Delayed project has merchants begging for help
Ladra doesn’t know who needs to hear this at City Hall, but East Flagler Street is not supposed to be a ghost town.
Black Friday is going to be blacker than usual on Miami’s oldest commercial corridor, where mom-and-pop shops — the same ones the politicians love to trot out during campaign season — are dying slow, painful deaths behind barricades that haven’t moved in nearly a year.
That’s right. Eleven months without a single pebble lifted, according to shop owners who have been watching the empty construction zone like it’s one of those Miami reality shows where nothing actually happens.
And after 4.5 years of this disaster? The only sparkling new thing on Flagler is the creative vocabulary of excuses.
Danny Moshe, co-owner of Miami Discount Center — a store he has run with his wife Jacqueline for more than 40 years — is so 
desperate he cried out to the highest office on a local news program. “President Trump, please help us,” he said to CBS News Miami last week. They’ve survived recessions, rent hikes, hurricanes, crime waves — but apparently they can’t survive a city project that’s supposed to help them.
“It’s two years almost and nothing is moving,” Danny told CBS. “Nobody is coming.”
Jacqueline adds: “We have to work seven days a week just to pay a little bit of the bills.”
Read related: Downtown, Brickell residents still question Miami DDA benefits, future
When longtime Downtown merchants are literally calling on the former president for help because they can’t get answers from the City of Miami or the Downtown Development Authority, that’s not just a red flag — that’s a five-alarm fire.
The grand five-phase plan was supposed to transform Flagler into a “curbless, festival-style” pedestrian paradise with brick pavers and fancy drainage. Very European. Very Instagrammable.
Very not happening.
Phase 1 opened in July. Mazel tov. Now, we’re in Phase Nope.
Everything west of NE 2nd Avenue? Crickets. Barricades. Dust. Ghost town. The construction company that was doing the work, Lanzo Construction, vanished like a Brickell renter who didn’t get their deposit back. The city won’t say why. Maybe something 
about FPL finding some “problems” with the plans?
Meanwhile, the small street retail businesses are the ones footing the bill. “Excuses,” says one owner. “Abandonment,” says another.
Daniel Cohen, owner of Sneak Peek Luxury — a high end sneaker shop — says he’s down 65% in sales. The only reason his store hasn’t closed is because his landlord gave him a break.
“Not one pebble or shovel was lifted for the better part of 11 months,” Cohen said. “They just keep finding problems.”
Read related: Miami city commission set to give away historic Olympia Theater — for $10
This summer, the Miami Downtown Development Authority, which has spearheaded the project, celebrated the reopening of — wait for it — two whole blocks of Flager Street after more than four years of construction hell. The makeover, launched in 2019, is touted as a full five-block transformation project to activate and bring life back to the street.
The DDA said in a statement that it has tried to mitigate the situation.
“The Miami DDA has been fully engaged in supporting Flagler businesses throughout construction and we remain committed to 
helping them navigate this period while the city manages the project,” said DDA Executive Director Christina Crespi in a statement. “We’ve provided more than $700,000 in grants to small businesses and provided direct support through our free permit clinic. We’re also working hard to bring customers back to the corridor. Our recent holiday lighting celebration is proof of that. The even drew more than 2,000 visitors and generated a 323% increase in foot traffic compared to last year.”
Cohen calls BS. That flashy holiday lighting celebration didn’t bother to promote the struggling local businesses who could desperately use a few hundred customers.
Because why help the actual merchants when you can take selfies with twinkle lights?
Also, by the way, $700,000 is about what the DDA spent last year on public relations and marketing — in salaries.
Read related: Effort to dissolve Miami DDA cites ‘bloated’ salaries, redundancy, UFC gift
Downtown Neighbors Association President James Torres, the lead force behind the effort to dissolve the DDA, said the project’s delays are yet another example of how the agency has failed the community.
“The DDA was instrumental in this project and it is now the road to nowhere, creating more blight in the downtown area,” Torres told Political Cortadito. “And many small businesses are closing and not making it.
“A Thanksgiving update on Flagler falling apart. Sad,” he said. “Honestly, the DDA gives downtowners nothing to be thankful about.”
Flagler Business Improvement Executive Director Terrell Fritz didn’t mince words in an email to businesses: “I assure you the BID has done nothing but facilitate, advocate, challenge, protest and be ignored for most of the 4.5 years of this fiasco.”
Ignored. For four and a half years.
And city spokesman Kenia Fallat‘s response? Very polished. Very generic. Very… let’s say City Hall-ish: “We remain firmly committed to the continued revitalization…” yadda, yadda, yadda. Vibrancy. Character. Bonding company. Stakeholders. “World-class Miami.” We’ve heard it all before.
Meanwhile, real world Miami is watching their livelihoods evaporate behind plastic barricades and a construction plan that works about as well as the elevators at the MetroMover stations.
The real story: Small businesses are drowning while the city argues about whose fault it is.
This is the same city that can fast-track billion-dollar deals for developers in 30 seconds flat, but somehow can’t reopen a street that’s, what, six blocks long?
But sure — let’s blame the contractor, the bond company, FPL, COVID, the supply chain, the moon phase, Mercury retrograde…
Meanwhile, the Moshes are watching 40 years of sweat equity circle the drain.
“Open the street,” Moshe said. Simple. Straightforward. The kind of thing a functioning city government should be able to do.
And the city better hurry. Before there are no businesses left to “revitalize.”
