WEEK OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015
A Singular Voice in an Evolving City
WWW.MIAMITODAYNEWS.COM $4.00
FINANCIAL TRENDS
Regional Federal Reserve head offers rosy area outlook, pg. 14 CONSTRUCTION ORDERS SKYROCKET: Contracts for future construction in MiamiDade and Broward counties rose 52% last year, a report released last week by Dodge Data & Analytics showed. Total contract values for the year were $10 billion, up from $6.6 billion in 2013. Residential contracts in the area last year were up 62%, from $4.1 billion to $6.6 billion, while nonresidential contracts rose 35%, from $2.5 billion to $3.4 billion. The gains accelerated in December, Dodge reported, when residential contracts for future work rose 91% from $337 million to $643 million and nonresidential construction contracts for the future rose almost fivefold, from $135 million to $658 million.
Few local governments covered for vital pension liability, pg. 15
THE ACHIEVER
BY LIDIA DINKOVA
PARKING MAKES LOTS: Rate-making flexibility that allows Miami’s Department of Off-Street Parking to increase its rates an average of 3% a year without city commission approval helped earn the department’s $68.7 million in outstanding bonds from 1998 and 2009 an “A” rating affirmation and a stable outlook from Fitch Ratings bond rating agency last week. Fitch noted that parking revenues rose 3.7% in the past fiscal year to $28.7 million and that the department “holds a monopolistic position over essential on-street parking spaces in the Miami central business district, which account for about 50% of operating revenues.” Revenues rose 3.7% in the fiscal year while operating expenses rose 4.2%, primarily due to higher maintenance costs, Fitch said. Revenue per space in the fiscal year rose from $1,154 to $1,308, “driven by a 20.2% increase in parking lots revenue per space.” The department owns or manages nearly 36,000 parking spaces. VISUALIZING POSSIBILITIES: The Miami Lighthouse for the Blind has received a grant from the Able Foundation to run the High School High Tech program at the Lighthouse. High school students who are blind, visually impaired or have other learning disabilities will attend sessions Saturdays during the school year, daily during spring break and perhaps in summer during which they will be exposed to talks by experts in areas like radio production, social media for fun and profit, gardening to grow their own food and other people’s, recycling everything, radio journalism and music for people. The students will gain experience in figuring out what areas they might like to work in through career and skills assessment tests and discussion, doing job interviews, shadowing jobs, attending short internships, and longer ones in the summer. The starting group is 30 students, ages 14-22.
Adam Goldstein
Photo by Marlene Quaroni
Running fast in competitive global cruise industry The profile is on Page 4
City charts a waterways course to sink gridlock BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS
Miami city commissioners, fed up with ever-growing traffic congestion, are ready to consider the area’s vast waterways for new modes of transportation. Commissioners voted to urge the MiamiDade Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) to study the feasibility of using waterways to transport people throughout the county and review legislation needed to get water transportation flowing. Commissioners didn’t want to limit the study’s scope or the potential modes of transportation. They mentioned everything from water taxis to large ferries and even a gondola lift. In Miami, getting all those people from Point A to Point B in a timely fashion is becoming the challenge of the day. Commissioners bemoaning traffic gridlock began to talk about using the water – Biscayne Bay, the Miami River and tributaries. Chairman Wifredo “Willy” Gort raised the subject. “I’d like to take to the MPO for consideration water public transportation,” he said. “I think with as much waterways that
AGENDA
Cruises set passenger port record
we have here, there should be a system where we can transport people at fixed hours, especially in the mornings and peak hours, and get a lot of the cars off the streets. And I’d like to recommend that Commissioner [Francis] Suarez bring it up at the MPO,” where he represents the city. Mr. Gort suggested exploring ways to transport people over the water, connecting Miami Beach with Dinner Key and Key Biscayne, and other areas. “Right now Miami Beach is beginning to ask for it, Key Biscayne is beginning to ask for it, and we’ve had people in the past who wanted to create [water] taxi routes,” Mr. Gort said. “That sounds great,” said Commissioner Keon Hardemon. “When I was in Hong Kong, I actually took a water taxi, one of the preferred modes of transportation, and it’s not very expensive the way they did it.” Hong Kong uses all modes, he said. “They had cabs, trains, trolleys, water taxis, every mode of transportation that you think you can take… they utilized.” Mr. Suarez praised the idea. “I absolutely think you’ve got a great idea there, Mr. Chair. I’ll definitely push it,” he
said, moving to approve a resolution he can take to the MPO. Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, in support of the waterways study, mentioned proposals to link the City of Miami with Miami Beach. He said a proposal to build a hard rail link to the island and back, basically a “U” route, could cost upwards of $2 billion. “Big money,” he said. But the estimated cost of a gondola lift is about $200 million, Mr. Sarnoff said. He didn’t want to limit the scope of the waterways study. “Let’s leave it very expansive. What is the best use of the waterways? Is it with a cable system? Is it under a more traditional ferry system? Is it private, is it public, is it a mixture of the two?” Mr. Sarnoff asked. Mr. Gort said, “When you travel throughout the world you see the waterways being used by public transportation. There is a great need for us to improve our public transportation… we’ve got to utilize everything we can.” “This benefits everyone, not just the city of Miami,” Mr. Gort concluded. “This will help everyone.”
