Miami Today: Week of Thursday, May 5, 2016 by Miami Today

A Singular Voice in an Evolving City

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016

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TRANSPORTATION

Transportation trust slows payments for buses, pg. 20 CHECKING IN: Miami city commissioners granted final approval April 28 to rezone about a dozen connected lots along Northwest 36th Street that will advance a plan for a new hotel. Rebuild Miami Eden Park LLC plans to construct a La Quinta hotel on Northwest 36th Street and a companion parking lot on property abutting Northwest 35th Street. The property is about 250 feet from the intersection of Northwest Seventh Avenue and Northwest 36th Street (US 27). A developer’s covenant restricts the hotel to eight stories and ties the back lots to the hotel, restricting the use to accessory parking to support the hotel. Northwest 36th Street is a major thoroughfare connecting Biscayne Bay neighborhoods on the east to the Florida Turnpike on the west, and feeds Miami International Airport.

Architect striving for support of causeway bike path, pg. 21

THE ACHIEVER

Master plan update set

PROMOTING CHINATOWN IN CHINA: To promote the 15-block strip that the City of North Miami has designated as its Chinatown District, three city officials and city staff are to leave today (5/5) on a 12-day mission to three cities in China: Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai. The city on Feb. 23 designated its Chinatown Cultural Arts and Innovation District, the first such designation in Florida, along Northwest Seventh Avenue between 119th and 135th streets. On the mission are Vice Mayor Alix Desulme, Councilwoman Carol Keys, City Clerk Michael Etienne as well as staff. The delegation also planned to attend Florida International University commencement ceremonies on the Tianjin University of Commerce campus. COLOMBIANS LOOKING: Colombians registered more South Florida real estate searches on the Miami Association of Realtors’ search portal than persons from any other country in February, followed by Venezuelans and Brazilians, the association said. In 2015, Colombians were third among foreign nationals in buying South Florida real estate and paid an average $516,000 for a residence. Brazilians, the second most frequent buyers, averaged $766,000. In the domestic market, Texans led other states in searches for South Florida real estate in February, followed by Californians and New Yorkers. HEADED TO QUEBEC: The Quebec-Florida Chamber of Commerce, which has brought eight trade missions here from Quebec in recent years, is going the other direction with a mission to Montreal and Quebec City from May 25-27, planning to accompany 10 Florida companies interested in investing or establishing business partnerships in the Quebec market. Details: www.ccquebecflorida.com

Photo by Marlene Quaroni

James Haj

Leads Children’s Trust after 25 years in public schools The profile is on Page 4

A way to unwind Marine Stadium, seaport deeds B Y J OHN C HARLES R OBBINS

Covenants might be the answer for the fate of Miami Marine Stadium and the southwest corner of PortMiami. The City of Miami owns much of Virginia Key and the abandoned stadium, while Miami-Dade County controls the port. Reversion clauses could come into play if the sites are developed beyond the scope of the property transfers of years past. Elected county and city officials huddling April 27 discussed deed restrictions affecting the port and Marine Stadium. County Commissioner Xavier Suarez kicked things off, noting the deed restrictions on Virginia Key limit the use of Marine Stadium to stadium “and allied uses.” Restrictions on the port property limit development to port-related or “maritime uses,” he said. Concerns have been raised that commercial development would be wrong for the port as well as Marine Stadium. Attorneys and administrative staff were said to be working behind the scenes to determine full ramifications of the deed restrictions.

AGENDA

Office uses high on list for port site

Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado and Commissioner Ken Russell represented the city in the meeting. Mr. Regalado said the port needs to update its master plan. Talk of hotels rising on PortMiami has raised eyebrows among members of the city’s Downtown Development Authority, now chaired by Mr. Russell. Hotels and restaurants at the port would compete with businesses downtown, he said. While parties in the past were at odds, there now appears to be “an appetite for cooperation,” Mr. Russell said. “Let’s work together.” Port Director Juan Kuryla said the port has different needs in 2016 than those pinpointed in its 2010-2011 master plan. By November there will be a demand for more cruise ship berths at the port, he said. There is a move to smaller, more upscale cruise ships, and a demand for refrigerated warehouses, Mr. Kuryla said. “We propose to update our master plan to reflect those new realities,” he said. While talk of hotels on the port triggered city concerns, potential uses on Virginia Key raised eyebrows among county officials and Key Biscayne residents. Mr. Russell said development of the

stadium’s flex park was so rapid that maybe there was a perception of not enough transparency. The city sank millions into developing the flex park as part of a license agreement to bring the Miami International Boat Show to Marine Stadium Park. “I’m not against the park or the boat show,” said Mr. Russell. He said he’s met with the city manager and recognizes his intentions for that property. “I’m confident we will not be in violation of the reverter,” Mr. Russell told county leaders. Mr. Russell said perhaps the future of the flex park will prioritize the public space rather than an “event” space, with smaller functions held on weekends. County Commissioner Bruno Barreiro said unfortunately the term reverter has a negative connotation. “A covenant might be the way to go,” he said. By the end of the meeting it appeared the consensus was to exchange new covenants between the governments to control and guide development of the two sites. All seemed to express a desire for a mutually beneficial resolution.

