When news broke that Miami would lose more than $60 million in federal funding for the long-planned Underdeck project — now officially named the Rev. Edward T. Graham Greenway — many in Overtown saw it as yet another setback for a community scarred by broken promises. But business leaders say they are determined not to let the cut derail momentum.
The 10.5-mile, 33-acre greenway was designed to reconnect neighborhoods divided by Interstates 95 and 395, which displaced thousands, erased more than 300 businesses, and shrank Overtown’s population from 50,000 to 10,000. Planned features include an amphitheater, dog parks, walking and biking paths, plazas, play areas, food vendors, and a pedestrian trail stretching to Biscayne Bay.
The Biden administration awarded $60 million through the Neighborhood Access and Equity Program, but the Trump administration’s new “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” rescinded it.
“When you look at the historic narrative of Overtown, this is like another sort of punch in the gut,” said Christopher Norwood, founder of Hampton Art Lovers. “This decision by the federal government reminds us of what was done in the past, and I thought that we moved away from that.”
Underdeck opportunities
For Overtown, the Underdeck promise had both symbolic and financial significance. Trina Harris, president of the Overtown Business Association (OBA) and owner of Suite 110 Urbanwear, envisioned small businesses benefiting from spaces under the greenway…