A record in cruise passengers – nearly 4.8 million – sailed through PortMiami last year. That’s a 17% gain from 2013, when about 4.08 million came through, according to PortMiami. Passengers are counted twice, when they board and when they disembark. PortMiami attributes the increase to the addition of two new cruise ships. MSC Cruises, based in Switzerland, began sailing its MSC Divina from the port. Also, Norwegian Cruise Lines, based in Miami-Dade, started sailing its Norwegian Getaway, which can accommodate nearly 4,000 passengers. While passenger traffic hit a record, cargo loads dipped. Last year, 877,000 TEUs, an industry measurement indicating a 20-foot long standard cargo container, came through the port. That’s 2.7% less than the number handled in 2013. “It’s definitely not a significant drop,” said Kevin Lynskey, PortMiami deputy director. Over the past decade, port cargo throughput has been 800,000 to 1 million TEUs, he said. The port has lost some of the market partly because ports in the Gulf of Mexico have worked to capture some of that cargo. “Florida has had an extremely strong presence in all the Caribbean Americas straits for decades, almost unnaturally high, and competing ports have spent a lot of time going after that business,” Mr. Lynskey said. But, he added, PortMiami will soon catch up – and surpass the 1 million TEUs mark in the next five years. “That’s not just due to the Panama Canal expansion but we’re seeing some growth in our carriers,” he said. “We’re getting containers from lines that have not been here for a few years, and then we are seeing our existing carriers start to pick up traffic a little bit.” “I really think,” he added, “it’s only in the next half decade when we will leave a million [TEUs] behind.”
PARTNER SOUGHT TO BUILD OVER OMNI BUS TERMINAL ...
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TRAFFIC CALLED OUR BIGGEST ECONOMIC CHALLENGE ...
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VIEWPOINT: INCENTIVES DEALS HAVE TO BE SPECIFIC ...
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BANKS ADAPT AS HOME-LOAN APPLICANTS INCREASE ...
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WYNWOOD’S IMPROVEMENTS DISTRICT MAY EXPAND ...
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TERM LIMITS BIG QUESTION IN CITY CHARTER REVIEW ...
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COMMISSION MOVES TO ALTER 20TH STREET’S NATURE ... 11
WILL WE SWAP ONE AGED COURTHOUSE FOR ANOTHER? ... 18
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MIAMI TODAY
TODAY’S NEWS
WEEK OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015
THE INSIDER MAKING ROOM: A crescent-shaped portion of a public roadway will be closed in Edgewater at the request of a developer building several towers on waterfront property. Miami commissioners have approved abandoning for public use the curved portion of the right-of-way at Northeast 32nd Street and Seventh Avenue. The Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board recommended the move. The site is part of The Related Group’s planned 272-unit residential tower One Parasio. Planning Director Francisco Garcia said it will mean better use of the site and help bring a park to the community. Commissioner Marc Sarnoff said of the move, “It’s a little less than an acre of park space we didn’t have before.” FULL SAILS: Sailboats will be on display this month at Bayside downtown. Miami city commissioners approved an agreement with NMMA Boat Shows Inc. for use of docks at city-owned Miamarina at Bayside for the presentation of the Strictly Sail Miami, a venue of the Miami International Boat Show, from Feb. 6-18. The boat show has presented the Strictly Sail venue at Miamarina since 1999, providing exposure of the city’s marina to an estimated 100,000 annual attendees from around the world, say promoters. This event is expected to generate about $54,000 in revenue for the city. LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR: The Miami Marlins donated $2,500 to the Miami River Commission, presenting the commission with an oversized check at its February meeting. Ryan McCoy, vice president of sales and service for the Marlins, presented the check for all the good work of the commission, “right down the road from our ball park.” The river commission leases office and meeting room space at the Robert King High housing complex on Northwest Seventh Street, across from Marlins Park and adjacent to the river. Horacio Stuart Aguirre, commission chair, complimented the ball Horacio S. Aguirre club on its care for the area. “You keep your property in immaculate condition,” he said. “You’re a great neighbor.” For about a year, Marlins players and staff have helped out at river cleaning and maintenance events, painting murals, planting vegetation, picking up debris and more. FULLY LEASED WAREHOUSE SELLS: Terreno Realty Corp. bought a 107,000-square-foot industrial facility for $9,875,000 from ProCom Properties LLC. The warehouse at 10100 NW 25th St. in Miami’s Airport West-Doral area is 100% leased by impact-resistant window and door manufacturer CGI Windows and Doors Inc. It sits on five acres near the Florida’s Turnpike - Dolphin Expressway interchange. The structure, built in 1974, features 25 dock-high and six grade-level loading positions. Cushman & Wakefield’s industrial brokerage team members executive director Wayne Wayne Ramoski Ramoski and senior associate Gian Rodriguez represented both parties in the transaction. CITY CENTRE VP: Gonzalo Cortabarría has been appointed senior vice president of Swire Properties Inc. and will oversee leasing and operations for the company’s mixed-use Brickell City Centre, Swire announced Tuesday. He had been responsible for South Florida development and asset management for national developer Hines and played a key role in the opening of Hines’ offices in Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires. “As one of the largest mixed-use developments in the country, Brickell City Centre required an individual with a work history steeped in the multiple facets of development,” said Gonzalo Cortabarria Stephen Owens, president of Swire Properties Inc., in a written release. Originally from Montevideo, Uruguay, Mr. Cortabarría has an undergraduate degree in architecture, an MBA and a master’s in real estate from MIT. WEST MIAMI-DADE APP: If you live in West Miami-Dade County and want to find out where’s the nearest ice cream shop, now there’s an App for that. The West End Living smartphone application is now available on iPhones. It will soon be available for download on Android devices. The App, which is free to download, includes information about area events, businesses and parks. It also links to the Miami-Dade Transit Tracker App, which provides information on county-run mass transit. The App also has a ‘near me’ tab that allows users to find businesses, events and Juan Zapata parks near their locations. The App targets residents and visitors to West Miami-Dade, specifically county commission District 11. A partnership among community members in the western part of the county; Miami-Dade County’s IT as well as Community Information and Outreach departments; and Commissioner Juan Zapata, who represents part of West Miami-Dade, created the West End Living App. POPULATION GROWTH: The US Census Bureau released population numbers as of December 2014 showing 19,893,297 people in Florida. Compared with data for the same time in 2013, this shows an annual growth of 282,986 and daily growth of 803. The Census Bureau didn’t show the 2014 increases per county. According to Ron Shuffield, president and CEO of EWM Realty International, we know that 29.73% of the state’s permanent population lives in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Therefore, 29.73% of 803 total “net” new daily residents to Florida in 2014 equals 238 “net” new residents to the three South Florida counties. Miami-Dade and Broward together would be 182 new residents each day. IT’S MUTUAL: The US Small Business Administration South Florida District signed a Strategic Alliance Memorandum with the North Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce on Jan. 22. The purpose is to foster mutual understanding and a working relationship between the two entities to develop and expand small business. CORRECTION: Due to a miscalculation, the amount of water in the tanks at Miami Ocean Studios was incorrectly stated in a Miami Today article. It will be about 4 million cubic feet.
