Miami Today: Week of Thursday, May 28, 2015

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015

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IN THE NEWS

Transit planners hear rail link pleas from South Dade, pg. 14 DOLPHIN STATION, 2017: A new parkand-ride facility will open to west Miami-Dade residents in 2017. The Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX) approved a planning and environmental study May 19 for the park and ride, using a $300,000 Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) grant. The proposed new transit hub, which will be known as Dolphin Station, is planned on land owned by MDX and FDOT at the interchange of the Dolphin Expressway and Florida’s Turnpike. It will serve the Dolphin Mall and the adjacent cities of Sweetwater and Doral. Once it’s is completed, Miami-Dade Transit will operate and maintain the facility.

Almost a year ago, county commissioners Rebeca Sosa and Javier D. Souto sponsored legislation for the bus rapid transit system and made it a top priority at the Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization.

20-story hotel near Edgewater wins a city thumbs-up, pg. 22

THE ACHIEVER

KENDALL PARK-AND-RIDE: A 180-space park-and-ride lot for patrons of the Kendall Cruiser bus service could be open in January 2017 after Miami-Dade commissioners voted 11-0 to approve an agreement for the Florida Department of Transportation to pay half the cost of the $1.75 million project on Florida Power & Light-owned property on Southwest 127th Avenue near Kendall Drive. The county would pay its half of the cost with funds from the half percent sales surtax for transportation projects.

BRAZIL MISSION: The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s AmericasLinkage program is to visit Brazil, the nation with Latin America’s largest economy, June 15-19. Participants on AmericasLinkage trade missions pay their own ways to meet with business and government executives. The flights booked through American Airlines are 30% off in business class, 35% off in coach, available from June 10-23. Registration fees of $600 for members and $750 for others do not include hotel bookings. Details: Liane Ventura, (305) 577-5445.

OPA-LOCKA EXPANDING: Turnberry Airport Holdings LLC is to construct at least 85,000 square feet of aircraft storage and service hangars at Opa-locka Executive Airport under a revised lease agreement with the county that Miami-Dade commissioners approved 11-0. The company is to build two 30,000-square-foot hangars and a 25,000-squarefoot three-story building for general aviation operations and also eight acres of ramp space at the county-owned airport. The company has already invested $22 million at the site based on a loan from Florida Community Bank, and intends to invest another $17 million for the new facilities.

Photo by Marlene Quaroni

Franz Hall

Expanding Jamaica’s business ties with the region The profile is on Page 4

86-year-old bridge to downtown being replaced

BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS

An 86-year-old drawbridge over the Miami River is due for a redo.

The Southwest First Street Bridge carries eastbound traffic into the heart of downtown. The bascule bridge rises and opens to permit water traffic to pass.

More than 8,500 cars a day traverse the span, owned and operated by the Florida Department of Transportation. But the bridge is considered structurally deficient.

State officials have been meeting with Miami officials on the fate of the bridge, which is scheduled for replacement.

Most recently, the status of the transportation department’s plans were discussed May 18 by the Urban Infill and Greenways Subcommittee of the Miami River Commission.

Work to replace the bridge is set to begin in 2018 and be done in 2021. A project list from the state shows the estimated cost of replacing the bridge is $86,962,459.

The bridge was completed in 1929 at a cost of $300,000.

River commission officials learned that the state is through the Project Development & Environment phase and on to preliminary

AGENDA

engineering.

Original plans called for the public riverwalk under the new bridge to be not at the river’s edge – the location the river commission prefers – but away from the water and along South River Drive and North River Drive.

Subcommittee members were generally happy to learn the current plan shows the riverwalk on the water’s edge.

Co-chair Jim Murley said the new design sounded good but he wanted more details. No renderings were presented at the meeting.

Some concern was expressed because the state’s planned riverwalk is very narrow in spots and somewhat secluded from the street.

The state may also be considering reducing driving lanes on the new bridge from the present four to three, and perhaps adding a bike lane.

Those matters are expected to be discussed when a transportation department representative meets with the river commission June 1.

Mr. Murley is also pushing for public art or large murals under the new bridge.

The bridge is one of several bascule bridges on the Miami River.

