Miami-Dade County Public Schools just cut the ribbon on a unique new campus in Brickell — one that blends classrooms and housing under the same roof.

The $39.2 million Southside Preparatory Academy opened Monday on Southwest Third Avenue, serving middle school students in a neighborhood where demand has outpaced school capacity. What makes the project groundbreaking: 10 affordable housing units built directly into the seven-story campus, reserved for local educators.

“This is unique because it’s the first of its kind,” said Raul F. Perez, MDCPS Chief of Facilities Design and Construction. District leaders say the model will ease commutes, lower living costs, and attract new teachers.

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava called the school “a font of knowledge” rising from what was once an empty lot. Officials hope the concept becomes a national model, with plans to expand into neighborhoods like Wynwood and South Miami.

Next door, a new workforce housing building also opened, bringing hundreds more affordable units to the area. Together, leaders say, the campus redefines “live, work, play” in one of Miami’s busiest districts.