19-story District 36 is to have rental apartments, 66,741 square feet of retail use and 422 parking spaces.
Reduced parking at multi-use tower near Design District gets board OK BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS
The developer of a mixed-use project that would be a neighbor to the Design District earned a positive recommendation from Miami’s Urban Development Review Board, after being deferred for a month over parking concerns. It was one of several matters the board heard Jan. 21. Mack Real Estate Group is the developer of District 36, planned for 3635 NE First Ave. The project was deferred in December for one month by three members of the review board who directed Mack to explore options to increase parking and look at other materials for the façade on the parking levels. District 36 received a positive recommendation Jan. 21 in part because the developer convinced board members the reduced parking would be acceptable, board members who didn’t attend December’s meeting were present for a vote, and the developer presented several new renderings that highlighted design elements in much more detail. District 36 is to be 19 stories, have about 197 rental apartments, 66,741 square feet of retail uses, and provide 422 parking spaces, according to Iris Escarra, an attorney representing Mack. The developer is asking to reduce required parking by up to 10%, a reduction of about 50 spaces. Other requested waivers include allowing one industrial-size loading berth instead of two commercial-size loading berths, and allowing parking above the second story. District 36 is considered a connector project because it is on the northern end of Midtown just south of I-195 and the Design District, and close to Wynwood. Ms. Escarra argued the project could make do with the reduced parking because it’s near the Design District, where lead developer Dacra is building parking structures, and because the site is near public transportation, points she made in December. Board members Anthony Tzamtzis and Neil Hall had expressed concerns about shaving the number of required park-
ing spots, in particular because the Design District is drawing “hordes and hordes of people,” which led to the deferral. Architect Jonathan Cardello of design firm ADD Inc., now with Stantec, had argued that the project’s central location, where multiple interesting destinations can be reached on foot, encourages walking. Board member Dean B. Lewis said last week the project is close to a 12-story parking structure under construction that will have room for 1,000 vehicles. He said that fact justifies the parking waiver. District 36 is to include 127 one-bedroom units, 67 two-bedroom units and three three-bedroom units, and two complete floors of retail space. The Lshaped building will be positioned on the site in an effort to keep most of the square footage away from the noisy highway, according to Mr. Cardello. The south elevation is to have continuous retail uses, which then wrap around the corner of Northeast 36th Street and First Avenue. In December, board members ask the developer to consider other materials for the façade of the parking levels that weren’t so bland. At the latest meeting the architectural firm had more detailed drawings showing the metal panels in a basket-weave pattern on the parking levels, which earned compliments from some board members. Haven Peaden of ADD Inc. said the panels are quite reflective and the overall surface changes appearance. “It changes throughout the day. It’s not bland,” she said. In other action, the board recommended approval of a mixedused tower for the Omni neighborhood. The as-yet-unnamed project includes a 36-story tower at 1900 Biscayne Blvd., to include 429 rental apartments and 12,650 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. The developer is asking for a reduction in required parking by up to 30%, from 718 spaces to 502, according to assistant planner David Snow. Another waiver request is to allow 81% lot coverage instead of the allowed 80%.
Attorney Ben Fernandez appeared on behalf of owner and developer Atlas Capital Group of New York, which he described as a residential development company. Mr. Fernandez described the one-acre site as interesting and extremely rectangular. The current land use classification and zoning allows 36 stories by right, he said. With bonuses they could go to 60 stories, but that was not the desire of Atlas, Mr. Fernandez said. The tower will house 253 onebedroom units, 149 two-bedroom units and 27 studio apartments. A large amenity deck is planned with a swimming pool, as is a small pocket park. Board member Gerald C. Marston said he like the idea of the pocket park. Mr. Fernandez said the development encourages the use of mass transit, being so close to downtown and just a few blocks from a Metromover station. Architect Kobi Karp showed the board renderings of the tower, pointing out large glass panels wrapping around the lobby. The retail will be established along Biscayne Boulevard. A model was also on display, which earned the praise of Mr. Lewis, who called it an excellent presentation.
