WEEK OF THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2015
A Singular Voice in an Evolving City
WWW.MIAMITODAYNEWS.COM $4.00
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE & OFFICE SPACE
Changing lifestyles challenging shopping center owners, pg. 14 PORT LAND USE: Miami-Dade County would survey all seaport users about their needs for port land for the next 30 years before committing any of that land to other uses under a resolution approved by a 3-2 vote last week by the county commission’s Economic Prosperity Committee. If the full commission approves, port plans for commercial development will be updated based on the survey results. The sponsor of the measure, Rebeca Sosa, told fellow commissioners that the survey is expected to move fast enough to harm no potential users of vacant port lands and then to lead to more port revenues via an open process to seek commercial users there. Other than an aborted effort to use the land for a soccer stadium, only one unsolicited offer has been made to the county to use lands on the port’s southwest corner. The full commission this month voted to bar any measures to commit use of that land until it can clear up any legal barriers lingering from the City of Miami’s conveyance of that land to the county.
Sprawling Brickell City Centre draws nearer to opening, pg. 16
THE ACHIEVER
BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS
WHO’S LOCAL?: Miami-Dade County, which by code gives local vendors preference for county contracts, is poised to focus on every vendor’s local ties in a resolution that the Economic Prosperity Committee sent to the full county commission last week. The measure by Rebeca Sosa would require that all vendors bidding or contracting with the county list all of their offices in Miami-Dade, how many of their employees live here, what percentage of their total employees live here, and the total number of employees who live in South Florida counties with which Miami-Dade has reciprocity on local preference agreements. “All we are pursuing is that those who are labeled local are really local,” Ms. Sosa told the committee. PUERTO RICO CALLS: Eight to 25 participants will travel to Puerto Rico on a trade mission organized by the Puerto Rico Chapter of the ItalyAmerica Chamber of Commerce Southeast. The Nov 17-19 trip coincides with EXPO Puerto Rico 2015, an annual international event promoted by Puerto Rico’s Department of Economic Development & Commerce. Business meetings and networking sessions will be arranged for the traveling participants. Despite the commonwealth’s ongoing debt crisis, South Florida’s Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce recently told Miami Today that now is the time to invest in the island. “The chamber is somewhat rightfully-so concerned about conditions in Puerto Rico,” said Luis De Rosa, the chamber’s president. “At the same time, we’re optimistic that opportunities are available for those who are looking for the right price in terms of investment, relocation and developing partnerships in Puerto Rico.”
Laura Maydón
Photo by Marlene Quaroni
Endeavor director targets high-impact entrepreneurs The profile is on Page 4
County aid is in fashion for NY couturier Khan New York couturier Naeem Khan, who already is getting county riverfront land at a cut rate to bring in his eveningwear designing and headquarters and create 50 jobs, is now on the ladder to receive $1.5 million for site work as well. The county’s Economic Prosperity Committee voted last week to waive rules and put Mr. Khan on the list to share in $75 million designed to lure jobs. He had already agreed last year to bring those jobs when the county commission allowed him to rent the site below market rates for up to 90 years and build a 30,000-square-foot building. The committee agreed to add $1.5 million to the funding list to repair the seawall at the vacant county-owned site, 1175 NW South River Drive. But Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava, the lone no vote, recalled that part of last year’s deal with Mr. Khan was that he would do the repairs and seawall construction. What, she asked, has changed? Part of the deal “was the requirement that Mr. Khan fix the seawall and the riverwalk,” Leland Salomon, deputy director of the county’s Department of Regulatory and Eco-
AGENDA
City to spur housing for workforce
nomic Resources, agreed. But, he said, there was no restriction in the deal about whether Mr. Khan could use public funds to do the job. The vote puts Mr. Khan in line for a $1.5 million share of the economic development funds to do that work, but the line is long. If the full commission now approves, he must await dealings with 10 firms that are already chosen to split the $75 million. If some deals fail, others are approved to take their places. Mr. Khan, as last one in, would be last in line for money. Negotiations with the first 10 are going very slowly. Mr. Salomon told the committee. While his office is contacting them all, he said, “we are having a lot of difficulty getting a lot of the people in. I’ve set aside basically three negotiating sessions every Thursday and Friday and I can tell you, tomorrow being Friday, I only have one taker.” Commissioner Audrey Edmonson interjected that “I have one that has been waiting as of yesterday to be contacted.” Moments later, she said that applicant “just informed me that
after she called your office you scheduled.” In negotiations, many on the funding list have sought to alter their pledges, sometimes cutting the number of jobs they would create. Miami Ocean Studios, which had vowed to create 2,684 permanent fulltime jobs, in negotiations sought to slash the number to 50. As of last month, none of the 10 had met all commission-set funding criteria. In applying for $1.5 million for infrastructure, Mr. Khan’s firm listed a project budget of $9.05 million in hard costs, with construction to take three years; $1.34 million in infrastructure, and $920,000 in soft costs. His application says 11 fulltime jobs will begin in 2018, 35 more in 2019 and four more in 2020. Three workers would get $110,000, the rest $65,000 or below. The company now has no Florida employees. A list of Mr. Khan’s customers in his application includes First Lady Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, Penelope Cruz, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Sarah Jessica Parker and Queen Noor of Jordan.
ZOO MIAMI SETS A VISITOR RECORD, AIMS AT MILLION ...
2
Workforce housing is so scarce that Miami commissioners are moving to defer development impact fees. A final vote today (10/22) would stimulate housing for workers vital to any community: police, firefighters, teachers, nurses and service workers. In a city with skyrocketing housing costs, affordability to these workers is considered imperative as they contribute to the community’s vitality and sustainability. The proposal is sponsored by Francis Suarez, who has advanced other incentives to encourage affordable housing and mixed-income housing. “We’re being asked by the community to get involved – to do more,” he said at an Oct. 8 first vote on the plan. Commission Chair Wifredo “Willy” Gort cited “a great need” for affordable housing in Miami. He referred to a recent incident when an affordable housing complex had two apartments become available and more than 200 people applied. Commissioner Keon Hardemon said workforce housing will help bring young professionals back to the area once they’ve completed college and are ready to begin their careers. Lt. Javier Ortiz, head of the police union, told commissioners he supports the measure and it can help entice future officers to live in the city. He said only a small fraction of the officers live in the city, due in part to high housing costs. The ordinance would amend the city code to allow workforce housing to qualify for the affordable housing impact fee deferral program. The legislation notes the city allows for the deferral of developer impact fees for new affordable housing units. In addition to affordable housing, the commission wants to “incentivize the creation of workforce housing” for persons whose income is 80% to 140% of the area’s median income, the proposal says.
BURNING ISSUE: A BRICKELL CITY CENTRE FIRE STATION ...
9
$600 MILLION I-395 BRIDGE TO GO OUT FOR BIDS IN 2015 ... 3
TALLER, BIGGER GROVE GARAGE, RETAIL FAST-TRACKED ... 10
VIEWPOINT: A SOCCER STADIUM UP MAGICIAN’S SLEEVE ...
6
NO SOCCER STADIUM GIFTS, COMMISSIONERS PLEDGING ... 18
SOUTH DADE TAKES FARM LABOR SHORTAGE SERIOUSLY ...