Mayor Carlos Gimenez, facing a commission order to expedite development of PortMiami’s southwest corner, told commissioners Friday that after a survey of stakeholders he’s told the port director to pinpoint uses that most benefit the port. The mayor also said the port is to award a contract this year to update its master plan. Commissioners had relied on the current plan as their green light to seek profitable outside projects on the mostly bare land. The mayor’s two-page memo revealed one hot-button use: “Most of the stakeholders (nearly every cruise line and several of the other non-cruise stakeholders) expressed an interest in locating their offices on the Port.” In February, county commissioners upset with the mayor’s response to last year’s directive to seek proposals for developing the 11 acres deferred by 10-0 even accepting his report on ways he was looking for the site’s best use. The mayor said then, however, that circumstances had changed after the commission’s order. One change: the port is awash in cash, whereas when last studied it was facing difficulties. Some commissioners had branded his actions a “stall tactic.” The mayor’s report last week said cruise lines seek pre- and post-cruise activities on the land, including pre-boarding areas; ferry facilities; hotels for passengers, and a site for crew needs. Cargo operators, he said, agreed on cruise and ferry needs plus support services for cargo activity, including liquefied natural gas fuel infrastructure and a Customs and Border Protection inspection station. Other stakeholders, he said, supported cruise, ferry and cargo-related activities, including warehousing, refrigerated warehousing and water taxi services. Recent unsolicited proposals for the site include a soccer stadium and a multi-use project.

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MIAMI TODAY

TODAY’S NEWS

THE INSIDER DOUGLAS PARK CLEAN-UP: Miami commissioners last week approved a contract with Cherokee Enterprises Inc. for $4,484,185 for environmental remediation of contaminated Douglas Park. With a 10% contingency, the total nears $5 million. The 10-acre park has been closed nearly 2½ years as the city wrestled with the best way to deal with contaminated soil discovered in 2013 and to get the county to sign off on a remediation plan. Douglas, at 2755 SW 37th Ave., is one of more than a half-dozen city parks found to have soil contaminated by solid waste and heavy metals. With the April 28 vote, City Manager Daniel Alfonso said the 330-day Douglas project can begin in June. ART MUSEUM ADVANCES: Over objections of a couple of residents and their attorney, Miami commissioners approved two items related to the new Institute of Contemporary Art museum under construction at 53 and 61 NE 41st St. The actions remove .30-acre from the Miami Design District Retail Street Special Area Plan and amend a development agreement between the city and Miami Design District Associates LLC. Opponents have objected to the museum’s size and height and have sued to stop the project. Planning Director Francisco Garcia told commissioners the Francisco Garcia building complies with all applicable regulations and approvals. SHELTER EXPANSION DELAYED: Two zoning items tied to a plan for a new women’s shelter in Overtown were deferred for a month by Miami city commissioners April 28, at the request of Chairman Keon Hardemon. Lotus House Women’s Shelter is in his district. The Lotus Village project entails redeveloping the existing property by replacing five buildings with a single, apartmentstyle residential building. The commission is being asked to approve a land use change and rezoning of about 1.3 acres at 220 and 226 NW 16th St. The deferral to May 26 came after commissioners listened to hours Keon Hardemon of testimony from community members in support of Lotus House and the zoning requests. Three women from Overtown voiced objections and concerns. Mr. Hardemon wants the Lotus House group to meet with those three. NARROW MARGINS: Miami city commissioners granted final approval April 28 to narrowing a street in the Wynwood Arts District. The vote will change the right-of-way width from 70 feet to 50 for part of Northwest 28th Street between Northwest Second and Third avenues. Under an old plat, the roadway extended to 70 feet wide as it moved west out of Wynwood. The construction of I-95 created a dead-end on 28th Street. The latest legislation notes that the street no longer serves as a primary east/west connecting roadway. The Wynwood Business Improvement District board requested the change, in part to encourage redevelopment of the lots in that area. The change matches an existing 50-foot-wide roadway to the east. LAW FIRM EXPANDS SPACE: Intellectual property and patent law firm Lott & Fischer PL is moving from one Coral Gables building to another and expanding at a far lower rate per square foot. The firm is moving from 8,969 square feet at 355 Alhambra Circle to take 11,300 square feet, the entire third floor, at 255 Aragon Ave. “We successfully negotiated a lease at $10 less per square foot, meeting the space, location and fiscal requirements of our client,” said Donna Abood, managing director at Avison Young’s Miami operations. Scott Sime, president of Sime ComDonna Abood mercial Realty Corp., represented the landlord. BRANCHING OUT: A Doral-based logistics company handling freight management, imports, exports, trucking, warehousing, distribution and brokerage has leased 105,920 square feet for five years at North Airport Industrial Inc., a 900-squarefoot industrial park at 8502 NW 80th St. north of its other operations. Neutralogistics got a site that “is crucial to the success of our Foreign Trade Zone warehousing and distribution business,” said President and CEO Alex Tellez. Wayne Ramoski and Gian Rodriguez represented the site owner; Juan Ruiz of Blanca Commercial Real Estate represented Wayne Ramoski Neutralogistics in the lease. JOB GROWTH ABOVE AVERAGE: South Florida’s 2.6% growth in jobs in March from March 2015 exceeded the national average of 2%, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported last week, but was behind five other top-12 metropolitan areas by population in that growth. Fastest growing was Dallas, which grew jobs at a 3.9% pace, followed by Phoenix at 3.7%, San Francisco at 3.2%, Atlanta at 3% and Washington, DC, at 2.8%. Philadelphia had the same 2.6% growth as South Florida. Slowest by far was in Houston, which was hit by the massive decline in oil demand. Houston’s yearlong job growth was just 0.3%. BOOKING HONORS: Miami historian Arva Moore Parks has received the 2016 Florida Historical Society Charlton Tebeau Award, given to a general-interest book on a Florida history topic, for her book George Merrick, Son of the South Wind: Visionary Creator of Coral Gables. With access to the Merrick family and his letters, documents, speeches and manuscripts, she presented the story of George Merrick and the development of an iconic planned city. This award is particularly meaningful to Ms. Parks because Charlton Tebeau, who taught Florida history at the University of Miami, had inspired her to Arva Moore Parks become a Florida historian. Earlier last month she received the Silver Medal for Florida non-fiction for the book from the Florida Book Awards. CIVIL LIBERTIES AWARD: Marcia Cypen, executive director of Legal Services of Greater Miami, received the C. Clyde Atkins Civil Liberties Award from the Greater Miami Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union last week at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens based on her 40 years at Legal Services.

