Miami Today: Week of Thursday, June 23, 2016 by Miami Today

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WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2016

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GOALS CONFERENCE REVIEW

Mayors agree to team up to win transit aid, pg. 13 ELECTRIC COSTS FALL: Area households paid an average of 10.8 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity in May, down from 11.6 cents in May 2015. Miami households in May paid an average of 18.8% less than the nationwide average of 13.3 cents per kilowatt hour. In May 2015, electricity costs were 15.3% lower in Miami than the nation, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Nonstop flights, marketing keys to China deals, pg. 16

THE ACHIEVER

BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS

CRIMES DECLINE: Violent crimes in areas patrolled by the MiamiDade Police Department were 9.57% fewer in the first five months of this year than in the first five months of 2015, the department reported, though homicides increased from 32 last year to 36 this year in the period. Nonviolent crimes decreased 4.09% in the five-month period from the first five months of 2015. The report does not include crimes in areas patrolled by municipal police departments within the county. PLAN ROLLING AHEAD: Skate Free Inc., a non-profit, plans to transform an old parking lot under I-95 into a skating park and green space. The 40,000-square-foot project is estimated to cost $1.5 million and has the support of the Miami Parking Authority. The effort is led by Nick Katz. The group opened a bare bones Lot 11 in April at 328 NW Second St. Mr. Katz and parking authority CEO Art Noriega met with Miami commissioners April 28 and the commission agreed to allocate $600,000 toward the project, after Mr. Katz said his family is chipping in $600,000. The lot belongs to the Florida Department of Transportation. The city’s money is contingent on Skate Free getting a long-term lease of the land. Mr. Noriega reported to the city’s Off-Street Parking Board this month that talks with the state have been “very productive.” BUYING NEXT DOOR: Ransom Everglades School officials have agreed to buy the 6.9-acre La Brisa property adjoining its Main Highway campus, with the goal of improving educational spaces while respecting the land and extensive hammock. The bayfront purchase, made possible through donations, reflects the school’s longstanding ties to Coconut Grove and its history, officials said. The La Brisa land was originally deeded in 1886 to Kirk Munroe, a noted conservationist and founding member of the Florida Audubon Society. “We can’t pass up the opportunity to buy this beautiful property,” said Head of School Penny Townsend. “The purchase will allow us to improve our facilities, add vital greenspace and continue our long tradition of respecting, protecting and learning from the treasures of Old Florida and Miami’s precious coastal ecosystems.”

Josh Moody

Photo by Marlene Quaroni

Heading Merrill Lynch Wealth Management for region The profile is on Page 4

New plan in testing to synchronize traffic lights BY SUSAN DANSEYAR

Drivers frustrated by growing congestion and at least one Miami-Dade commissioner question whether traffic signals are synchronized properly – or at all – but officials say they’re testing new technologies to modernize the system for well into the future. Commissioner Xavier Suarez said he’s been told since the late 1970s that the county will synchronize signals, but gridlock grows. He cited trouble spots, particularly US 1 at 17th Avenue, during the county’s Transit and Mobility Services Committee meeting last week. “At 11 a.m., it’s already in condition ‘F,’” he said, adding that he sent the administration possible solutions in 2010 but “nothing has been done.” Afterward, the committee unanimously approved increasing a coordinating traffic signals contract that would give KimleyHorn & Associates an added $3.85 million and five more years if the full commission approves. Before the vote, Mr. Suarez asked if this would assure synchronized signals.

AGENDA

South Dade transit plan priority aim

The county has been synchronizing street lights since 1976, said Frank Aira, Traffic Signals and Signs Division chief. The Transportation and Public Works Department is currently adding technology whereby highspeed communication will pinpoint problems and relay the data in real time to synchronize signals, he said. Mr. Aira said after tests the department will use the technology around the county. About 70 electrical technicians, system operators, traffic operation engineers and managers work full-time “to ensure the signals are timed and operating optimally to keep traffic moving safely and efficiently on the arterials,” the Transportation and Public Works Department’s website says. “The new Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS), a state-of-the-art, distributed traffic signal monitor and control system, helps to assure that optimum traffic signal operations” run countywide at all times. Once completed, officials say, the ATMS will synchronize every traffic signal in the county, provide real time video monitoring and allow the traffic control center to adjust signal timing to let more cars flow on major