8
FLAGLER STREET UPGRADE HAS TWO HURDLES PENDING ... 18
2
MIAMI TODAY
TODAY’S NEWS
WEEK OF THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2015
THE INSIDER SOUTHWEST LOOP: The mayor’s office would be directed to plan a circulator bus system in Southwest Miami-Dade County under a resolution that won unanimous backing without discussion at last week’s meeting of the Transit & Mobility Services Committee. The plan would recommend the route, location of bus stops, service hours and bus frequency. It would also list potential funding sources and estimate ridership for the circulator. The resolution by Juan C. Zapata, if approved by the full county commission, would Juan Zapata require a report back to the commission within 90 days. The resolution cites links to Hammocks Community Park, Boystown Pineland County Park, Water Oaks Park, Florida International University and West Kendall Baptist Hospital.
Photo by Maxine Usdan
The development authority aims to reduce driving lanes on US1 and slash parking to create promenade.
State won’t fund study to narrow Biscayne Boulevard in downtown
GRAPELAND ROAD WORK: The City of Miami will be making traffic calming improvements in the next few weeks. Team Contracting Inc. will be working in the West Grapeland Heights neighborhood beginning this week and ending Dec. 3. The schedule could change due to weather or unexpected conditions. Some lanes may be closed but accessibility to local traffic and pedestrians will remain. Work will be done from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. One work area is bounded by Northwest 12th BY CATHERINE LACKNER “Based on funding availability, Terrace and 11th Street between 39th Court and 37th Avenue. The other the department was able to fund is bounded by Northwest 41st Avenue and 39th Court between 11th and A project by Miami’s Down- only the 12 highest-ranking Ninth streets. The work consists of installing speed humps with desigtown Development Authority to projects for the current cycle. nated road signs and pavement markings. HOW WE BUILD BUSINESS: Without discussion, Miami-Dade’s Economic Prosperity Committee last week unanimously recommended that the county commission ask for a report from the mayor within four months listing all county efforts to create and promote local businesses, analyzing whether these efforts can be improved, uncovering any county practices that impede business formation and analyzing ways to overcome those barriers. The resolution by Rebeca Sosa asks that the Beacon Council, Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce and other local business organizations be involved. SCHOOLS AND TRAFFIC: The county’s Transit and Mobility Services Committee last week recommended without discussion that the county commission ask Mayor Carlos Gimenez to work with school officials to review the hours of school operation, determine their impact on traffic and evaluate options to reduce congestion. The resolution by Rebeca Sosa says the school system’s 345,000 students and more than 40,000 employees contribute to morning rush hour jams. OOPS: Swire Properties inadvertently overbuilt its Brickell City Centre mega-project to encompass an additional 2,240 square feet in land it is leasing from Miami-Dade County for the project and is paying the county $635,040 for the extra land. That is beyond the $1.1 million Swire was to pay in a one-time rent check for county land as it provides a new Eighth Street Metromover station connecting to the project, according to a document signed by Deputy Mayor Alina Hudak. The county’s Transit and Mobility Services Committee last week approved without discussion the changes to the Alina Hudak project lease’s remaining 96 years, leaving final action to the full MiamiDade County Commission. Parts of the project’s first phase are to open this year. MEANINGFUL GOODBYE: Friday was the last Downtown Development Authority meeting for Marc Sarnoff, authority chair and term-limited Miami commissioner. Whoever is elected District 2 commissioner this fall will inherit the authority position. Board member Jose Goyanes presented Mr. Sarnoff with a framed copy of the infamous “poop map” showing locations of human waste downtown, which were represented by mysterious emojis. “It’s funny that I should be the one presenting this,” Mr. Goyanes said, because the two have clashed on occasion. “This got national attention; I can’t think of a better Marc Sarnoff gift,” Mr. Sarnoff told Mr. Goyanes, who is the owner of Metro Beauty Center, Churchill’s Barbershop and Tre Italian Bistro. WILD RIDE: Authority Vice Chair Neisen Kasdin was next, bestowing on Mr. Sarnoff a large and handsomely framed photo of the downtown skyline as it is today, as well as sincere praise. “You’ve served as chair of this board for eight years, and what a long, strange trip it’s been. We strapped ourselves in and went along for that ride,” said Mr. Kasdin, who is office-managing shareholder of the Akerman law firm. “You have been at the forefront of a lot of initiatives to promote downtown, and you represent the new downtown. It’s a sophisticated, hip, big city, one of this country’s great Neisen Kasdin downtowns.” “I don’t think it gets any nicer than this,” said Mr. Sarnoff, surveying the photo. “This board went from being intimidating to being my favorite place to be on a Friday. I have never seen a better board.” WATCHFUL EYES: Surveillance at garages on Jackson Memorial Hospital’s campus in Miami will be beefed up, starting with cameras in the North Parking Garage. The city’s Off-Street Parking Board authorized the Miami Parking Authority to spend up to $296,014.42, which includes 10% for unforeseen conditions as well as impact fees, to buy security cameras from Security 101 and install them at the garage at 1611 NW 12th Ave. A review of parking facilities the authority manages at Jackson determined that security and surveillance upgrades are needed. The October vote is solely for the North Parking Garage, but it’s anticipated that improvements will come at all Jackson garages in phases. Subsequent proposals will come before the parking board as the next phase is set to start. The contract between the authority and Jackson calls for Jackson to reimburse the authority for the project. CORRECTION: The area of PortMiami being considered as a development site is the southwest corner.
narrow a stretch of Biscayne Boulevard from Northeast Eighth Street south to Biscayne Boulevard Way has hit a speed bump. In July, the authority requested $1 million from the Florida Department of Transportation to fund a project development and environment study, which is needed before work can start. “With many worthwhile transportation alternatives program applications vying for a limited amount of federal dollars, and after an intensive evaluation process in collaboration with the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Evaluation Committee, the Biscayne Green project ranked No. 16 out of 34 applications received from local agencies in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties,” said Ivette Ruiz-Paz, spokesperson for the transportation department’s District 6.
For future transportation alternative program cycles, project funding is dependent upon funds availability,” as well as endorsement from the planning organization, she said. Biscayne Green aims to reduce driving lanes to create a grand promenade with grass, trees, street furniture and other features that would link Biscayne Bay and Bayfront Park to downtown. When the authority applied for the money, it knew it might be turned down. In such a case, Eric Riel Jr., leader of the authority’s planning, design and transportation team, said at that time, “We’ll look at other sources of funding; we’re making a list of them.” Those sources could include public-private partnerships, other funding from the state or federal
government, or contributions from private organizations that support beautification projects or those that promote pedestrian and bicyclist safety, he added. Biscayne Green would incorporate some parking but would shave spaces from 388 to 187, at an annual revenue loss to the Miami Parking Authority of $1.2 million. It would replace a shared bicycle lane with a dedicated lane and widen sidewalks. The cost for the medians was estimated at $24 million. A City of Miami traffic study concluded that traffic impact would be minimal once the lanes were closed, authority documents noted. For the project to move forward, the authority must get the Florida Department of Transportation to agree to reduce the lanes, then work with the parking authority to trim the parking spaces and reconfigure what’s left. The plan calls for some parking to be available at off-peak times only.
