WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015
A Singular Voice in an Evolving City
WWW.MIAMITODAYNEWS.COM $4.00
WYNWOOD & MIDTOWN
Midtown residential rents hit Brickell levels, rising, pg. 13 RESIDENTIAL STARTS STUMBLE: Residential construction starts in South Florida in September dropped to less than a third of the level of September 2014, Dodge Data & Analytics reported last week. Starts fell to $312 million from $952 million the prior September, Dodge reported. But residential starts for the tri-county area of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach are still up 19% for the first nine months of the year, up from $2.12 billion to $2.54 billion. Commercial starts in September rose 25% to $222 million, and for the first nine months of the year they rose 20% to $2.54 billion, Dodge said.
Wynwood leader moves ahead with mixed-use project, pg. 13
THE ACHIEVER
BY SUSAN DANSEYAR
NEW RIDES: Miami is looking to buy or lease hundreds of new cars for police personnel and other employees. City commissioners approved Santander Bank to provide an estimated $32 million capital to lease or buy about 1,000 fleet and police cars, approved the costs of financing, and authorized the city manager to negotiate and execute a lease agreement. A background memo says the city needs to buy about 300 fleet and police vehicles this fiscal year. Thereafter, staff estimates that within several years the city will need to buy about 700 more. The purchase or lease will be through an agreement with the Florida Sheriffs Association. TRAINING FUTURE VETS: Miami-Dade County could become home to the second college of veterinary medicine in Florida. County commissioners Tuesday voted to partner with Florida International University to help create a veterinary college at the school. The University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesville is the only veterinary college in the state university system. The resolution, sponsored by Jose “Pepe” Diaz, calls for the mayor’s office to coordinate with FIU, the Florida Board of Governors and the Florida Legislature on efforts to establish a veterinary college. MULTI-USE URBAN TRAIL: Miami leaders agreed to buy part of a former railroad right-of-way for the eventual development of an urban trail. Commissioners directed the city manager to negotiate a grant or purchase agreement with Florida East Coast Railway Co. to acquire the right- of-way between West Flagler Street and Southwest Eighth Street between Southwest 69th and 70th avenues. Commissioners agreed to “an initial contribution” not to exceed $1 million “to assist in the creation of the proposed Ludlam Trail,” a proposed multi-use urban trail that Miami-Dade County is exploring.
Dan Normandin
Photo by Marlene Quaroni
Presiding over a 70-story tower of luxury on Brickell The profile is on Page 4
Wynwood to get import-export, beauty centers BY CARLA V IANNA
Moishe Mana, who owns swaths of land spanning from Wynwood to downtown, is solidifying plans for his 30-plus-acre Wynwood portfolio. The New York developer plans to break ground in January on a 250,000-square-foot beauty center, he told Miami Today on Tuesday, followed by a mixed-use project where Asian and Latin American importers and exporters will meet and trade under one roof. “What we want to do is keep the integrity of Wynwood as a cultural center for Miami,” he said. The beauty center, which he described as “The Beauty Maker of Miami,” is to have offices, showrooms, hairstyling services and cater to all things beauty-industryrelated. A hotel is to accommodate the center’s visitors, Mr. Mana said. He promises “one of the most amazing buildings in Miami” to serve an underserved population – makeup artists, hair stylists, fashion designers and all who make up the beauty industry. Mr. Mana, like others who own land in the area, has taken it upon himself to breathe
AGENDA
Full speed for private port deals
life into Wynwood’s warehouses, his tools of choice being beauty, fashion, art and culture. Although plans for an “international district” are quite fluid at this point, negotiations with the city are underway, Mr. Mana said. He envisions creating an Asian-Latin American trade center on several parcels he owns along Northwest Fifth Avenue and 22nd Street, where Mana Wynwood now sits. During an Oct. 27 meeting with the board of the Wynwood Business Improvement District, master designer Bernard Zyscovich described the developer’s plans to build a space that would combine a showroom, exhibition halls, retail and light manufacturing. Preliminary plans show it being built in three phases over five to six years. Mr. Mana described the project to Miami Today as “a physical Alibaba.” Alibaba is a Chinese e-commerce company that provides consumer-to-consumer, business-toconsumer and business-to-business sales services online. His plans don’t stop there. Mr. Mana also plans to build the Mana Museum in conjunction with the Mana Contemporary Art Center, much like the one he created in New
County commissioners Tuesday sank course-changing legislation, so it’s full speed ahead for PortMiami to chart its needs, entertain private development on its southwest corner even as attorneys probe deed restrictions, and look into updating the port’s master plan. When she saw the flow of discussion Tuesday, Commissioner Rebeca Sosa withdrew a resolution to prohibit any legislation on port commercial development. “I know how to count votes,” she said after hearing several commissioners question the wisdom of what they said was a blockade on port development and torpedoing of legislation they had already passed. On Oct. 20, commissioners unanimously voted to seek development offers for the port’s southwest corner and get a solicitation document from the mayor’s office within 90 days. They agreed any development proposed for the mostly bare land would be contingent upon what county attorneys learn from state and City of Miami lawyers about what can be done on the land. Recently, Miami Yacht Harbor proposed a trade center, hotels, office space and a marina on the site but the commission wants to be clear on what can be done legally before negotiating. Ms. Sosa also sponsored legislation to order the mayor’s office to consult with all present and future port stakeholders to access land use and infrastructure needs for 20 to 30 years and amend the portion of the port’s master plan related to commercial development. The commission altered her timing, giving port officials five months to develop and present the amendments. But ultimately, the legislation failed after several commissioners said it asked port officials to do work that ordinarily would take several years and it was unnecessary interference.
Jersey in 2011, along Northwest Second Avenue. For this project, he is joining forces with a local nonprofit that he could not yet name. The interactive museum would allow artists to sell work on its grounds, he said. Visitors will also be able to come and watch artists while they work. “There’s not really any art trading in Miami,” Mr. Mana said. “We’re going to mix very well-known artists and unknown artists and put them under one roof. We’re going to create the experience of an interactive museum.” The art center will also be home to what Mr. Mana plans to make a nationallyregarded fashion school. He hopes to break ground on the center within a year. Meanwhile, temporary structures are to rise along Northwest Second Avenue – on six to seven now-vacant acres – within six months to house art galleries, restaurants and entertainment venues. He said the structures will be “cool, interesting and attractive” and will have a four- to five-year lifespan, until some- Commissioners cite blockage to generating revenue at port, pg. 12 thing more solid is planned and built.
COUNTY SUBSIDY TAILOR-MADE FOR NY DESIGN HOUSE ...
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CITY GIVES STATE LAND FOR NEW FIRST STREET BRIDGE ...
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PUBLIC-PRIVATE TEAMS TACKLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ...
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$14 MILLION KICKER SEALS BILLION-DOLLAR RIVER OK ...
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VIEWPOINT: BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT UNITE AGAIN ...
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MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SERVANTS GET NEW HONOR CODE ...
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AFTER MUSEUM FUNDS VETO, EAGLE SCOUT FILLS VOID ...
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FILM INDUSTRY REVISES FAILED INCENTIVES PACKAGE ...