County commissioners are preparing to advance one of six targeted rapid transit routes, Commissioner Esteban Bovo Jr., who chairs the Transit and Mobility Services Committee, told the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Goals Conference on Friday. The search for gridlock solutions dominated the conference, with plenty of talk about the Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit, or SMART, plan: six corridors “that directly support the mobility of our future population and employment growth.” The county Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) endorsed the plan in April. Challenged by Chairman Mark Rosenberg to pick one project for the chamber to get behind, Mr. Bovo cited the South Dade TransitWay along US 1 from Kendall Drive to Southwest 344th Street in Florida City. The SMART plan calls for converting the US 1 Busway from “Enhanced Bus Service to Light Rail Transit (LRT) and/or appropriate premium transit technology.” Mr. Bovo said within a few months commissioners will ask the MPO board to advance the South Dade TransitWay. He suggested that the MPO vote to request proposals for a public-private partnership on rapid transit there. “Let’s just move,” he said. Earlier, Mr. Bovo had mentioned private interest in the south route. A traffic jam is “an equal opportunity stagnator” when it comes to an area’s economic strength, he said, and being stuck in traffic is not a lifestyle anyone would desire. “One corridor will have to go first. We’ll have to choose,” he said. The one route of the six in the SMART plan that “can be done quickly” is the South Dade TransitWay into Florida City, Mr. Bovo said. “We own the right of way,” a major advantage. Rapid transit on that route, he said, “unlocks the southern end of the county.”

roads and reduce side-street delays. The department, said director Alice Bravo, has been working toward the system since 2006. In the 1970s, signals were connected by a computer. “When something went wrong, we had to drive out and manually repair, re-sync the lights and were limited to 2,000 signals,” she told Miami Today this week. “Now, over 2,900 signals are connected and we’re able to log into them remotely.” The ATMS replaced the old urban traffic control system in 2012, Ms. Bravo said. “We’re still on a timetable regarding synchronization that makes it all work together. Based on the time of day, we have limited time to react.” Ms. Bravo said the next step is to replace computers at every intersection with adaptive equipment. “The computers at the signals can make real-time adjustments,” she said. “We’re also adding cameras and speed detectors in the field so traffic engineers in our traffic control center have information and make can adjustments based on what’s happening at that mo Denver’s gains a roadmap, pg. 14 ment.”

LEGISLATIVE LEADERS AT COUNTY HALL TALK OF LINKS ...

COUNTY BID TO REWARD FOR-HIRE DRIVERS IS STALLED ...

MIXED-USE MEGACENTER BRICKELL PROJECT ADVANCES ...

SCARCE LAND IS SEEN FORCING UP INDUSTRIAL RENTS ...

VIEWPOINT: DON’T PLAN TO PLAN TRANSIT, GET GOING ...

PLANNED 53-STORY TOWER BESIDE CITY GARAGE GAINS ... 11

BRAZILIAN TOURISM GROWS, BUT SPENDING DROPS 15% ...

BEACH CONVENTION HOTEL WON’T GO IN PARKING LOT ...

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2016

TODAY’S NEWS

MIAMI TODAY

Megacenter Brickell plan advances BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS

In the shadow of I-95, where Brickell meets East Little Havana, a Chilean developer plans a unique mixed-use project to be called Megacenter Brickell. The city’s Urban Development Review Board recommended its approval June 15. The project is to include two buildings at 420 SW Seventh St. and 427 SW Eighth St. A planned 12-story structure would include nearly 75,000 square feet of mini-storage space wrapped in changeable art, four levels of office space (about 6,670 square feet), rooftop terrace, street level retail uses and parking for about 111 vehicles. The other building is eight stories with ninth floor rooftop amenities, about 57 residential units and ground-level retail space. All told, the project would be home to about 10,000 square feet of retail. The residential units are described as multi-family, workforce rental units and the building faces Calle Ocho or Eighth Street. Attorney Carlos R. Lago with Greenberg Traurig LLP spoke on behalf of the Megacenter developers, along with architect Reinaldo Borges of Borges + Associates Architects. Mr. Lago said the project will activate an underused one-acre site “uniquely positioned” at the convergence of three major streets, Southwest Seventh and Eighth streets and Southwest Fourth Avenue. The retail, storage and office uses will face Seventh Street, while the residential building will front Eighth, he said. Adding color and dimension, large panels of artwork will