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016

All Aboard warns Tri-Rail’s tie-in downtown faces May 17 deadline BY CATHERINE LACKNER

If all of the entities involved in bringing Tri-Rail into downtown Miami can’t finalize financial agreements by May 17, All Aboard Florida may withdraw its offer to have commuter service operate out of its MiamiCentral terminal. So said a May 2 letter from Alice Bravo, director of MiamiDade County’s Transit and Public Works department, to Jack Stephens, executive director of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, the agency that operates Tri-Rail. All Aboard Florida, a wholly owned subsidiary of Florida East Coast Industries, “has advanced construction of the commuter rail platforms and is incurring significant costs since the station has gone vertical and columns have been erected,” Ms. Bravo’s letter said. “If we are not able to execute agreements by the aforementioned date, All Aboard Florida has advised us that they will be forced to cease construction on the commuter rail infrastructure. “Without a definitive plan of action and inter-agency coordination to pursue new agreements, we could forfeit this unique opportunity to bring commuter rail to the central business district.” “For several months, Mayor

‘Without a definitive plan of action and inter-agency coordination to pursue new agreements, we could forfeit this unique opportunity to bring commuter rail to the central business district.’ Alice Bravo Gimenez has been leading efforts to identify a funding solution for Tri-Rail’s downtown station,” said Francois Illas, vice president at Florida East Coast Industries. “We appreciate his leadership and the specific schedule put forth. We are in the process of confirming the other partners’ commitments to the timeline so we can continue construction at the station. If this timeline is not met, we will have no choice but to stop construction immediately on the Tri-Rail

station.” Within the next two weeks, contributing entities such as the commissions of Miami-Dade County and Miami, Miami’s community redevelopment agencies, the Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust, Miami’s Downtown Development Authority, Bayfront Park Management Trust and the county’s Transit and Mobility Committee must sign agreements to move the project forward, Ms. Bravo’s letter said. “Miami-Dade County would like to expedite the approval of the necessary documents to honor our collective partnership with All Aboard Florida and help them seek reimbursement for the costs they are currently incurring,” Ms. Bravo’s letter adds. “Miami-Dade County stands ready to help facilitate coordination between the agencies.” “We would certainly encourage all funding parties to work together in order to expedite this project to the benefit of the citizens of Miami-Dade County, the City of Miami, the Southeast Overtown/Park West and Omni community redevelopment agencies, Miami DDA and Bayfront Park Trust,” Mr. Stephens said. “The governing board of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority has done all in its power to see that this project comes to fruition.”

City wins control of traffic calming BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS

After nearly two years of backand-forth to work out the details, the City of Miami believes it finally has control over traffic calming projects on city streets. Miami-Dade County didn’t surrender control over these so-called traffic calming devices easily. Commissioner Francis Suarez said he’s been working a long time to get clear control of traffic calming on city streets. On April 28, city commissioners approved an amended agreement with the county, allowing the city to take over installation and maintenance of traffic calming devices. “This is a huge victory,” Mr. Suarez said. City leaders thought they had a deal worked out last year, but the county was still insisting the city follow county criteria, which limited placement of some traffic calming devices. The city was still prevented from installing a sign, light, speed bump, etc., within 700 feet of existing traffic signals, county and state roadways, the boundary of city limits, or within school zones, or adjacent to bicycle facilities or hospitals. The agreement approved April 28 drops the distance requirement from 700 feet to 250. This is especially important for the residential neighborhoods that hug US 1 through the city, according to Mr. Suarez. In fact, a main incentive to

reach this agreement was the ability for the city to install and control traffic calming devices in residential areas that abut congested main thoroughfares. The move will help “neighborhoods feel like neighborhoods again,” said Commissioner Suarez. City officials have voiced serious concerns about growing cutthrough traffic on narrow city streets, when US 1 and other major roads are choked with vehicles. The often high speed of these in-a-rush motorists endangers children, pets, pedestrians and property. The types of devices allowed include traffic circles, speed humps, historic street name signs, in-street pedestrian crossing signs and raised intersections. “This will be great for our neighborhoods,” said Commissioner Ken Russell. In a discussion last month on lowering the speed limit on city streets, Commissioner Suarez mentioned that this final agreement with the county looked promising. Before the April 28 vote, he reminded fellow commissioners that county officials had routinely denied 75% of residents’ requests for signs and other traffic calming devices in his district. Mr. Suarez said it illustrated the different philosophies of the city and county. “Our philosophy is that our neighbors and neighborhoods have to come first, and that it’s not about a car saving five seconds to

get… from point A to point B – that’s what the arterials are for,” he said. City leaders have labeled cutthrough traffic as one of the biggest quality-of-life issues. In February, commissioners directed City Manager Daniel Alfonso to estimate the cost of a comprehensive transportation master plan. Commissioners want that plan, in part, to examine cutthrough traffic’s impact on the city’s narrow neighborhood streets. A report on the proposed transportation master plan is expected soon. We want to hear from YOU! Phone: (305) 358-2663 Staff Writers: Camila Cepero ccepero@miamitodaynews.com Susan Danseyar sdanseyar@miamitodaynews.com John Charles Robbins jrobbins@miamitodaynews.com Letters to Editor editor@miamitodaynews.com People Column people@miamitodaynews.com Michael Lewis mlewis@miamitodaynews.com

