Community Newspapers SERVING MIAMI-DADE COUNTY SINCE 1958
TRIBUNE
Biscayne Bay
JUNE 21, 2010
VOL. 28, NO. 25
CRA board approves funding for Museum Park remediation Groundbreaking ceremony T begins port tunnel project
BY ALLIE SCHWARTZ
he board of commissioners of the City of Miami Omni Community Redevelopment Agency (Omni CRA) has unanimously approved the release of funds for the environmental remediation of eight acres of Museum Park, the 29-acre waterfront parcel that will include new facilities for Miami Art Museum and the Miami Science Museum. The eight-acre remediation process will clear the path for the construction of the new museum facilities. Remediation will begin within weeks, with the goal of finalizing the process by early November of this year. The CRA vote follows the May announcement that Miami Art Museum is eligible to receive $100 million in county bond proceeds. These public funds, coupled with $45 million in private donations raised to date, will finance construction and occupancy of the museum’s new Herzog & de Meurondesigned building, which is slated for completion by 2013. Miami Science Museum is following not far behind. The plans for the building — with aquarium, planetarium and interactive exhibits — are progressing through planning and recently were accepted by Miami’s Urban Development Review Board. A sum of $165 million of general obligation bonds has been allocated to this project and private fundraising is well underway. Construction of the 250,000-square-foot Grimshaw Architectsdesigned building is expected to begin in late 2011, with the museum’s doors scheduled to open in 2014. “The remediation process will be the first visible sign of development progress at the Museum Park site,” said Aaron Podhurst, chair of Miami Art Museum’s board of trustees. “Once the process is completed this fall, Miami Art Museum will begin moving forward with construction of our new home. Miami is only a few years away from welcoming what will be one of the world’s great art museums, a cultural port that will serve as a gateway for exchanging art and ideas with
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––– See
PARK, page 2
Miami-Dade County designated a ‘CitizenEngaged Community’
BY LEE STEPHENS
P
Pictured (l-r) are Bill Johnson, director, Port of Miami; Ysela Llort, assistant county manager; Jose Abreu, director, Miami-Dade Aviation Department; Stephanie Kopelousos, secretary, Florida Department of Transportation; Christopher Miles, regional special assistant to Florida Gov. Charlie Crist; Jane Garvey, Miami Access Tunnel; State Rep. Carlos Lopez Cantera (District 113); George M. Burgess, county manager; Joe Aiello, Miami Access Tunnel; Commissioner Dorrin D. Rolle (District 2), chair of Airport and Seaport Committee; Gus Pego, secretary, Florida Department of Transportation, District 6; Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez; Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz, commission vice chair, and Johnny Martinez, (Photo by Daniel Cowan) assistant city manager, City of Miami. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
BY SUZY TRUTIE
M
iami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez, along with elected county officials and staff, state legislators and representatives from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), City of Miami, Miami Access Tunnel consortium, and business and community leaders, participated in the recent official groundbreaking of the Port of Miami Tunnel project on Watson Island. The tunnel is designed to improve access to and from the Port of Miami and serve as a dedicated roadway connector linking the seaport with the MacArthur
Causeway and I-395. Twin tubes, each 3,900 feet-long and 41-feet in diameter, will reach a depth of 120 feet below the water. Construction on the project, which began this month, includes roadway work on Dodge and Watson Islands, and widening MacArthur Causeway Bridge. The tunnel is scheduled to open in 2014. “The port tunnel is the most significant investment at our port since the creation of Government Cut,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez. “The tunnel promises to transform Downtown Miami as we know it — making it a more vibrant, livable place. The tunnel is not only an investment in Miami-Dade County, but it is an investment in our region and our state.”
ublic Technology Institute (PTI) has recognized Miami-Dade County’s efforts in providing the public with multi-channel access to government services and information through its “Citizen-Engaged Communities Designation Program.” The county received high marks for its award-winning Web portal and innovative 3-1-1 Answer Center as well as its use of social media technologies and performance reporting. “Miami-Dade County is engaging citizens like never before,” said Mayor Carlos Alvarez. “PTI’s Citizen-Engaged Communities Designation Program challenges local government to achieve high standards in citizen participation, seamless service delivery and democratic accountability. We’re very proud to have met this challenge.” The public is able to access dozens of services on the county’s Web portal — from paying bills to accessing databases and maps. Legal notices are posted online and webcasting technology provides a way for the community to engage in the workings of the local government. The county portal’s quality content and self-service convenience attracted more than 23 million visits in 2009. Miami-Dade County finds itself on the forefront of newer technologies designed to engage the community through its the use of social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Recently, the county also introduced mobile services so residents can obtain government information on mobile phones and other smart devices, and
–––––––––––––––––––– See
ENGAGED, page 2