Zoo hits visitor high, aims at a million BY CARLA VIANNA
Using Zoo-Doo economics, pg. 12 is working with the county and
Following a record-setting summer, Zoo Miami hit a historic high in visitors Sept. 30 when it brought in 972,454 guests for its fiscal year. In May, when the zoo fared better than any other May since 1948 (back when it was known as Crandon Park Zoo on Key Biscayne), Ron Magill predicted numbers would hit 940,000 for the fiscal year. Last year 914,139 pairs of feet stepped into the zoo. “Hopefully, next year we can get closer to that million-mark,” said Mr. Magill, the communications director who has been working at the zoo for 36 years. The zoo has set a goal to bring in 1 million visitors. Although numbers are looking up, the zoo was counting on its new entrance, which is now under construction, to begin reeling in more visitors during its peak months – December, January and February. But weather and permit issues have delayed construction, pushing back the completion date from the beginning of the zoo’s peak seasons to the end of it, or sometime in March. “It’s disappointing,” Mr. Magill said. “If we’re going to put money into something to bring people into the zoo, it’s better to put
money in the high season than into the slow season. We don’t get that same uptick.” Nonetheless, he hopes that entrance and the new Florida: Mission Everglades (to be completed in fall 2017, although he presumes end of 2017 is more likely) will continue to raise local interest in the zoo. The zoo remains a top attraction on visitors’ to-do lists, said Rolando Aedo, senior VP of marketing and tourism for the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. He told Miami Today during the summer that Zoo Miami was finally coming back into its own, with new amenities like the Safari Cycle attracting local families and tourists alike. When completed, the Florida exhibit will aim “to inspire kids to get out here and explore,” Mr. Magill said. The exhibit will feature a Florida panther, which is already being acclimated to the zoo’s grounds, and a slide in which visitors will slide through a tube within a pool of crocodiles. So far the zoo has developed 330 acres of its 740-acre property. The new projects will develop an additional 20 acres, Mr. Magill said. He said the zoo
the Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department on different master plan concepts to further develop the acreage. Perhaps a kangaroo will one day jump into the zoo, as one of its possible plans includes an Australian exhibit to be expected several years down the line.
We want to hear from YOU! Phone: (305) 358-2663 Staff Writers: Susan Danseyar sdanseyar@miamitodaynews.com John Charles Robbins jrobbins@miamitodaynews.com Carla Vianna cvianna@miamitodaynews.com Letters to Editor editor@miamitodaynews.com People Column people@miamitodaynews.com Michael Lewis mlewis@miamitodaynews.com
WEEK OF THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2015
TODAY’S NEWS
MIAMI TODAY
3
$600 million I-395 bridge to go out for bidding this year BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS
A state project designed to bring major improvements to I395, including a new “signature” bridge, will be advertised for bids yet this year. That’s the latest word from the Florida Department of Transportation, which says the project is on schedule, with construction expected to begin in 2017. The $600 million project will rebuild 1.4 miles of I-395 from the I-95/Midtown interchange to the west channel bridge of the MacArthur Causeway in Miami. In preparation for rebuilding the roadway, the state recently agreed to a land swap with Resorts World Miami. The agreement called for the state transportation department to sign over about 607 square feet of land to Resorts World in exchange for approximately 4,482 square feet from the company. “The land granted to FDOT is for the purpose of building the I-395 reconstruction project,” department spokesperson Tasha Cunningham told Miami Today. The property is part of the large waterfront parcel that once was home to the Miami Herald. Malaysia-based Genting Group purchased the 14-acre newspaper site in 2011 for $236 million. It purchased surrounding properties and announced plans for a $3 billion luxury casino with multiple towers, stores and an elevated beach and lagoon. Without winning a state OK for casino gambling, the plan has been scaled back to two residential towers, a hotel and retail. The freeway to be rebuilt is part of State Road 836 (SR 836), locally known as the Dolphin Expressway. The portion between I-95 and the causeway is designated as I-395, and takes traffic to and from Watson Island and Miami Beach. The state expects to have the project ready for bidders before year’s end, according to Ms. Cunningham. “The project is currently pending legislative and governor’s approval,” she said. The look of the so-called signature bridge is still undecided, even though the transportation department and review committee narrowed down proposed designs last year. Last October, the state reported that design options for the bridge had been whittled down to two: Wishbone or Lotus. By January the department was saying a third option could come into play. The state says companies competing for the contract can present their own unique design for the bridge. “The Wishbone and the Lotus are just examples of signature bridge designs,” said Ms. Cunningham. “The final signature bridge design will be a result of the concepts proposed by the design build teams and selected by FDOT and the Aesthetics Review Committee.” It is hoped the new bridge
The Wishbone style is one bridge option in the rebuilding of I-395 from I-95 to the MacArthur Causeway.
won’t overshadow the county’s two-building Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts and divide downtown from Omni, Edgewater and beyond. The redesign of I-395 and the bridge have been planned since 1992, but the project was halted in 1994 by the Clinton Administration. Ten years later it seemed back on track, only to fade away again.
In April 2013, Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado and Commissioner Marc Sarnoff filed a lawsuit against the transportation department, accusing the state of not following through on a promise to build “a transformative signature bridge” as part of I-395 improvements. In September 2013 the mayor and Mr. Sarnoff said they’d
agreed to set aside the suit and negotiate a settlement, and about two months later Gov. Rick Scott announced an agreement with the city in which the state would put up $600 million to rebuild I-395, including a signature bridge. A fact sheet on the project shows proposed improvements include:
Building new elevated ramps (one eastbound and one westbound) that will directly link I95 and I-395. Improving roadway design, updating both the alignment and the roadway surface. Creating a visually appealing bridge. Building taller structures that will improve the visual quality of the bridge. Safety and increased capacity are part of the need for the project, state and local officials agree. The transportation department said project’s objectives include increased capacity to prevent traffic congestion and to improve safety by alleviating deficiencies. Design goals include opening and brightening the environments along city streets that run under the expressway like Biscayne Boulevard, Northwest 13th Street, 14th Street, Northeast First Avenue, North Miami Avenue and others.
I’m75 & I’m a champion.
