Building a New Non-Profit for Small Business Preservation & Commercial Corridor Revitalization

Miami, Florida

The Challenge: 
Real estate pressure was creating gentrification and displacement of Dominican and other immigrant-owned businesses in Miami’s Allapattah neighborhood. 

Our Strategy:
Since September 2017, Ochoa has led efforts for neighborhood revitalization in the City of Miami’s Allapattah neighborhood, first as Director of Federal Affairs for National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB) and since June 2019, as Principal and Founder of Ochoa Urban Collaborative (OUC).

Phase I

  • Ochoa helped establish a collaborative of 20 organizations through the South Florida Community Development Coalition to coordinate services and develop a joint strategy to address neighborhood change. 

  • Funded by Citi Community Development and JP Morgan Chase, the collaborative completed a needs assessment of the small business and microentrepreneur environment, a small business survey of Allapatah’s 17th Avenue commercial district, and an analysis of neighborhood change with maps and data indicators. 

  • Along with community input, OUC helped draft an Equitable Neighborhood Development Action Plan with specific policies and recommendations to address gentrification. 

Phase II

  • Ochoa Urban Collaborative helped the community prioritize actions and provided advice and guidance to seed a new community development corporation focused on commercial district revitalization. 

  • Currently, OUC is providing capacity building to the Allapattah Collaborative CDC to build the organization through resource and board development, training, and mentoring the new executive director. 

  • Guiding a feasibility study with planning and zoning advice for the proposed site selection and construction of a mixed-use development with affordable housing and retail for local businesses.

  • OUC is also providing strategic and action planning to help the organization prioritize projects, resource development to fund their priorities, and join the Main Street program, a nationally recognized commercial revitalization strategy. 

Progress to date:

Since 2020, The Allapattah Collaborative CDC:

  • The TAC now has an active board and increased staff from to three employees

  • Executive Director Mileyka Burgos co-chairs, the Public Land for Public Good campaign, a regional coalition for the use of publicly-owned land for affordable housing and economic development.

  • Designated as Miami’s first Main Street program by the Florida’s Division of Historical Resources.

  • Delivered over 1200 hours of direct technical assistance to over 50 small businesses in the Allapattah Main Street commercial corridor.

  • Secured over $700,000 in access to capital to small businesses.

  • Raised over $500,000 in new grants and funding to support its programs.

mochoa@ochoaurbancollaborative.com | 202-413-6910