Shoe repair owner told to leave unsafe building

Miami Police serve final notice to owner of Greene Dream Shoe Repair

MIAMI – The owner of a shoe repair store in Miami was given a final warning to leave the building that houses his business after it was deemed unsafe by city building inspectors.

Last month, Tyrone Greene, the owner of Greene Dream Shoe Repair, said his business was still open despite having his utilities shut off.

Miami Police officers served a final warning Wednesday, telling Greene to leave the building.

"Are you leaving?" asked Local 10's Jeff Weinsier.

"No I'm not," answered Greene.

"You're going to get arrested?" said Weinsier.

"No. I'm not going to get arrested but I'm not going to leave because I have an order to be here. I'm waiting for the email to come from my lawyer right now that proves we've got a judge to be here," said Greene.

"Did you know this day was going to come?" asked Weinsier.

"No, I never knew this day would come because I'm standing on God's promise. They got to know this day was coming because they the ones that's doing wrong. It's not me," replied Greene.

Miami-Dade County plans to tear the building down to build the NW 7th Avenue Transit Village, but Greene is currently in the way. The NW 7th Avenue Transit is an apartment/retail complex with a bus terminal and theater. It will have 104 apartments.

The City of Miami previously deemed Greene's building unsafe. Photos from inside the building showed the roof coming apart.

Greene has been ordered out in July 2010, November 2011 and November 2012. But Greene has a valid lease until May 2014 and said the county should be fixing the building as his landlord.

The case has gone to court more than once and the courts have ruled in Greene's favor. But police say their notice supersedes the court ruling, and he must return to court for an emergency order if he wants to stay in the building.

The county says they aren't spending over $500,000 to fix the building for Greene, only to tear it down for the transit village. They have offered to move him and put him back in the new building at the same rent.