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Thousands of years ago, the Tequesta tribe built a perfect circle in the limestone bedrock at the mouth of the Miami River. Today, it is known as the Miami Circle. Just upriver, and on the same bank, sits the Miami Riverside Center, home to several City of Miami departments, including Public Works, Building, Code Enforcement, and the Office of Communications.
Unlike the ancient circle, however, navigating these present-day departments in search of answers can feel less like enlightenment and more like confusion.
City contractors, for example, must obtain permits to close sidewalks, including for pedestrian safety. Yet, as previously reported, contractor G.T. McDonald Enterprises closed sidewalks at 1600 NE Second Avenue on February 16, 2026, without obtaining the required permit.
To understand how sidewalk closures work in the City of Miami, this reporter embarked on a field investigation on March 9, 2026, at the Miami Riverside Center.
The journey began on the eighth floor, home of the Department of Public Works. There, a helpful receptionist explained that, to speak with the department director, Juvenal Santana, one should contact his assistant. So far, so good – transparency seemed to be just one email away.
Accessing records of violations related to improper sidewalk closures was a different matter: it was handled by the Building Department, located on the fourth floor.
Down to the fourth floor.
At the Building Department, another helpful voice clarified that those records were not there after all – they would actually be with Code Compliance, on the seventh floor.
Up to the seventh floor.
At Code Compliance, the plot thickened. Yes, they said, they could enforce sidewalk closure rules, but in practice, they do not. That responsibility, they explained, belongs primarily to … the already visited Department of Public Works.
Back to the eighth floor.
Transparency, it seemed, required not only persistence, but also a working elevator.
Once again at Public Works, the same receptionist suggested that answers might come from Richard Rojas, supervisor of inspectors, alongside Director Santana. The solution: send emails, submit photos, provide questions.
Emails were sent. Photos were sent. Questions were sent.
Transparency was pending.
The assistant to Director Santana responded promptly (progress!) asking whether the interview should be in person or via Teams. She even copied multiple officials, including Orlando Rodríguez from the Communications Office.
Then came the pivot.
Mr. Rodríguez replied that all media inquiries must go through his office, as they handle communications “on behalf of the municipal administration.” In other words, transparency had a front desk.
He later added that interview requests are approved at the discretion of the Communications Director and requested sample questions, which were promptly provided.
Days passed.
Silence.
Follow-up emails were sent. A phone call was made. A voicemail was left.
More silence.
At this stage, the investigation adopted a different strategy: physical presence. One week after the original visit, and yet another floor up, this reporter went to the ninth floor to locate Mr. Rodríguez in person.
According to the City of Miami’s website, the Office of Communications is “committed to transparency and convenience” and maintains a “strong partnership with the media to ensure the community remains informed.” Encouraged by this statement, the reporter proceeded.
Mr. Rodríguez explained that whether an interview could happen “depends on Juvenal,” who, he noted, is “a very busy man.” When asked whether this applied to non-student journalists as well, the answer became philosophical, referencing past experiences in journalism school and the virtues of obtaining answers from smaller cities instead of a city as large as Miami.
Despite a promise for an interview, Mr. Rodriguez sent an email shortly after: Director Santana was out of the office, his schedule was full upon return, and therefore, the reporter might consider … another municipality.
Transparency, it appeared, had jurisdictional limits.
Meanwhile, the City had recently announced a “new era” of communication under Communications Director Helena Poleo, who graduated from Florida International University’s School of Journalism in 2003, emphasizing clarity, responsiveness, and connection with the public. Inspired by this vision, the reporter reached out directly to her.
Ms. Poleo responded, briefly, stating that Director Santana was the appropriate person to interview.
This created a small but notable paradox: the only person who could speak was unavailable, and those available could not speak.
Further emails to Ms. Poleo seeking clarification — and even a request for an interview about transparency itself — have, as of publication, received no response.
Mayor Eileen Higgins has recently announced efforts to reform the city’s permitting system, with city officials acknowledging that departments operate in silos and create delays. Yet those same silos appear to extend to enforcement related to hazardous conditions created by sidewalk closures.
Across multiple departments, no city employee has explained why sidewalks can be closed without permits for extended periods, how enforcement is carried out for the safety of pedestrians, or how violations are addressed.
When the Tequesta built their perfect circle centuries ago, they likely did not anticipate the circles that would appear upriver in the Miami Riverside Center in the Twenty-First Century. While the Miami Circle is a beautiful reminder of how others lived in the past, the circles inside the Miami Riverside Center move those in search of answers through a system where inquiry is constant, but answers and resolution remain just out of reach.