cover the lower floor façade of the 12-story building. While the artwork will be replaced periodically on the building’s main facades, it will celebrate the evolution of Miami’s art scene, according to Mr. Borges. The art shown in conceptual images represents the work of several artists, while the main image being shown is the work of ABSTRACT, who operates out of Miami and works internationally. No official commitment has been made with any artist but Mr. Borges said, “Megacenter U.S. will be working closely with select artists to make this a very special and artful building that celebrates the art culture that Miami is nurturing.” Mr. Borges described the art walls as temporary, saying the artwork would be rotated. They plan to “curate the best artwork for this great location,” he said. The developer is requesting nearly a dozen waivers to the Miami 21 zoning code, including allowing a 30% reduction in required parking, a 10% reduction in setbacks above the eighth floor, increasing lot coverage from 80% to 84.2%, allowing vehicle entry off a primary frontage and more. The 12-story building is to have about 80 basement parking spaces, of the 111 planned, with the rest above the second level. Mr. Borges said there will be six levels of storage and four levels of offices. Board member Fidel Perez said the very important site at an exit off I-95 and the entry to Brickell sees a lot of traffic. With so many uses, Mr. Perez said, “I see conflict between the uses.” He mentioned the

challenges of in and out traffic due to the storage units. Mr. Borges said some storage units would be used by retail tenants to store specialty merchandise, while office tenants are expected to us other storage units. As for the art walls or panels, Mr. Perez said, “The word ‘temporary’ bothers me.” He added, “Will they be up today but gone tomorrow?” Mr. Perez suggested a covenant from the developer promising to maintain the large panels. Mr. Borges said the changeable art would be switched out much the way a gallery works. “It’s art for the life of the building. That is the intention,” he said. Mr. Perez said he felt the design left blank walls on the east and south, on the southern residential building next to an existing gas station. He suggested different façades with art or glazing. “I do think those walls need help,” said Mr. Perez. Mr. Borges said the designers worked a long time to develop the planned façades on that building, running through numerous options. “This is a tenth variation,” he said. They didn’t want to overwhelm the main façade of the project, he said. Board member Robin Bosco said he liked the project, calling it nice and exciting, but questioned the need for so many waivers. Mr. Borges said it is an urban infill site with challenges and he felt they have “managed the complexities” of the property as best as possible. Board member Neil Hall said he was a bit surprised by the project. Holding up the thick packet of drawings and render-

One of the two buildings planned for the Megacenter Brickell project.

ings, he said this is the first time he can remember seeing finished plans brought to the board. Mr. Hall said it put pressure on the board to approve the project, yet the developer was asking for a host of waivers. “I would have liked to have seen this earlier,” said Mr. Hall. Mr. Hall went on to say he was puzzled by mixing storage with an office complex, that it seemed to be a contradictory marriage. “I see problems with it.” He also noted the site is at “a very important corner.” Mr. Borges said no disrespect was meant, and that the architects have been working on the project with city staff for 10 months. He said the city’s planning staff is so busy they almost had to beg to be assigned to work with one of the city officials on the project. As for the many mixed uses, Mr. Borges said they like the hybrid plan, calling it unique and unprecedented. Mr. Bosco and board member Anthony Tzamtzis agreed with Mr. Hall about the concerns raised by bringing an entirely finished project to the review board. Mr. Bosco suggested all plans come to the board for initial review, long

before nearing the final stage of drawings. Mr. Tzamtzis said, “It puts this board in a very difficult position – the project is fully developed. Any comment we have will impact you a lot.” Mr. Tzamtzis even suggested the board abstain from a vote and leave it to the planning department. But an assistant city attorney advised that the board could not abstain. A motion was made to recommend approval as presented, which passed 3-1. Mr. Perez voted no. In a statement released after the meeting, Mr. Borges said, “The Megacenter project is vital in that it represents the future of the surrounding neighborhood with a visionary approach to the integration of art which welcomes you from the I-95 off ramp into the emerging mixed-use, world-class Brickell neighborhood.” Developer Megacenter U.S. was founded in 2012 in partnership with Chilean-based Red Megacentro to develop its business model in the US, under the guidance of developers Patricio Ureta and Pablo Wichmann. The company offers office, warehouse and self-storage space in Chile, Peru and Miami.