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MIAMI TODAY
TODAY’S NEWS
WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015
THE INSIDER HEALTH STARTUPS IN MIAMI: Startupbootcamp, a European-based business accelerator operating in eight countries, is launching its first US program. And no, the entrepreneur-friendly company did not choose Silicon Valley. It has its eyes set on Miami. With $2 million from the Knight Foundation, Startupbootcamp is to work with 30 digital health startups in Miami over the next three years. Ten companies are to be chosen per year to receive six months of free co-working space, an investment of $20,000 to $120,000 and $500,000 of in-kind donation from partners such as Google, and one-on-one mentoring programs, according to a press release. The business is inviting entrepreneurs globally to apply. Details: https:// www.f6s.com/startupbootcampdigitalhealthmiami2016/apply BRAZIL TOPS THE CHARTS: The strong dollar hasn’t scared Brazil off the web. Brazil yet again led all global consumers searching online for South Florida real estate in August, the Miami Association of Realtors reported. In July, Brazil placed second to Colombia, but quickly took back its No. 1 spot. The country has ranked as top foreign nation using Couturier Naeem Khan plans to build a design studio at this 1175 NW South River site the county owns. www.Miamire.com in 14 of the past 15 months, according to the association. Russia, which did not make the list a year ago, took the No. 2 spot. The other top nations were Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, India, Canada, Spain, Israel and France. The top 10 states searching the site, from 1 to 10, were California, New York, Texas, Georgia, Illinois, North BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS “I feel Miami is the next big county Commissioner Bruno Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Tennessee and New Jersey. city for the fashion industry,” he Barreiro spoke favorably of the
County tailors aid to NY designer
BIONIC EYE ON FLORIDA: Tamara Brawn, the project manager at Bionic Vision Australia, came to Miami in August to meet with local hospitals and universities. Why? She’s looking to bring the bionic eye to Florida. A bionic eye is a retinal device that would restore vision to the blind. The Australian company is raising $10 million for a bionic eye clinical trial early next year. The bionic eye itself has been created – the company will test the device on three initial patients but is looking to recruit up to 20 within 18 months. Ms. Brawn came to Miami to discuss with local medical institutions the Don Slesnick possibility of collaboration. Don Slesnick, Australia’s honorary consul in Miami, said Ms. Brawn plans to return to Florida to continue searching for investment opportunities, and possibly a manufacturing site. NO IF, ANDS OR BUTTS: Last-choice housing should not be a death sentence, said Chairman Jean Monestime on Tuesday before Miami-Dade commissioners voted to have the mayor’s office work with residents to develop a smokefree policy for all multi-family public housing and affordable housing owned and run by MiamiDade County. The facts are grim: Audrey Edmonson two in five children and seven in Jean Monestime 10 black children are exposed to second-hand smoke; it’s more common for children 3 to 11, living in poverty in public housing. Smoke-free housing is about protecting the most vulnerable, Mr. Monestime said, not telling people whether to smoke. He co-sponsored the action with Sally Heyman, Juan Zapata and Esteban Bovo Jr. But others said the measure would disproportionately affect lower-income residents and infringe on their civil liberties. Audrey Edmonson expressed concern with telling people how to behave in their homes and said a smoke-free policy could easily lead to dictating what they can eat for health reasons; Rebeca Sosa said if there are such policies in public housing, they should be in all multi-housing facilities. Passing the legislation is not the final policy, according to the county attorney’s office, but a step toward creating a policy that commissioners can act on next year. EIGHTH STREET STOP OPEN: The Eighth Street Metromover station is now open. The station reopened this past weekend, said Karla Damian, spokeswoman for Miami-Dade Transit, with a slew of improvements completed. New escalators were installed on the north and south sides of the station and the elevator capacity was increased. New sidewalks, lighting, landscaping and signage were also installed. A new third-level access adjacent to Brickell City Centre will easily connect riders to the shopping center, now wrapping up its first phase of construction. HALL OF FAME: Gov. Rick Scott has named journalist Helen Aguirre Ferre, the chair of the Miami Dade College Board of Trustees, to the 33-year-old Florida Women’s Hall of Fame. Her induction will be Jan. 27 in Tallahassee. She was among three persons chosen from 10 recommended nominees.
UNDERLINE FRAMEWORK: Miami-Dade Transit and the Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Departments, in partnership with Friends of The Underline, are holding a public meeting from 6-8 Helen Aguirre Ferre p.m. Nov. 9 at Glasgow Hall in the University of Miami’s School of Architecture, 1223 Theo Dickinson Drive, Coral Gables, to present The Underline’s developing framework and master plan. Design proposals of two demonstration projects in the areas of Brickell and the University of Miami will also be reviewed. The Underline’s master plan design team James Corner Field Operations will lead the meeting. The Underline is a proposed 10-mile stretch of biking and pedestrian trails and park space under the county’s Metrorail, between the Miami River north of Brickell and Dadeland South stations. Details: www.theunderline.org BILINGUAL WEBSITE: County commissioners postponed making a decision Tuesday to provide access to foreign language versions of Miami-Dade’s website. If passed at a future meeting, the legislation would direct the mayor’s office to post information on the website in languages other than English but, at a minimum, in Spanish or Creole, within 180 days or provide a report detailing reasons compliance is either not feasible or overly costly. CORRECTION: A rendering shown last week was not the Miami station for All Aboard Florida but another segment of the rail line’s development downtown.
A fashion designer with A-list clientele was awarded the chance at a $1.5 million economic development grant from MiamiDade County to help launch a new design studio and manufacturing facility on the Miami River. The catch is that designer Naeem Khan’s project won’t get the grant unless one of 10 previously approved projects fails to get built. The unanimous vote of Miami-Dade County commissioners Tuesday basically placed Mr. Khan’s NKMIA LLC on a waiting list for the funds. If the designer ends up getting the $1.5 million boost, the money would go toward construction of a new seawall and riverwalk, along with electrical infrastructure and sanitary sewer needs at the 1175 NW South River Drive site. Mr. Khan has a long-term lease for the county-owned parcel. The project received a warm reception Monday from members of the Miami River Commission. The plan includes reviving a long-dormant site on the river, with promises of jobs, construction of a public riverwalk and that the site will provide marine industry uses. Mr. Khan said there will be importing of supplies and exporting of finished product via the river, which river commission members were pleased to hear. The commission’s vote was limited to recommending approval of a county resolution approving the $1.5 million allocation to Mr. Khan, subject to recapture of funds in the economic development program. The vote was unanimous. River commissioners noted a desire to see the complete plan for Naeem Khan Studio when he is ready to bring detailed site plans for city review and action. Mr. Khan was on hand Monday and brought along members of his team, including architect Alfonso Jurado of Arquitectonica. Born and raised in Mumbai, Mr. Khan moved to the US as a teen to become a designer and launched his career as an apprentice for legendary American designer Halston at age 20. Mr. Khan eventually merged this design philosophy with the knowledge he gained from his family’s business to nurture his own style.
told the river commission. Mr. Khan said he loves the riverfront site and plans to “create an amazing creative space there.” In a formal presentation to the river commission, his team stated: “We look at the Naeem Khan Miami development as more than a new business on the Miami River; we look at it as an opportunity for the whole of Miami to rejuvenate its reputation as a high-fashion center! We believe Naeem Khan’s migration from NY to Miami will be the impetus for others of his caliber and international fame to choose Miami as home.” Mr. Khan chose Miami to build his manufacturing facility and showrooms partly for the climate, which his team said will allow for year-round production. More specifically, he chose the Miami River location for the import of textiles and other materials, as well as the unique boating experience of ushering internationally famous clients in and out of his Miami haute couture house for fittings and fashion shows, the river commission was told. Mr. Jurado showed draft floor plans for the studio and production facility. The building will have show and sales areas, administrative offices, a production-design floor, and one suite for visiting designers, he said. The site has more than 200 feet of frontage on the river’s south shore and dockage is planned for potentially the entire length, along with a safety zone and the public riverwalk. Mr. Khan’s team has promised to extend the riverwalk under the 12th Avenue Bridge, connecting with a pedestrian staircase on the west leading back to the on-road Miami River Greenway, and the riverwalk will also have access back to the road on the east. River commission member Ernie Martin, chair of the Greenways Subcommittee, said the project meets the requirements of the city’s greenway plan, plus it will retain its marine-industrial zoning designation and include marine industry uses with imports and exports from the site via the river. Mr. Khan was asked about his timetable. He said he plans to be finished by 2018. River commission member and
studio plan, saying it would be “a real amenity” for the neighborhood. “We’re delighted to see development take place in this location,” said Mark Bailey, executive director of the Miami River Marine Group. The proposed studio and production facility “looks very interesting,” he said. Plans show that a vacant building on the site will be demolished for construction of four levels totaling 50,130 square feet. The county’s Economic Prosperity Committee voted last month to waive rules and put Mr. Khan on the list to share in $75 million from the Building Better Communities General Obligation Bond Program, designed to lure jobs. 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, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Queen Noor of Jordan and others.
