Coronavirus Impact: Miami's Little Havana Neighborhood Hit Hard By COVID-19
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - If you want a visual example of what the coronavirus impact has been on South Florida tourism, all you have to do is drive by Miami's Little Havana neighborhood.
You will find it empty.
Originally a Jewish neighborhood, Little Havana, as we know it today, became the center of Cuban exiles in the 1960s.
Today, its population includes people from a number of nations.
Before the coronavirus, it had been a premier Miami tourist attraction with 3.5 million visitors a year.
Developer Bill Fuller says, "We see a decline in street traffic and businesses are closed."
Hard hit are the mom and pop businesses, restaurants, and clubs that have been around for years that have stayed put despite the gentrification of the area.
Closed for now is the iconic Domino Park.
Little Havana is Miami's Latin cultural center. In the middle of it all, the restored Ball and Chain nightclub, with roots back to the 1930s.
Fuller, one of the operating partners says, "Until we see a treatment, a proven treatment or vaccine, I do not know that life is going to be back to normal in the bar and restaurant business at all."
A bit of a grim prediction but Little Havana is hustling to be ready if a limited "open up" go-ahead is given, where restaurants now are doing 10% of their normal business.
"This is a time that businesses have to work together. Have to share information. Work together to develop proper procedures and guidelines," Fuller says.
In other words, the visitors must feel comfortable visiting Little Havana and who is expected to visit? Locals of course, but also what you hear often is, "the drive market" visitors that can drive to a tourist attraction like Little Havana.
"We are going to do our best to open Little Havana and serve the regional community," says Fuller.
"I think people are going to stay a little closer to home when they travel this summer."
Thee key is to make the customer comfortable. The worry is that restrictions may be modified, but will the public respect them?
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