The book “Historical Highway Bridges of

Florida” says after a successful $2.15 million bond election in 1926, Miami made plans to construct five bridges over the river to facilitate expansion to the south and west of downtown.

“As a navigable waterway, often crowded in those days with vessels hauling supplies into the city, the river required movable spans,” reads the book, published in 2004 by the transportation department’s Environmental Management Office.

The drawbridges on the river – and more directly, the openings of those bridges for water traffic – have been a hot topic in recent years as traffic gridlock in Miami worsens.

The traffic back-ups associated with the opening of the Brickell Avenue Bridge have caused radiators to overheat and tempers to flame.

The added congestion that results from opening that bridge has led to a renewed call to bore a tunnel under the river so vehicular traffic on Brickell Avenue can move unimpeded.

City Commissioner Francis Suarez recently revived the idea, and the river commission unofficially lent its backing.

Wynwood I-95 ramp travels fast A snowballing push to get a ramp from I-95 at 29th Street in Wynwood won another backer last week, this time the organization that plans county transportation.

The Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization unanimously supported board member Audrey Edmonson’s motion urging the Florida Department of Transportation to make a study, adopt a plan and seek funds to built a ramp.

Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami have passed similar resolutions.

At the urging of board member Maurice Ferre, from the Miami Expressway Authority, the motion was amended to specifically request a solution.

Mr. Ferre said the city had sought a ramp there while he was mayor from 1973 to 1985 but “it is against federal regulations in the studies. There are four studies that have been made on that.”

The solution, he said, is to run a parallel road nonstop to access the expressway directly.

“That’s an expensive solution, but it can be done.”

The link to I-95 is vital, the planners heard from David Polinsky, who chairs the Planning and Transportation Committee of the Wynwood Business Improvement District, which is seeking the ramp.

There is no I-95 ramp between 12th and 36th streets, Mr. Polinsky said, yet during rush hour from 5 to 7 p.m. the off ramp at 36th Street backs up for an hour. “If there’s a game going on at the American Airlines Arena it backs up for as much as an hour at a time” at 12th Street.

“And if both happen to occur at the same time there’s basically no way for people to access the northern part of the urban core of Miami.”

County Commissioner Edmonson said she had talked with the Florida Department of Transportation about a study and found agreement. When something is going on at American Airlines Arena, she said, “you can’t even move on 36th Street.”

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WEEK OF THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015

TODAY’S NEWS

MIAMI TODAY

9

Endeavor Miami helping entrepreneurs grow jobs, revenues

BY SUSAN D ANSEYAR

As CEO of a new company, Michael McCord felt he was trying to do everything but not performing well enough until he was advised through his association with Endeavor Miami that using his unique talents was the better approach.

Today, Mr. McCord is no longer a “jack of all trades and master of none” for LearnerNation, the software performance optimization company he established with partners in January 2012. He attributes learning the important lesson of how to scale, along with countless instances of invaluable assistance, to the mentors he meets through this first US affiliate of Endeavor Global Inc., a worldwide non-profit that aims to transform economies by nurturing a culture of entrepreneurship.

Endeavor Miami, headquartered in Coral Gables, launched in September 2013 after the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation had the idea to bring a branch of the global organization to South Florida and provided a $2 million grant to get it started.

“It’s important to build a network for entrepreneurs to succeed and foster the next generation,” said Matt Haggman, Miami program director for the Knight Foundation. He said Endeavor Miami is boosting the city’s emerging community of entrepreneurs and innovators.

Mr. Haggman is particularly pleased with Endeavor’s ninemember board of directors for members’ experience, participation helping connect and support Miami’s entrepreneurial community and rich cultural diversity.

He pointed to the countries represented on the board and managing director post: Chile, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba and Mexico.

Endeavor’s model has been proven successful, with entrepreneurs seeing significant job and revenue growth through its support, Mr. Haggman said.

