This story has a happy ending. I’m incredibly proud to let you know that the city finalized the purchase of the Scott Galvin Community Center for $11.25 million on September 30, 2024. It is now fully and officially a city-owned facility.
Located at 1600 NE 126 Street, the city originally retained use of the former Johnson & Wales University “Wildcat Center” in late 2021. At that time, the university had closed its North Miami campus and was selling off the 28 acres they owned in the area. I saw the chance to get for our city a game-changer for kids and adults. Spearheading the process, I was quoted in the media at the time saying, “The time has come to be bold and reach out and grab the gold ring. We need to create a mentality of ‘yes, we can.’”
The three-story, 35,000 square-foot facility was in fantastic shape. There was nothing like it available to residents and schools. We could use it for badly needed recreation, meeting, and office space.
But if we did not act quickly to get Wildcat, the land would have been sold to someone else and a huge opportunity would have been missed.
With the city out of options and time, in stepped North Miami resident, humanitarian, and developer Jimmy Tate. He formed Wildcat Investment, LLC, which purchased the building and then leased it back to the city for a term of 15 years at about $1 million a year. In year three we would have the option to buy it for $11 million.
Now, in 2024, that’s what we’ve done.
The $11.25 million came from a variety of sources. My thanks to the city council and administrators for having the foresight to save the funds over the three year period since the lease began. Here is where dollars came from:
- Sale of Gwen Margolis Center – $3 million
- North Miami Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) budget – $5 million
- Reserve funds set aside by the city over three years for the plan to purchase the building – $2.7 million
- Sole Mia buying out some of their rental obligations with the city – $550,000
Since we took possession of the property in 2021, the city has also added on-street parking. And we’re in discussions now for perhaps 240 more spaces in a neighboring parking garage.
The community center has been immensely popular with residents. It’s been home to the AfriKin art basel shows (its third annual in December!), homeowner group meetings, community workshops, high schools sports, pro basketball, and more. It’s gym is open to the public (click here to learn how to get your membership) and the facility already booking events well into 2025.
As I leave office in a few days, I am proud not only to have secured a beautiful recreation space for our city, but to have paid it off at our first chance. The amount we paid was far less than it would have cost us if we’d purchased empty land and had to construct it from scratch ourselves.
Thank you for your support.