MIAMI, United States. – Orlando Capote, a 64-year-old Cuban engineer living in Miami, finds himself in an unusual situation: his humble home is nestled in the heart of one of the most luxurious real estate projects in Miami: The Plaza. Capote got to that point after steadfastly resisting selling his home, despite pressure from powerful real estate companies and a tempting offer to buy for nearly a million dollars.
a man and a house
More than two decades ago, the Cuban settled with his parents in Coral Gables, a wealthy suburb of Miami, seeking to fulfill the “American dream.”
“When we came to this country in 1969, the rent was like $150 or $200 a month, but it went up and up. And my dad always wanted to have a house. It is the American dream and you work to achieve that dream,” Capote recalled in a recent interview with BBC.
The family purchased a modest single-family home on Coconut Grove Dr. in the heart of Coral Gables. Once a quiet residential street, the neighborhood has changed dramatically since then, becoming the center of a multi-million dollar real estate development. “I now live surrounded by the high-end buildings of The Plaza, a $600 million real estate development,” Capote said.
The development in question includes a 242-room hotel, upscale restaurants and shops, offices and high-end residences, some of which directly border Capote’s property, blocking sunlight and breezes. His frontal view is obstructed by planters from the development, which Capote wryly calls “the coffins.”
The Cuban maintains that local authorities favored real estate companies at the expense of residents. “The Government of Coral Gables gave all the facilities to a real estate firm at the expense of our rights and our access to public services,” Capote criticized. However, the city government told the BBC that the developer obtained the necessary permits from Miami-Dade County.
“We are immigrants. My parents left everything in Cuba to bring me here. And they worked a lot. And here they took away the American dream and gave it to the developer”, laments the 64-year-old man.
At this point, the Cuban has resisted pressure to sell his house for almost two decades. He even turned down the offer of more than $900,000 that he received at a particularly difficult time for the family: his father was sick and in the hospital, making it impossible for him to seriously consider the offer.
“At the time, with my dad and his situation in the hospital, and me hearing and asking what the houses were worth, there was no way I could do it. Taking care of my dad, looking for a house, moving… After all, it took us 20 years to find that house, ”he recalled to the BBC.
Despite the difficulties and the shadow of the great buildings around him, Capote is more determined than ever to stand his ground. “Drop me at my house,” he demands. Although access to the sun and garbage service can be complicated, he continues to reside in the house he bought with his parents all those years ago, keeping his slice of the “American dream” alive.