There are 1,082 Endeavor Entrepreneurs around the world,

Photo by Maxine Usdan

“You don’t realize the magnitude of Endeavor until you go and see the global reach,” said Scott Harris, CEO of Deliver Lean. At right is Greg Rothman, Endeavor manager of entrepreneur selection and growth.

representing 684 countries in 23 markets, said Laura Maydon, the managing director of Endeavor Miami. The Miami chapter currently has eight, representing diverse companies, and is looking for even more variety, she said, in health care, medical devices and fashion or creative industries.

It’s vital to put South Florida entrepreneurs in touch with mentors who can help them think bigger, refine their business plans, gain access to capital and multiply their influence, Ms. Maydon said.

The most important objective is that the entrepreneurs stay here, create jobs and – ultimately – inspire others, she said.

“The mentors provide focus, confidence and the understanding you’re not alone,” said Mr. McCord, who became an Endeavor Entrepreneur in August 2014. His line of work is essentially solitary, Mr. McCord said, and mentors showed him a path to follow where he didn’t have to “bottle up” but could connect with people for discussion.

The designation is awarded after a rigorous selection process that takes four months to a year, said Greg Rothman, manager of entrepreneur selection and growth for the Miami chapter.

He said the candidates undergo an initial discussion with Endeavor Miami staffers who determine if the entrepreneur is a business leader and works for an enterprise ($1 million and over) already in the market wanting to scale (i.e., creating more jobs or extending wealth), and ‘Our mission is to look at an inflection point of making strategic decisions such as for high-impact whether to expand internationentrepreneurs who can ally or go deeper domestically.

“Our mission is to look for take their companies to high-impact entrepreneurs who the next level of success can take their companies to the and build an ecosystem. next level of success and build an ecosystem,” Ms. Maydon Endeavor has proven said. “Endeavor has proven enentrepreneurs create a trepreneurs create a multiplier multiplier effect and help effect and help grow the community.” grow the community.’

Should staff members feel a Laura Maydon candidate meets criteria, they arrange second-opinion reviews

with up to six panelists who are either members of the board of Endeavor Miami or part of its member network, including industry leaders or venture capitalists who have usually exited their businesses. After a number of meetings that include review and feedback, those who are accepted by the panels move

natural, portion-controlled meals to companies daily. He became an Endeavor Entrepreneur in October 2014, and said going through the selection process was a self-reflective experience that created a lot of thought.

“There’s no roadmap for navigating through business that’s changing by the minute,” Mr. Harris said. “You can’t put a price tag on leaders of corporations sharing their insights.”

He said being an Endeavor Entrepreneur gives him access to people he might otherwise never meet and he has already learned a tremendous amount, including which was the right software development company for his business.

“Endeavor is a sounding board,” Mr. Harris said. “It gives you access to brilliant minds that have been through what we’re experiencing.”

Mr. McCord said as an Endeavor Entrepreneur, he receives help in the best way possible.

“There’s so much out there on a global scale that can connect you,” he said. “This opens your mind, your world, and it’s through real life experience – not a book.”

on to an international panel where they meet with six business leaders from around the world.

“You don’t realize the magnitude of Endeavor until you go and see the global reach,” said Scott Harris, president and CEO of Details: Deliver Lean, a 3-year-old busiwww.endeavormiami.org ness that cooks and delivers all-

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TODAY’S NEWS

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015

Four 60-story riverfront residential towers moving ahead...

B Y J OHN C HARLES R OBBINS

A large project planned for riverfront property adjacent to I-95 would bring more than 1,600 residential units to Miami.

These new residences would make up the bulk of four 60story towers, the heart of a mixed-use development named after the body of water it embraces: Miami River.

Along with its size – it is to be built in five phases – this project stands out because the City of Miami is a partner.

As part of a proposed Special Area Plan under the Miami 21 zoning code, Jose Marti Park would become a part of Miami River.

What it means is an extension of the public riverwalk westerly and under I-95, and improvements to the city park.

A deal struck with the developer, CG Miami River LLC, also ensures the public The mixed-use development will be named Miami River. It is to be built in five phases, developers said. riverwalk will be extended east

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‘I’m disappointed the city is encouraging’ changes in Jose Marti Park. ‘It should be its own entity, not part of your streetscape.’

Gerald Marston under the Second Avenue Bridge and past neighboring condo tower Latitude on the River.

