Two abandoned Allapattah properties could soon be transformed into soccer fields that double as community service hubs under a plan calling for immediate activation timed to coincide with the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer, kicking off a larger phased redevelopment connecting sports, education, food assistance and affordable housing.

A $500,000 funding request from local nonprofit Miami Bethany Community Services is before Miami Commissioners on May 28 to support the first phases of the Allapattah Soccer Community Field project at 850 and 920 NW 23rd St. The funding would launch initial site work and early programming, with plans to bring the fields and community services online within 45 to 90 days and longer-term goals of converting the long-vacant properties into a neighborhood hub projected to serve more than 40,000 residents annually.

The story of the site stretches back to 1980, when Miami-Dade County transferred the two parcels to the City of Miami for $1 under a deed condition requiring that the land be used for sports or recreation. Despite that mandate, the properties remained largely unused for decades, eventually falling into disrepair and becoming associated with dumping, encampments and other long-standing signs of neglect.

Momentum shifted in September 2024, when the city commission approved a revocable license agreement allowing Miami Bethany Community Services to activate the properties for community use. In months that followed, more than 50 volunteers cleared debris, removed multiple truckloads of waste, secured the site and restored access to land that had been effectively closed off to the community for years.

Miami Bethany Community Services, based in Allapattah, has operated in the city for more than 30 years, delivering food, youth sports programming, housing support and community services for low-income families. Under the new proposal, sponsored by District One Commissioner Miguel Gabela, the nonprofit would lead development of the Allapattah Soccer Community Field, which calls for two Soccer-5 style fields and surrounding space for daily programming and services.

District One planning materials outline a five-phase transformation beginning with site activation within 45 days. The first phase includes temporary utility installation, demolition of deteriorated structures, site preparation and refrigerated food distribution containers intended to launch services for low-income families while broader construction moves forward.

The second phase, projected within 90 days, centers on activating the soccer complex alongside the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In addition to the soccer fields, plans include youth leagues, free sports programming, neighborhood events and outdoor World Cup viewing gatherings using a large LED screen and sound system.

A third phase, projected over six to 12 months, would shift toward permanent community programming through renovation of the existing building into a broader service hub. Planning materials outline vocational and technical training, GED and ESOL classes, citizenship preparation, youth programming and expanded food distribution services operating alongside the recreational facilities.

Longer-range plans stretch into phases four and five, both projected over roughly 24-month timelines. Those proposals envision a larger mixed-use redevelopment centered around a modern community center, an active rooftop sports complex and up to 100 affordable housing units built into the property. District One documents describe the full build-out as a combined housing, sports, education and community services campus intended to anchor long-term neighborhood revitalization in Allapattah.

Daily operations would serve more than 130 at-risk youth and families, with programming focused on children and young people ages 7 to 21. Structured activities would run across extended hours, with some materials projecting use of the site for up to 14 hours per day.

City projections estimate weekly food distribution reaching up to 1,500 low-income families, with youth participation and service delivery tracked through attendance, enrollment and ongoing community engagement metrics. Overall, the project is expected to serve more than 40,000 residents annually once fully built out.

Funding would come from the District One allocation of the Miami For Everyone program, with final approval still required for agreements between the city and Miami Bethany Community Services before work can formally begin.