*Flo Rida hasn’t sacrificed his mic, but he is making a historical impact in his hometown its first black-owned plaza.
Afrotech reports the “My House” entertainer took his love of black business to the next level in 2023 when he and his business manager, Lee “Freezy” Prince, purchased the Cloverleaf Plaza shopping center in Miami Gardens. The $10 million investment follows Flo Rida’s legal victory against Celsius over a breach of contract. The “Low” hitmaker scored a $82.6 million award from the legal ordeal, per CBS News.
The impact of his win goes deeper than a business move for Flo Rida. With owning the plaza comes a realization of a childhood dream as well a new view of the site, which houses several businesses and is regarding for being a hub for multiple Black business owners
“You might own a house and things like that, but growing up just looking at highrises and things like that, the first thing is not to think that you can own it,” Flo Rida told the Miami Herald. “Maybe you have a spot there, but you won’t really own it. So to actually own our own plaza is just phenomenal.”
Establishments occupying Cloverleaf Plaza include Cloverleaf Beauty Supply, Creole Kitchen, Boost Mobile, Top Notch Cigars & Smoke Shop, and Flowers by Grace, a longstanding fixture that has been around for three decades and owned by Grace Vernon.
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“We just thought that this would be a great staple,” Flo Rida explained. “After purchasing the club, Studio 183, we looked at making an investment and buying the entire plaza.”
Flo Rida’s takeover of Cloverleaf Plaza has resonated well with Vernon as well as tenants that see the new ownership as a step in the right direction as a noticeable improvement.
“It’s 100 percent better than before, it’s well kept. We have security guards,” Nicole Ward, owner of Prestige Beauty Salon, expressed. “Mr. Freezy is constantly in the plaza. So you feel safe. He’s always around. You can get to him easily with any problem.”
The historical impact of the plaza’s black ownership, is not lost on Vernon, who has seen the property’s before and after
“It gives you a sense of pride and just overall feeling so good to know that we’ve come this far, as far as I’m concerned, where you can see someone who looks like you, doing good things and great things,” the 74-year-old business leader said.
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