WEEK OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015
TODAY’S NEWS
MIAMI TODAY
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Developer sought over Omni bus terminal in transit deals push BY LIDIA DINKOVA
Imagine a mixed-use development rising above what today is the Omni bus terminal in Miami. Also imagine a renovated bus terminal on the ground floor of that development. Miami-Dade County has formally solicited applications from developers to build mixed-use development atop the Omni bus terminal and also to renovate the station. The county has already issued the request for proposals (RFP). “As part of the RFP, the contractor is required to redevelop our bus terminal. That’s why more than likely we don’t see any opportunity other than a bus terminal on the ground floor,� said Albert Hernandez, assistant director of engineering, planning and development at Miami-Dade Transit. The solicitation is the latest nod toward creating a live-workplay neighborhood by buildingout the areas around mass transit stations. The concept is referred to as transit-oriented development. Transit-oriented developments have been touted as a way to attract more mass transit riders as well as to provide amenities for these riders at the transit stations. “What really drives transit is having places where people play, live and work,� Mr. Hernandez said at a recent Transit Summit held at Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus. Miami-Dade Transit had recently issued a similar solicitation for its Douglas Road Metrorail station, essentially seeking transit-oriented development there.
Photo by Maxine Usdan
Developers near transit corridors get 30% or more reduction in required parking, said Javier Betancourt.
Another prominent transit-oriented development to come in Miami is the Eighth Street Metromover station that’s to be revitalized and incorporated within the Brickell City Centre development. Such deals have been referred to as public-private partnerships of sorts as the public sector provides the land where the development is to rise, and the private sector builds the project. “We put out long-term leases through requests for proposals to solicit interest from the community,� Mr. Hernandez said, explaining transit-oriented developments. “Developers come in and develop on our property. Incentives for developers are you pay no tax on the land; on the development, they do. It’s an additional revenue source for us through minimum rent and participation rent.�
Commission defers raise of 3.5% in transit funding Miami-Dade County commissioners last week formally deferred for up to five years a funding increase that had been pledged for transportation but made clear that they expected the money to be replaced – and then some – within two years. At the request of the administration, Commissioner Dennis Moss had moved last October to defer the $5.8 million addition transportation funding that would grow the amount the county was spending from its general fund on transportation by 3.5% from the prior year. In 2005, Mayor Carlos Gimenez told commissioners, the county was spending $111 million yearly on transportation and had been increasing the fund by 3.5% a year until it hit $167 million last year. This year it was scheduled to rise, but the commission vote froze the spending at $167 million for another year. Next year the transportation funding from the general fund is to be $173.744 million, budget chief Jennifer Moon told commissioners. Commission Chairman Jean Monestime noted that a 15.5% increase is planned in fiscal 2016 and a 13.8% increase in fiscal
2017, which would bring the total up about $40 million in all in annual transportation spending. Not included in the totals are receipts from the People’s Transportation Plan, a half percent transportation tax that voters approved to increase transportation funding. After much of the receipts from that tax were shifted to maintain earlier transportation efforts rather than to add to funding and to the public transportation system, generating public outcry, commissioners formally guaranteed the 3.5% annual increase from the general fund. Mr. Moss said at last week’s meeting that the vote was to formally record the commission’s intent to restore the $5.8 million that was being deferred this year, putting on the record that the administration is committed to make up the difference, “so that there is something in writing that will hold our feet to the fire� in the future. Mr. Moss said several times that this year’s $5.8 million increment went to maintain police salaries and other key county needs in a tight budget year. Commissioners voted 10-1 to withhold the money this year, with Juan Zapata voting no.
The county’s transit department doesn’t sell property that was in the past purchased with federal funds, like the Omni bus terminal was, but rather it enters into long-term leases with the
developer, Mr. Hernandez told Miami Today after the summit. The recent nod toward transitoriented developments is evident even in the way municipalities have structured their codes.
The City of Miami’s zoning code, Miami 21, provides developers with incentives for building close to mass transit. A developer who builds within a quarter mile of a transit corridor gets a 30% reduction of required parking, Miami Downtown Development Authority Deputy Director Javier Betancourt said at the Transit Summit. If the developer is building affordable housing near a transit corridor, the parking requirement is reduced 50%, Mr. Betancourt said. Aside from transit-oriented development, another type of mass-transit-related phenomenon has been on the rise. Downtown Miami is referred to as a transitoriented neighborhood. “It’s the one place where you can live a comfortable lifestyle without a car,� Mr. Betancourt said. “We don’t have analytical [data], but I’m convinced that it’s the transit that’s really acted as a catalyst for the development we have been witnessing for the past decade.�
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, February 10, 2015, a 9:30 AM t 0SEJOBODF relating to Rules of Procedure of the Board of County Commissioners; amending Section 2-1 of the Code, regarding preparation of Ordinances and Resolutions t 0SEJOBODF related to conducting Criminal History Record Checks; creating Section 2-30 of the Code; codifying and revising the authority to conduct Criminal History Record Checks on certain County employees, appointees, contractors, vendors, repair persons, and delivery persons in accordance with state law t 0SEJOBODF relating to cooperative purchasing; authorizing the County to participate as a lead public agency for U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance t 0SEJOBODF pertaining to Small Business Enterprise Program; amending Section 2-8.1.1.1.1 of the Code to require payment to prime vendors of undisputed amounts within fourteen calendar days of receipt Unincorporated Municipal Service Area (UMSA) Cmte. Meeting – Tuesday, February 10, 2015, at 2:00 PM Transit & Mobility Services (TMS) Cmte. Meeting – Wednesday, February 11, 2015, at 9:30 AM t 3FTPMVUJPO approving a new Miami-Dade Transit Bus Route, the Westchester Circulator, for implementation on or after June 1, 2015 t 0SEJOBODF amending by a two-thirds vote of the Commission Membership Section 29-124 of the Code by eliminating fare free transportation service on Metromover` t 0SEJOBODF amending by a two-thirds vote of the Commission Membership Section 29-124 of the Code to expand Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust review to all contracts procured by or on behalf of Miami-Dade Transit regardless of funding source t 3FTPMVUJPO revising Uniform Taxicab Meter Rates for for-hire vehicles t 3FTPMVUJPO BQQSPWJOH BQQMJDBUJPO GPS POF $FSUJmDBUF PG 5SBOTQPSUBUJPO UP FRO LLC d/b/a Party Angels Transportation t 3FTPMVUJPO BQQSPWJOH BQQMJDBUJPO GPS POF $FSUJmDBUF PG 1VCMJD $POWFOJFODF BOE /FDFTTJUZ UP Starlight Transportation Services, Inc. t 3FTPMVUJPO BQQSPWJOH BQQMJDBUJPO GPS POF $FSUJmDBUF PG 1VCMJD $POWFOJFODF BOE /FDFTTJUZ UP Trinity Assistance Group, LLC t 3FTPMVUJPO authorizing Miami-Dade Transit to implement new Interstate 95 Dade/Broward Express Bus Service Metropolitan Services (MS) Cmte. Meeting – Wednesday, February 11, 2015, at 2:00 PM t 0SEJOBODF relating to Historic Preservation; amending Section 16a-10 of the Code, pertaining to owner-initiated petitions for designation t 0SEJOBODF relating to motor vehicle repair; amending Sections 8a-161.1, 8a-161.3, 8a-161.34 and 8a-161.34.1 of the Code; modifying exemptions pertaining to motor vehicle repair; modifying paint and body repair facility subcontracting provisions t 0SEJOBODF relating to motor vehicle repair; amending Sections 8a-161.1, 8a-161.26, and 8a-161.27 of the Code; providing recognition of mechanics certiďŹ cation examination by American Advanced Technicians Institute (AATI) Trade & Tourism (TT) Cmte. Meeting – Thursday, February 12, 2015, at 9:30 AM Economic Prosperity (EP) Cmte. Meeting – Thursday, February 12, 2015, at 2:00 PM t 0SEJOBODF FTUBCMJTIJOH &MEFSMZ )PVTJOH 4FU "TJEF *ODFOUJWF GPS $PVOUZ GVOEFE "GGPSEBCMF 3FOUBM )PVTJOH BOE )PNFPXOFSTIJQ 1SPKFDUT creating Chapter 17, Article XII of the Code entitled “Miami-Dade County Affordable Housing Set Aside Incentive for the Elderlyâ€? All interested parties may appear and be heard at the time and place speciďŹ ed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or send email to: agendco@miamidade.gov.
)"37&: 367*/ $-&3, $)3*4501)&3 "(3*11" %&165: $-&3, For legal ads online, go to http://legalads.miamidade.gov
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TODAY’S NEWS
MIAMI TODAY
WEEK OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015
3 a.m. Wynwood bar closings ‘way too early’: commissioner BY CATHERINE LACKNER
The much-anticipated Art Basel crowds left Wynwood buzzing but nearly free of crime, directors of the Wynwood Business Improvement District learned last week. During the week of parties and shows, there were only five incidents, including a car breakin and a bar fight, police said. “We have a lot of cool ideas, things we’re working on with Tom,” said Commander Jose Rodriguez, referring to Tom Curitore, district executive director. He said he never felt compelled to visit Art Basel Miami Beach. “It was so good walking around and seeing everyone enjoying Wynwood. Why would I leave?” Since the district began employing off-duty officers to augment the efforts of local police, “We have provided 10,000 hours of security,” Mr. Curitore said. In addition, crews have started pressure-washing the sidewalks and have removed 3,000 bags of
Photo by Maxine Usdan
“The energy here is amazing,” said Miami Commissioner Keon Hardemon, who seeks later bar closings.
“The energy here is amazing,” improvement district’s board garbage. Efforts continue to remove graffiti “tags” on walls as said Keon Hardemon, Miami com- meeting. Wynwood lies within missioner, who was visiting the his district. “I can understand soon as they are discovered.
Wynwood BID might expand, pull in130 firms
VISIBILITY IS ALL THAT MATTERS FOR RESULTS
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why you never have to travel to Miami Beach.” He said he passed through Wynwood on his way to an event at the Lyric Theater and was impressed with its vitality. “One thing is on my radar, though, and that’s the hours for alcohol,” he said. “They stop serving at 2:30 or 3 a.m., and that’s way too early.” While he said he wouldn’t encourage a wild bar scene, “We want to give our business owners the opportunity to be competitive” with other districts. “The night doesn’t end that early.” Laws in Miami concerning when alcohol can be sold are patchy and largely depend on the district, observers say. While Wynwood businesses are to stop serving at 3 a.m., bars elsewhere in the city can serve until 5 a.m., Mr. Curitore said after the meeting. In the nearby Entertainment District, they can remain open all night, so it’s likely Wynwood loses some business to that area.