The city’s Urban Development Review Board recently recommended approval of the large mixed-use project.

At completion of all five phases, Miami River would include about 1,678 residential units, 330 hotel rooms, retail and office space, a riverfront restaurant, a new seawall with about 19 boat slips, and a public landscaped riverwalk the full length of the property.

The plan calls for one-, twoand three-bedroom units.

The development is planned for a three-block 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.

Melissa Tapanes Llahues, an attorney representing the developer, said the project is designed to “celebrate” the river, as a natural resource and economic engine.

She told the review board this public-private partnership will transform the area with a pedestrian-focused project that will “connect to the energy of downtown.”

The partnership would mix about 6.2 acres of private land with about 4 acres of park property.

Ms. Tapanes Llahues said the development will result in significant improvements to I95, Southwest Seventh Street and Southwest Third Avenue.

Architect Kobi Karp described some of the concepts behind the project. He said they took inspiration from the river to create an urban fabric, and “we want to make the river our front yard.”

Miami River will offer numerous access points to the riverfront, he said, along with adding a new stretch of riverwalk that will connect the site to Brickell and beyond.

Circulation for pedestrians will include many ground-level walkways and sidewalks, and bridges will connect the four towers, Mr. Karp said.

He said the developer plans to be ready to submit all phases to city planners within six months.

Board members praised the emphasis on a pedestrianfriendly streetscape.

One board member did take exception to changes planned for Jose Marti Park.

Gerald C. Marston said that past work done in the park was the result of a design competition years ago, and the park facilities were to reflect tradi-

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TODAY’S NEWS

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015

Wynwood revitalization speeds toward traffic study, fast OK

BY CATHERINE LACKNER

Planning, Zoning, and Appeals Board on June 17, directors of A revitalization plan for the Wynwood Business ImWynwood is on a fast track and provement District (BID) will be brought before Miami’s learned this month. If all goes

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well, it could have a first reading before the city commission at the end of July and be approved in September.

“It’s an optimistic schedule,” said David Polinsky, who is a BID director, member of the group’s planning committee and a principal of 250 Wynwood.

“A lot of things have to happen before September.”

A $100,000 traffic study must accompany the proposal to the zoning board. “We hope to be under contract by next week,” Mr. Polinksy said. In response to a question by David Lombardi, BID director and principal of Lombardi Properties, who wondered how the cost would be met, Mr. Polinksy said he had a line on funding but did not disclose more.

Traffic consultants were recently in the area because several streets have just been transformed to one-way thoroughfares and their data might be applicable, said Joe Furst, BID director and Goldman Properties managing director for Wynwood Six state agencies, including the Florida Department of Transportation and the state’s Department of Economic Op-

Photo by Maxine Usdan

Traffic study is moving fast, said David Polinsky, of 250 Wynwood.

portunity, must review the plans. “We don’t expect problems,” Mr. Polinsky said.

The revitalization plan, created by Miami-based PlusUrbia Design, promotes the inclusion of murals and glass on new buildings, creates financial incentives for low-rise buildings,

and reduces allowable heights for most new buildings to eight stories. It also encourages pedestrian walkways and open spaces, green roofs, parks and increased shade.

A unique aspect of the plan is the creation of “woonerfs” on Northwest First and Third avenues and Northwest First Place. A concept that originated in the Netherlands and Flanders, a woonerf is a “living yard” that allows cars, pedestrians and bicyclists to occupy one flat surface, eliminating sidewalks and curbs but earmarking space for parking. Vehicular traffic can go no faster than walking speed.

“It creates a shared open space,” said Juan Mullerat, PlusUrbia director. “There is no street like this in Miami.” All three streets are owned by Miami-Dade County, so changing them would need approval.

“This represents two years of work,” Mr. Polinksy said of the revitalization plan. “We now have a comprehensive set of documents that are 90% of the way to being a master plan focused on conserving the character we love and respect in Wynwood.”

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“We feel that this is the time to expand,” said Albert Garcia, the chief operating officer of Mega Shoes.

‘This is time’ to add 130 properties to Wynwood’s improvement district

BY CATHERINE LACKNER

*As reported 6/19/2014, by INTELLIMED International, Corp.