VIEWPOINT

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 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

Don’t just plan to plan the planning of transit – get it rolling As planners plan to draw environmental plans that in six to eight months could lead to plans to fund planning for planned additions of actual Miami-Dade mass transit, proponents of that actual Michael Lewis transit are yelling that we need less planning and more riding. One of the people most frustrated with all the planning that planners say is a must in order to even decide to seek vital federal transportation funds to reduce Miami’s gridlock is the man who wants to bring those funds home to Miami now, US Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart. Rep. Diaz-Balart is not just any of the 435 US House members. He’s the one member, the only one, who can help most. He chairs the subcommittee on transportation appropriation that deals with discretionary spending. His team drafts transportation spending in the federal budget – and he wants to put a major Miami transit project into the budget. But, as he told the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce on Friday, he can’t just bring us a broad menu of funds – it has to be one project. And Miami’s Metropolitan Planning Organization, which decides what to ask for, has decided to plan for six project and not prioritize any of them. By the time we get around to deciding, it might be too late. On a panel at the chamber’s goals conference hours later, planning organization Executive Director Aileen Bouclé said we can’t prioritize anything without at least six to eight months more studying beforehand. Just how long do we expect Rep. Diaz-Balart to be ready and willing to

‘Rome wasn’t built in a day.’

Aileen Bouclé

‘Pressure your officials. Are we going to have something done this year or not?’

Esteban Bovo Jr.

help us fund our top transit choice? He ran unopposed in 2014 but this fall he has an opponent, and he certainly can’t count on the Republican presidential candidate to pull him into office. He’d look better to voters if he could get transportation money moving to us. But we have to ask, and we won’t. That’s because in April the Metropolitan Planning Organization decided to work on six transit corridors simultaneously, thus getting everyone to support the deal. In the past, every time one corridor seemed to get rolling the elected officials of other areas made such a stink that it was sidetracked. Think about the man out catching crabs and throwing them into a lidless bucket when a passerby came up. “Hey, look out, the crabs are climbing up the bucket,” said the passerby. “They’ll all get away.” “Don’t worry, they’re not going anywhere,” said the other, “they’re all Miami-Dade County crabs. As soon as one reaches the top the others will pull him back down.” That’s what we’ve always done with mass transit. Everyone wants to be first or they won’t play – so now they’ve cut a deal that put everyone on the same schedule. In a few years we’re going to have six transit routes all planned out and only then can we start looking for private partnerships or federal money. “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” Ms. Bouclé told the chamber transportation discussion Friday as everyone asked for just one project to get rolling forward. After six to eight months of study, she said, they can start thinking of what comes next. She wouldn’t timetable any of that.

But others were timetabling for her. County Commissioner Esteban Bovo Jr. warned that the key local funding for transit, the half percent sales tax voters approved 14 years ago, could be in jeopardy if nothing starts. Someone is likely to champion repeal of the tax, he said, and voters would kill it if nothing begins soon. So we have an ideally-placed congressman ready with money who needs to act soon. We have a local tax to fund projects that otherwise might disappear. And we have 2.6 million MiamiDade residents who grow increasingly frustrated with traffic and don’t want to wait for more studies. Then there’s new chamber chairman and Florida International University President Mark Rosenberg, who told the transportation panel that if no new transit will start in a year, a pillar of his chamber program that began Thursday has already fallen. The generator of transit projects, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, refuses to pick a starting point. So Mr. Bovo said within two months he expects to call for a vote of the organization to start on the busway south to Florida City, because it could get moving fastest. “One corridor is going to have to go first,” he said. And if the other MiamiDade crabs don’t pull Mr. Bovo’s plans back into the bucket, why not start with the easiest and the fastest and do something? All six routes on the list are worthy. Plan them simultaneously. Have them ready when opportunity appears. Meanwhile, take the easiest step now. Take advantage of the vital positioning

of Rep. Diaz-Balart. Build on the energy of Commissioner Bovo. Add the impatience of President Rosenberg, whose FIU research site in Homestead could benefit. Use the money from the transit tax before someone gets voters to repeal our only hope for strong local funding. “The residents of Miami-Dade County are expecting movement,” Mr. Bovo pointed out. This is a time for the Miami-Dade transportation crabs to take a lesson from the private sector. Since 2002 the county has been dithering over a corridor in which to leverage the transit tax, but Florida East Coast Industries dreamed up its Brightline railroad to link Miami to Orlando just four years ago. Already, the eight-block-long Miami station complex is rising fast, work goes on in Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach, tracks have been upgraded, and trains are being built now to run next year. Meanwhile, the county dithers. Four years is how long it takes to plan to seek funds – assuming that the crabs could ever let one route rise to the top of the bucket. Mike Reininger, Brightline president, told the chamber his secret for speed: “We are unapologetically impatient,” he said. Public transportation, he said, could use “the brute force of an outside agency” – perhaps the chamber? – to get transportation rolling. And, he advised, “Be intolerant” of anything that slows it down. Mr. Bovo had his own advice for the chamber: “Pressure your officials. Are we going to have something done this year or not?” We won’t if we have to plan six to eight months just to decide on the next step of the planning. It’s fine to plan all six corridors – just get one going. Who goes first is far less important than that someone goes now. Don’t let the Miami-Dade transportation crabs crab our act.

