As executive director of The Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency (SEOPW CRA), James McQueen has been at the forefront of the renaissance of the Overtown neighborhood. With the official final bond approval of an estimated $162 million municipal bond by the city of Miami and Mi ami-Dade County in July 2025, Mr. McQueen said, the funds will allow the CRA to invest in additional infrastructure, green spaces, cultural spaces, and affordable housing. The SEOPW CRA will use this funding to advance transformative initiatives that prioritize existing residents while supporting sustainable growth, he said. Bond-supported investments include new affordable and mixed-income housing, construction of a public parking facility operated by the Miami Parking Authority, revitalization of the historic Ninth Street Pedestrian Mall, adaptive reuse of the former Women’s Detention Center into a cultural museum, as well as infrastructure and economic development projects throughout Overtown. The bond-funded projects, focused on new construction and rehabilitation, are slated to deliver an estimated 2,500 workforce and affordable housing units in Overtown, Mr. McQueen added. “This will give housing opportunities for people who are currently living in Overtown who have been denied housing in the past,” he said, “including professionals who work nearby, like the Health District, local retail, and businesses.” Born and raised in Overtown, Mr. McQueen is a lifelong public servant and has been chief of staff for two commissioners in the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County. His extensive experience with public policy has led him to many accomplishments with community outreach and revenue acquisition. He served crucial roles in securing $14.5 million for the construction of sanitary sewers on the Seventh Avenue Business Corridor and securing $6 million for the Miami-Dade Affordable Housing Foundation to build single-family homes. In addition, he has developed and directed numerous community outreach programs for the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County. Mr. McQueen said he will continue to be an advocate for the community that saw him grow up.“When I first got here, I said to the staff what I wanted to do was when people landed at Miami International Airport, one of the signature and historic areas they needed to visit before they left, no matter what, has to be Overtown,” he said. Mr. McQueen spoke with Miami Today reporter Abraham Galvan. Read the full interview in this week’s print or digital edition of Miami Today. Full access is available exclusively to our subscribers. Click here to access your subscription or to subscribe! This week’s profile will appear in next year’s Book of Leaders. Miami Today publishes a Book of Leaders every year. This book is a compilation of all The Achievers profiled in every edition. The information in this book is available nowhere else – the stories of the women and men who are shaping the development of Greater Miami. If you would like to order a copy of the Book of Leaders from 1997 to 2025 or a complete set, click here to place your order. The post James McQueen: Leads development agency growing Overtown’s economy appeared first on Miami Today. ...read more read less