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VIEWPOINT
MIAMI TODAY
WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015
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Business and government roll down cooperative line again It’s been long in coming – far too long. We’re on the cusp of seeing business and government back at work together, speaking with one voice for the good of Miami-Dade County. You’d think Michael Lewis that would be normal, and for a long time it was. But it hasn’t been for decades. Back in the day, tight-knit CEOs partnered with government on big challenges. Often, it was business that raised the issue and pushed for progress. But Miami’s power core disappeared. Eastern, National and PanAm airlines are dead. Knight-Ridder, then parent of the Miami Herald, moved to California. Southeast Bank was sold out by federal regulators. Ryder is no longer a player. You can count the big losses. Other corporate leaders didn’t replace them at the table with government – in fact, business itself was no longer close-knit. The reasons matter less than the loss of unity. The fact that entrepreneurs predomi-
nate in Miami didn’t help. Each business makes its economic mark, but a collection of entrepreneurs doesn’t have the goal to unify or the clout to balance elected leaders’ power. So government went its way and businesses met in chambers of commerce and bemoaned inattention from elected officials. Not to blame either side, but that was the way it was. Was, that is, until a couple of weeks ago, when developer Armando Codina – one of the few business leaders with the ability to cross lines in a fragmented Miami – gathered 30 CEO-level folks and invited the county mayor and one commissioner (the most the sunshine law allows) to a private meeting to discuss transportation. Now, if everyone in Miami agrees on one thing, it’s that we simply must fix transportation. On virtually everything else we have multiple views, but on transportation we have unity – we all say it stinks and we want better. Several hours later, the CEOs walked out of a Brickell Avenue hotel room more united than before. The large employers closed ranks, and the elected officials joined in that unity. And so after decades Miami got a start – fragile, but a start – at building a bridge linking business and government.
Life in the Magic City
While one powerful roomful agreed to work on adding transportation, starting with a vital east-west rail line, few were invited. This began at the top, and lots of folks who weren’t there have a chance to let rivalries build and undo cooperation. That wouldn’t be hard. Everyone has a favorite transportation locale to fix – with 13 county commissioners, it’s one apiece. The easiest way to roadblock a major upgrade is simply to divide the pie 13 ways, so that everybody gets a few circulator buses and some patched sidewalks and nobody gets anything significant. Even if that me-too mentality doesn’t derail cooperation, clumsy performance could. Business is not enthralled with government efficacy, and elected officials don’t get told what to do. Both camps face walking on eggshells to keep from turning a cooperative effort into a messy omelet. But if they can in unity get a rail line funded and operating, it will be a solid start toward more transportation links – remember, this is only the easiest and first route – and then to cooperation on other issues that will be harder because agreements will be more complex. The one commissioner inside the meeting, county transportation Chairman Esteban Bovo Jr., afterward noted
L ETTERS
TO THE
tie local budgeting Our transit lesson for China Don’t to construction industry
And speaking of traffic in Miami… My husband and I just returned from a tour of China, where they have taken traffic to a whole new level. At one point we endured an eight-hour traffic jam featur- Susan Kahn ing numerous people pulling over to the side of the road to jump into the bushes and pee. Fortunately, our group made it just in the nick of time to what our tour guide quite accurately referred to as a “Happy Stop” – no mean feat for a busload of Baby Boomers. As a solution to our highway congestion here at home the Chinese solution is impractical, however, as neither the Palmetto nor 836 has any bushes. The joke in China, we were told, is that single women on the lookout for a husband should consider not just a man’s looks or income, but his kidney function as well. The big cities have up to six “ring roads” and unless you can afford to live inside at least the second one, he’s going to need it on his commute. Yes, I think something got lost in translation, but you get the idea. The particular jam we found ourselves in was especially bad because we made the mistake of planning our trip in October over the biggest Chinese national holiday of the year – the one that celebrates the harvest moon. Of course, no one has seen the moon in years; on a clear day in Chengdu you can see across the street. But our guide said she had “happy memories of it as
a child,” and everyone eats “moon cakes” at the parties nevertheless. This is what happens when you have cities with 30 million people. Beijing – not even the largest city — has 6 million cars alone. It has gotten to the point that you now have to buy a license plate before you’re allowed to buy a car, and it can take a year just to get the plate – and depending on whether it ends in an odd or even number, you can only drive it certain days of the week. I can’t help thinking about this when I read about all the new high rises going up on Brickell and imagining how the Chinese would handle things. This was an endlessly fascinating topic of conversation among our tour group and our Chinese hosts. In China there are so many high rises going up you can’t even count them all, so a few thousand more people is a piece of cake for them. Being a communist country, if they need a new road, the government just puts out the order and the next year there’s a new ring road – or a bridge, or a subway line, or whatever the people in charge decide they need. We explained that that’s not how it works in America because, after all, we are a democracy and we have a say in these things. I piped up that, in Miami, we even voted to tax ourselves with a half cent sales tax so we could have more mass transit. Everyone was very impressed – until somebody asked what we built. I had to allow that, well, we didn’t actually build anything – but someday we will, I am sure. Until then, we should probably plant some bushes.
that government and business should team up on rising sea levels and climate change, where solutions are much harder than transportation but imperative for Miami’s future. He also mentioned that public-private partnerships can fuel financial as well as policy advancements. He sees a role for business expertise in both. But all of that is a long way off. Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Mr. Bovo first need to encourage the other 12 commissioners to open their ears to business other than at election time. And Mr. Gimenez and Mr. Bovo need to keep their own bridge solid with business. This all should be a natural, but we’re so far out of practice at government and business cooperation that it will take effort to get back on the united path that led Miami ahead decades ago. Mr. Codina called his meeting after careful thought. He explained afterward that he had looked hard at the most successful cities in the US and all have three things in common: They have enlightened political leadership. They have committed business leadership. And they work together. We’re about to try that last one again. We need to get back in practice. And now we’ve got a good start. Keep it rolling.
Regardless of how many plans exist, development always follows financing. While condo projects have best return on investment compared to any other type of development, then they will continue to be planned, financed and built. However, in this economic environment, keep an eye out for developers to take an immediate profit by flipping their project. Developers emerged a lot more risk averse from the last recession. Unfortunately, these lessons on survival were not learn by our politicians, who have tied budget revenues to the rise and fall of the construction industry. For instance, over the past 10 years, the City of Miami has increased the revenue from “Licenses and Permits” by over 600% while other revenue streams have remained relatively flat or decreased. The next economic downturn will hurt public institutions far harder than private industry, which has learned to be resilient. Our politicians should be made to realize that promoting a mono-cultural economy relying on one industry – even construction – for revenue is as foolhardy as any petrol state trusting in crude prices to remain at $100 a barrel. Rosy Palomino
Best use of Vizcaya annex may be elementary school The Vizcayans are now seeking ideas for what to do with that portion of the property west of Miami Avenue. I remember about 20 years ago when an unsuccessful art program was launched. All sorts of wild and ultimately useless ideas will be entertained in a des-
E DITOR
perate attempt to hold on to the property. There is simply too much land and buildings to put to use in any fashion, counting all the other cultural opportunities in the area. Why, someone mentioned urban agriculture, in such a small space! The Vizcayans are better off concentrating on the focus of the place – the palace itself – and, yes, there are a few buildings across the street that are worth holding on to. But if the Vizcayans want truly to act in the best interests of society as a whole, they should lease the museum building and parking lot to the school board for a dollar a year. This would act as a very inexpensive annex to the awfully crowded Southside Elementary. Because this site is safer than the original traffic-wise, it would house the first and second grades. There is no-man’s land behind the historic buildings for the buses to hide. George Childs
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TODAY’S NEWS
WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015
MIAMI TODAY
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Luxury car market in county grows 30%-plus in year BY CARLA VIANNA
The number of sales in Miami-Dade County’s luxury car market increased more than 30% from mid-July to midSeptember compared to the same period last year. About 31% more near-luxury car sales were reported this past report period compared to a year before, with the BMW 3 Series topping the list yet again, according to a market report by Dominion Dealer Solutions, a Virginia-based firm that tracks auto dealership sales nationwide. About 500 of the 3,500 near-luxury cars sold in Miami were registered outside the county. The luxury car market felt even greater growth – sales went up 36% to 3,305.
Lexus IS 250 was the most sold luxury car.
The Lexus IS 250 was again the most report. About 400 of the luxury cars sold in Miami during this period were registered elsewhere.
Prices in both categories continue creeping up. Luxury cars during this year’s second quarter sold at an average price of $82,317. That number rose to $95,929 during the third quarter, a significant increase compared to $61,096 during the same period last year. Meansold at an average of $59,498 compared to $44,550 last year. David Wall, a sales and customer service supervisor at Dominion, said these are normal trends for the Miami market, which is known for its high demand for luxury cars. “The overall market ... it looks like it’s definitely up year-over-year,” Mr. Wall said. As Miami’s economy continues to improve, he said, more sales are expected.
