2025 Grantee Spotlight: City of Hialeah

The City of Hialeah, just north of Miami, is one of the 2025 AARP Florida Community Challenge Grant winners. As the second-largest city in Miami-Dade County, Hialeah is known for its rich Cuban-American heritage and vibrant Latino community. The city received $19,000 to enhance pedestrian safety and visibility along Palm Avenue by upgrading crosswalks with cultural inspiration and improving signage and street markings to make pedestrians more noticeable to drivers.

According to Claudia Hasbun, Hialeah’s Interim Planning and Zoning Official, the improvements on several crosswalks will feature domino-themed designs that pay tribute to the iconic game deeply rooted in the city’s local culture.

“The design of domino pieces will bring a sense of belonging,” she said. “Especially for the people that use this game as a socialization past time.”

The selected intersections, East 5th and 6th Street, were chosen based on public planning data and community needs. “The intersection is where our older residents live,” Hasbun explained. “That is why we felt so confident that East 5th and 6th Street was the right location.”

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Domino-themed crosswalk plan courtesy of the City of Hialeah

AARP’s Community Challenge Grant comes as Hialeah is celebrating its 100th anniversary. The city is working on a long-term project called Hialeah 2050, which visualizes the next 25 years focusing on livability and public spaces. Hasbun noted AARP’s grant helps move that planning into action.

“[The Community Challenge grant] was the spark,” she said. “This is just the beginning of a series of improvements throughout the city.”

Hasbun has lived in Hialeah for 22 years and said receiving the grant has not only a professional but personal meaning. She described the experience as a rewarding moment after years of planning.

“We felt supported throughout this entire process,” she concluded. “[AARP is] a great partner, especially for a community such as the City of Hialeah.”

AARP Florida will be following up with the City of Hialeah progress to see how their efforts are progressing! Stay tuned for more, and visit AARP.org/FLLivable for more information on the Community Challenge Grant program.