The push continues to expand the Wynwood Business Improvement District (BID) by pushing out the boundaries slightly but also by including more properties that are already within its geographic area. If the drive succeeds, 130 more businesses might join.

“It’s not going to happen overnight,” said Albert Garcia, BID director and chief operating officer of Mega Shoes. “We are reaching out to owners who were not included in the first round but want to have the services.”

When the district was founded almost three years ago, owners could vote to tax themselves to be included. Then, it was an unknown quantity, but now it has been hailed as a success. “We feel that this is the time to expand,” Mr. Garcia said.

For the expansion to be approved, 51% of proposed new owners must vote in favor of the measure. The Miami City Commission then must amend the district’s enabling ordinance, but that is seen as a formality.

A map of properties within the district “is porous, like Swiss cheese,” said board member David Polinsky, who is a principal of 250

Wynwood and a member of the district’s planning committee, when the expansion was proposed earlier this year.

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 newly configured BID would include both sides of Northwest 20th and 29th streets.

Tom Curitore, BID executive director, has said that his office frequently receives calls for services from property owners and tenants who are not members.

“The expansion would allow more efficient service delivery,” Mr. Garcia said. Members of the group have spoken with neighboring business owners and operators who are interested in joining. It’s hoped that a ballot will be drawn up this summer.

“We’ve received overwhelmingly positive support,” Mr. Garcia said, “which is a testament to the success we’ve had.”

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015

TODAY’S NEWS

MIAMI TODAY

13

Work starts on apartment tower linking booming districts

BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS

Site work has commenced on a transitional project set to bring nearly 200 rental apartments and new retail shops to Miami as it connects Midtown with the Design District.

The neighboring Wynwood Arts District is also listed as playing a role in the design concepts employed for District 36.

The 19-story tower, rising on a vacant lot at 3635 NE First Ave., is to feature 195 rental apartments, 61,500 square feet of retail and restaurant space on the first and second levels, four floors of enclosed parking, plus an amenity and pool deck.

The retail space on the ground level will be designed with up-lit storefronts to encourage pedestrian flow and link these two highly active areas of the city, according to the developer, MREG NE36.

“District 36’s ideal location will serve to unite two of Miami’s most dynamic neighborhoods,” said architect Jonathan Cardello, senior principal, ADD Inc., now with Stantec. “We are extremely pleased to be part of such an exciting new venture.”

The Design District and Wynwood inspired the city-chic interior design concept of the building, said Mr. Cardello. Urban elements will be combined with modern design to create a stylish yet sophisticated environment, he said.

The lobby’s interiors will feature contrasting cream and black stones and art installations behind the reception desk to create a dramatic entrance, said the architect. Design details such as metal chains, cus-

tom color rugs, stone-patterned walls, glistening custom art and sleek pendants add to the citychic design, he said.

This design concept is seamlessly woven into the interiors, amenity floor and pool deck, Mr. Cardello said.

The targeted completion date is October 2016.

The city’s Urban Development Review Board had deferred action on the project in December 2014, after some members voiced concerns about parking.

The developer earned a positive recommendation from the board the following month, after members were convinced ample parking would be provided.

District 36 is designed with a parking garage providing 422 spaces. The developer gained approval to reduce required parking by up to 10%, a reduction of about 50 spaces. Other 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.

Attorney Iris Escarra, representing the developer, had argued the project could make do with the reduced parking because it is near the Design District, where lead developer Dacra is building multiple parking structures, and because the site is near public transportation.

Mr. Cardello argued that the project’s central location, where multiple interesting destinations can be reached on foot,

Wynwood neighborhood grows, and its crime goes B Y CATHERINE L ACKNER

The adage that crime goes down when restaurants, shops and other businesses move into an area is being proved in Wynwood, members of its Business Improvement District (BID) learned.

“With everyone’s help, we’ve had some real successes,” said Jorge Colina, newly appointed Miami assistant police chief. “As Wynwood continues to thrive, crime is reduced. It’s growing into a place to visit, eat, shop and live.”