This kind of independent, government watchdog reporting is crucial to transparency and democracy. Help shine a light on the darker corners of our community with a contribution to Political Cortadito. Click here. Ladra thanks you for your support.
Flagler Street fiasco: Downtown Miami ‘makeover’ is more like a make-under added by Ladra on
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The Executive Director of the DDA never shows up to work YET she still collects a massive pay and benefit package. The Chairman who allows this theft is Commissioner Ralph Rosada. Rosada gets his orders from lobbyist Melissa Tapanese. WTF.
No Show jobs at the DDA.
If anyone wants to laugh and see what true amateurism looks like click here https://www.downtownmiami.net/
Anyone ever see a circa 1995 website with an agency that has no mention of staff, minutes or board?
This screams DDA/City of Miami and The world’s poorest billionaire scam in its entirety. I’ve seen for transparency in wet napkins than this abomination.
Where are the officials that investigated corruption at? I know,, working for the city of miami of course. This whole thing makes Mogadishu like a first class capital.
All of Florida, County, Miami and elected officials you vote for look like ISH!!!
This project started around 2004. It’s failure has forced many businesses to close. The DDA is
a slush fund used to reward friends and family of connected insiders. Melissa Tapanes and Kasden are involved. Enough said. The DDA uses taxpayer money to pay $800,000 a year in rent for a fancy office to out-of-state based landlords. Corrupt!
The Executive Director of the DDA takes home over $300,000 per year AND she has not shown up for work in 4 months. Yup… another No Show job. Downtown taxpayers are getting screwed. And Chairman Ralphie Rosado is best friends with sleazy lobbyist Melissa T.
Moishe has no real money
https://brzoninglaw.com/news/client-news-moishe-mana-spent-500-million-on-miamis-flagler-street-can-he-make-his-vision-reality/
DDA failure and who’s in the driver seat Christina Crespi! making 300K a year,she needs to go!
5 plus years and you call this redevelopment…JOKE
it’s called let’s line our pockets and F*ck the Downtown and city communities and D2 Pardo supports the DDA and also want to be Mayor Higgins supports this disaster, she was the Vice Chair to this project.
Downtown pays out the A%% on taxes and all we get is this shithole!
Thank you DDA/Pardo/Higgins you have my vote ….NOT
do away with the DDA as Rosardo is another clown a$$ that thinks he mayor! another Joke
The DDA has 18 staffers who make over $150,000 per year. It is the DDA that has failed at the Flagler Street renovation. The DDA Chairlady makes $300,000+ per year. Taxpayers are getting screwed. Novice Commish Rosado has no clue.. so he bows to developers and to lobbyists. He should stop the bleeding and kill the DDA.
God forbid we mention capital improvements in this article, somehow it’s all the DDAs fault. Most of us who live downtown are frustrated w the severely delayed Flagler redevelopment but know there are many other entities who bear responsibility for the failure to complete the project. In spite of the delays there are some amazing local businesses and great moments to be had on Flagler. Activations which are in large part made possible by DDA bring foot traffic and activity to the businesses on Flagler street. The city needs to prioritize completion of this project and support the businesses that have struggled for so many years. Downtown residents and business owners as well as the organizations representing them should be demanding accountability from capital improvements on this long awaited streetscape
Friends, Moishe Mana the poorest billionaire in The World is reportable for this. The guy has the mayors cousin as his fixer, and the kid is as dumb as his cousin too.
Check Wynwood and what he promised for decades now.
I guess washing that Russian Israeli money must not be going to well.
Old news and nobody cares, since nobody going to do anything.
This fiasco is more proof the DDA must be euthanized asap. WTF. Why do Miami’s politicians allow this double taxation? And get such miserable results?
Idea, stop paying legal fees and give funds to small business owners in the area
Well, Pardo is busy sponsoring at least 10 that I have counted so far Art Basel events with our taxpayer dollars. I am all for supporting the arts, but during a time like this there is more than enough attention. Meanwhile he attends more events than I could possibly imagine while Rome is Burning. He has effectively outsourced his legislative duties to developers and developer land use attorneys, while he hops from red carpet to red carpet. He attends the opening of a toilet seat, before fixing the critical issues of residents. Meanwhile, we are left with Schrödinger’s City of Miami where he states there is not enough money to Save the Olympia, effectively complete construction projects, or even essential services like trash pickup (remember he tried to propose less pickup to save dollars) Yet there is more than enough money for him to build a new office, sponsor many multiple events, have full security detail etc. He is on track to go down as the worst commissioner in Miami history, pound for pound on the way to outpacing Carollo considering he has only been in office for two years
This all the DDA’s fault? No city agencies? Not the actual building owners that have done nothing to renovate and bring businesses? Such a sad PR hit piece. Wonder who is paying….
How’s the level of incompetence even possible? Where’s Rosado, Pardo and Suarez on this!?!?!?
Meanwhile Francis was busy with Trump, Messi, Bezos and Rafael Nadal over at the AAA talking about the surreal Miami.
Lanzo Construction didn’t vanish. They were summarily terminated by the City for lack of performance back in July 2025. Made all kinds of excuses to justify their inability to perform. There is even proof of their employees sleeping on the job instead of working. Anyone putting in a public records request would be able to figure this out. They won’t be getting another job at the City any time soon…
The DDA is a failure. The DDA and its idiot overpaid and corrupt staffers have failed at the Flagler Street renovation for 15+ years. The Planning was bad. The DDA’s choice of contractors was bad. Downtown business owners and landlords have suffered. Tourists have suffered. Many businesses have failed. The DDA should be abolished.