Miami officials have "ignored" the systemic issues that led to the director of the Little Haiti Cultural Complex to quit after just a year on the job, a former leader of the center told WLRN.
Qunyatta Warren resigned last week, citing frustrations with lack of support from the city for long needed repairs 鈥� such as roof, drainage and air conditioning 鈥� for the beloved complex, which is at the heart of Miami's Haitian community.
That situation led the city to issue unsafe structure citations last year 鈥� and, last month, to shut down the Center鈥檚 most popular attraction, the Caribbean Marketplace.
But city officials have insisted they want the Cultural Center to remain open and thrive, with some saying the problem is lack of communication.
Either way, the future of this Haitian community icon feels uncertain to the Haitian community. Adding to the accusations of indifference from officials are concerns over encroaching gentrification and development in Little Haiti.
READ MORE: Little Haiti Marketplace creating a hub for commerce and culture
On the latest episode of the South Florida Roundup, two former directors of the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, Abraham Metellus and Sandy Dorsainvil, said they were not surprised by the claims made by Warren.
Metellus said there seems to be a systemic problem as he faced similar issues during his tenure from 2016 to 2019.
鈥淚 think there are a lot of concerns that have been bubbling up,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he city has a great opportunity to help galvanize the center with resources, but it seems like every time we are communicating the needs of the community 鈥� it becomes the same rhetoric as far as budget.鈥�
Dorsainvil, who served as director off and on from 2013 to 2022, said Warren was frustrated as they all were for not having the support they needed to succeed. She said the city needs to follow through and be more accountable.
鈥淭hey have the resources, they have the wherewithal and staff at the cultural center that's willing to do the work and that love this," Dorsainvil said. 鈥淪o [the city] just need to follow through [and] put their money and their resources where their mouth is.鈥�
City officials like Chris Evans of the Parks Department, told the they want to see the Little Haiti Cultural Center survive and thrive, but that they need better communication and responsiveness from the center's leadership.
"The preservation of the LHCC is a priority of my office as well as the City鈥檚 administration,鈥� Miami Commission Chair Christine King said in an emailed statement on Thursday which outlined the city's renovation plans for the center. 鈥淚 am confident that the community and visitors will continue to enjoy this historical complex for years to come.鈥�
But last year, some of those officials claimed they were surprised to hear of the structural problems that led to those safety citations.
鈥淵ou have City of Miami officials that have attended the cultural center and experienced the heat in the theater, and they want to pretend as if they didn't know anything was going on?鈥� Metellus said. 鈥淐oncerns have been made, emails have been sent, but they've been ignored.鈥�
After the Caribbean marketplace closed down last month, Metellus and Dorsainvil opened up a visitor and tourist center called Choublak Garden in Little Haiti. Metellus said the space, which opened earlier this month, is meant to meet the needs of the community for tourism and culture.
鈥淭he Haitian community is the second largest immigrant group in South Florida,鈥� Dorsainvil said. 鈥淭his is where people come to learn about us, where tourists come to learn about us.鈥�
Warren declined an interview with WLRN.
You can listen to the full conversation above or wherever you get your podcasts by searching: The South Florida Roundup