“This is the only place where crime continues to drop, month after month,” said Sgt. Edwin Gomez, supervisor of the BID’s police unit. He distributedat the district's meeting a bar chart comparing crimes from March to April 2014 against March to April of this year.

There were more than 38 vehicle burglaries during those months in 2014, versus fewer than 25 this year; about 20 thefts for that period last year, but fewer than six this year; and more than 13 assaults last year,

down to fewer than 10 during the same period this year.

In March to April of last year, several cases of aggravated battery were reported; during the same period this year, none were, according to Sergeant Gomez’s chart.

Still, business people and residents should be aware of some hazards, said Jose A. Rodriguez, police commander for the Wynwood/Edgewater Neighborhood Enhancement Team.

“Summer’s coming and kids are going to be out,” he said.

“They’re bored and they get ingenious.”

Five to 40 kids in their early teens, dressed alike, group up on their bicycles and cruise the neighborhood, he explained.

“The group gravitates toward someone and grabs a phone or a purse, and good luck figuring out which kid it was.

“If you see them, call us,” Cmdr. Rodriguez told the audience at the meeting. “That group may just be going to church on their bikes, but let us know where they are. Take ownership of the neighborhood. If you see something suspicious, call us.”

Lobby interior will feature contrasting cream and black stones and art installations for entrance drama.

The amenity and pool deck is a feature of District 36, a 19-story apartment, retail and restaurant tower.

positioned on the site in an effort encourages walking.

District 36 is to include one-, to keep most of the square foottwo- and three-bedroom units. age away from the highway.

The south elevation is to have The L-shaped building is to be

continuous retail uses, which then will wrap around the corner of Northeast 36th Street and First Avenue.

14

TODAY’S NEWS

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015

Transit planners get pleas from South Dade for a rail link Multiple government agencies have failed to provide vital promised rail transportation to the southern end of Miami-Dade County, the Metropolitan Planning Organization was told last week, virtually cutting residents off from amenities the rest of the county enjoys.

“Upward mobility is under attack due to the commute time,” said state Rep. Kionne McGhee, whose district is in the south county.

The population of South Dade is forecast to grow 40% by 2040, Rep. McGhee said, faster than anywhere else in the county, yet plans for rail links to the south seem to be off the table – links that he said were promised in 2002 when county voters passed a half percent surtax on sales to grow transportation infrastructure.

While he told the planning organization – which is responsible for planning any transportation measures that receive federal funding – that he under-

‘We need the Metrorail expansion.’

Rep. Kionne McGhee

Photo by Maxine Usdan

A bus rolls on the current busway. Bus rapid transit “cannot solve this issue,” said Rep. Kionne McGhee.

stands the frustration in the north part of the county as well as in the east and west over lack of rail links, more than 250,000 people in South Dade are being

left out of rail planning.

Planning organization board member Dennis Moss, who is a county commissioner from South Dade, heard Rep.

McGhee’s plea and answered quickly: “I rest my case.”

Despite funding problems, Mr. Moss said, “We’ve got to find a way to build the particular

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projects…. If we’re going to make this work we’ve got to figure out a financial plan that will make this work…. The [bus rapid transit expansion] measures that are on the table are not enough to do all the things we’ve promised.”

Sue Ellen Loyzelle, a Town of Cutler Bay councilwoman, told the planning organization board that she commutes two hours to work morning and again at night and there is no way that she can use public transportation to take that trip. “Remember us down in the south,” she pleaded.

Mr, McGhee called the lack of a funded rail system plan for South Dade a “breach of trust.”

He focused on the new museums and cultural institutions in the county that South Dade residents would attend if they had transportation to get there, helping low-income residents move up the ladder.

In South Dade, he told the board, the average resident who works 250 days a year spends $3,200 a year on transportation, yet the median income in Florida City is only $24,674 a year, so it can’t just be business as usual where transportation in South Dade is concerned.

South Dade residents, he said, are still paying the county’s transportation surtax, which has brought in $2.5 billion so far, yet they have not received their promised transportation.

The Metropolitan Planning Organization, he said, is “continually waiting for the federal government to give us marching orders.”

County hall, he added, continues to try to figure out which section of the county should receive its fair share of a rail link.