Overall car sales decreased slightly with this past quarter, which registered 19,153 sales. But the number of trucks sold increased by about 1,500, with total numbers landing around 14,600. Compact cars and compact SUVs were the most popular vehicles sold, with 6,778 and 7,217 sales, respectively. This is slightly different than last year’s first-picks, when buyers preferred the mid-sized car over the compact SUV. Lower gas prices probably contributed the uptick in SUV and truck demand, Mr. Wall said. Miami’s most popular compact car was the Toyota Corolla, while the Nissan Rogue took the No. 1 spot in the SUV category.
Eagle Scout helps fill void after Scott’s museum veto BY MARILYN BOWDEN
Although the restoration of the historic building that will house the Miami Military Museum & Memorial has slowed down due to lack of funding from Tallahassee, it is still a very active project, says Executive Director Anthony Atwood. A pre-Veterans Day celebration will be held at the Zoo Miami Entertainment Center, 12450 SW 152nd St., next to Gold Coast Railroad Museum. “There will be two concerts by the 13th Army Band, Florida National Guard, beginning at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.” Nov. 8, he said. “The event is free, open to the public, and there is ample free parking.” Dr. Atwood, a Navy veteran and adjunct lecturer in FIU’s history department who has advocated for the museum since 2007, said since Gov. Rick Scott’s veto of a $1 million grant last summer, “we are down but not out. St. Paul said it best: ‘We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.’ “We are still in post-op, but we are recovering.” The museum will be located in the last remaining building of the Richmond Naval Air Station, which served as the local US Navy headquarters during World War II and later, when it had become an Army and Marine Corps Reserve Center, was also used as a training site for antiCastro freedom fighters. “It encapsulates Florida’s modern military heritage,” Dr. Atwood said. Earlier grants paid for the project’s first phase, which involved the complete renovation of the building’s exterior and its relocation from Richmond Hill to its present site on the grounds of Zoo Miami in 2010. Now, Dr. Atwood is raising funds to cover the interior work and the acquisition of memorabilia. He stressed that any donation or volunteer assistance is helpful. “Because we are a construction site, we can’t have volunteers working inside the building,” he said, “but there are opportunities on the outside.” Earlier this year, Dr. Atwood was contacted by aspiring Eagle Scout Charles Vega of Boy Scout
Navy vet Anthony Atwood soldiers on at Miami Military Museum site.
troop 336, who said he needed to “plan, develop and give leadership to others in a service project to a religious institution, school or community.” “I wanted to do something to help veterans in my community, since my grandfather served in the Navy during World War II,” Mr. Vega said. “I heard about the building of a Miami Military Museum and contacted Dr. Atwood to discuss the potential eagle project. “I was very excited about this new museum because I have been to military museums in the United States and in Europe, and I believe that this museum will be a great addition to South Florida.” The two settled upon a Veterans Memorial Path on the museum grounds. Raising about $1,700 in donations from friends and family, Mr. Vega said he comparison-shopped for materials. “The people attending brought tools to work on the project, which offset some of the cost,” he said. Mr. Vega led a crew of 43 people, many of them fellow scouts, to complete the project over the course of two Saturdays, “the first being when we built the benches that went along the path and the second when we cleared out the Brazilian pepper and created the gravel path.” Among ceremonies planned in the intermission between concerts during the pre-Veterans Day celebration, Dr. Atwood will formally recognize Mr. Vega and troop 336 with a certificate of appreciation. “I will also be bringing a plaque to put in,” Mr. Vega said, “that just says Veterans Memorial Path, built by troop 336 for my eagle project.” Details: (305) 905-5196.
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10
TODAY’S NEWS
MIAMI TODAY
WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015
$14 million to affordable housing seals $1 billion river OK BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS
Miami commissioners have approved a large mixed-use development on the Miami River that is expected to revive a city park, extend the public riverwalk, connect Brickell and Little Havana and bring jobs and tax revenue to the city. Called simply Miami River, the complete build-out will add more than 1,600 residential units to the growing urban core. The final vote came Oct. 22. Between the first and the final votes, Commissioner Frank Carollo negotiated with the developer and secured promises that will provide money for affordable housing and space for a paramedic station within the development. He said he met with the developer’s team and worked to gain extras. Mr. Carollo said he made affordable housing a priority in these talks, and there was discussion of adding 400 units of affordable housing in the project itself or in the immediate area, or a straight financial contribution to the city with the money earmarked for affordable housing. In the end the developer agreed to pay $14 million into an affordable housing trust, in staggered payments, with the first $1 million to be paid by Feb. 1, according to Mr. Carollo. “We will see this immediately,� he told fellow commissioners. The second $1 million will be paid within three to six months of the developer getting a building permit for the first tower, he said. “I appreciate the developer’s openness to address this,� said Mr. Carollo.
With the added density and population this project will bring, issues of public safety are even more of a priority, he said, mentioning the impact on response times for fire-rescue calls. To address this, the developer agreed to provide 8,500 square feet for the city’s fire department to establish a paramedic station inside the development, said Mr. Carollo. “These are important issues to all residents,� he said. Mr. Carollo said it is a beautiful project. “I commend the architect and design team,� he said. The project promises to bring new life to the mostly vacant land just east of I-95. It’s planned for an area bordered on the north by the river, on the south by Southwest Seventh Street, on the west by Southwest Third Avenue, and on the east by Southwest Second Avenue. Along with its size – four towers, 58 to 60 stories tall on 6.2 acres – this project stands out because the city is a partner. As part of the Special Area Plan under the Miami 21 zoning code, a portion of Jose Marti Park will become a part of Miami River. That would result in an extension of the riverwalk west and under I-95, and improvements to the park. A deal struck with CG Miami River LLC also ensures the riverwalk will be extended east under the Second Avenue Bridge and past neighboring condo tower Latitude on the River. The overall project will see creation of a new street accented by public art, and more than $21 million in public benefit improvements from the developer, includ-
