Miami Tropical Botanic Garden founder secures funding to save it from developers
The founder of the Miami Tropical Botanic Garden has secured funding to buy the land his garden sits on, successfully fending off developers and preserving a rare green space in the heart of Little Haiti.
Developers back off as green space is preserved
Casey Zap, who started the lush three-acre garden, was leasing the land and faced losing it last year as developers eyed it for potential high-rise or retail development. Now, with private investors stepping in, the land will remain in the community - a victory for environmental preservation and local education.
"Even when we thought we might lose the property, we just kept planting," Zap said.
CBS News Miami first covered Zap's efforts in May 2024, when he was racing to raise $4 million to purchase the property.
At one point, a developer nearly closed a deal, but Zap said it fell through, giving him a second chance. He then took out a $300,000 loan to place a deposit on the land.
Personal stakes, community mission
"I had to pay interest on it too," Zap said. "But I honestly don't have a wife and children. This is my passion."
That deposit bought him time to secure investors who could help buy the land outright in cash. Now, Zap says, the garden's future is secure and it will serve as a resource for the neighborhood.
"This is a prime area for an educational center. All these are very rare tropical plants," he said.
Ashley Toussaint, vice chair of the Little Haiti Revitalization Trust, said protecting this rare urban green space is a win for the entire community.
"There's so much development coming to Little Haiti, both known and unknown," Toussaint said. "It's good to know that this will be protected."
Plans for resilience and education
Zap has big plans for the space, including using it to help manage stormwater in flood-prone Miami.
"By being the green infrastructure that Miami needs desperately, we will be able to take on this enormous amount of stormwater flooding," he said.
Though the deal isn't finalized yet, Zap said the closing is expected by the end of the year.
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