Miami Gardens, Sunny Isles Beach buying up distressed private properties for public use

Miami Gardens and Sunny Isles Beach are buying commercial properties hit by the market slump with an eye to improving their cities. Miami Gardens, the third-largest city in Miami-Dade County, has paid at least $12 million for properties intended for public use, like parks and senior housing. The city is taking advantage of properties in foreclosure to create vacant land in an overbuilt area, said city manager Danny Crew. Sunny Isles Beach similarly spent about $9.4 million on land and buildings that will become a park. The market appears ripe for communities that want to expand, said Sunny Isles Beach city manager Rick Conner. [Florida Trend]