Life in the Magic City

Playing the real adult game of ‘What would you do if...’ When I was little and went to sleepovers, my friends and I would lay in our beds, turn off the lights, and play the game of “What would you do if…?” We would then imagine the worst scenarios we could Susan Kahn think of – “What would you do if your Mom and Dad were out and you were home all alone and the electric went off and the flashlight was dead and you couldn’t find any candles and there was a knock on the door and...” But that was back when The Twilight Zone was just a TV show. Now when I get together with friends we play the game of “What would you do if the choice is between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump?” Our old answers – put a chair under the doorknob, hide under the bed, go out the back window, and the like – won’t do much good. But the saving grace might be that, while The Twilight Zone took you to

that “Fifth Dimension,” there was always a twist at the end that no one could have anticipated. I remember the episode where a young woman, who was never shown in full – and whom we viewers all assumed was hideously disfigured – wanted surgery to make her look like everyone else. Throughout the entire show no faces were shown, but at the end as she was about to go under the knife, the camera panned the operating room: everyone in it was disfigured, but the young woman herself was beautiful. So I am assuming there’s going to be a twist at the end of our reality show. Either the FBI is going to recommend pursuing the email case, the Justice Department is going to move to prosecute and Biden jumps in, the Justice Department refuses to prosecute and the FBI honchos resign, the Republican Party is going to split into two, riots will erupt at the Republican convention, the Sanders people will revolt at the Democratic convention, the Libertarian party will be a spoiler, or Trump will make an insulting remark about cats and the catlover vote will fall to the Democrats.

Yes, something we can’t anticipate is going to happen – and if history is any guide, it’s going to happen here in Florida. In fact, I think it’s our constitutional responsibility to make something happen here in Florida, if not Miami. We have mastered hanging chads, Medicare fraud, Brazilian butt injections, dead voters, an FBI raid on the entire city hall of Opa-locka, and various nefarious schemes too numerous to list. Creativity is definitely our strong suit. So, surely, we can come up with something to avoid moving to Australia, which was one of the answers given to the “What if..?” game. And we’d better get busy because other areas of the country are already beating us. According to a recent obituary in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, a Virginia woman came up with a unique solution. “Faced with the prospect of voting for either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton,” it read, “Mary Anne Noland of Richmond chose, instead, to pass into the eternal love of God on Sunday.” A Pittsburgh man, Jeffrey Cohen, had

similar thoughts. His obituary in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette read, “...in lieu of flowers, please do not vote for Donald Trump.” I am not suggesting we need to die – just yet – but let’s get thinking. Or at least break out the popcorn.

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TODAY’S NEWS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2016

MIAMI TODAY

Brazilian tourism still grows as their spending drops 15% BY MARCUS LIM

Brazilians are still numberone internationally in total visits to Miami, a fact that hasn’t changed during Brazil’s current political and economic turmoil. What has changed is what they’ve been spending here – the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau records a 15% decrease. The overall decline in expenditures by Brazilians includes lodging, restaurants and meals, Rolando Aedo, bureau executive vice president and chief marketing officer, told Miami Today. In surveys on shopping, however, the drop in Brazilian spending is 16%. “Miami has a strong affinRolando Aedo ity for Brazilians and they love coming here. We seem to be doing better than most than other destinations,” Mr. Aedo said. “We seem to be the preferred destination for Brazilians, which is why we see more of them here, but they seem to be spending less because of the economic and political reasons back at home.” Their expenditures profile comes from “comprehensive research” and surveys in which the bureau asks questions at all

Photo by Maxine Usdan

Merchants, accustomed to flows of Brazilian shoppers, felt a first quarter 4.1% county spending decline.