The Wynwood Business Improvement District, founded a little more than one year ago but already hailed as a success, might grow to include more territory and 130 more businesses if a boundary expansion drive succeeds. A map of properties within the district “is porous, like Swiss cheese,” said board member David Polinsky, who is a member of the group’s planning committee. Most owners in the area would support a BID expansion, he said. “We need to talk to our neighbors.” The district now comprises 50 square blocks stretching from Northwest 20th to 29th streets, from North Miami Avenue west to Northwest Fifth Avenue. The plan would push the western boundary to Northwest Sixth Avenue and the eastern line to the Florida East Coast Railway tracks, which meander to the northeast diagonally through the district from North Miami Avenue and Northeast Second Avenue. The new BID would include both sides of Northwest 20th and 29th streets. “Today we are providing services, so these properties are already receiving benefits,” said Mr. Polinksy, who is a principal of 250 Wynwood. “We are receiving calls now,” confirmed Tom Curitore, BID executive director. “They tell us there is trash on the sidewalk, or they have similar issues.” To be approved, 51% of owners in the proposed new district must vote in favor of the measure, Mr. Polinsky said. He said he hopes to have a ballot drawn up by June. “We may have to get out and knock on doors to push for this,” Mr. Curitore said.
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MIAMI TODAY
FINANCIAL TRENDS
WEEK OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015
Regional Federal Reserve executive has rosy local outlook BY SUSAN DANSEYAR
With employment rates strengthening and robust loan growth over the past year, the financial outlook for South Florida is optimistic, said Karen Gilmore, vice president, regional executive for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Miami branch. The unemployment rate in Miami and Fort Lauderdale combined was 6.3% a year ago and down to 5.5% at the end of November, in line with the rest of the state, Ms. Gilmore said. Employment trends were quite positive over the past year, she said, and there’s no reason to think it won’t continue to be healthy in South Florida going forward. “We talk to a lot of employers, CEOs and business owners and they’re looking for talent at a number of levels,” she said. Banks in South Florida have seen significant loan growth in 2014, both for residential and commercial, Ms. Gilmore said, adding that in the fourth quarter of 2013, loan growth was more than 10% and there was positive growth during each quarter of 2014. “We anticipate growth
Photo by Marlene Quaroni
Business owners are “looking for talent at a number of levels,” said Regional Executive Karen Gilmore.
will continue to be strong,” she ward trend in non-performing assets, with the quality of said. Moreover, Ms. Gilmore said, banks’ portfolios improving. The Miami area always has there has been a good down-
weather in its favor, Ms. Gilmore said. It’s a very strong attraction in the winter months when the rest of the nation is
snowed in, she said. “We are also seeing that Miami is a very attractive investor market,” Ms. Gilmore said. “The real estate segment is a draw for South Americans and has broadened for Europe, with an increasing interest from China.” As for what to watch for in the next few months, Ms. Gilmore said an area that will need continued monitoring is the value of the dollar. Given the international business and tourism here, she said, the strength of the dollar will probably influence the import/export business as well as the number of visitors. The Federal Reserve Bank is focused on the state’s wage growth, Ms. Gilmore said. “In general, there has not been much wage inflation so it’s an area we’re particularly interested in now.” A national issue that filters down to local jurisdictions is the wealth gap and income inequality and how it influences communities, Ms. Gilmore said. The Federal Reserve Bank looks at that on a macro level, she said, but community leaders in Miami-Dade have identified this as something to watch and help mitigate.
Jury still out on direct impact of foreign tax compliance act BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS
The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act was enacted in 2010 by Congress to target noncompliance by US taxpayers using foreign accounts. It took another four years for the law to take effect. The bulk of the burden from the legislation falls on foreign banks, or foreign financial institutions as the law specifically refers to them. Miami banks are impacted administratively by facing yet one more level of regulation, according to David Schwartz, CEO of the Florida International Bankers Association. It’s too soon to tell the overall direct impact of the new law, as its effective date finally occurred July 1, 2014, and there was still some give and take allowed for filing forms and signing up, through Dec. 31, 2014, on the part of countries amenable to cooperating with the US. The US Treasury Department has declared that the act has become “the global standard for promoting tax transparency.” The federal agency wants the act to be successful, of course, said Mr. Schwartz. The act requires foreign financial institutions to report to the IRS information about fi-
More regulation: David Schwartz.
nancial accounts held by US taxpayers, or by foreign entities in which US taxpayers hold a substantial ownership interest. The goal is to combat offshore tax evasion and recoup federal tax revenues. Following enactment of the law in 2010, the treasury department worked on and eventually published the Model Intergovernmental Agreement to Improve Tax Compliance and to implement the act. The act also requires US financial institutions to withhold a portion of certain payments made to foreign financial institutions that do not agree to identify and report information on US account holders. Governments have two options for complying with the
act: they can either permit their foreign financial institutions to enter into agreements with the IRS or they can themselves enter into intergovernmental agreements with the US. To date, the US has 55 signed intergovernmental agreements. Gaining signed agreements and promises of cooperation from more than 50 countries all over the globe was characterized by the US Treasury as “robust international support” for the act. “I wouldn’t call it a detriment to South Florida banks,” Mr. Schwartz said of the act. “I would say it adds one more regulatory or compliance burden to them to insure their foreign correspondents are complying with the act. If not, it triggers actions US banks must take.” He added, “Banks here have taken all the necessary steps … foreign banks must do the same.” The delay in the implementation of the act was a blessing, affording South Florida banks that were operating on wobbly legs back in 2010 to regain strength and get on a road to profitability, says one banking expert. Now the impact will be lessened, said Ken Thomas, a Miami-based independent banking
Delay vital to banks: Ken Thomas.
