Little Havana just got another reason to celebrate, and Havana Enclave residents are perfectly positioned to enjoy it. The City of Miami moved to hand control of the historic Tower Theater back to Miami Dade College, ending a chapter that began in 2022 when the city took over management of the beloved Calle Ocho venue. Miami’s mayor and the commissioner representing the district championed the return, and the City Commission approved a resolution authorizing a long-term lease, with a minimum term of 20 years and automatic renewals every five years after that.
The Tower Theater is nearly 100 years old, and its story is deeply tied to the story of Little Havana itself. Built in the 1920s, the theater became a cultural anchor for the Cuban exile community in the 1960s, adapting its programming to include Spanish-language and subtitled films for new arrivals settling into the neighborhood. Miami Dade College operated the venue for more than 20 years, from 2002 until 2022, building it into a home for art-house cinema, the Miami Film Festival, the GEMS Film Festival, and rotating art exhibitions. During that stretch, the college says the theater welcomed more than 1.2 million visitors and became a genuine economic and cultural engine for the surrounding blocks.
This news matters for Havana Enclave residents in a direct way, because Miami Dade College is not some distant institution. It sits right next door to the community and continues to grow year after year, adding academic programs, cultural spaces, and now reclaiming stewardship of one of the neighborhood’s most treasured buildings. Living at Havana Enclave means living within walking distance of a college that keeps expanding its footprint and investment in the neighborhood’s cultural life. As MDC settles back into Tower Theater, residents can expect the kind of thoughtful, community-oriented programming the college is known for, from film festivals to live theater and art exhibitions.
For a community that already prides itself on offering residents unmatched access to culture and entertainment, Tower Theater’s homecoming is one more example of what makes this location special. Havana Enclave residents do not have to travel across the city for an authentic cultural experience. They can make a short drive to a nearly century-old theater on Calle Ocho that has hosted decades of film premieres, community celebrations, and artistic programming, all while their neighbor continues to grow around them.
As the details of the new management agreement come together, one thing is clear: Little Havana’s cultural heartbeat is getting stronger, and Havana Enclave is right at its center. Between a growing college campus next door and a historic theater returning to its rightful caretaker, residents have front-row access to the kind of authentic, lasting culture that cannot be manufactured elsewhere. It is another reminder that choosing Havana Enclave means choosing a neighborhood that is only getting richer with time.
Havana Enclave’s leasing is being led by The Oscar Arellano Team at Coldwell Banker Realty, with Oscar Arellano, Eyvis Mendoza, and Nelson Albareda heading the effort as exclusive leasing representatives for the project. To learn more or to schedule a visit, stop by our leasing office at 3485 W. Flagler St., Suite 100, open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday by appointment-only in the hours of operation. You can also reach the leasing team at (305) 802-2266 or visit havanaenclave.com.
Developer The Astor Companies continues to make incredible progress on the construction of Havana Enclave as it moves closer to its expected completion in the first quarter of 2027. Havana Enclave reflects Astor’s commitment to meet Miami’s housing needs and help the city it calls home reach its full potential.
Havana Enclave General Contractor BDI Construction is making significant progress in powering the building, as FPL’s vault is now live with its meters installed near the vault. Five of the building’s electric vehicle charging stations were installed as well. This follows the prepping of Havana Enclave’s lobby and offices for floor tile installation, and the beginning of hallway tile installation by the seventh-floor elevators.
Astor and the Havana Enclave team look forward to officially opening the building in the first quarter of 2027! For more information about the project, visit blog.HavanaEnclave.com or email Info@HavanaEnclave.com.