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MIAMI TODAY

VIEWPOINT

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016

MIAMITODAY Miami Today is an independent voice of the community, published weekly at 2000 S. Dixie Highway, Suite 100, Miami, Florida 33133. Telephone (305) 358-2663

Would bigger Greater Miami Chamber be as relevant? The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce is on the brink of a sea change. But in which direction will the tide turn? W i t h i n weeks the chamber has revealed that its goals-setting meetings Michael Lewis that lure 1,000 paid guests will no longer set its goals, that its CEO is leaving, and that its leaders are studying a money-saving merger with Fort Lauderdale’s chamber. Not since a staff theft of $1.9 million a dozen years ago has so much about the group’s future been unclear. Up in the air is how big the chamber might become, what its mission might be, how effective it will be and who it will serve. That’s a lot to answer. But certainly, next year’s Greater Miami Chamber won’t be this year’s chamber. Quick history: the chamber was stumbling a half century ago when Miami Herald Publisher Alvah Chapman led the charge to revamp it to move Miami forward. The chamber became the action arm for a cluster of business leaders who privately set an agenda that the chamber fronted. The chamber was active, respected but not huge. Over the years, both the chamber and the private forces behind it grew more

inclusive. In the process, both public and private arms morphed from being those at the top of a business to number two and then number three and four and five on the ladder, and then to nonbusiness members. Most top business leaders, however, are never seen. Because the Number Ones aren’t there, the chamber can’t set an agenda that once was our de facto compass. The chamber now rarely takes a tough vocal stance – the last hard call in our memory was to support a baseball stadium eight years ago. Today, mayors who once took chamber goals seriously seldom show up to speak at the goals conference when asked. Clout has waned. The chamber remains useful if less powerful. Its lunches are the best meetand-greets in town. Issue-oriented gatherings between monthly meetings have value – and earn fees beyond trustee membership costs of $3,000 a year. It sends missions to Tallahassee and Washington. But with CEO Barry Johnson retiring Dec. 31 and a job search pledged, the chamber just announced it was talking merger. What could that cross-county union do? More members over broader area should add clout on state issues, but would a tradeoff be the end of the local action arm that Alvah Chapman built? A multi-county chamber would have more big firms, but would that build ties among executives who today don’t know each other and are many miles apart?

Would broader business reach weaken traditional chamber efforts to serve local business? The biggest benefit of a successful merger could be to smash the invisible wall between Miami-Dade and Broward counties, which have different population groups, government structures and industry pillars. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez for years has jested that the only manmade structures on earth visible from outer space are the Great Wall of China and the Dade-Broward line. For years we’ve talked the talk of regional unity, but the walk has been the sentries marching up and down to defend the county line. So are chamber leaders in both counties serious that they’re just kicking tires so far? If they don’t agree to merge, both bodies will get egg on their face. Better to explore in private before the press release. A far larger chamber might or might not benefit members – depending on why they joined. Is it a big lunch club or a tool to move the state legislative agenda? Is it a way to build business with neighbors or a way to find a merger with a larger chamber member? Such motivations should be more important than cost saving by having just one paid leader for what is now two chambers. The Greater Miami Chamber should know all about member motivations and satisfaction. Behavioral Science Research not long ago surveyed exactly those points and made a full report to

leaders that should be pivotal in merger thoughts. If two chamber giants merge, some members might defect to chambers like those in Coral Gables, Doral and South Dade. For many small businesses, regional reach is far less vital than building sales locally. Merger thoughts should probe one unpleasant fact: despite claiming regional thinking, each county disdains the other. It’s not rational, it’s not right, but it’s real. Overcoming that could be slow and hard. The first battle would be over where the real chamber headquarters should be. The county without headquarters becomes second class. And think of what would happen if retiring Barry Johnson were replaced by his Fort Lauderdale counterpart as CEO of a merged chamber. We may think big, but we often act small. In fact, bigger is often not better, just bigger. Conglomerates decades ago rolled up lots of businesses into one, but many later split again to do better. The chamber clearly faces a sea change. But it has time to decide what its survey shows members want and need. It would be surprising if during the survey a chamber with members having 400,000 employees was ever called too small. The chamber hit its peak years ago when it was smaller, not larger. Do members suddenly want even more, or do they prefer a chamber that’s more relevant?