Since 1940 it’s been our mission to provide every Barry student with the kind of transformational education that enables them to become the leaders they were meant to be, and empowers them to make our world a better place. Greatness begins in the vibrant classrooms of our 120-acre Miami campus, extends to our championships in athletics, reaches deep into the community organizations and businesses whose goals are furthered by the contributions of our students and graduates, and lasts a lifetime. | barry.edu
1940-2015 | 75 Years of Achieving Greatness
6
MIAMI TODAY
VIEWPOINT
WEEK OF THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2015
MIAMITODAY Miami Today is an independent voice of the community, published weekly at 2000 S. Dixie Highway, Suite 100, Miami, Florida 33133. Telephone (305) 358-2663
The great illusion: a soccer stadium up magician’s sleeve Illusionist Harry Houdini would have applauded as county commissioners last week escaped outrage over funding another stadium by declaring that an Orange Sports Complex C o m m u n i t y Michael Lewis Redevelopment Area would be totally unrelated to sports complexes. Bruno Barreiro stripped from his bid to create a tax funding mechanism its hitherto principal aim – to buy stadium land for British soccer star David Beckham, whose name wasn’t mentioned. Then he had to perform another escape act. Community redevelopment agencies, or CRAs, by state law are limited to areas labeled slum and blighted. Mr. Barreiro’s request uses those words. But he represents the area. They are his voters. So last week at a committee meeting he had to call his area a slum while denying that it is one. And he did. “The issue of blight – different reporters have called on the issue, slum and blight,” Mr. Barreiro said. “People say I want to derogate, or demean, or talk bad about my community, that it’s slum blight and so forth. Unfortunately, that’s the wording that the state has put
in and the definition for them to determine the creation of a CRA… In my opinion it’s not slum and blight…. It has a lot of promise.” After the double escape act – the equivalent of Houdini’s escapes from locked boxes under water while handcuffed – the committee unanimously backed spending about $40,000 to study whether the area including Marlins Park in Little Havana is a blighted slum that should retain half of incremental taxes from development to benefit the area. Those taxes could be huge – Commissioner Xavier Suarez pointed to a billion-dollar, four-tower residential project on the Miami River’s south shore that would funnel vast sums to a redevelopment agency instead of general county and city accounts. Ironically, commissioners ignored a plea by Brett Bibeau, Miami River Commission executive director, who told them the river commission backs the CRA plan only if its funds also go to river projects on its south shore. The plea was not discussed; the resolution ignores river funding. The resolution also retained a provision that half of tax incremental revenues stay in a CRA and half go to the taxing entities – the county and City of Miami. Yet state legislation allows CRAs to exist only if they get 95% of the funding, not just 50%. In the course of the great illusion, a tax agency that the week before was
being formed to buy land for a soccer stadium for Mr. Beckham and football stadium for the University of Miami and build a Metromover leg to the stadiums was transformed on the fly into an agency focused on four new purposes: workforce and affordable housing, economic development and unspecified infrastructure. But even with the purpose so well camouflaged, retained was a clear if unmentioned provision that the agency would close once a soccer-football stadium and a Metromover leg to the sports complex were built. As commissioners debated whether the City of Miami could split the cost of a CRA study, they also ignored a written provision that the private sector – presumably Beckham & Co. – would fund the study. Discussion that began by denying any connection to any stadium any time for anyone despite the agency’s sports name and written provisions shifted to the undeniably great need for affordable and workforce housing. Even the land to be included in a redevelopment area shifted. It started bounded by the Miami River, 22nd Avenue on the west and Flagler Street on the south. It was amended to go west only to 17th Avenue but then stretch eight blocks farther south to Southwest Eighth Street. So with all involved denying that a new stadium would be a factor in an
What is our residents’ transportation vision? Today (10/22) at 2 p.m. the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Governing Board will hear the Florida Department of Transportation’s vision for the next five years of transportation projects in Alexander Adams our communities. This is the document that locks the state funding for the next five years. Does your vision equal the transportation department’s vision? A few items that made the list: Half a billion dollars of road expansion projects outside the current Urban Development Boundary (about 20% of funding); hundreds of millions on express lane projects; 18 safe routes to schools; one page of port improvements; three rail improvements; no Baylink; no Tri-Rail routes. Stated differently, the department proposes to spend 75% on roads, 6.9% on transit, 5% on airports, 0.7% on Ports, 0.4% on rail improvements. Does this equal your community vision? On Sept. 30, the Citizens Transportation Committee, of which I am one member, recommended by a 9-8 vote the five-year proposal to the full Metropolitan Planning Organization board. The primary question raised was whether this document and list of projects represents the public’s vision? As a resident and committee member, I asked myself this question about what the public expects and
The Writer Urban design, planning and preservation consultant Alexander Adams, AICP, CNU-A, LEED associate resident, CTAC committee member. what has been reported recently. On Sept 29, Community Newspapers had an article about Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s new citizen’s Local Action Team for Safer Streets. This is important in reference to Miami being ranked one of the three most deadly regions in the country the past 10 years for bicycle and pedestrian deaths. On Oct. 2, the Miami Herald reported the Ludlam Trail plan is back on track, regarding the compromise to develop some housing and build a multiuse trail/park along the entire 10mile rail corridor. On Saturday, Nov. 14, is South Florida “Wheels” event. On Oct. 5, the Miami Herald reported Miami-Dade created a new climate-change chief position after many residents showed up to support more funding for sea level rise and parks at the county commission budget meeting last month. On Sept. 24, Miami Today reported the downtown Tri-Rail connection is up to state funding. On Sept. 22, the US surgeon general issued a statement to promote walkable communities to prevent obesity and other curable diseases associated with lifestyle. This year the Metropolitan Planning Organization chair established a committee on transit solutions and transit
financing to find ways to accelerate transit projects and fulfill some of the broken transit tax promises. Last year Mayor Gimenez said a new convention center and Baylink were the top two priorities for his administration. The county commission and mayor have repeatedly voted down Urban Development Boundary expansions over the last five years. Looking at the top economic drivers of our region’s economy would lead one to believe we would be investing more into the airport (#1 statewide economic driver), seaport (#2 Miami economic driver/ #1 cruise port worldwide), Miami Beach (#1 Florida tourism destination), downtown Miami (#1 concentration of jobs and residents in Florida). Looking at the environmental impacts, we would spend the most on infrastructure in our existing urban communities. Looking at the lowhanging fruit, we would study if LED lighting could save millions over the next five years. Providing Safe Routes to Schools to all 400 existing public schools over 10 years would require budgeting for 40 per year vs. 18 over five years. And, what infrastructure investment would it take to lift us out of the three most dangerous cities in America for bike/ pedestrian fatalities? These items led me back to the central questions: What transportation improvements do the residents of Miami-Dade County want? Does the transportation department’s vision match those of county residents?
Orange Sports Complex Community Redevelopment Area – “We cannot talk about a second stadium because really at the end of the day it’s their problem if they want to buy the land and they want to build one there,” said Rebeca Sosa – other things changed too, including the area involved, its purpose, and whether the area qualifies under state law. The measure is far from state review. First it must pass the county commission Nov. 3. Then the City of Miami would have to sign on, because the agency would be a city, not county, entity. Only after clearing those hurdles would anyone look at whether the agency met state law in not serving a blighted slum or getting only 50% of incremental taxes from new development and property value increases. No doubt East Little Havana needs help, despite government spending of $3 billion on a 4-year-old baseball stadium on the former Orange Bowl site that is the heart of a “blighted slum” Orange Sports Complex. Nor is there doubt that adding workforce and affordable housing is vital. The question is whether an escapeon-the-fly gambit written to aid a soccer stadium is a fitting – or legal – mechanism to achieve aims grafted on at the last minute. The measure developed like a camel – a horse created by committee. There has to be a better and more direct way than a questionable Houdini trick to uplift a deserving neighborhood.
L ETTERS
TO THE
E DITOR
Trust should have sued What the Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust needed back during the day was cojones, i.e., they should have sued the county commission on grounds it was breaking its promise to the public. If the current commission does not give the public what it wants this time around, they should ride that “special lane in hell.” Unfortunately, that means we would have to wait for them to die first. We can’t wait that long. DC Copeland
How to Write Letters for publication may be sent to the Editor, Miami Today, 2000 S. Dixie Hwy, Suite 100, Miami, FL 33133 or email to letters@miamitodaynews.com. Letters may be condensed for space.
MIAMITODAY miamitodaynews.com FOUNDED JUNE 2, 1983 VOLUME XXXIII No. 22 ENTIRE CONTENTS © 2015
To contact us: News Advertising Classifieds Subscriptions Reprints
(305) 358-2663 (305) 358-1008 (305) 358-1008 (305) 358-2663 (305) 358-2663
Editor and Publisher / Michael Lewis Vice President / Carmen Betancourt-Lewis
MIAMI TODAY (ISSN: 0889-2296) is published weekly for $145 per year; airmail: to Europe $190 per year, the Americas $145 per year. Published by Today Enterprises Inc., 2000 S. Dixie Highway, Suite 100, Miami, Florida 33133, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Miami, FL. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MIAMI TODAY, 2000 S. DIXIE HIGHWAY, SUITE 100, MIAMI, FLORIDA 33133.
