.

Jannett Spence and Nixon Belotte both claimed Readon forged documents and misled them in order to take ownership of their homes.

Spence was selling a home in Davie.

Belotte was selling a home in Lauderdale Lakes.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement completed a comprehensive investigation into fraud allegations against Readon.

The FDLE revealed that Readon had a pattern of entering into unwritten agreements with victims in order to purchase their properties.

“Then, using various assurances, false or fraudulent pretenses, and or misrepresentations, Readon won the victim(s)’ confidence, obtained their properties, but never paid for their properties.” FDLE Special Agent Lisa Lamey said in court documents.

Readon sought out vulnerable victims, who were not sophisticated or savvy in the field of real estate, according to court documents, she added.

Copyright 2024 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

Juan Carlos Mas, a member of the Mas family known for their ownership stake in MasTec, is leading a company that plans to develop a $500 million mixed-use project on Miami-Dade County land just west of Miami Gardens. The proposed development would span 146.8 acres and include workforce housing, retail spaces, a hotel, warehouses, and public recreational facilities with a focus on sports.

Details of the Project

The County Commission is set to review the proposal on November 6, where it will consider transferring the land lease at 20000 N.W. 47th Ave. from 13 Pista LLC to Landmark QOZB Construction LLC, a company owned by Juan Carlos Mas. Mas serves as chairman of Coral Gables-based Mas Group of Cos. and the equipment rental company Synergy Equipment and is a shareholder in MasTec (NYSE: MTZ). When asked for comment, a business partner of Mas declined.

Juan Carlos Mas is also the brother of Jorge Mas and Jose Mas, who hold leadership positions as chairman and CEO of MasTec, respectively, and co-own Inter Miami CF. The brothers are also spearheading the development of Miami Freedom Park, a large-scale project that includes a soccer stadium, recreational sports areas, and private developments featuring a hotel and retail spaces.

Background of the Land Lease

This development opportunity arose after the original tenant, 13 Pista LLC, reportedly defaulted on its lease agreement with the county. Initially, the County Commission approved a lease in 2018 for 13 Pista LLC to develop a two-mile driving course, known as Drivers Club Miami, designed for auto enthusiasts. The same year, a different lease was approved at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport for another driving course, the Concours Club, which has since been completed and is operational. In contrast, Drivers Club Miami was never realized.

A county memo indicates that 13 Pista LLC failed to meet the terms of its lease, leading to a notice of termination in December 2022. However, the tenant submitted a proposal in November 2023 to assign the lease to Mas’ company. Under the proposed arrangement, the county would revoke the lease termination notice, allowing Landmark QOZB Construction to assume the lease for 73.8 acres, with the potential to include an additional 73 acres.

Financial Terms of the Proposal

The lease terms stipulate that the tenant would pay $17.33 million in rent over the 30-year term, with two optional 30-year extensions. Initial rent for the first year would be set at $181,645, increasing gradually over time. Landmark QOZB Construction would also pay $367,104 in past-due rent, $1.34 million to reimburse demolition costs, and $1.37 million in liquidated damages on behalf of the original tenant. However, the developer would not be responsible for a $253,867 Building Better Communities bond previously awarded for a planned Northwest Dade Government Center, as that element will no longer be part of the project.

Commitments and Contributions

The developer is required to collaborate with two nonprofits operating on the site—His House and the Center for Family and Child Enrichment—and sublease approximately 13 acres for new facilities. The county has pledged up to $3.08 million to facilitate the relocation of His House. If the nonprofits remain on-site, the developer would contribute $4.4 million; if they must relocate off-site, the contribution would increase to $12.9 million.

The project is projected to involve at least $500 million in development costs, include public infrastructure investments of at least $15.6 million, and generate at least 767 jobs. The proposed development plan includes at least 1,000 multifamily units for individuals earning at least 120% of the area median income, 65,000 square feet of sports- and entertainment-focused retail, over 1 million square feet of warehouse space, at least 100 hotel rooms, and 20 acres of recreational areas featuring sports facilities, athletic fields, and a 25,000-square-foot community center that would be privately owned but open to the public.

Phased Development Approach

The project is designed to be built in six phases, with the initial phase focusing on the construction of the recreation and sports center. A detailed site plan and specific project design have yet to be filed, as those will be required at a later stage in the development process.