key visitor destinations within Miami, asking where visitors are coming from and how much they’re spending. Despite the decrease in spending, Mr. Aedo notes growth in number of Brazilians coming to Miami, up 3%, even though gains in previous years were significantly higher at 12%. “The growth was slower than it has been in years past, but it is still a positive,” Mr. Aedo said. “They are still our number-one international market in 2015 and we still see that growth from Brazil.” The fall in expenditure has affected retail, where sales tax collection reports show a decline. Overall in Miami-Dade County, spending declined 4.1% in the first quarter of the year,

with the main retail category of clothes, shoes and electronics being the most affected. While Mr. Aedo can’t pinpoint the main cause of retail purchases slipping, the decrease of expenditure by Brazilians has slightly impacted sales. “That is a lot less than the 15% by Brazilians, but they are part of that decline,” Mr. Aedo said. According to Mr. Aedo, Miami has been the number-one preferred destination for Brazilians’ holidays, which is something he wants to continue. “Our primary goal is to get Brazilians here; our mission is not necessarily to drive the retail purchases while they are here,” he said. “They do have major economic issues that im-

pact their ability to purchase abroad and their government has imposed certain restrictions, which are well beyond our control. What we are ensuring for Miami is that we keep Miami as their number-one choice for travel destination.” He said that Brazilians might not travel to multiple destinations as much and spend fewer nights in one destination. He wants to make it a point that Miami is the preferred destination, that they can feel comfortable in what he hopes is a “second home” for them. The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau has representatives in key cities such as Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, with direct air service to and from the cities to show Brazilians that Miami is the city to go to.

“We need to ensure Miami retains and defends its market share of Brazilians, because we have historically been the number-one destination, so that when things turn around and stabilize, we are well positioned to capitalize on the growth when it happens again,” Mr. Aedo said. Venezuelans are undergoing similar political and economic turmoil, which is reflected in an 18% decline in Venezuelan expenditure in Miami. With cuts in air service and other matters, the decline is something the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau hopes will end, as Venezuela is an important market for visitors. “Venezuela is still one of our top 10 markets when it comes to visitation, so we are still aggressively marketing for both,” Mr. Aedo said. Miami’s top five international markets are Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Argentina and Germany. Mr. Aedo noted that three out of the five are in Latin America. He also saw in Argentina’s new administration better outcomes for Miami, hoping that it will be the same for Brazil. “The new administration is very progressive and pro-US trade, so we are optimistic with Argentina,” he said. “And quite frankly, we are optimistic with Brazil after 2016 once things stabilize.”

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WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2016

MIAMI TODAY

Goals Conference Review

Weston Mayor Daniel Stermer to host tri-county meeting. Miramar’s Wayne Messam calls for transit connectivity. Doral Mayor Luigi Boria hails changes in signal timing.

Mayors agree on need to team up to win transportation aid BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS

where they want to go and where they need to go, he said. “The debate needs to shift from moving vehicles from Point A to Point B to moving people,” Mr. Seiler said. In Broward County, 31 municipalities have banded together as the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), Mr. Stermer said. “It’s frustrating [because] we’re all fighting for scarce resources,” he said. Mr. Stermer wondered: what would happen if we banded together the MPOs of MiamiDade, Broward and Palm Beach counties? “We’ve been so parochial, as South Florida has grown,” he said. As the region has grown, “we’ve learned to do this better,” he said, suggesting three counties team up to create one region. Aventura Mayor Enid Weisman noted the habit of many officials, “a propensity in dividing” up areas, drawing lines. “This is a county road. That [over there] is the responsibility of MDX… it’s so confusing to our constituents … people don’t get it,” said Ms. Weisman. She also recommended a regional approach. “Until we have a comprehensive plan for the region, we lose out,” she said. Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner

Together we stand, divided we fail. That seemed to be the consensus among a gathering of South Florida mayors discussing transportation needs and other issues at the Greater Miami Chamber’s Goals Conference. In order to compete with other heavyweight regions across the country for federal transportation funds, municipalities ought to work together, said several of the participants. Weston Mayor Daniel Stermer promised to host a tricounty meeting to do just that, inviting officials from MiamiDade, Broward and Palm Beach counties to meet and begin identifying the barriers to transportation solutions on a regional basis. “It’s about all of us collectively,” Mr. Stermer said. The past practice of parochialism should be abandoned, he said. “If we don’t, we’re going Photos by Marlene Quaroni to stifle ourselves.” US Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart said it’s vital to prioritize transit projects. As part of the mayoral forum, voiced frustration with a lack couraged by recent events inUS Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart cluding the Miami-Dade MPO of attention to public transit. spoke of the need for munici“There has been no transit bringing on Aileen Boucle as palities to team up in the quest planning for Miami-Dade executive director, the county for funding. County for decades – that’s the hiring Alice Bravo to handle His message: When it comes problem,” she said, blaming a transportation matters, and the to securing money for transwork of Miami City Commislack of leadership. portation projects, if everything But brighter days are ahead, sioner Francis Suarez to adis a priority, then nothing is. said Ms. Lerner, sounding en- vance transit needs. Mr. Diaz-Balart commended The Miami-Dade MPO reMiami-Dade County Commiscently approved the Strategic sioner Esteban Bovo Jr. for his Miami Area Rapid Transit, or “bold leadership” in zeroing in SMART Plan, which identifies on practical, doable projects – the development of six rapid projects that are reasonable and transit corridors “that directly “not pie in the sky.” support the mobility of our fu“We need to pursue mass tranture population and employment sit opportunities,” he said. growth.” While the mayors spoke to Ms. Lerner said, “All six other issues, transportation deroutes are critically imporvoured much of the forum. tant.” Moderator Tom Hudson from Doral Mayor Luigi Boria said WLRN noted that traffic his city’s traffic congestion gridlock has been identified by woes have been lessened a bit the chamber as the most after the city worked with impactful issue stifling ecocounty officials to adjust traffic nomic growth in the area. signal timing. “Regionally we try to prioriMore relief came when the tize,” said Fort Lauderdale city and county opened new Mayor Jack Seiler. Projects need to move people Rick Beasley, Career Source South Florida executive director, speaks. roadways and connections in

the booming new city, he said. Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam said his city has the best of both worlds, sitting on the border of Broward and Miami-Dade counties. He said more interconnectivity of existing transit options would help to ease congestion. “We desperately need connectivity,” said Mr. Messam. Mayor Stermer spoke highly of the Brightline passenger rail service, with new stations under construction now in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando. Brightline will be an economic driver for the tri-county area, he said. Every municipality along the private passenger rail line, big and small, will be impacted by the new transit service, Mr. Stermer said. That includes areas like El Portal, Hollywood, Hallandale; all will benefit from new mixed use development and redevelopment, he said. This growth will boost local tax bases, Mr. Stermer said, and the new residential and commercial development will “spur our region.” Mr. Hudson returned to the congressman’s advice to focus on a single project and not everything when going after funding, and asked the mayors to weigh in. Mayor Seiler said, when studying what and where to build a transit project, “you’ve got to look at the numbers… where is the density? Where are the workplaces?” Mayor Stermer again spoke to a regional approach. “We should look past the invisible lines” that divide cities and counties, he said. “We need to stop being parochial.” Mayor Boria said his city has plans to build more bike lanes and continue support of a trolley service. Mr. Boria said part of the problem with traffic gridlock is that people don’t want to use the transit that’s already available. “We’re too spoiled,” he said.

MIAMI TODAY

GOALS CONFERENCE REVIEW

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2016

Keys to China market: pinpoint marketing, nonstop flights BY MARCUS LIM

Three Asian market experts suggested that pinpoint marketing and nonstop air links may be the best ways for Miami to tap into the Chinese market while elaborating on growing MiamiChina ties as a conclusion to the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Goals Conference. Panelists on Friday spoke of Miami’s stable and thriving business economy due to its relations with the Latin America community and their hopes that relations with the Asian market, specifically China, would be a focus. Moderator Mark Rosenberg, new chamber chairman and president of Florida International University, opened the conversation by citing the importance of the foreign investment. “We expect billions of dollars of foreign investment to pour into the United States,” Dr. Rosenberg said. “It’s important to have a conversation of the role of China and Asia that is connected economically in South Florida.” Attorney Wendy Li, a partner at New York-based law firm Zeichner, Ellman & Krause, who has worked with multiple financial institutions, spoke about the attracting qualities of Miami that the Chinese admire, which she said will help persuade them to do business in the city. “Miami has become an important investment force and outlet for Chinese investments,” she said. “Chinese investors have discovered the haven of Miami

Photo by Marlene Quaroni

Wendy Li makes a point about Miami’s attractive qualities; panelists Robert Lee and Kristi Shalla listen.