WEEK OF THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2015
TODAY’S NEWS
MIAMI TODAY
11
New rail bridge at river could widen bottleneck BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS
A plan to build a new railroad bridge over the Miami River to improve freight and commuter rail connections is moving ahead on a slow and steady track. Regional transportation officials are advancing a plan for a widened fixed rail bridge with two sets of tracks to connect with the newly opened Miami Intermodal Center adjacent to Miami International Airport. The project could result in removal of the existing rail bridge, near Northwest South River Drive and Northwest 31st Street, according to the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority. The existing bridge is a Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge that was built in the 1920s and has one set of tracks. The fate of the historic bridge remains undecided. A great deal of time has been spent this year on talks regarding the old bridge, according to Jessica Vargas Astaiza, transportation planning manager with the authority. “We’ve assembled all of the key stakeholders to the old bridge, trying to get a consensus,” she said. Those stakeholders include the Federal Transit Administration, State Historic Preservation Officer, the county’s historic preservation office and others. “We’re on the last stages of what might happen to the historic bridge. It’s not a done deal yet,” Ms. Vargas Astaiza said. “We are now looking at different options of what to do with the existing bridge … moving it to another place on the river, moving it to a park, or just removing it in general,” said Ian Rairden, a transportation engineer with Kimley-Horn and Associates. “We’re exploring all of those options. Then we will bring it back to the public early next year,” he said. A public hearing would be scheduled. KimleyHorn is working with the regional transportation authority on the rail improvement project. What happens to the old span is part of the ongoing environmental study for the overall project, which has a long official title: The Miami River Miami Intermodal Center Capacity Improvement Project. The transportation authority says the South Florida Rail Corridor is an economic engine for the millions of South Floridians who depend on its freight and commuter transit connections. The Miami Intermodal Center anchors the south end of the corridor and connects to the airport. It is the key transportation hub in Miami-Dade County, accommodating Tri-Rail, Metrorail, buses and future Amtrak service. The overall project is designed to add rail capacity across the river and the last 1.25 miles of the South Florida Rail Corridor, and will greatly improve access and connectivity to the intermodal center, according to the authority.
The project involves improving track connections across the river, including bridge, track and signal upgrades. The authority says the project will improve rail corridor capacity for Tri-Rail and freight trains, potentially accommodate new Amtrak intercity rail service accessing the intermodal center, and improve connections between rail and air travel. “It is a bottleneck right now, with its single set of tracks,” Ms. Vargas Astaiza said of the south end of the South Florida Rail Corridor. “We want the public to understand that it’s important to have two [sets of] tracks. It will increase our capacity and improve our reliability,” she said. “It’s critical for our passengers to get that last 1.25 miles double-tracked,” said Bonnie Arnold, a spokesperson for the transportation authority.
Photo by Maxine Usdan
The new bridge would replace this single-track rolling lift bridge that has been in use since the 1920s.
For more than a year, regional transportation officials had been considering four options for an improved rail crossing over the river. Last fall, Alternative 3 – remove the old span and build a new fixed bridge with two sets of tracks – became the preferred option among the regional rail
authorities. In September 2014, the Miami River Commission endorsed Alternative 3 with two conditions: Repurpose the existing historic bridge somewhere within the Miami River Water Basin. Create a plan for consolidated land – under and adjacent
to the new bridge – that can be used for revenue-producing purposes to be used to provide needed maintenance of the rail corridor along North River Drive. The overall project is included in the state Department of Transportation’s five-year work program and earmarked for work to begin in 2018.
If you need to know first, you need MIAMI TODAY
»
M IA M I TO D A Y , APRIL 29, 2015
»
M IA M I TO D A Y , JUNE 25, 2015
»
M IA M I TO D A Y , AUGUST 13, 2015
»
M IA M I H ER A LD , OCTOBER 13, 2015
A Singular Voice in an Evolving City
News that matters when it matters!
12
TODAY’S NEWS
MIAMI TODAY
WEEK OF THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2015
Zoo Miami could clean up big with Zoo-Doo economics BY CARLA VIANNA
Zoo Miami is about to bank on its zoodoo. To boost its sustainability, the zoo has installed a giant machine that will turn animal and plant waste into super-rich composted material in just four days. It’s the first US zoo to install an invessel composting machine this big, said Frank Ridgley, who heads the zoo’s conservation and research department. Waste that originally sat on the zoo’s grounds until it was transported to a landfill will now become the zoo’s main source of fertilizer, said Ron Magill, zoo communications director. The composted material – dubbed Zoo Doo for now – eventually is to be sold to farms and nurseries. “There’s nothing more organic than composted elephant dung, so to speak,” Mr. Magill said.
Zoo Miami spends $100,000 a year getting rid of its waste, which equates to 3,500 pounds of herbivore feces and landscape waste a day. “We already have farmers saying they’ll buy as much as we can produce,” Mr. Ridgley said. The zoo was funded the initiative and bought the machine via an energy performance contract between Honeywell International Inc. and Miami-Dade County’s Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department early last year, he said. In aims to reduce the county’s electricity consumption by 2014 by 20% from 2007 levels and to reduce energy density by 2020 by 20% from 2009 levels, a $9.5 million agreement will take energy conservation measures at 35 county-owned parks, county documents show. The program was budget-neutral, meaning projected operating and
energy cost savings guaranteed by Honeywell will cover all costs. “We’re kind of setting the example of what should be happening in MiamiDade County,” Mr. Ridgley said. Although Miami Today wasn’t told the exact cost of the machine, an English zoo reportedly invested 150,000 British pounds (about $232,000) for a similar system. The City of Homestead began a similar system in 2013 with its green waste treatment facility, which was made to transform 100% of the city’s biosolid sewer waste into organic fertilizer, saving the city $200,000 yearly. It’s marketed to local farmers and growers as Homestead Organix. Despite the 20 to 30 tons of biosolid waste that Homestead produces monthly, the waste treatment facility still isn’t being used at full capacity, Miami Today was told in July. William
Townshend, who designed and oversees the facility, said the plant hadn’t yet developed a full-blown market in the nursery industry, as it had hoped. Homestead Organix costs $6 for a 40pound bag, or $62 a ton in bulk. Zoo Miami’s composting machine can hold 60 cubic yards of material, which is equivalent to 60 truck-beds of waste, Mr. Ridgley said. During the composting, the material loses half its volume through water evaporation, so 20 cubic yards will put out 10 cubic yards of composted material. Zoo Doo’s prices aren’t yet set. All profits will go toward the zoo’s conservation programs, Mr. Ridgley said. Zoo Miami will be hiring one fulltime and few part-time employees to run the machine and take charge of the zoo’s sustainability measures, he said. He’s hoping to have the system up and running by year’s end.
T HE L AST W O R D
‘How is that advantageous to us?’ Jami Reyes
‘We’re their parking partner.’ Art Noriega
‘He wants a piece of the $20 per car.’