Smart cities – transforming urban growth and development The intersection of globalization, technology and urbanization – a hallmark of the 21st century – is transforming where we live and how we live. This is especially true as it regards the world’s cities. Globally, more Jerry Haar people live in urban areas than in rural areas, with 54% of the world’s population residing in urban areas in 2014. In 1950, 30% of the world’s population was urban, and by 2050, 66% of the world’s population is projected to be urban. Today, the most urbanized regions include Northern America (82% living in urban areas in 2014), Latin America and the Caribbean (80%) and Europe (73%). The urban population of the world has grown rapidly since 1950, from 746 million to 3.9 billion in 2014. Asia, despite its lower level of urbanization, is home to 53% of the world’s urban population. Harnessing the seemingly limitless capabilities of technology, urban communities are embracing the concept of “smart cities” to meet both the challenges and opportunities of urbanization. Smart cities are urban areas that integrate information and communication technology (ICT) to manage a city’s assets and deliver efficient and cost-effective services across a wide spectrum of services. These include infrastructure, health, education, social services, public safety and waste management. The two

The Writer Jerry Haar is a professor of business at Florida International University and a senior research fellow at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. He is also a global fellow of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC. overarching characteristics of a smart city are orchestration of intelligence (establishing institutions and community-base problem solving and collaborations) and empowerment intelligence (open platforms to cluster innovation in specified districts). The development of broadband networks and e-commerce services cartalyzed the smart city movement. Singapore – a smart nation as well as a smart city – has been one of the pioneers in improving the quality of life for its citizens via technology-enabled solutions to urban problems and opportunities to create more user-friendly government services. However, smart cities are increasingly a worldwide phenomenon. For example, Amsterdam’s smart city initiative utilizes interconnected wireless devices to reduce traffic, save energy and improve public safety. Barcelona employs sensor technology for urban irrigation and network data analysis for improved public transport. Medellín launched a Metrocable line in 2004 to serve the poor and integrate them into the city, with access to jobs and combined libraries and parks into safe spaces for all.

And only recently, three Israeli companies won an international competition to build from scratch a high-tech city for low-income Brazilians (Croatá Laguna Ecopark). Here in the US, cities as diverse as Santa Cruz, CA; LaGrange, GA; and New York City have incorporated smart city thinking into the management of public services. Dallas is launching a Dallas Innovation Alliance, IBM is deploying a Smarter Cities Challenge in Detroit, and Siemens is supporting a Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance. At the federal level, the Obama Administration announced last September a $160 million Smart Cities Initiative comprising investment in federal research and the leveraging of more than 25 new technology collaborations to help communities tackle major urban challenges. In Miami, the tripartite engine of technology entrepreneurship – the Knight Foundation, eMerge Americas and Miami-Dade County government – has enhanced the visibility and impact of smart cities. eMerge has featured smart city speakers and panels since its launch in 2014, the Knight Foundation has supported scores of events and activities featuring smart cities and the Knight Enterprise Fund has provided financing for start-ups such as Soofa, a maker of smart, solar-powered benches for urban spaces, and Urban.US, a venture fund for start-ups that make cities better. As for the county, three years ago it joined with IBM to deploy data analytics,

reduce water costs, increase transparency and improve transportation via a smart cities initiative. And only a few weeks ago Miami-Dade County announced a partnership with AT&T to deliver smart cities solutions in public safety, transportation and traffic. In the view of Susan Crawford, author of “The Responsive City,” smart cities do more than enhance the social and economic fabric of communities. They strengthen democracy by bringing citizens and their government closer together and utilize information and communication technology to solve (or at least alleviate) major urban problems. Cities that can achieve that goal are smart, indeed.

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MIAMI TODAY

TODAY’S NEWS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016

Miami pours more cash into removing trash from waterways BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS

Clean-up of Biscayne Bay and the Miami River and its tributaries is a near-daily chore. City of Miami officials have contracted with a business devoted to water decontamination, Water Management Technologies Inc. The Miami-based company’s Scavenger 2000 Decontamination Boat removes trash and debris from waterways, including the river and portions of Biscayne Bay. Due to increased need to clean and decontaminate waterways, the city commission just approved an added $50,000 for the company, bringing the three-year contact to $700,000. The original agreement limited costs to $600,000 for three years, but due to increased need the city added $50,000 in 2015. The Y-shape decontamination vessel’s movable arms open to corral trash and debris and direct it to a collection machine in the belly of the boat. The company’s near-daily clean-up runs have collected debris ranging from foam cups to

Boat’s Y-shape movable arms open to corral trash and direct it to a collection machine in vessel’s belly.

automobile tires, plastic jugs to grass clippings, and far more. The Miami contract calls for clean-up of portions of the bay, the river and “all navigable tributaries.” Horacio Stuart Aguirre, chairman of the Miami River Commission, said the commission strongly supports the work of Water Management Technologies Inc. He introduced owners Marc and Sophie Mastriano to city commissioners at the April

14 meeting. Mr. Aguirre said they designed the decontamination boat, and said the company is a very successful “hands-on business.” He said the decontamination boat operates on area waterways “almost seven days a week.” Miguel Soliman, who owns an area construction company, praised the company’s work in keeping waterways looking good. “They’ve done a remarkable job,” he said.

In a letter to the city, Mr. Aguirre explained that the Scavenger 2000 not only removes trash from the river and bay but also works to oxygenate and rejuvenate the water. “A clean and fresh smelling waterfront is vital to economic growth, tourism and quality of life,” wrote Mr. Aguirre. “The Scavenger vessel removes floatable debris, and every hour decontaminates 600,000 gallons of water and injects

150,000 liters of oxygen into the water, significantly improving water quality, aesthetics, and removing foul odors,” he wrote. Mr. Aguirre said this invaluable and necessary service is provided along all waterfront areas of the city, from Coconut Grove through downtown and up to the Upper East Side, including the river and its tributaries. “The Miami River is a destination landscape for residents and tourists alike,” Mr. Aguirre wrote. “The Miami River’s over 10,000 residences, 15 restaurants, 10 public parks, 6 miles of constructed public Miami River Greenway, etc., all appreciate and benefit from the Scavenger vessel’s continued excellent services, being successfully provided under several contracts with the City of Miami for over 14 years.” The Coast Guard has commended the company for removing hundreds of items from the river that were hazardous to navigation. Water Management Technologies Inc., which bills itself as a marine environmental company, was founded in 1995.