ing upgrades to the park and the riverwalk. Mr. Carollo also said he got the developer to agree to increase public benefit payments over time if portions of the project remain unbuilt, with rates tied to hikes in the Consumer Price Index. The approved ordinances: „Amended policies to allow up to 400 dwelling units per acre. „Authorized the area to be master planned to allow a greater integration of public improvements and infrastructure and greater flexibility. „Authorized the city manager to make a development agreement for the Miami River Special Area Plan. The area plan consists of a phased project divided into five parts, which include 4,181,087 square feet of development consisting of 1,678 residential units, about 330 lodging units, 66,541 square feet of office space, 176,350 square feet of commercial uses, 2,376 parking spaces, 17 boat slips, at least 35,964 square feet of civic space and at least 15,175 square feet of open space. Melissa Tapanes Llahues, an attorney representing CG Miami River LLC, said the project will transform an eyesore into an empowerment zone. “This is not gentrification – not one resident will be displaced,� she told the commission. Ms. Tapanes Llahues said it is a billiondollar investment that will have a $24 million impact on the city, of which $10 million will go to road improvements and $6 million to parks. Currently the vacant site generates about $520,000 a year in taxes, she said. Once
Public Notice NOTICE IS GIVEN that meetings will be held before the following Committees on the dates stipulated below in the Commission Chambers, located on the Second Floor, of the Stephen P. Clark Center, 111 NW First Street, Miami, Florida, wherein, among other matters to be considered, a public hearing will be held relating to the following proposed ordinances/resolutions: Strategic Planning & Government Operations (SPGO) Cmte. Meeting – Tuesday, November 10, 2015, at 9:30 AM Unincorporated Municipal Service Area (UMSA) Cmte. Meeting – Tuesday, November 10, 2015, at 2:00 PM t 0 SEJOBODF SFMBUJOH UP ;POJOH QSPWJEJOH GPS JODSFBTFE IFJHIU BOE MFOHUI JO SFDSFBUJPOBM WFIJDMF BOE CPBU TUPSBHF BNFOEJOH Section 33-20 of the Code t 0SEJOBODF SFHBSEJOH ;POJOH BOE PUIFS MBOE EFWFMPQNFOU SFHVMBUJPOT QFSUBJOJOH UP UIF 'JYFE (VJEFXBZ 3BQJE 5SBOTJU 4ZTUFN %FWFMPQNFOU ;POF UIF TUBOEBSE 6SCBO $FOUFS %JTUSJDU 3FHVMBUJPOT UIF %PXOUPXO ,FOEBMM 6SCBO $FOUFS %JTUSJDU SFHVMBUJPOT BOE UIF 1BMNFS -BLF .FUSPQPMJUBO 6SCBO $FOUFS %JTUSJDU 3FHVMBUJPOT BNFOEJOH QBSLJOH SFRVJSFNFOUT BNFOEJOH 4FDUJPOT 33c-7, 33c-8, 33-284.62, 33-284.86, and 33-284.99.60 of the Code t 0SEJOBODF QFSUBJOJOH UP ;POJOH BOE $PEF &OGPSDFNFOU QSPIJCJUJOH DMPUI PS PUIFS NBUFSJBM GSPN CFJOH BGmYFE UP XJSF GFODFT BOE DIBJO MJOL GFODFT JO SFTJEFOUJBM BSFBT BNFOEJOH 4FDUJPOT BOE DD PG UIF $PEF Transit & Mobility Services (TMS) Cmte. Meeting – Thursday, November 12, 2015, at 9:30 AM Metropolitan Services (MS) Cmte. Meeting – Thursday, November 12, 2015, at 2:00 PM t 0 SEJOBODF SFMBUJOH UP JNQBDU GFFT FOBCMJOH FMFDUSPOJD GPSNT PG QBZNFOU GPS JNQBDU GFFT BNFOEJOH BENJOJTUSBUJWF GFFT BOE QSPWJEJOH GPS USBOTBDUJPOBM GFFT SFMBUFE UP FMFDUSPOJD QBZNFOU QSPWJEJOH GPS GFFT UP CF BTTFTTFE CBTFE PO QMBO TVCNJUUBM EBUF QSPWJEJOH BVUIPSJUZ UP MJFO SFBM QSPQFSUZ BOE UP DIBSHF DPMMFDUJPO GFFT GPS VOQBJE JNQBDU GFFT DMBSJGZJOH JNQBDU GFF GPSNVMB BOE GFF DPNQVUBUJPO QSPDFTT DMBSJGZJOH BWBJMBCJMJUZ PG SFGVOET PG JNQBDU GFFT QBJE DMBSJGZJOH QSPDFTT UP BQQFBM JNQBDU GFF BTTFTTNFOU VQEBUJOH EFmOJUJPOT BNFOEJOH $IBQUFST F I J K BOE L PG UIF $PEF t 0SEJOBODF BNFOEJOH 4FDUJPO B PG UIF $PEF SFRVJSJOH DPOTUSVDUJPO PG CBSSJFST PS VTF PG TFDVSJUZ EFWJDFT UP QSFWFOU UIFGU PG TIPQQJOH DBSUT BNFOEJOH 4FDUJPO DD PG UIF $PEF QSPWJEJOH QFOBMUJFT GPS GBJMVSF UP DPNQMZ XJUI 4FDUJPO B PG UIF Code. t 0SEJOBODF SFMBUFE UP OPO DSJNJOBM QFOBMUJFT GPS WJPMBUJPOT PG QSPWJTJPOT PG UIF .JBNJ %BEF $PVOUZ $PEF QFSUBJOJOH UP TPMJDJUBUJPOT PO DFSUBJO SPBEXBZT BNFOEJOH 4FDUJPOT DD BOE DD PG UIF $PEF UP QSPWJEF GPS enforcement under Chapter 8cc of the Code. t 0SEJOBODF BNFOEJOH 4FDUJPO PG UIF $PEF 'MPSJEB DMBSJGZJOH UIBU EFTUSPZJOH EBNBHJOH PS WBOEBMJ[JOH USFFT TISVCT MBOETDBQJOH PS PUIFS DPVOUZ QSPQFSUZ PO QVCMJD SJHIU PG XBZ UISPVHI BOZ NFBOT JODMVEJOH PQFSBUJPO PG B NPUPS WFIJDMF JT BO PGGFOTF BHBJOTU QVCMJD QSPQFSUZ TVCKFDU UP DJWJM mOF t 0SEJOBODF SFMBUJOH UP CVJMEJOH TFDVSJUZ NFBTVSFT SFRVJSJOH JOTUBMMBUJPO BOE NBJOUFOBODF PG TFDVSJUZ DBNFSBT PO DPNNFSDJBM QSPQFSUJFT DSFBUJOH 4FDUJPO D BOE BNFOEJOH 4FDUJPO DD PG UIF $PEF Trade & Tourism (TT) Cmte. Meeting – Friday, November 13, 2015, at 9:30 AM Economic Prosperity (EP) Cmte. Meeting – Friday, November 13, 2015, at 2:00 PM t 0 SEJOBODF SFQFBMJOH "SUJDMF $7** 4FDUJPOT UISPVHI PG UIF $PEF SFMBUJOH UP UIF .JBNJ %BEF 4QPSUT $PNNJTTJPO t 0SEJOBODF QFSUBJOJOH UP 4NBMM #VTJOFTT &OUFSQSJTF 1SPHSBNT BNFOEJOH 4FDUJPOT BOE PG UIF $PEF UP BMMPX QBSUJDJQBOUT JO UIF 4NBMM #VTJOFTT FOUFSQSJTF HPPET BOE TFSWJDFT QSPHSBN BOE TNBMM CVTJOFTT FOUFSQSJTF BSDIJUFDUVSF BOE FOHJOFFSJOH QSPHSBN UP VTF UIF FYJTUJOH CPOEJOH BOE mOBODJBM BTTJTUBODF QSPHSBN BWBJMBCMF "MM JOUFSFTUFE QBSUJFT NBZ BQQFBS BOE CF IFBSE BU UIF UJNF BOE QMBDF TQFDJm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agendco@miamidade.gov.
)"37&: 367*/ $-&3, $)3*4501)&3 "(3*11" %&165: $-&3, For legal ads online, go to http://legalads.miamidade.gov
built to its full potential, Miami River is expected to bring $41 million in taxes each year, she said. Horacio Stuart Aguirre, chairman of the Miami River Commission, spoke favorably of the project, saying the river commission is very enthusiastic about the development coming to a blighted area. Calling design of the project “fresh, light, airy,� Mr. Aguirre said it will be a neighborhood improvement. Several residents of Little Havana spoke in support, saying they look forward to the new jobs and the improvements to the park. Area developer Avra Jain commended the developer and architects on a “beautiful project,� and for outreach to keep residents and officials informed of details as the project progressed. “They were listening,� she said of the developer’s team, while seeking community input. Ms. Jain said she bought property in the neighbor in the hope that this project would go forward. She is the new owner of the historic Miami River Inn, just up the river from Jose Marti Park. Max Vlessing, one of the founders of Water Taxi Miami, said he is 100% in favor of the project, particularly its plan for dedicated dockage for water taxi service to Miami Beach, Virginia Key and other areas. “I’d like to see more like it,� he said. One major goal of the project is to create a sustainable neighborhood that offers a transition from the lower density of East Little Havana to the higher density of downtown.