consultant and economist. “The banking industry couldn’t prevent this law, so they may have lost the battle but won the war in delaying it. The delay was probably more important than ever [in banks getting through] this difficult period,” said Mr. Thomas. “The bottom line, in my opinion, is that there was an overreaction to this by the banking industry in South Florida,” he said. If the law had taken effect earlier, say 2011 or 2012, “it could have been a much greater impact because so many of our banks were hurting,” Mr. Thomas said, noting that Florida led the nation in bank failures in 2010. Another factor that plays to the benefit of South Florida
banks is that they are up to date, prepared and attuned when it comes to watchful eyes to prevent money laundering, he said. “They have such good programs,” he said. “We are ground zero for all types of anti-money laundering enforcement.” Also, any additional regulatory costs from the act should be offset “by additional profitability the banks are able to achieve because of a much better economy,” Mr. Thomas said. The act resulted in some early negative consequences for some US citizens who live or worked overseas, said Mr. Schwartz. “Many banks didn’t want to have those accounts and many Americans found themselves having their accounts closed by foreign institutions,” he said. Will the law reach the goal intended? Mr. Schwartz said he believes it will. “At the end of the day, the goal – the global goal – for tax transparency is well on its way to being realized,” he said. Florida International Bankers Association is a non-profit trade association founded in 1979. Its membership includes some of the largest financial institutions in the world including major banks from Europe, the US and Latin America that are active in international trade and finance.
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F ILMING These film permits were issued last week by the Miami-Dade County Mayor’s Office of Film & 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. THE MILL GROUP. NY. Ford Focus. Downtown Doral Park. JOINERY. LA. Corona Light. Crandon Park Beach, Ocean Dr./5th St. to 15th St. SOAH FILMS LLC. Coral Gables. ITT Tech Grad 2015. Miami-Dade County Children Courthouse. TELEMUNDO STUDIOS/NBC UNIVERSAL MEDIA LLC. Miami. Dueños del Paraiso. Swale Parking. TELEMUNDO STUDIOS/NBC UNIVERSAL MEDIA LLC. Miami. Tierra de Reyes. Swale Parking. CHORI PERROS PRODUCTIONS. Miami. Ballers. Chapman Field Park. BODEGA PICTURES. California. South Beach Go. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide. D & J PRODUCTIONS LP. LA. The Calling. Trinity Church. CHINEFLIX (INVESTIGATORS 2) INC. Canada. Nowhere to Hide. Unincorporated Miami-Dade County – Driving Shots, Unincorporated Miami-Dade County. INDIE FILM CLUB MIAMI LLC. Miami. Waste Case. Government Center Metrorail Station. FLAMA MEDIA NETWORK LLC. NY. Left Unattended. Miami Beach citywide. BEAUFORT 9 FILMS LLC. NY. Teen Vogue Strictly Ballet. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide, Miami Beach High School, Valdes-Diaz Residence. PARAGON PRODUCTIONS SERVICES. Miami Beach. Stills for 3 People. Miami Beach citywide. FIRST OPTION PRODUCTIONS INC. Miami Beach. Stills for Winners Canada. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide. MKM PRODUCTIONS INC. Miami Beach. Stills for Dorothy. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide. DANNY CARDOZO & CO LLC. Miami. Stills for Venus Swimwear. Arsht Center for Performing Arts.
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M IAMI
STILLMAX. Miami. Stills for Penningtons. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide. SPIKE PRODUCTIONS CORP. Biscayne Park. Stills Peek and Cloppenburg. Miami Beach citywide. KSC STUDIO/KREATE FILMS. Hollywood. Stills for Graco. David T. Kennedy Park, Matheson Hammock Park. PAZIT INC. Coconut Grove. Stills for Sandmar. Countywide, Matheson Hammock Park, Miami Beach citywide. PRO ONE PRODUCTIONS INC. Miami Beach. Stills for Fashion Spring. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide. SPIKE PRODUCTIONS CORP. Biscayne Park. Stills for Fashion World. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide. DENNIS MOSNER PHOTOGRAPHY. New Jersey. Stills for BRU TRU February Miami. Miami Beach citywide, Tropical Park. ROBERT HOLLAND PHOTOGRAPHY. Stuart. Stills for Williams Tenders. Crandon Park Marina, Hobie Beach. PRO ONE PRODUCTIONS INC. Miami Beach. Stills for Fashion House 2. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide. SWANN-NIEMANN INC. Pennsylvania. Stills for Cato early summer. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide. SPIKE PRODUCTIONS CORP. Biscayne Park. Stills for Madeleine. Brickell Bay Dr., Collins Ave. Between 161st St. and 175th St., Hobie Beach, Miami Beach citywide. KSC STUDIO/KREATE FILMS. Hollywood. Stills for Graco. Matheson Hammock Park. MARDEN SMITH. NY. Stills for Editorial. Countywide, Ocean Dr./5th St. to 15th St. SELECT SERVICES INC. Miami. Stills for Elle UK. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide. SELECT SERVICES INC. Miami. Stills for Glamour 2015. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide. TROPICAL PRODUCTIONS MIAMI. Wellington. Stills for Catalog #1. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide. SELECT SERVICES INC. Miami. Stills for French Vogue. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide. SPIKE PRODUCTIONS CORP. Biscayne Park. Stills for Ice Pro Shoot 2. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide. SPIKE PRODUCTIONS CORP. Biscayne Park. Stills for BP Productions. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide. EDUCATION MANAGEMENT CORP. Pennsylvania. Student Project: Little Emma. Downtown Doral Park.
Photo by Maxine Usdan
The shuttered Dyer Federal Courthouse has several problems in housing county courthouse functions.
County studies move of operations from one old courthouse to another BY LIDIA DINKOVA
Photo by Maxine Usdan
“We need strong anti-discrimination laws,” stated Bradley Carlson.