And the state’s legislative delegation, of which he is a member, seems united at home but divided once it gets to Tallahassee, he said.

“We need the Metrorail expansion,” Rep. McGhee said.

Bus Rapid Transit “cannot solve this issue…. Put this item back on the table. Don’t lock our people down south out of this equation.”

“How do we find a way to work together?” responded board member Rebeca Sosa, a county commissioner. “We used to receive a lot of funding from the federal government. We used to receive a fair share from Tallahassee. We’re not getting that anymore and we need it. The only way we’re going to be able to do it is if we work together.”

16

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WEEK OF THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015

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22

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015

MIAMI TODAY

calendar of events SPECIAL EVENTS

cont.—

Jason Fitzroy Jeffers and more. 14 p.m. The ARC, 675 Ali Baba Ave., Opa-locka. Free. Details: https://www.facebook.com/opa lockaart.

SPORTS Monday 6/1 MIAMI MARLINS

The Miami Marlins take on the

Chicago Cubs. Promotions include “Monday Madness Group Offer,” “South Florida Heroes Monday” presented by Outback Steakhouse 1st Responders and “All You Can Eat Seats.” 7:10 p.m. Marlins Park, 501 Marlins Way, Miami. $15-$235.

Details: (305) 480-1300 or www. miami.marlins.mlb.com.

Tuesday 6/2 MIAMI MARLINS

The Miami Marlins take on the Chicago Cubs. Promotions include “Mi-

ami Herald Half Price Tuesday” and “Social Media Night: The #RewriteTheFuture Series.” 7:10 p.m.

Marlins Park, 501 Marlins Way, Miami. $15-$235. Details: (305) 480-1300 or www.miami.marlins.mlb.com.

Wednesday 6/3 MIAMI MARLINS

The Miami Marlins take on the Chicago Cubs. Promotions include “Chevron Crazy 8’s Wednesday,” “Kids Eat Free Wednesday Night” and “Wine Down Wednesdays.” 7:10 p.m. Marlins Park, 501 Marlins Way, Miami. $15-$235. Details: (305) 4801300 or www.miami.marlins.mlb .com.

THEA TER THEATER Thursday 5/28 THE BOOK CLUB PLAY

Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre presents “The Book Club Play,” a new comedy about books and the people who love them. When the members of a book club become the subjects of a documentary filmmaker, their intimate discussions of life and

literature take on a new meaning with the camera rolling. Add in the unexpected arrival of a provocative new member, and the sudden inclusion of some questionable titles, and longstanding group dynamics take a hilarious turn. 8 p.m. Additional performances through June 7. Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, Balcony Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables. $28-$47. Details: (305) 4449293 or www.actorsplayhouse.org.

BETRAYAL

Zoetic Stage and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County present the Miami premiere of Harold Pinter’s “Betrayal” as the closing of its 201415 Theater Up Close Series. The play, directed by Stuart Meltzer, is a dissection of marriage and infidelity inspired by the author’s real-life, clandestine extramarital affair in the 1960s. It explores the tangled lives of Emma, Jerry and Robert, as Emma and Jerry engage in a passionate seven-year love affair, deceiving their spouses, each other, and even themselves. 7:30 p.m.

Additional performances through May

31. Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Carnival Studio Theater, Miami. Tickets start at $45. Details: (305) 949-6722 or www.arshtcenter.org.

Saturday 5/30 LEVELING

UP

New Theatre presents the South Florida Premiere of “Leveling Up”

by Deborah Zoe Laufer. The play follows three 20-something roommates who are glued to their video games. They are masters of the virtual worlds behind the computer screens in their Las Vegas basement.

When one of them uses his gaming skills to land a job with the National Security Agency launching actual drones and missiles, online battles begin to have real consequences. 8:30 p.m. Additional performances through June 21. New Theatre Performing at South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, 10950 SW 211th St., Cutler Bay. $15 students under $25 on site. $26 advance others. $31 on site others. Details: (786) 5735300 or www.new-theatre.org.

20-story hotel in Edgewater wins city OK

Climate effort due in Miami in September

BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS

BY CATHERINE LACKNER

A mixed-use project that promises to bring high-end hotel rooms to Edgewater is planned for the crossroads of North Miami Avenue and 36th Street.

