Magic City Trailer Park History in Little Haiti

This site of mobile homes for working-class families at 6001 NE 2nd Avenue in Little Haiti has been officially shut down on March 31, 2015. Now only the families of park's maintenance workers live there as the rest of the Magic City has been cleared. The property consists plenty of oaks and other trees like the variety of palm and avocado trees, strangler fig trees and other numerous "Category 1" invasive species, which are protected by the City of Miami's strict tree ordinance.

Mr. Robert Lawrence Zangrillo, a venture capitalist from Miami Beach, engaged in the internet and real estate business, has purchased the entire property of Magic City Trailer Park for $15 million from the descendants of Dr. John DuPuis, through Miami-based Magic City Properties LC. The transaction included the 6.5-acre Magic City Trailer Park at 6001 Northeast Second Avenue and a mixed-use building at 6041 Northeast Second Avenue that dates back to 1902, according to Miami-Dade County records.

Magic City was one of the earliest settlements in Miami. Lemon City was discovered around 1870. E.H. Harrington, the then owner of the property named the area for the lemon trees growing on his property, and the first use of the
name as "Lemon City" was recorded by the County in 1889. The trailer park initially started as a tourist court in 1929, but eventually evolved into a permanent trailer community who used to pay a monthly rent of $400 per month till the notice of clearing came from Zangrillo's company on January 8, 2015. Unfortunately, they all purchased new trailers in April 2014.

Zangrillo has not yet decided what he will do with the land during the interim period, maybe it will be rented out for special events, like concerts, farmers markets, festivals, etc.

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