Wynwood’s directors support Competitive Workforce Act in state BY CATHERINE LACKNER
WEEK OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015
R. Carlson, managing partner of Fortis Development Group. “Some municipalities and cities have them, but the whole state is not covered.” Though Florida is a marriageequality state, it is one of 29 states that have not passed laws prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identification. “You can marry someone, go to work, put their picture on your desk and get fired if they don’t like you,” Mr. Carlson said. “There’s a big push to get businesses to sign on.” Because the state’s economy, and that of Miami-Dade County, is dominated by small businesses, he urged fellow attendees who own businesses to sign an online petition supporting the ordinance. Many larger companies have already done so, including the American Airlines Arena, CSX railroad, Marriott Hotels, the Miami Heat, Walt Disney World, Wells Fargo and Winn Dixie.
Directors of the Wynwood Business Improvement District voted unanimously last week to support the Florida Competitive Workforce Act, which outlaws discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identification. Florida Competes, a coalition of employers across the state, is supporting the measure because “the link between strong anti-discrimination laws and the ability to draw the best and the brightest is the reason that 84% of the nation’s largest companies have adopted comprehensive anti-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation and gender identity,” according to its release. “Updating the law will not end discrimination overnight,” the release acknowledges. “However, it will be one more tool to ensure that all people are treated fairly and equally.” “We need strong anti-discrimiDetails: nation laws, because people www.flcompetes.org/ who might want to work here think about that,” said Bradley smallbiz.
Miami-Dade government staff is looking into whether it can move court operations now housed at the county-owned courthouse to a different facility in Miami. So far, preliminary findings aren’t promising since staff has pointed out several issues with relocating court operations to the federally owned David W. Dyer Federal Building and US Courthouse, which is now shuttered. Yet the county isn’t giving up on the proposal and is to continue studying the feasibility. In a memo to commissioners, Mayor Carlos Gimenez said “the county is open to this and any other alternative that can be used to alleviate the space needs at the courts.” The Miami-Dade County Courthouse, 73 W Flagler St., now houses court operations but has structural problems, including mold and leaks. More than that, current court operations have outgrown the 28-floor facility. This courthouse houses 11th Circuit Court operations, in particular circuit and county civil operations as well as probate operations. Commission-approved legislation called for county staff to study whether these operations could be housed at the Dyer Courthouse. Mayor Gimenez’s memo outlines several issues with that. Among them: The Dyer Courthouse is 166,577 square feet – half the size of what the 11th Circuit Court has said it needs. Then there’s something else that could be a potential issue – the Dyer Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. “Staff is looking at the implications given that large portions of the building and ancillary features… must be retained,” Mayor Gimenez said in his memo, referring to the historic listing. National Register historian Jim Gabbert, however, said that a listing on the register doesn’t necessarily prevent a building
from being retrofitted or even demolished. A private owner is free to retrofit his property despite a National Register listing, Mr. Gabbert said. Since the Dyer Courthouse is federally owned, it has an extra layer of protection in terms of the work that could be done on the building. If the federal government wanted to do structural work on the Dyer Courthouse, it would first have to consult with the Florida Bureau of Historic Preservation as well as with parties that demonstrate interest in the property. Even then, however, the federal government isn’t restricted from proceeding with work the state historic preservation office says would adversely impact the building’s historic character. “The state historic preservation office has no authority over the federal agency, but the federal agency is required by law to consult with them,” Mr. Gabbert said. The same process would apply to the county or to any other entity that might control the Dyer building the future. If the federal government decided to turn over the Dyer Courthouse to another entity by either selling or leasing the building, that transfer would come with a restrictive covenant on the courthouse, Mr. Gabbert said. The covenant would obligate the buyer or renter to also consult with the state historic preservation office regarding any retrofitting it wants to do on the property. “So let’s say the federal government does transfer this building to Miami-Dade for use as an auxiliary courthouse, that transfer would most likely entail restrictive covenants that say, ‘If we give this to you, you must respect the historic character of the building and submit any planned changes to the state historic preservation office,’” Mr. Gabbert said. Ultimately, if the county or the federal government decides to retrofit the courthouse despite protests from the state historic
preservation office, they would do a mitigation of sorts. “That may be creating an archival record of what was there before it was demolished,” Mr. Gabbert said. Aside from straightening out issues with the building’s historic designation, Mayor Gimenez’s memo outlines other issues with possibly using the Dyer Courthouse for county court operations. Among them: The General Services Administration, the federal entity that owns the Dyer building, says $60 million is needed to bring the building up to code and to refurbish it to make it suitable to house modern offices. Miami-Dade staff is validating that figure, Mayor Gimenez said in his memo. The Dyer Courthouse is connected underground to the nearby C. Clyde Atkins US Courthouse. The buildings would have to be separated for “security reasons,” according to the mayor’s memo. Miami Dade College and the federal government are now concluding negotiations for the school to sign a long-term lease for the Dyer building. The Dyer Courthouse, which opened in 1933 at 300 NE First Ave., is adjacent to the college’s Wolfson Campus. The threestory Mediterranean Revival building is faced in Keystone, a lithified coral quarried near the Florida Keys. Mayor Gimenez’s memo outlined just the preliminary findings as to whether 11th Circuit Court operations could be housed at the Dyer building. More information on the feasibility is to become available in the future. The study is one of numerous avenues the county is looking at to alleviate the space constraints at the existing Miami-Dade County Courthouse. Last year, county voters rejected a referendum that sought approval for the county to issue $393 million in bonds to finance a new courthouse. Taxpayers would have repaid the bonds. Nearly 64% of those who cast ballots voted against the measure.
WEEK OF THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015
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