A page-turner about genius whose obsession is mathematics BY MARILYN BOWDEN

Stories about genius and its trials abound, but a 576-page novel about a genius whose obsession is mathematics might not sound like a page-turner. From its first pages, however, Ethan Canin’s “A Doubter’s Almanac” is difficult to put down. Mr. Canin is guest speaker for a members-only meeting of the Brickell Avenue Literary Society at noon May 9 in the Wolfson Auditorium, Temple Israel of Greater Miami, 137 NE 19th St. Making theoretical mathematics fascinating is just one of the difficulties Mr. Canin faced in writing this novel. Getting readers to care about his main character, Milo Andret – arrogant,

self-centered, misogynist, often downright repulsive – was perhaps the greater challenge. Andret is introduced as an intelligent boy growing up in the woods of northern Michigan, unaware as yet of the abilities for

which he will soon be labeled a genius. “He was an only child,” Mr. Canin writes, “and from early in his life had invented solitary games – long treks into the landscape with certain self-imposed rules (two right turns to every left, exactly a thousand steps from departure to return, the winding brook crossed only when it bent to the west)” – obsessive, yes, but not yet obnoxious. Milo shares with his mother a sort of internal GPS: “He’d long been able to picture the world, all of its six directions, his exact place in any three-dimensional topography.” In his 20s, Milo is universally acclaimed for proving the Malosz conjecture, for which he wins a

coveted Fields medal. “Everywhere around him,” Mr. Canin writes, “he could feel the density of admiration. This was the great elixir of his life” – and perhaps his greatest curse. “A Doubter’s Almanac” is narrated by Milo Andret’s son, Hans, who has inherited his father’s mathematical brilliance as well as his addictive tendencies, and through him the novel questions what “genius” really means. Is it really a term for a superior mind as Milo’s long-suffering wife believes, or is it an aberration, “a true degenerative psychosis belonging to the group of moral insanity,” as suggested by Hans’s therapist at a high-class rehab center? Is it a search for some elusive

missing piece? Earl Biettermann, Milo’s colleague and rival, calls that something “the real nature of your desire. ... It’s the hole that can never be filled.” Ethan Canin – who attended Harvard Medical School after graduating from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop, fearing he’d never make a living as a writer – is the author of seven widely acclaimed works of fiction. His short stories have appeared in a wide range of magazines, including New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, Esquire, Paris Review and Granta, and have been selected for many prize anthologies. He’s now the F. Wendell Miller Professor of English & Creative Writing at the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where his students have included Eleanor Catton, the youngest person ever to capture the Man Booker Prize. The Brickell Avenue Literary Society is sponsored by Sabadell United Bank, Miami Today and YoungArts. For information, call (786) 691-4521 or email contact@BrickellLiterary.org. ”A Doubter’s Almanac,” by Ethan Canin, 576 pages, is $28 hardbound from Penguin Random House. Details: www.penguinrandomhouse.com.

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016

MIAMI TODAY

Transportation

Half of weekday riders’ bus route on-time record below 71% BY SUSAN D ANSEYAR

Half of weekday Miami-Dade bus ridership for the first six months of 2015 was on schedule no more than 70.8% of the time, representing 16 routes that transit officials will evaluate in an ongoing effort to provide efficient and reliable public transportation. According to a report county commissioners received this week, a large amount of bus ridership is concentrated in relatively few routes. Six that account for a quarter of all bus ridership had on-time performance no higher than 70.1%, and the top eight routes representing a third had no higher than 72.8% on-time performance during the first six months of 2015. Effective December 2015, the 16 routes representing half of the system’s ridership had additional running and recovery time added into their schedules, according to a memo from Transit and Public Works Director Alice Bravo. Such improvement efforts will continue as the department reviews service changes for the June 2016 and November 2016 schedule update to commissioners, she said, by prioritizing and addressing the most used routes followed by the lesser used. Per legislation sponsored by Barbara Jordan, Esteban Bovo Jr. and Rebeca Sosa, the De-

Photo by Maxine Usdan

Recovery and running time has been added for the 16 routes that carry half of county bus system riders.

partment of Transit and Public Works evaluated current schedules to improve operating efficiency by determining adequate running time, headways, mileage and driver break schedules. Additionally, the legislation asked that the department create a plan for carrying out the improvements, as well as review and update all bus route schedules at least every three years.

Twice a year, in June and November, the department reviews the routes for both performance and customer demand. As part of each review period, Ms. Bravo said, the department assesses current traffic conditions and travel times to determine potential impacts on the bus schedules. Also, she said, the department reviews the budget, manpower and available equipment

to make sure service levels are met as efficiently as possible. Modifications to the schedule reflect feedback from passengers, bus operators, planning staff and other government agencies. “As resources become available, such as the delivery of new buses, additional modifications are undertaken to enhance service delivery to our customers,” Ms. Bravo said.