It’s called Triptych and is being developed by HES Group, a development company with ties to South Florida, the Caribbean and Venezuela.

The project includes a 20story tower housing about 297 full-service hotel rooms, more than 65,000 square feet of office space, about 20,000 square feet of retail space and a 368 space garage.

It is planned for 3601 N Miami Ave. The city’s Urban Development Review Board examined plans and renderings May 20 and recommended approval of the project.

Triptych’s location is at the convergence of several booming neighborhoods, not far from Biscayne Bay and adjacent to I195.

This close proximity is played up in the marketing for the development, touting its location “at the nexus of Miami’s three most dynamic neighborhoods,” the Design District, Midtown Miami and the Wynwood Arts District.

The development is designed by architectural firm Bermello Ajamil & Partners Inc. The head of the firm, Willy A. Bermello, is a member of the city’s review board. He left the dais and took a seat in the audience during review of his project.

Details of the plan for the high-profile site were presented by attorney Iris Escarra, representing the developer.

The overall project is to have about 408,000 square feet.

The tower is an open L-shape design, with a façade of overlaid patterns.

Plans call for commercial space on the ground floor and the second floor. There are to be three levels of Class A office space and three levels of gallery space.

Miami will be one of three North American cities to hold a threeday training session sponsored the Climate Reality Project, led by former vice president Al Gore.

The training, set for Sept. 28-30, aims to create “climate leaders” who can spur others to awareness and action.

“We are training leaders to change the political and social dynamic,” said Ken Berlin, president and CEO of the Climate Reality Project, who was speaking at the Community Resiliency Summit: Miami Beach Rising Above, in March. The half-day meeting focused on progress Miami Beach has made to combat sea-level rise, and what steps lie ahead.

“We have to show it’s happening, and that it’s urgent,” Mr. Berlin said. Already, 70% of Americans believe global warming is real, and that the government should be doing something about it, he said. In addition to encouraging people to vote for candidates who support pro-climate measures, he said activists must provide them with real solutions.

“People think they can’t influence anything,” he said, but now that energy alternatives to fossil fuel are becoming more plentiful and cheaper, transitioning to a clean-energy economy is something consumers can do.

In the months leading up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 in Paris, to which 196 countries are expected to send representatives, the reality project muster a grass-roots demonstration of support. Performers at the group’s June 18 concert will tweet pro-environment messages to their followers and encourage them to sign a text-message petition demanding that an action plan be put into place.

“A couple of million texts will be a message that leaders won’t ignore,” Mr. Berlin predicted.

The 20-story tower is to have 297 hotel rooms, office and retail space and a 368-space parking garage.

Amenities include a business center, outdoor bar/lounge, ballroom, two pools on the main amenities floor, a fitness center and a full-service restaurant on the roof deck.

There will also be a green wall built on an open plaza, with a water feature, designed in part to buffer the sounds from I195.

Around the exterior area on North Miami Avenue are to be be covered shelter areas for pedestrians.

Renderings show a bright and multi-colored façade.

Board member Fidel Perez

said it was a very nice presentation. “A little busy but it looks good …it’s a good project for the area,” he said.

Mr. Perez did have questions about the valet parking and the parking structure.

A developer’s representative said access to the parking levels would be from North Miami Avenue. A valet would be responsible for putting the vehicle into the mechanical parking system. Ms. Escarra pointed out the parking system is mechanized, not robotic.

A consultant on the parking system said it can handle 60 cars

per hour, and there is a trained operator on the site at all times.

Board Chair Robert Behar called it a great project, saying the way the massing is being handled is fantastic. However, he did suggest simplifying some aspects of the building. “Keep it simple,” he said.

“It’s so complicated,” said board member Gerald Marston, who also suggested a simpler overall design.

“Nothing ties it together… it just looks very complicated to me,” Mr. Marston said. He did praise the project’s attention to detail on its landscaping plan.

Details: climaterealityproject.org Triptych’s location is to be at the convergence of several booming neighborhoods near Biscayne Bay.

24

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015

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