FIU business school ties a knot for Australia link BY CARLA V IANNA
Florida International University’s business school has secured new ties with a university in Australia, which will create a two-way street for students wanting to travel between the continent and Miami. FIU’s College of Business signed an agreement with Monash University, located in Melbourne, on Aug. 11 to allow both undergraduate and graduate students to study abroad at the school and vice-versa, said Jennifer Montero, FIU business school’s director of international affairs and projects. Undergrad students can go for up to a year, while grad students can go for a semester. “That was one of my goals here,� said Don Slesnick, who became the honorary consul for the Australian Consulate in Coral Gables last year. He said one of the main reasons he was appointed honorary consul was to build a connection between South Florida and Australia. After encountering numerous students and families interested in traveling to the country, Mr. Slesnick took the matter to FIU. The business school jumped at the opportunity and received inquiries from several Australian universities. The agreement with Monash was the first to solidify. This is the business school’s first agreement with a school in Australia, Ms. Montero said. It’ll be promoted at the college’s upcoming study abroad fair this week. Although it might be too
late to send the first batch of students abroad this coming spring, Ms. Montero expects the program to launch in the summer. The college is also exploring dual degree programs, in which grad students would have the opportunity to receive a master’s degree at FIU and a different one at Monash over a two-year period. The percentage of FIU students studying abroad is small, Ms. Montero said, and the university has set a goal to double the number of students participating in international programs. Australia falls into the main areas in which US students choose to study abroad in due, in part, to its English-speaking culture, she said. The university is targeting the Australia and AsiaPacific region as well as other English-speaking nations. Although the Australian community in South Florida is small, with most individuals residing in Broward County, Mr. Slesnick said Miami-Dade has a handful of Australian businesses. He’s working to bring more Australian-inspired cultural events to Miami. Currently an Australian exhibit (No Boundaries: Aboriginal Australian Contemporary Abstract Painting) is on display at the Perez Art Museum Miami. It’ll be there during Art Basel and then through the end of the year. “For a country that doesn’t do business directly with Miami or have a whole lot of people living here,� he said, “I think we’re doing pretty well.�
12
MIAMI TODAY
TODAY’S NEWS
WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015
Brokers get creative, assemble condos for new development BY CARLA VIANNA
When Miami and Miami Beach run out of available waterfront land, developers are forced to get creative, and there are a few brokers who can help them get their hands on the area’s most prime locations. One-hundred and five offmarket units at the Continental at 4000 Collins Ave. were recently sold to a developer just last week in what real estate brokers refer to as a condo assemblage. Jeff Cohen, a broker with Avatar Real Estate Services, had to make 105 deals with 105 different unit owners to get this deal off the ground. While the latest figures show that selling a condo can on average take up to two months, selling an inhabited building can take double or triple that amount of time. You have to start from scratch, said Mr. Cohen, who’s been working on condo assemblages for four years. “You work with the association. You sell a pitch to the board. You get approval. You work with the unit owner. It’s a bulk sale,” he said. The Continental was Mr. Cohen’s second bulk deal, and he’s working on three others – one in Surfside and two more
Photo by Maxine Usdan
Gerard Yetming found this waterfront condo site at 175 SE 25th Road, closing on it for about $48 million.
on Collins Avenue. Built in 1948, the 120-unit condominium building sits across from a public beach and boardwalk in Miami Beach. It is home to mostly elderly residents, who will probably relocate elsewhere. “It’s very intricate,” Mr. Cohen said. “Each one of these deals can take 12 to 18 months.
Not many brokers can put this together. I had to deal with 105 unit owners. “For me it’s challenging. I like it.” The building was sold to Sukkah LLC for $19.8 million, he said. “If you want to develop something in a prime location, chances are there’s something already there,” said Gerard Yetming, se-
Port income trumps land use issues BY SUSAN DANSEYAR
Rebeca Sosa brought legislation to Tuesday’s county commission meeting she claimed would protect PortMiami and ensure current and potential stakeholders will keep using it, but colleagues largely disagreed and described the resolutions as interfering and unnecessary. “I’m trying to make sure we put in writing that we are not risking the port at any time and want something that protects us legally,” Ms. Sosa said in reference to a resolution, which she ultimately withdrew, that would have prohibited pre- Rebeca Sosa sentation to the full commission of any legislation having to do with commercial development at the seaport. However, Chairman Jean Monestime said he couldn’t help but look at the port’s numbers and found the resolution “aims to put a blockage on development at the port and handicaps our ability to generate income.” Even though the proposed legislation wouldn’t have prevented individual commissioners from talking to developers about their ideas for the port’s mostly bare southwest corner, others said it was a stopgap to legislation they passed Oct. 20 that directed a development solicitation document from the mayor’s office within 90 days. “We already made a promise to [Commissioner] Bruno
Barreiro that we’d move forward, pending approval by the county attorneys,” said Jose “Pepe” Diaz in reference to a discussion two weeks ago about Miami Yacht Harbor, which proposed a trade center, hotels, office space and a marina on the land. Commissioners agreed the county could discuss development ideas at the same time its attorneys discuss with state and city lawyers deed restrictions dating back many decades to when the state conveyed the land to the city and the city later handed it to the county. “This puts us in a position to come back, after the administration does its work, and decide again which could come back to have other issues,” Mr. Diaz said in reference to the resolution. “I won’t support this based on the consensus we came to before.” The majority of commissioners also disagreed with Ms. Sosa’s other resolution that would have directed the mayor’s office to consult with all stakeholders at the port, both current and potential, to access its land use and infrastructure needs over the next 20 to 30 years and present a report as well as direct the administration to amend the portion of the port’s 2035 master plan related to commercial development. “All this proposal does is give recognition to who is there and consult with them,” Ms. Sosa said. “This is not my own idea, but I also discussed it with longshoremen and stakeholders who feel they should be consulted” on land use and infrastructure
needs. Her legislation also asked the administration to amend and update the portion of PortMiami’s 2035 master plan relating to commercial development. “What’s the future of the port with expansion of the Panama Canal?” she asked. “We need to continue being the best port and do all the big connections.” Port officials said with activities moving much faster than they anticipated, they anticipated starting the process of an updated master plan, an undertaking that takes approximately two years to complete that they perform every five to eight years. However, Mr. Diaz said, the administration would be doing the master plan anyway and doesn’t need a resolution to undertake the work. Commissioners amended Ms. Sosa’s resolution, extending an additional month for the administration to amend the master plan and report back to the commission. But the process takes at least two years, said Barbara Jordan. “This is a monumental task that we’re asking them to do in some 180 days.” The resolution is trying to rebrand an item that is already selling, said Mr. Monestime, who pointed out the port received a national award for its December 2012 master plan. “If we play political ping-pong with the port, it’s going to be difficult,” he said. “Why are we asking them to revise a master plan in 180 days? If it’s not broken, why fix it? I suggest we don’t interfere with a winning proposition.”
nior VP at CBRE. This type of deal will become more common as fewer vacant sites are available, he said. But for such a deal to work, the site must be unique. And it needs to be on the water. “A lot of people are going to try it, but I’ll tell you, it is extremely difficult,” Mr. Yetming said. In October, Mr. Yetming
closed on his first condo assemblage – an 11-story condo tower at 175 SE 25th Road, sitting on one acre on Biscayne Bay – for about $48 million. Working with Calum Weaver and Flagler Real Estate Service’s Cary Cohen, the trio negotiated deals with 61 different unit owners. The developer, Miami Waterfront Venture, plans to replace the existing building with a 48story luxury condo. The brokers and their team set up individual meetings with each unit owner and handcrafted 61 separate deals. Negotiations started in May. Mr. Yetming said they were able to pay the unit owners more than what the apartments were worth while still achieving an attractive land price and making way for development. Units were sold at an average of $800,000 per unit – although prices ranged from $400,000 up to $1 million, depending on the unit size and location within the building. Most were assessed within the $100,000 to $300,000 range, according to the county’s property appraiser’s office. The building is home to young professionals, young families and older residents who have lived there for 30 years, Mr. Yetming said. “In the end,” he said, “we got everyone to agree to sell.”
T HE L AST W O R D ONE RIVER POINT: Sales on downtown’s One River Point – a twotower project inside the riverfront neighborhood where three towers (Ivy, Wind and Mint) now stand – will officially launch to the public in mid-November, said New York developer Shahab Karmely. Condo units will range from $800,000 to $3 million, with the price per square foot starting in the mid-$700s. Mr. Karmely said he hopes to start construction within one year of launching pre-sales. He told Miami Today he plans to add boat service for residents in the neighborhood to cross the Miami River to Brickell. DIFFERENTIATE HOMES: Miami city commissioners are urging the Florida Legislature to amend state law to differentiate between assisted living facilities and community residential homes that serve senior citizens and those facilities that should have more resources and personnel that serve persons with mental health issues, the developmentally disabled and any other vulnerable individuals requiring more specialized care and requiring stricter licensing. The resolution urges lawmakers to require that if a facility wishes to change from serving senior citizens to serving vulnerable individuals it must Wifredo Gort demonstrate that it has the needed personnel, expertise and resources The matter was brought for action by Chairman Wifredo “Willy” Gort. ON BOARD: The Wynwood Business Improvement District last week added Jonathon Yormak, co-founder and managing principal of East End Capital, to its board of directors. His firm has portfolio of 2.25 million square feet of office, retail and residential space, and more than 1 million square feet of development rights, in New York City and Miami. East End Capital is developing the Wynwood Arcade and has several other Wynwood projects on the drawing boards. WAITING ON HOMESTEAD: A contract that would secure the sale of energy from Miami-Dade County to the City of Homestead Energy Services is at a standstill. Since the contract would only begin in 2020, there’s no particular rush, said Paul Mauriello, county deputy director for waste operations at the Public Works and Waste Management Department. The county’s contract would essentially replace a Duke Energy contract set to expire Dec. 31, 2019. The county met with city officials Aug. 13 to discuss terms. The price for the 15 megawatts of energy the city is looking to buy from the county’s Resources Recovery Facility is being negotiated but would be subject to an annual increase of 2.5% or the rise in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is greater, until 2020, Mr. Mauriello said. The facility’s potential energy output is 40 megawatts. The county hasn’t been able to secure a power sale deal since its contract with Duke ended in November 2013, resulting in a $10 million revenue drop. REDEVELOPMENT BUDGET: Miami city commissioners adopted a $51 million-plus general operating and tax increment fund budget for 2015-2016 for the Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency. The fiscal year began Oct. 1. NO LATE EXCUSES: Miami-Dade County library patrons can now pay their library fines on the library system’s website. The Miami-Dade Public Library System and the Information Technology Department launched the online payment feature at www.mdpls.org on Oct. 20.
WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015
MIAMI TODAY
13
Midtown residential rents hit Brickell levels – and rising BY CARLA VIANNA
Midtown’s residential rental rates continue on an upward swing, and with only two rental projects currently under construction, rates are projected to continue rising. The rental market in the increasingly popular neighborhood is now comparative to Brickell on achieved rents, according to a recent report by Integra Realty Solutions. Midtown’s average achieved rental rate last quarter was $2,653 a month, compared to Brickell’s $2,640. “Rents are going up anywhere between 10% to 15% year-overyear,” said Luis Gomez, a broker with LG Realty Group. “Availability is low, and the demand is still holding.” Mr. Gomez said every time he has a vacant unit, he raises the rent 10% to 15% and puts it on the market. He said it’s amazing to see individuals willing to pay that amount. Resale condo units are trading for about $435 to $445 per square foot, he said. Supply is limited in the Midtown condo and rental market, although a few projects are in the works. Hyde Midtown, a 31-story tower with about 400 units (some of which will be hotel units), is
Photo by Maxine Usdan
Midtown 5 is now rising with 400 more rental units for the limited-supply Midtown residential market.
now actively selling. Hyde reported reaching 55% pre-sold as of late July. Units at Hyde were selling at an average of $490,400 during the last quarter, according to IRR. Another 195 condo units have been proposed for Midtown as of last quarter, IRR reported. Within the rental market, Mid-
town 5 with 400 units and District 36 with 197 units are now under construction. Two more are proposed: Midtown 29 with 309 units and Midtown East with 700 units. Next door, Edgewater promises to flood the pipeline with almost 4,000 residential units.
“I don’t think that’ll really put a dent in where the market is when it comes to rentals,” said Roberto Cuneo, a broker with Coldwell Banker’s residential real estate office. “We’re probably going to see complete and final stabilization in 2017.” Midtown’s proximity to the
Design District and Wynwood is attracting a different crowd of buyers and renters. The majority of renters are now coming in from out of state, Mr. Gomez said. Young professionals are relocating to Midtown to work in the Design District or Wynwood. The demographic is changing dramatically – a positive for the area, he continued. He also noticed that South Americans who are buying condos in Midtown are actually living there, rather than using the units as second homes. “International buyers are not only living in the buildings but opening business in the area as well,” Mr. Gomez said. Due to its location, Midtown is about ten minutes from everywhere one would want to go in Miami, Mr. Cuneo said. Visitors arriving in Miami for business-related reasons no longer have to stay on Miami Beach; they can now stay on the mainland, Mr. Gomez said, especially once Hyde’s hotel component is completed. Both brokers say Midtown has a lot more coming its way, including condo towers, rental buildings, retail stores and entertainment venues. “In the long run,” Mr. Cuneo said, “it’s going to be the center of downtown.”
Lombardi moves forward on Wynwood mixed-use project BY CARLA VIANNA
David Lombardi, equipped with a large portfolio of Wynwood property, has taken the first step in creating a mixed-use project including 225 rental units on Northeast 29th Street. The design for the 12-story apartment building is now being drawn out. While the design is tweaked and churned, Mr. Lombardi sits back and carefully eyes the active Wynwood market. Recognizing the 500-plus units under construction in Midtown and the additional 1,400 units proposed, Mr. Lombardi would rather wait until the market slows down. “I think that the market is going to remain active for another 18 months or so,” he said. “But it’s a good time to start now with the idea of breaking ground in about 18 months.” With the inflow of units coming online, Mr. Lombardi knows he must produce a product that differs from everyone else’s. Architects are now being interviewed. The building is to go up where Morgan’s Restaurant and Crossfit Wynwood now stand, but he aims to mesh these businesses within the new product. “Certainly we would want to have a gym. We have Crossfit
Photo by Maxine Usdan
“We’re in the third inning of a nine-inning game,” said David Lombardi, who tends to his “magic garden.”
over there now. We like having them there. It’s a big draw,” he said. “We love Morgan’s Restaurant. We want to invite them back into the building.” The project will cater to millennials, or the “20-somethings who are fresh out of college full of ideas,” Mr. Lombardi said. He
wants to give those individuals a place to interact and exchange ideas in an affordable environment. This will be the spot for the young man or woman making $35,000 to $40,000 a year. Mr. Lombardi, who is the mastermind behind Museo Vault, an 85,000-square-foot art
storage and exhibition center; O Cinema, an independent film theatre; Wynwood Lofts, which he built in 2005; and the “magic garden,” where he grows herbs, lettuce and collaborates with a gourmet food truck, said the Northeast 29th Street site is one of three where he’ll develop
residential projects. Wynwood recently won approval of a zoning overlay – an initiative two years in the making, Mr. Lombardi said – that now allows more dense development on its acres, giving way to muchneeded residential projects. The zoning also limits building heights, essentially to keep skyscrapers away from Miami’s growing art district. “The new zoning will actually ensure that we keep character in Wynwood,” said Tom Curitore, executive director of the Wynwood Business Improvement District. Mr. Curitore said a seven-member Wynwood Design Review Committee has been created to ensure that properties within the neighborhood’s boundaries are compatible with the “unique cultural and architectural character of Wynwood.” The committee will meet with the City of Miami monthly and provide recommendations on all things Wynwood-related. Although he’s been here two years, Mr. Curitore said he still gets goose bumps when he walks around the neighborhood because there’s always something new. “The neighborhood has got a lot to look forward to,” Mr. Lombardi said. “We’re in the third inning of a nine-inning game.”
WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015
WYNWOOD & MIDTOWN
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Wynwood hosts 80 art galleries, collections Traffic calming, electronic signs to control roads
BY CATHERINE LACKNER
While there has been some churn in the market, ever-increasing rents in Wynwood haven’t forced out the galleries and art dealers that made the district famous. “Like any major urban neighborhood, Wynwood is going through changes,” said Tom Curitore, executive director of the Wynwood Business Improvement District. Some galleries have moved, “which is not unique to Wynwood,” he said. “When that happens, another gallery quickly moves into the space. We have the highest concentration of art in all of South Florida,” with more than 80 galleries and art collections, Mr. Curitore said. The Business Improvement District comprises 50 square blocks. “This is a story of Miami growing,” said Joe Furst, Goldman Properties managing director for Wynwood. “There are more users, and there is more than one neighborhood for the arts and culture business. That’s a great thing. “But it’s not like all the galleries are leaving Wynwood for Little River or downtown. New galleries are still arriving,” said Mr. Furst, who chairs the business improvement district. Two new galleries have recently moved in or are expanding, Mr. Curitore said. Parmigiani moved from Brickell to its current space at 285 NW 26th St.; Wynwood 28 has been renting property at 97 NW 25th St. and is showing art there, but has now purchased space on Northwest 28th Street. Art galleries are still very much a presence in Wynwood, confirmed Tony Arellano, executive vice president of
BY CATHERINE LACKNER
Photo by Maxine Usdan
Parmigiani gallery moved from Brickell area to its Wynwood space at 285 NW 26th St.
‘It’s not like all the galleries are leaving Wynwood for Little River or downtown. New galleries are still arriving.’ Joe Furst Metro 1 Properties and incoming president of the Commercial Industrial Association of South Florida. He cited the Rubell Family Collection and the Gary Nader Art Centre as two long-standing stakeholders. But the market is changing and evolving, he added. “Nothing is more complex than the business of the art world.”