Assessing the reliability of bus service consists of three components: the more streamlined the route (i.e., fewer turns or deviations) the more reliable, with the optimal plan that 80% be “straight” routes running frequently through areas of dense activity and 20% could meander through areas with low ridership; layover or recovery time at the end of each route (the amount needed to ensure ontime departure for the next one and give the driver a break); and how much time the bus is in revenue service. In 2013, the Department of Transit contacted consultants to assess the bus network to pinpoint efficiencies, increase ridership and reduce costs. The resulting plan recommended streamlining routes to concentrate services on main corridors with increased frequencies and rewriting bus schedules. In November 2013, the department started to follow the plan’s recommendations. To date, Ms. Bravo said, 15 recommendations have been enacted. “However,” she wrote, “further ‘straightening’ of routes is required so that travel time by bus can be improved and become more comparable to travel by car, which will be necessary to attract more riders to choose bus service over their private vehicles in order to reduce congestion and improve mobility.”

Miami-Dade mission to California finds pro-transit mindset BY CATHERINE LACKNER

When members of the MiamiDade Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) traveled to Oakland and San Diego, CA, to survey transit tactics, they found many similarities between the California communities and Miami. But the differences were also clear, said Aileen Bouclè, MPO executive director since January. The April 8 traveling party included Ms. Bouclè; Jean Monestime, chair of both the Miami-Dade Commission and the MPO; Francis Suarez, Miami commissioner and MPO vice chair; and Oliver G. Gilbert III, mayor of Miami Gardens and MPO member. They visited the Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission, a planning authority for nine counties in the San Francisco Bay area; the San Diego Association of Governments, a regional planning agency in the San Diego area; and the California offices of both the Federal Transit Administration and the Federal Highway Administration. “Multiple meetings took place,” Ms. Bouclè said.

Photo by Marlene Quaroni

California planning groups have a belief that public transit is the solution to mobility, said Aileen Bouclé.

Like Miami-Dade County, the Bay area and San Diego are affected by both growth and congestion, she said. “We share similar problems; these are two very populous regions. The road net-

work is at capacity.” But the California planning groups operate under a mindset that the only effective way to improve mobility is to grow public transit, she said. “They know

that’s where the future is.” They are also unified in the pursuit of regional solutions, Ms. Bouclè said. “They get behind a plan and move it forward. They acknowledge that

they need help, and they are very aggressive in seeking federal funding.” Once a plan is established, “they work it, acknowledging there is a time line.” Ms. Bouclè said she hopes a similar coalition of committed officials and stakeholders will push forward the Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit plan that the MPO recently approved. In California, “they have a pipeline full of projects” in various stages of environmental testing or design. “As soon as they have a project that’s ready, they move it forward,” she said. “They know that federal funding requires a local match” and have prepared the resources. In its search for solutions that have worked elsewhere, the group has visited Denver and will next travel to Houston. “We’re at a crossroads in Miami-Dade; our roadways are built out,” Ms. Bouclè said. “We have the capacity to grow our transit.” The question, at least in the minds of many observers, is whether community leaders and transportation officials can put aside individual agendas and unify behind a common goal.

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016

TRANSPORTATION

MIAMI TODAY

Zipcar adds locations, grows fleet as competitor pulls out BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS

While one car-sharing company has closed up shop in Miami, another has grown. Zipcar continues to add locations and grow its fleet, and recently expanded to Central Florida. In Miami, vehicles are parked in designated spots for pick-up and drop-off and can be reserved on Zipcar’s mobile app, online or over the phone. “We have around 75 vehicles in South Florida; 60 of those are focused in the Miami area,” said Smokshane West, Zipcar Florida general manager. “Zipcar’s Miami fleet has doubled in size since launching four years ago, giving residents and visitors on-demand access to wheels when they want them without the costs and hassles associated with car ownership,” said Mr. West. Zipcar worked to establish a partnership with the Miami Parking Authority, which allowed the company to add onstreet locations throughout the City of Miami after Car2Go, another sharing service that partnered with the authority, called it quits here in January. The Zipcar vehicles are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The parking authority manages and develops on- and off-street parking in the city. The agency’s hope is that car sharing will reduce cars on the road while changing the way people think about car ownership, and complement some of the city’s attempts to improve public transportation. “Residents who may own one car but need access to a second take particular interest in our service, as well as tourists looking for an easy way to zip around town,” Mr. West said. “We are continually monitoring where members are using vehicles to ensure proper expansion opportunities to grow our services in South Florida. “We expect further growth in the coming years as more and more people look to car sharing as a convenient, cost-effective and environmentally-friendly transportation solution,” he said. Gas, insurance and up to 180 miles of driving per day are included, and cars can be reserved for as little as an hour or for up to seven days. By placing cars throughout the area, Zipcar says it will help to take privately owned cars off the road and reduce congestion and emissions. Independent studies show that each shared car can take up to 15 privately owned cars off the road, while car sharers reduce their carbon footprint by 1,000 to 1,600 pounds per member per year, the company said. Zipcar locations in Miami and Miami Beach include: 420 Lincoln Road; Crowne Plaza Miami - 950 NW 42nd Ave.; Courvoisier Centre - 601 Brickell Key Dr.; 777 Brickell Ave.; Lincoln Garage; 500 Collins Ave.; 1041 Collins Ave.; Southwest 13th Street & First Avenue; Downtown - Southwest First Street at First Ave.; 1756 NE Fourth Ave.; Coconut Grove - 2575 S

Zipcars are parked in designated spots for pick up and drop off and can be reserved via a mobile app.

