Recovering from a natural catastrophe, say like Hurricane Andrew, can sometimes be a long process. Take a look at Homestead.
In 1992, Andrew devastated the south Florida city, destroying the air force base, more than a thousand mobile homes, and one of the city's historic sites. Roughly a third of the population of 30,000 left shortly after the storm.
It didn't take long for housing and people to come back. But, the downtown area along Krome Avenue took a little longer, even though it had been historically the heart of the town.
Back in December, about a thousand people showed up for the re-opening of the Seminole Theater. It was a much anticipated event, led off with a concert by Miami singer Jon Secada. Beyond the gala, though, was the hope city leaders had for the success of the theater, and what that would mean for a grander project for downtown revitalization.
It was just a couple years ago when city leaders went to the voters and asked for a tax increase on property values to raise the money to rebuild the theater. As Mayor Jeff Porter puts it: the people spoke and said yes in large numbers. With matching grants, more than five million dollars were raised for the project.
The Seminole Theater, where it stands today, opened in 1921. In 1940 a fire almost turned it to ashes. It was quickly rebuilt and for decades remained the center of entertainment for Homestead residents. The theater eventually shut down in 1979. At that point, the owners felt the business was just not there. And it sat abandoned since, falling victim to decay. Hurricane Andrew almost finished the job when it blew off the roof and destroyed the theater's gut.
For years Bob Jensen tried to bring the Seminole theater back. He was originally part of the Homestead Center for the Arts, a group that partnered with Miami-Dade College to revitalize it before hurricane Andrew. Those efforts failed. So for Jensen, the re-opening of the theater has been a truly sweet moment.
Louise Dearing-Robinson also spent years anticipating the return of the Seminole theater. At 91, she has a long of history with the building: she was an usherette as a 16-year-old. During a private tour of the theater, she marveled at the freshly-painted walls, the new cushioned seats, and the wide stage area.
In her heyday, the theater played movies. She fondly remembered spending time in the balcony "smooching" with her then boy-friend and eventual husband, Charles Robinson. Many years later, Charles and Louise owned and operated a soda shop adjacent to the theater. That space today is part of the theater lobby.
Mickey McGuire is the executive director of the Seminole theater. On a typical show night, he's bouncing back and forth between the box office, the lobby and his ushers. On this day, it's the Miami Jazz Cooperative Voices. There's a lot to bring together for the show; multiple microphones for the band and the singers, lighting, and again, making sure all the ushers are clear on seating.
The Seminole Theater has hosted a wide-range of performers, mostly singers, from Secada to The Drifters to Alejandro Escovado. McGuire believes the second season of shows will be even stronger with a greater variety of events.
The reopening of the Seminole theater was just part of a greater renovation project in Homestead. Earlier this year the new city hall building opened. And the new police station is under construction. Mayor Porter says there are plans for so much more, including a multiplex movie theater, more parking and possibly an observation tower.
We know that the county is growing into South Miami-Dade and we want to make sure that what happens to us is what we want to have happen to us, not what somebody else up the road wants to happens to us.
