Little Haiti Visitor Center opening up to the public with hopes of highlighting historic neighborhood
MIAMI — Aaron Goldstein owns the land with the Little Haiti Visitor Center and wants it to reflect the neighborhood.
"Their slogan that they've come up with is come curious and leave creole," Goldstein said.
He says the center can serve as a front door for all the art, culture, and ways of life of the Haitian population in Miami. He is a developer and knows firsthand that this neighborhood has had some locals pushed out by rising rents and gentrification. He wants this area preserved.
"It's often passed by and often overseen and unserved. As locals here we know that there's a vibrant and exciting community to be illuminated," Goldstein said.
He's been working with Sandy Dorsainvil. She's with the Route 1804 Foundation: A nonprofit aimed at advancing the Haitian community. She says the neighborhood can't be called Little Haiti if the Haitian culture leaves.
"If people knew all the fabulous things and all the great things that are happening here. It would save itself," Dorsainvil said.
Dorsainvil says that even though this visitor's center is still being built, it can already become a starting point for tourists.
"Miami is a place that attracts tons of tourists. I think this visitors center lets tourists, as well as local folks, know that little Haiti is also a destination," she said.