At the 2025 Opportunity Zone Summit on April 11, the Frost Museum of Science in Miami buzzed with inspiration as the “Community-Centered Development in Opportunity Zones” panel took the stage. Damian Pardo, District 2 Commissioner and Chairman at Omni CRA, moderated with a passion for inclusive growth, guiding a panel of experts—Isiaa Jones of Omni CRA, Chad Musgrove of M&T Realty Capital Corporation, Branko Kuzmanovic of Empira Group, and Frank Guerra of Atlas Cardinal LLC—through a discussion on revitalizing underserved areas. Their stories wove a tapestry of how community-centered development harnesses public-private partnerships, financial innovation, and CRA engagement to transform communities.
Pardo opened with a vision, setting the stage for a discussion rooted in collaboration and community empowerment.
Damian Pardo
“Today’s discussion will explore public-private partnerships, financial innovation, and CRA engagement to drive long-term inclusive impact for all.”
Isiaa Jones took the audience into the heart of Omni CRA’s mission, emphasizing how proximity to residents ensures their voices shape development policies, a cornerstone of CRA engagement. She painted a picture of a community where needs are met through action.
Isiaa Jones
“We’re closer to stakeholders than city levels, ensuring citizens’ voices shape policy through CRA engagement. An Opportunity Zone is about vision, purpose, and revitalizing low-income areas to spur jobs and economic growth.”
Chad Musgrove brought a financier’s lens, detailing how the capital stack fuels affordable housing in Opportunity Zones, a form of financial innovation that ensures market liquidity for safe, healthy homes, including seniors and manufactured housing.
Chad Musgrove
“Capital stack is the financing structure for a project. It’s a financial innovation tool involving lenders like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, ensuring liquidity for safe, healthy housing in Opportunity Zones.”
Branko Kuzmanovic shared Empira Group’s journey, focusing on neglected Miami neighborhoods to bring quality multifamily housing, incentivizing investors to spur growth with a long-term vision.
Branko Kuzmanovic
“We identify areas in need of housing, bringing capital to neighborhoods with a longer-term horizon to provide housing and spur investment in Miami.”
Frank Guerra concluded with a story of catalytic impact, explaining how Atlas Cardinal’s Opportunity Zone projects ignite broader development in transitional areas, accelerating progress through incentives rather than direct funding.
Frank Guerra
“Our OZ projects served as a catalyst, with two to four other projects breaking ground. It’s an incentive-based approach, accelerating development timelines in transitional areas.”
The panel’s narrative illuminated a path forward: community-centered development, through public-private partnerships, financial innovation, and CRA engagement, fosters inclusive urban renewal, offering a model for sustainable growth in Miami and beyond