OF KNOWLEDGE: The White House has appointed FIU Stephen Nostrand OCEAN biology professor and South Miami Mayor Philip
Parking authority entrepreneurs see a centralized valet service bonanza BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS
A new revenue stream may be available for the Miami Parking Authority as it considers a plan to line up experienced vendors to provide centralized valet parking services. The city’s Off-Street Parking Board this month approved a request for qualification packages from valet operators. The goal is to generate “a pool of qualified and approved vendors which can be called upon to submit quotes for the creation of centralized and/or individual site valet operations as they become necessary throughout the city,” according to the proposal. An introduction to the request for qualification states, “A centralized valet program is beneficial in Central Business Districts and Urban areas as it allows for increased business activity while insuring that there are no traffic tie ups or dissatisfaction by patrons who cannot find a space and need to circle. Having a centralized location and one vendor insures efficiency and convenience.” Board member Jami Reyes expressed reservations about the proposal, and questioned CEO Art Noriega about the reason for the authority having a role in valet parking. “How is that advantageous to us?” Ms. Reyes asked. “We’re their parking partner,” answered Mr. Noriega. This would not impact valet
services provided by individual businesses, he said. “He wants a piece of the $20 per car” charged by the valet services, board member Stephen Nostrand said to Ms. Reyes. “Why?” she asked. “Because it’s a revenue opportunity,” Mr. Noriega said. Ms. Reyes raised concerns about exposing the authority to liability, and how the program might impact the authority’s staff. Mr. Noriega said he doesn’t expect the program to have much of a workload on the staff, and he said he envisions a program where liability remains with the valet companies and their drivers. He said centralized valet services partnered with the parking authority would work best along linear commercial corridors like Eighth Street and Coral Way. Mr. Noriega is also looking at initiating the program in the burgeoning Wynwood Arts District. “Wynwood would be a perfect opportunity for centralized valet,” he said. The proposed service is not something the Wynwood Business Improvement District wants to manage, he said, and instead the improvement district would “want us to” handle the service. It would “expand our footprint,” Mr. Noriega said, with a nod toward further delving into transportation matters and
JAY DAY: The City of Miami named Oct. 8 Jay Solowsky Day in honor of his civic contributions. Mr. Solowsky, who serves as the Downtown Development Authority’s outside counsel and on its Homeless Task Force, has also worked with the Miami Sports and Exhibition Authority, the Charter Review Committee and the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust. He is a mediator in Miami’s conflict with Key Biscayne over the Miami Marine Stadium, and has given time pro bono to a neighborhood dispute, the I-395 bridge lawsuit, the Cushman School and the creation of the public park on Brickell Avenue. He is vice chair of Miami Jewish Health Systems, a cause he says is close to his heart. “I was pleasantly surprised” at receiving the honor, he said Friday. “I’m at a stage of my life where I have the desire and ability to contribute, and I am fortunate to be in that position.”
“connecting the pieces.” The centralized valet program could be site specific too, Mr. Noriega said, offering an example of a public-private partnership between the authority and All Aboard Florida involving management agreements to provide valet parking service at MiamiCentral, the new train station under construction downtown. Mr. Noriega and staff tailored the request for qualifications in order to attract valet services “with a proven track record.” The original draft of the request required the valet operators to have 10 consecutive years of “documentable and verifiable experience in providing valet parking management services.” “Ten years seems like such a burden. I just don’t want to shrink the pool,” said Mr. Nostrand. The proposal was amended to five consecutive years. Ms. Reyes said she’s willing to have the authority explore the idea but added: “I’m not sold on it … tread carefully.” She had to leave the meeting before the vote that authorized the request for qualifications. All responses to the formal request are to be reviewed and evaluated by a selection committee, that in turn will recommend to the parking board the selection of a pool of respondents that are deemed the most qualified.
Stoddard to the Governance Coordinating Committee of the 5-year-old National Ocean Council, one of 18 local representatives. The committee is to meet this month to discuss ocean policy issues. BODY CAMERAS COMING: The Miami Police Department is buying 50 Axon Flex Body Video Cameras, accessories and equipment for a pilot program. City commissioners on Oct. 8 approved the Philip Stoddard purchase from Taser International Inc. for $49,511.09 on a one-year contract, renewable annually. A staff report says the department is buying the cameras “to equip police personnel in an effort to reduce injuries to officers and subjects, which, in turn, minimize potential tort and civil rights liability exposure to the city.” The cameras feature video playback on mobile devices in the field via Bluetooth pairing and audio tones to alert the user of usage. A computer isn’t necessary to upload data. SEPTEMBER ENERGY PRICES: Gasoline prices averaged $2.342 a gallon in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area in September, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Area gas prices were down $1.046 compared to September 2014, when they averaged $3.388 per gallon. Miami area households paid an average of 11.6 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity in September, less than the 12.1 cents paid last year. The average price of utility gas at $1.518 per therm was less than the $1.589 spent last year. The $2.342 a gallon for gas was 4.9% less than the $2.463 paid nationally. NEED A LIFT: Miami commissioners authorized the procurement/lease of a marine forklift truck from Wiggins Lift Truck Co. Inc./Taylor Leasing Corp. for an initial 12 months at $5,819 a month for a total of $69,828, with an option to renew for four more one-year periods at $5,819 per month for a total not to exceed $349,140. The deal includes an option to buy for $349,140. Repairs to a city-owned marine forklift that is more than 20 years old, obsolete and in very poor condition were getting too costly, a staff report said. Forklifts are vital to marina operations and provide daily inout service to customers, the report said. FIT TO BE SEEN: To make it easier to see and do all there is in a rapidly evolving neighborhood, the Wynwood Business Improvement District will soon launch a printed guidebook that has no advertising, at least for the first cycle. “We are working on a placefinding guide to further showcase the diversity of businesses here,” said Albert Garcia, district cochair, chair of its Marketing Committee and chief operating officer of Mega Shoes. “This guidebook is a priority.” The only printed piece that exists now is a map with some advertising, he said. The new Albert Garcia guidebook is to have images and a brief description of each business. ONLINE SECURITY: The US Small Business Administration has unveiled a cyber security webpage for small businesses, on the 12th anniversary of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. The SBA launched the online tools and resources to highlight cyber security at work and in recognition of President Obama’s annual proclamation to educate Americans about cyber threats and cyber safety. A 2013 survey by the National Small Business Association indicates that 44% of small businesses reported being the victim of a cyber attack, with an average cost of about $9,000 per attack. Details: www.sba.gov/ cybersecurity
18
TODAY’S NEWS
MIAMI TODAY
WEEK OF THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2015
No government soccer stadium gifts, commissioners vow As the City of Miami negotiates with investment group Miami Beckham United over the investors’ interest in building a soccer stadium on former Orange Bowl land that the city owns, one commissioner is making plain that he does not support giving the land to the group. “It is my position that the city will not be gifting any land for a stadium,” city Commissioner Frank Carollo told a Miami-Dade County commission commit-
tee last week that was discussing creation of a Community Redevelopment Agency encompassing the former Orange Bowl land. “We are looking at fair market price right now, fair market value, in order to see what would be fair should the city like to sell the land for a stadium or so forth.” City and county commissioners have been sensitive about any discussion of aid to area sports facilities since both bodies voted to fund Marlins Park, also
on former Orange Bowl land. After initial support, public criticism built quickly when voters learned that the Marlins were highly profitable and that the cost of the stadium from public funds would be in the billions because of balloon interest payments. Indeed, county Commissioner Rebeca Sosa, who had voted for the baseball stadium deal, during the same meeting called the Beckham group’s aims to assemble land for a stadium “their problem,”
not a county concern. “We’re not talking about any funding from the public for that because I will be the first one to say I can make a mistake once but not twice.” Mr. Carollo added other stadium deals to the list. “When my brother [Joe Carollo] was mayor we did not give the land for what is now AmericanAirlines Arena. That land was sold. I as commissioner of the area I am telling you I will not be in favor of gifting any land for a stadium.”
