By Brian Bandell
Story Highlights
- Lotus House opened a $30 million Children’s Village in Miami’s Overtown.
- Kenneth Griffin donated $5 million to fund shelter operations.
- The facility serves homeless children’s educational and therapeutic needs.
The Lotus House opened its $30 million new campus in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood and announced a $5 million donation from billionaire Kenneth Griffin, the CEO of Citadel, to fund the operations of the shelter.
The 71,000-square-foot Children’s Village at 217 N.W. 15th St. will serve the educational, health and therapeutic needs of children who are at risk of homelessness. It’s run by nonprofit Lotus House, which also has the 500-bed Lotus Village women’s shelter across the street.
These facilities will greatly aid Lotus House in helping families as they struggle with Miami’s rising rents.
“The Children’s Village is a powerful example of how communities can come together to create lasting change,” Griffin said. “When we invest in children, we invest in the future of our city — in the ideas, talent, and potential that will define Miami for generations to come. Lotus House is helping to ensure that every child has the foundation to dream boldly and achieve their full promise, and I’m committed to supporting this mission.”
The Children’s Village will also house 14 local nonprofit organizations, including the United Way, Easter Seals South Florida, Legal Services of Greater Miami and Girl Power Rocks.
Longtime financial supporters of Lotus House gathered on Nov. 6 to celebrate the opening of Children’s Village. That included singer/songwriter Gloria Estefan, supermodel and author Gisele Bündchen, who is on the board of Lotus House, and developer Martin Margulies. The Lotus Endowment Fund secured $32 million in new market tax credit financing to make the project possible.
Civic Construction was the pro bono contractor of the project. The architect was Behar Font & Partners.
“Lotus Village was developed on the premise that a shelter built on a foundation of evidence-based therapies and holistic programming could end the cycle of homelessness,” said Constance Collins, founder of Lotus House. “Nearly two decades later, more than 86 percent of our guests are exiting the shelter system following their stay at Lotus Village. The next step is preventing homelessness by empowering children and families through educational and therapeutic supports, year-round programming, and greater access to healthcare and social services – all under one roof at the Children’s Village.”
Since moving Citadel from Chicago to Miami, Griffin has become a major supporter of local charitable causes aimed at improving the health, welfare and education in the community.
https://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2025/11/10/lotus-house-opens-new-center-ken-griffin-donation.html?utm_source=st&utm_medium=en&utm_campaign=BN&utm_content=FL&ana=e_FL_BN&j=42449085&senddate=2025-11-10