Bayshore Dr.; Shoppes at Midtown - 3401 N Miami Ave.; The Vizcayne - 253 NE Second St.; Camden Brickell - 1010 S Miami Ave.; Mary Brickell Village; Avis

23rd Street - 2318 Collins Ave.; Avis Miami Beach - 6742 Collins Ave.; Coral Gables Avis - 3655 SW 22nd St.; Avis Miami Beach - 6742 Collins Ave.; 959 West

Ave - Budget South Beach; Downtown Avis - 99 SE Second St.; Dadeland Station Avis - 8330 S Dixie Highway. In February, Zipcar an-

nounced new partnerships in Central Florida with the cities of Orlando and Winter Park. The Florida Department of Transportation’s reThink program – a service that seeks to reduce congestion, improve air quality, conserve natural resources and save commuters money – was an initial catalyst for this launch, reaching out to Zipcar in March 2015 about the opportunity to partner with Orlando and Winter Park and convening early discussions. Zipcar bills itself as “the world’s leading car sharing network,” with its wide variety of self-service vehicles available by the hour or day. Zipcar, a subsidiary of Avis Budget Group Inc., operates in urban areas and university campuses in more than 500 cities and towns across Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the US. Details: www.zipcar.com

June 16 A Unique Supplement Our Best of Miami Supplement is our most highly sought after issue that showcases those who are working to make this city greater through innovation and their drive to continue to develop and improve our community. Advertise in this supplement to be a part of progress. Join with us as we highlight the best Miami has to offer. As always, this issue will be a staple at the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s Goals Conference. For reservation, call us at 305-358-1008.

MIAMITODAY A Singular Voice in an Evolving City

WEEK OF THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2016

TRANSPORTATION

MIAMI TODAY

Architect hits road to win support for causeway bike path BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS

A plan to turn parts of the Rickenbacker Causeway on Virginia Key into a state-ofthe-art bike and pedestrian path and parkway has been upgraded. From Miami architect Bernard Zyscovich comes Plan Z 2.0, and he’s hitting the road with the redesign for new vows of support from elected leaders in the area. The Key Biscayne Village Council is expected to be the first to see the upgraded plan this month, according to Aymee Zubizarreta, a consultant to Mr. Zyscovich. Plan Z for Miami would transform a single purpose infrastructure – Rickenbacker Causeway – into a multimodal recreational asset, Rickenbacker Park. The plan basically calls for turning the causeway into a “scenic road through a park.” The Rickenbacker Causeway has long been popular with bicyclists as it has scenic views of Biscayne Bay and the City of Miami skyline. But heavy traffic endangers cyclists and pedestrians. Mr. Zyscovich, a cycling enthusiast, is advancing the plan to try and make a safe and secure park out of what today is a busy highway. Cyclists have been injured and killed on the causeway, prompting Mr. Zyscovich to call together his team and begin assembling the pieces that will become Plan Z. The proposal calls for reducing vehicular lanes on the causeway, from the mainland to the entrance of the Key Biscayne, from three to two and using the newly liberated space for a bicycle and pedestrian path. The plan received the backing of city and county officials last summer. The City of Miami owns the bulk of Virginia Key, while the county has jurisdiction over the roadway and causeway. The initial plan was met with some concerns on the part of Key Biscayne officials, said Ms. Zubizarreta, “because this is their driveway home.” Concerns were expressed about the Powell Bridge and Bear Cut Bridge. “Like everything in life, they are reaching their level of maturity and these bridges will need to be replaced at some point,” she said.

In December, Mr. Zyscovich was challenged by Key Biscayne leaders to “look at everything from a bigger picture” and design Plan Z as if money were no object, Ms. Zubizarreta said. Over the holidays, Plan Z 2.0 was born. The new, bigger and bolder plan would connect to The Underline via Vizcaya’s transit station and the City of Miami’s Alice Wainwright Park. “The new design that Bernard conceived now also includes a new signature entrance that serves as a skybridge for cyclists and runners who choose to enter the Rickenbacker Causeway either from the north – Downtown Miami or Brickell – or the south… and a running/ cycling path along the seawall at Alice Wainwright Park,” said Ms. Part of the plan by architect Bernard Zyscovich is a flyover bike path onto the Rickenbacker Causeway. Zubizarreta. The Underline is a plan backed by the county to transform about 10 miles of land under Metrorail’s elevated tracks into an urban linear park and pathway. Plan Z 2.0 also includes an iconic observation deck for cyclists and runners on the William Powell Bridge, as well as nearly 20 acres of identified green space for recreational use along a stretch of the Rickenbacker Causeway, Ms. Zubizarreta said. Mr. Zyscovich has the support of county Mayor Carlos Gimenez for the updated plan, and Bruce Matheson, spokesperson for the Matheson Family, is backing the proposal, she said. Mr. Zyscovich is also planning to presented the redesign A side view of the skybridge onto the causeway. Mr. Zyscovich advanced the plan for safety and parkland. to the City of Miami. Miami-Dade County recently applied for a grant to help complete Plan Z’s pilot project, which calls for painting the entire existing bike path green and adding reflectors, from the entrance to the causeway to Bear Cut Bridge. At present, the green bike path appears only in select spots such as conflict zones and then after Bear Cut Bridge as riders approach Key Biscayne. Ms. Zubizarreta said the Florida Department of Transportation says Rickenbacker is the most utilized corridor in the entire state for cycling and running. That fact may help Mr. Zyscovich as he works to garThe proposal would create a linear park stretching through Virginia Key headed toward Key Biscayne. ner funding for the project.

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