OK to start Flagler Street upgrade has two hurdles pending BY CATHERINE LACKNER
If all of the stars line up, shovels could be in the ground on the long-delayed Flagler Street renovation from Biscayne Boulevard to the Dade County Courthouse by year’s end. If a notice to proceed is issued tomorrow (10/23), work can begin within six weeks, city sources said. Only two issues remain before a notice to proceed can be issued, Alberto Parjus, Miami deputy city manager, told directors of Miami’s Downtown Development Authority on Friday. One is that the contractor, FHP Techtonics Corp., says that it is owed money because the start of the project has been delayed. When questioned by board member Richard Lydecker, who is senior partner of the Lydecker-Diaz law firm, the company’s representatives couldn’t specify exactly what the contract said, so the board moved to the next issue. That is the hiring of a construction engineering inspector, the owner’s representative on the project. City inspectors make sure the structure is up to code, but the private inspector’s concerns are more wide-ranging, including aesthetics. That job is open for bids and under a cone of silence, so Mr. Parjus said he could not give more details. Marc Sarnoff, authority chair and Miami commissioner, pressed Mr. Parjus for a date on which the notice to proceed could be issued. “Could it be Friday, Oct. 23?” He could not guarantee that, Mr. Parjus said, but “This job is
Photo by Maxine Usdan
Flagler Street intersections and sidewalks would get a new look under plans that could get OK this week.
my No. 1 priority. I’m committed to do it.” “This is farcical,” said Gary Ressler, principal and managing member of the Tilia Companies, owner of the Alfred I. Dupont Building at 169 E Flagler St. “We’ve been hearing this ‘two weeks’ story for six months. We’ve been lied to and don’t have a lot of confidence” in promises any longer. “How are you going to move the ball?” Mr. Sarnoff asked Mr. Parjus, who replied that he was meeting with the contractors later that afternoon. Board member Bruno Barreiro, who is a Miami-Dade
County commissioner, said he has had dealings with Mr. Parjus in the past. “He doesn’t want to give you a date, but when he tells you something, you can believe it.” Despite the fact that the city is only putting in about half of the funding, “it wants to control the project 100%,” said Brian Alonso, co-chair of the Flagler Street task force and principal of La Epoca department store at 200 E Flagler St. The task force was not consulted on major decisions, including the hiring of the construction inspector, he said. “They are not allowing us to have any input.”
“This project was supposed to be run by the DDA and we’ve been totally ignored,” agreed authority Vice Chair Neisen Kasdin, who chairs the Flagler Street task force and is officemanaging shareholder of the Akerman law firm. “Let’s have some faith,” Mr. Sarnoff said, reminding the board of Mr. Barreiro’s praise for Mr. Parjus. But, he reminded the latter, the authority wants to see the notice to proceed expedited. With all the funding in place, the project seemed well on its well to construction when, in June, a flaw in design drawings
threw a wrench into plans. The plans didn’t allow for sufficient drainage, necessitating a change order, authority sources said. As many entities are collaborating on the project, it’s not known who made the error or who discovered it, but it has put the brakes on the project. The Flagler Street design is to feature a railroad theme, highlighting Standard Oil tycoon Henry M. Flagler’s achievement in pushing the Florida East Coast Railway past Palm Beach and into Miami, thus connecting the fledgling city with the rest of the world. The sidewalk design alternates light and dark grey bands of concrete to give the effect of railroad tracks, and an actual railroad tie is to be imbedded in the sidewalk to separate the walking surface from the street furniture and trees. The concrete was chosen because it is inexpensive, durable and easy to replace. Movable gates that look like those at railroad crossings reinforce the theme, can be used to close off streets for special events and can be propped up vertically when not in use. Flagler Street has long been a concern to downtown businesses. Many sidewalks have been expanded, restricted or rebuilt over the years. In addition, street surfaces are uneven, and a failed pavers project left many conflicting surfaces. Because underground pipes, drains and utility lines were antiquated and in severe disrepair, the city had to replace those before the above-ground work could be tackled, authority sources said.
Downtown team tallies users of new pit stops, hails success BY CATHERINE LACKNER
Two downtown Miami “pit stops” were wheeled into place Thursday near Metrorail stations, and the response has been enthusiastic, said Jennifer Rodero, Downtown Development Authority team leader for enhanced services. On Friday, less than a day after the portable bathrooms were set up, she said there were 23 uses. The porta-potty at Southwest First Court between Southwest First and Second streets saw 19 visits (16 men and three women), while a second, at Northeast Second Street between Northeast First and Second avenues, received four visits (three men and one
‘We have not even gone public with this, and the haters have already come out.’ Jose Goyanes
woman) that first day. The pit-stop stalls will be brought in by trailer at 2 p.m. and removed at 9 p.m. every day, Ms. Rodero said. They are monitored and maintained by members of the Downtown Enhancement Team. Visits are
limited to five minutes, there is no smoking, and users are encouraged to keep the facilities clean. In addition to a toilet and sink, there are needle receptacles and bags for dog waste. The pit stop program comes in response to complaints last
spring that human waste was fouling downtown streets. The authority researched erecting portable toilets, as has been done in San Francisco. The stalls were leased for a six-month pilot program courtesy of a $500,000 donation of city funds via Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado in June. They are available for homeless people, tourists and anyone who needs them, Ms. Rodero said. In April, the authority will evaluate the program’s success. “The data will drive the decision,” of whether to continue or modify the program, she said. “We have not even gone public with this, and the haters have already come out,” said board member Jose Goyanes, who is
owner of Metro Beauty Center, Churchill’s Barbershop, and Tre Italian Bistro. He said he had received a call from someone who said the San Francisco program wasn’t working. “In fact, they have expanded it,” Mr. Goyanes said. He added that several homeless people were walking around the portable toilet on their block and looking at it “like it was a space shop. They couldn’t believe someone would do this for them.” Alyce Robertson, authority executive director, praised Ms. Rodero’s work, including a visit to California, to put the program together. “Most people don’t go to San Francisco to check out the bathrooms,” she said.
WEEK OF THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2015
TODAY’S NEWS
MIAMI TODAY
19
Downtown balks at supporting Museum Park conservancy BY CATHERINE LACKNER
It’s hard to turn down free money for a public park, but directors of Miami’s Downtown Development Authority declined last week to back a conservancy – which has $7.5 million in pledges, though it’s not officially formed yet – for Museum Park until management details with Bayfront Park can be worked out. Museum Park, formerly Bicentennial Park and home to the Perez Art Museum Miami and the under-construction Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science, adjoins the larger Bayfront Park, which now controls both parcels. The authority’s board readily acknowledged that the latter, managed by the Bayfront Park Trust and Executive Director Tim Schmand, has been extraordinarily successful despite budget constraints. Its $1.85 million budget was slashed to $585,000 in fiscal 2007-08, but the park was able to recruit events that have not only kept it afloat but allowed money to be allocated to operations and maintenance. That’s the point, said a white paper by authority staff. “The City of Miami does not directly fund Museum Park or Bayfront Park,” so they are required to host “large-scale, multi-day events [that] limit general public access to the park.” The proposed conservancy has “a stated commitment to keeping the park available and open at all times.” Mr. Schmand told authority directors that 96% of the park is open. A notable exception is the Ultra Music Festival, held in March at Bayfront – not Museum – park. “Whether you like the music or not, Ultra has done more to bring Miami’s brand around that planet than anything,” he said. The festival is attended by thousands and viewed by millions around the world.
Photo by Maxine Usdan
Families have been enjoying Museum Park, which is now controlled by the city’s Bayfront Park Trust.