While being in an edgy, hip area like Wynwood benefits some dealers, paying the ever-increasing rents is not attractive to others, he said. “If you are an emerging gallerist, it serves you better to be in a creative center than to be in a more established area. Artists like being pioneers.” But some high-end galleries close in the summer, and some accept clients by appointment only, so paying rent for an entire year may not be fiscally prudent, he explained. One thing is certain: art is in Wynwood’s DNA, Mr. Arellano said. “Whenever you see explosive gentrification, art and culture are always the seeds.”
Changes on the horizon will affect how people get around the neighborhood, board members of the Wynwood Business Improvement District learned at a meeting last week. By Nov. 20, just in time for Art Basel, the holiday season, and the winter tourist season for travelers from the Northeastern US, traffic calming devices will be installed on Northwest 26th Street at both North Miami and Northwest Second avenues. In addition to pedestrian crosswalks with flashing lights, electronic signs will be erected to advise drivers of their speed and other signage will remind them that Florida law requires motorists to stop for pedestrians within crosswalks. In the next few months, the Miami-Dade Water & Sewer and Public Works departments will begin digging up North Miami Avenue from Northwest Eighth to 36th streets to replace aging sewer lines with new 48-inch water mains. It’s hoped that the three-year project will help prevent flooding, said Tom Curitore, the district’s executive director, but it is also projected to cause some disruption. The district office is planning an information meeting before the project starts to let stakeholders know what to expect and how to plan around it. “I hope [the county departments] will do it in segments,” to reduce traffic problems and pedestrian obstructions, Mr. Curitore said. As soon as more information is available, he said, the improvement district office will disseminate it.
WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015
TODAY’S NEWS
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University enrollments expand, as St. Thomas soars 34% BY MARILYN BOWDEN
Most area colleges and universities find enrollment for the fall semester conforms to expectations. The exception may be St. Thomas University, which saw an appreciable increase in enrollment following some aggressive recruitment strategies. Earlier this year, Dr. Irma Becerra, St. Thomas’ provost and chief academic officer, said undergraduate enrollment had been gradually decreasing since 2010 and “we are expecting our enrollment at the undergraduate level this year to be flat,” though she anticipated the number of graduate students to increase by about 15% due to the addition of 18 new programs. In fact, total enrollment at St. Thomas this fall totaled 4,672, compared with 3,494 a year ago. Of those, said Msgr. Franklyn M. Casale, the university’s longtime president, 1,181 were graduate students this year, up from 560 a year ago. “This is due to a number of different initiatives,” he said. “First, we now have a significant online presence.” Second, Msgr. Casale said, St. Thomas reduced the cost per credit for graduate programs across the board – by as much as 42% in some cases – to meet market demand. Third, “we included all books in our tuition fees. By buying in bulk, we can negotiate a better deal, and students will have their textbooks on the first day of class.” The increase in undergraduate students, he said, was driven in part by a new program within the Catholic Higher Education Continuum, which establishes
Photo by Maxine Usdan
The University of Miami reported a head count of 11,123 undergraduates this fall, rising from 10,917.
Photo by Maxine Usdan
Barry will court high school students at an open house on Saturday.
links between the Archdiocese of Miami and Catholic schools from pre-K through college. “In seven local Catholic high schools we have established Career Academies,” Msgr. Casale said, “where students
can accumulate almost a full year of credits in a major, so that they can graduate in three years with a BA, or in four with a master’s.” First-time enrollment from Catholic high schools, he said,
saw a 135% increase over last year. Barry University’s total enrollment this fall is 7,971, said Sarah Riley, director of undergraduate admissions, of which 130 are additional fulltime students. “That’s on par with were we wanted to be,” she said. Determining accurate enrollment figures in a large education institution is somewhat arbitrary. Like most colleges and universities, Ms. Riley said, Barry chooses a single “snapshot day” in October, coinciding with the end of the dropout/ add-on period, to count heads. “These are the numbers reported to the IPEDS” – the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, a system of interrelated surveys conducted annually by the National Center for Education Statistics. “But
there is always a certain amount of fluidity.” Barry also plans to court high school students this year. They’re invited to a Saturday open house Nov. 7 at Barry’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences. High-school student are also welcome to attend a number of events in the spring, such as the annual STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Symposium and the Chemistry and Physics Tournament organized by the Department of Physical Sciences. “This year we will also have our first Math Olympiad,” Ms. Riley said, “for college-bound high-school students.” The University of Miami, which earlier anticipated “a similar academic profile to prior years,” according to John Haller, vice president of enrollment management, reported a head count of 11,123 undergraduate students this fall, a slight increase over the 10,917 listed on its website for the fall 2014 semester. The most popular programs are Biology (654 students), Economics (622, including 442 in the College of Arts and Sciences and 180 in the School of Business) and Finance (576 students). Florida International University’s vice president for academic affairs, Elizabeth M. Bejar, stated in an email last summer that enrollment had risen steadily from 44,010 in 2010 to 54,099 last year. The top three majors for the current semester, according to FIU’s Office of Planning and Institutional Research, are General Psychology (4,286), General Biology (3,983), and Business Administration and Management (1,873).
Regional planning council picks an inside executive director BY MARILYN BOWDEN
South Florida Regional Planning Council’s Board of Directors has chosen Isabel Cosio Carballo, the council’s director of public affairs since 2011, as its executive director, subject to contract negotiations. She succeeds James F. Murley, who was tapped by Mayor Carlos Gimenez to head Miami-Dade County’s new Office of Resilience. Ms. Carballo also agreed to become interim director, for which she will be paid her current salary plus half the difference between that and what Mr. Murley was making, said Samuel S. Goren, legal counsel for the regional planning agency. The appointment began Tuesday, 19 years to the day since she came on board as regional coordinator of the council’s Eastward Ho! – a six-county urban redevelopment and revitalization initiative undertaken in partnership with the Florida Department of Community Affairs and other federal, state and regional stakeholders. “Eastward Ho! is the urban side of Everglades restoration,”
Ms. Carballo said. “It’s all about changing the conversation so that we were recognizing and using our assets without disturbing the region’s quality of life.” Beginning in January 2010, she headed the Southeast Florida Regional Partnership in tandem with the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council and other regional partners. The seven-county partnership successfully applied to HUD’s inaugural Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program: the Southeast Florida region was named one of 45 Sustainable Communities in the nation, securing a $4.25 million planning grant. In addition to nearly 20 years with the council, Ms. Carballo brings to the directorship a background in business and government. She was chief of staff to now US Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Miami during his terms in both the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate, and later worked with Broward County’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs as a legislative consultant and lobbyist, with expertise in environ-
‘There’s a need for more policy discussions in this area. We need to pull together conversations with our partners to see how our individual efforts can work together.’ Isabel Cosio Carballo
mental issues. Two weeks ago, Mr. Goren said, the board’s executive committee opted for an unusual approach to finding a new executive director. “They agreed to post for in-
ternal candidates and board members,” he said. “There were three applications: Isabel Cosio Carballo, board chair Sandra Walters and a third board member who later pulled his application.” After reviewing the applications, he said, the committee recommended Ms. Carballo, subject to full board approval. The board had several options, Mr. Goren said – to accept the recommendation and direct a contract by negotiation decision; to reject the recommendation and perhaps begin a more global search for candidates; to appoint a staff member as interim director on a temporary basis – “but they had a judiciary obligation to do something.” The full board meeting, held Monday, began with much discussion. “Several thought that we should spread a larger net,” Mr. Goren said, “but all agreed that we already had the best candidates. “Broward County Commissioner Martin Kiar made the point that it’s not enough for the executive director to be a planning
expert. South Florida is uniquely different from the rest of Florida, and the successful candidate needs to know South Florida.” In the end, he said, the selection of Ms. Carballo was “virtually unanimous.” “As I look to the future as director,” Ms. Carballo said Tuesday afternoon, “there are a couple of majors things I’d like to do. “There’s a need for more policy discussion in this area. We need to pull together conversations with our partners to see how our individual efforts can work together for better outcomes. “I’d like to see us kick it up a notch to become a regional think tank. I think we can play a unique role as a strong data source. We’ve started talking about Data Commons, a collaborative space where we all can work together. “I believe I have a great board committed to helping us to be even more successful at working with our partners – making sure we’re listening to what it is that will add value to what they do, and working to help fill those gaps.”
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WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2015