A stretch of 131st Street in North Miami now carries the name of the man who represented that neighborhood for eight years. On Thursday, September 24, the city dedicated Councilman Jacques Despinosse Street, honoring the former District 3 councilman and his decades of work for South Florida's Haitian American community.

Where to find the new signs

The honorary name covers two pieces of 131st Street on either side of North Miami Avenue:

  • Northeast 131st Street, from Northeast 2nd Avenue west to North Miami Avenue
  • Northwest 131st Street, from Northwest 2nd Avenue to Northwest 13th Avenue

What changes is what neighbors see when they look up at the corner: the name of someone who served them.

Both the North Miami City Council and Miami-Dade County signed off on the designation, and the ceremony was held right on Northeast 131st Street between Northeast 2nd Avenue and North Miami Avenue. It was presented by District 3 Councilwoman Mary Estimé-Irvin, who now holds Despinosse's old seat, in partnership with Miami-Dade County Commissioner Marleine Bastien of District 2.

Who Jacques Despinosse is

Despinosse served on the North Miami City Council from 2001 to 2009, representing District 3. He was first elected in 2001, and when his seat came up again in 2005, nobody ran against him. Running unopposed is a fair measure of how his neighbors felt about the job he was doing.

His public service did not end when he left the dais. The city credits him with decades of civic engagement and advocacy, especially within South Florida's Haitian American community. The honor recognizes both halves of that record: his years on the council and the advocacy that came before and after.

Councilwoman Estimé-Irvin described the naming as a way to recognize his legacy and make sure his contributions are remembered by the generations that come after him. Street namings are one of the few honors a city can give that literally stay put; children walking to school on 131st Street will grow up seeing his name every day.

A street getting attention

The new name is not the only thing happening on 131st Street. In August, the city broke ground on a replacement for the Northeast 131st Street pedestrian bridge, the crossing over the C-8 canal between Northeast 2nd Avenue and Memorial Highway. The existing bridge is about 80 years old, and the $1.185 million replacement, paid for with federal and state funds, is expected to be finished in May 2027. It is also in District 3, so the corridor that now honors one of the district's longtime leaders is getting a new crossing for the people who walk it.

About North Miami

North Miami is home to about 64,000 people, making it one of the ten largest cities in Miami-Dade County. It sits on Biscayne Bay around Florida International University's Biscayne Bay Campus, and it is home to Oleta River State Park, the largest urban park in the Florida state park system, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. The city prides itself on a diverse population, and naming a street for a Haitian American community leader is one more way it is putting that story on the map.

Go see it

If you live in North Miami or pass through on North Miami Avenue, take the turn onto 131st Street and look for the new signs. If you know Councilman Despinosse, or were one of the neighbors who voted for him in 2001, this is a good week to snap a photo under his street sign and send it to someone who remembers. And if you are new to the neighborhood, it is a nice reminder that the names on the corners belong to real people who did the work.