In a letter to Alyce Robertson, authority executive director, Mr. Schmand said that Museum Park has been closed for only one day since its opening, when the E-Race electric car competition was run. Other events are restricted to portions of the 22.5-acre park, while most areas remain open. Advocates for Museum Park presented the conservancy proposal to the authority last month, saying that Museum Park has been neglected for 30 years. The Miami and Knight foundations have laid the groundwork for the conservancy, which is to be a public-private partnership. The plan is to transform the park into a lushly landscaped space with performance area, a playground, shade and water features, and room for waterfront dining options. If the Miami commission approves next year, the conservancy would manage Museum Park but the city would still own it. Friends of Museum Park, an ancillary group, would raise funds to support and maintain it. The Bayfront Park Trust “would have preferred to be
notified” that the downtown authority was considering backing the conservancy, Mr. Schmand’s letter continued, and would have liked “some advance notice and an ability to address these issues before the DDA and other interested stakeholders.” “This is not us versus them,” said Javier Alberto Soto, president and CEO of The Miami Foundation. “We have the utmost respect and regard for Tim and his team. Somehow, this conversation got off the rails. We’d like to hit the reset button. We want to leverage the skills the trust has, but we can deliver resources.” For the first 18 months, the conservancy would concentrate on raising funds, while management of both facilities would remain with Bayfront Park. Then there would be a transition “after which we would partner with the trust. We’re hopeful that we can negotiate an agreement that spells it out clearly,” Mr. Soto said. “There are two conversations going on here,” said Downtown Development Authority board member Nitin Motwani, who is managing principal of Miami
World Center and managing director of the Encore Housing Opportunities Fund. “One is to create capital and get community input. The other is about operations.” “There’s a missing piece,” said authority vice chairman Neisen Kasdin, who is office-managing shareholder of the Akerman law firm. “Clearly there are some bruised feelings.” While he praised the conservancy model, which has been successful for New York City’s Central Park and Chicago’s Millennium Park, he said there is also value in “the quality of management Tim brings.” He suggested management of both parks remain with Bayfront for five years. “There needs to be a sitdown,” Mr. Kasdin said. “There has to be a real discussion about management. We need to calm the waters.” “Any new park that’s been built has had the conservancy model,” said Marc Sarnoff, board chair and Miami commissioner. “There are many things government is not dealing with. The city is not funding parks. How can we turn our backs on this money?”
“Pledges – not money,” said board member Jose Goyanes, who is the owner of Metro Beauty Center and Churchill’s Barbershop. “Remember Perez Art Museum Miami? A lot of people backed out of their pledges. Tim’s done an amazing job. If something’s not broken, why fix it? It doesn’t make sense to me.” Board member Bruno Barreiro, who is a Miami-Dade County commissioner, asked why the conservancy model is so successful at fundraising. “Comfort and security to investors,” replied Jay Solowsky, authority outside counsel. “Philanthropy is not going to come to the city.” In the end, the board agreed with Mr. Kasdin’s suggestion that the authority, Miami Foundation and Bayfront Park Trust engage within 30 days in a “vigorous, full and open discussion,” of their roles if a conservancy is formed. Directors said they hope the matter will come back before the development authority board within 60 days.
F ILMING IN M IAMI These film permits were issued last week by the Miami-Dade County Department of Regulatory & Economic Resources’ Office of Film and Entertainment, (305) 375-3288; the Miami Mayor’s Office of Film, Arts & Entertainment, (305) 8603823; and the Miami Beach Office of Arts, Culture and Entertainment-Film and Print Division, (305) 673-7070. Dos Hermanas, LLC. New York. Moonlight. Gwen Cherry Park, Miami Beach Residential. Pro One Productions Inc. Miami Beach. BMW. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide. N House Productions. Miami. Carters. Countywide. N House Productions. Miami. Next. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide. Danny Cardozo & Co. LLC. Miami. Venus Swimwear. Countywide, Greynolds Park, Haulover Beach Park. N House Productions. Miami. Decathalon. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide, Hobie Beach. MJ68 Productions Inc. West Hollywood. Mercedes AMG C63. Old Port Bridge, William Powell Turnaround. Joe Comick Photographer Inc. Greensboro. Spring Fashion Campaign. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide. HG Producers Inc. Miami Beach. HG. Crandon Park Beach. The Production Factory LLC. Miami Beach. House of Fraser. Countywide. Markus Mueller Productions. Miami Beach. Kids 2. Miami Beach citywide.
A mind-boggling, detailed history of Nixon Administration BY MARILYN BOWDEN
Nixon and his supporters fought long and hard to keep the 3,700 tapes on which he recorded nearly every conversation of his presidency out of circulation. The last of them wasn’t released for transcription until August 2014. Tim Weiner, an award-winning journalist and scholar, has mined these rich sources as well as other recently declassified material to write “One Man Against the World: The Tragedy of Richard Nixon,” a scathing, mind-boggling history of the Nixon Administration full of shocking details about everything from illegal bugging to the Watergate break-in to the secret murders of thousands of Cambodians and Laotians. Mr. Weiner is guest speaker at a members-only meeting of the Prologue Society, a book club dedicated to the appreciation of history, at noon Oct. 27 at Riviera Country Club, 1155
Blue Road, Coral Gables. The society is sponsored by Brickell Bank, Miami Today and Books & Books. (Details: theprologuesociety@gmail.com or 305-323-1154) What Mr. Weiner discovered in his research goes far beyond answering one of the burning questions of the 1970s: What
did the President know, and when did he know it? “One Man Against the World” invites readers into the mind of one of the country’s most enigmatic leaders – a journey stranger than might be imagined. “He wielded power like a Shakespearean king,” Mr. Weiner writes. “In his eyes, he stood above the law, and that was his fatal flaw.” Rarely has an historian had access to so much damning material from a primary source. This book abounds in quotes that make the reader wonder whether Nixon had forgotten he was taping himself: “When the President does it, that means it is not illegal.” “The press is the enemy. The establishment is the enemy. The professors are the enemy.” Getting along with people was not his forte: “More than once he said that being president would be a great job if you didn’t have to deal with people,” Mr. Weiner reports.
Nixon’s instinct was to turn every crisis of his presidency to his own advantage. News that Vice President Spiro was suspected of taking kickbacks from contractors when governor of Maryland – and at least once while vice president – pleased him: “He saw Agnew’s sleaze as insurance against his own impeachment.” Egotism of this magnitude might almost seem amusing had its consequences not been so damaging. “Nixon was the grand strategist, Kissinger the great
tactician,” Mr. Weiner writes. “Together they set out to destroy and recreate the foreign policy architecture of the United States, to break and remake the Pentagon and the State Department and the CIA, to bend and reshape the instruments of American power at their will.” The legacy of their shocking abuses of power, this book shows, “is all around us.” Tim Weiner, a Pulitzer Prizewinning New York Times reporter, is the author of four books about national security, including “Legacy of Ashes,” a history of the CIA that won the National Book Award. He directs the Carey Institute’s nonfiction residency program and is an Anschultz Distinguished Fellow in American Studies at Princeton. “One Man Against the World,” by Tim Weiner, 370 pages, is $30 hardbound from Henry Holt and Co. Details: www.henryholt.com.
24
MIAMI TODAY
WEEK OF THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2015
AND ANOTHER ONE...
We are honored to receive our 15th award this year
in Editorial Excellence from Inland Press Editor and Publisher Michael Lewis’ editorials were evaluated on clarity and thought, pungency of phrase, statement of a need or explanation in concrete terms as a basis for action and fostering appreciation of humanity’s limitations, capability of folly and potential for glory.
MIAMI TODAY PROUDLY BRINGS YOU AWARD-WINNING, QUALITY EDITORIALS EVERY WEEK ON PAGE 6.
M IAMITODAY A Singular Voice in an Evolving City