as people like the beaches and they love the weather.” Panelist Kristi Shalla, head of investment promotion at Invest Hong Kong in New York, said Chinese industries mainly invest in “visible and prestigious locations” and mentioned that a vital strategy for Miami to lure more foreign investments and visitors is to increase marketing. “There is a certain level of marketing that needs to be done. There are clear advantages for Miami such as shipping, and to me it is one of the most diverse cities, so marketing is a good step,” she said. Ms. Li noted that the Greater Miami Chamber has made efforts to boost Miami’s qualities in a trade mission to China. She was involved and noted its success. “The communication and visits and ties between the two governments could be important to promote economic ties,”

Ms. Li said. “Just being visible, to make people know about it, and when there are major projects from Chinese investors, it will add more visibility of Miami to Chinese customers.” She spoke on how the media can disseminate information to China’s huge population of over 1 billion citizens as a marketing strategy. “The information can be very conveniently flowed through the media, no matter if it’s a movie, television or newspapers. If Miami has a wonderful relationship with the media, it could help,” she said. The third member of the panel, Robert Lee, partner at Rimon Law with offices in Miami and Orlando, gave his thoughts on visibility tactics, noting that trade missions have been very successful. He told the audience how PortMiami hosted a delegation of Hong Kong businessmen and a trade mission from China

on which members admired Miami’s beauty. “One comment that struck me was that they did not know how nice Miami is, which surprised me,” Mr. Lee said. “Once they were here, they [found that they] didn’t [previously] understand that the top financial city was in Brickell.” Mr. Lee stressed that visibility does play a role in attracting investors and that the trips help spread awareness and show that business in Miami will additionally open up other opportunities in South America. “All of these trips and delegation hosting shows Miami and South Florida and markets what we are,” he said. “The shift to Asia is important, to accentuate that Miami, South Florida, is the gateway to South America.” The opportunities to connect with the orient are plentiful, yet one reason for a slow rate of success is lack of a

nonstop flight to Asia from Miami. Panelists spoke of how there were no nonstops from China to Miami, where typical flights from Asia would have a few stopovers in another US airport before flying to Miami from there. “We need to have that direct nonstop flight from Greater China to Miami and we are hopeful that will open up a lot of doors and we need to support that effort,” Ms. Li said. Trade trips have shown some success for North Miami, where they hope to gain an influx of economic opportunities from China after they announced this year that there will be a designated Chinatown district, following the framework of Chinatowns around the nation such as Philadelphia, with an average retail revenue of $125 million a year; Seattle, with an average retail revenue of $41 million per year; and Washington, DC, where tax assessments in 2015 were estimated at $2.5 billion. Once well-known Chinese banks establish footholds in Miami, Ms. Li predicts that more will follow, along with tourists attracted by the city’s appearance. “When Chinese investors come to the United States, they focus on the economy as the gateway city,” she said. “Mega investors in China, when they see big banks establishing here, others will follow. And when they see what a beautiful city Miami is, more people will come and buy property here.”

Entrepreneurs urged to focus on region’s major problems BY CATHERINE LACKNER

Attendees at the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s goals conference last week learned that Miami is on the verge of a “great inflection.” Urbanist Richard Florida told the audience at a panel on entrepreneurship and innovation that “Miami has really hit a crossroads.” Its economy has traditionally been based on tourism, hospitality, transportation and real estate development, but now he said it has been diversified and deepened, becoming more creative and idea-based. Creative Class Group, Mr. Florida’s consulting company, with support from Florida International University, has studied Miami’s “ascent as a global creative city,” said a document distributed at the panel discussion. “We did a deep dive into the economy,” Mr. Florida told the group. With nearly 5.8 million residents and a workforce of 2.6 million, the economy of Greater Miami (which includes Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach) is larger than that of metro Atlanta, San Francisco, Phoenix and San Diego, and on par with Philadelphia and Washington, DC, according to the report. The Miami area’s population has grown 5.4% in the past five years, significantly faster than that of San Francisco, Los Angeles or San Diego. Greater Miami’s economic

product is $300 billion, roughly matching that of Singapore and Hong Kong, Mr. Florida found. Miami International Airport and PortMiami are the chief economic engines, Mr. Florida said, but there is a rising “creative class” that includes tech entrepreneurs and owners of start-up businesses. Those are well-represented, he added. Miami-Dade County ranked second in business formation in the post-crisis period between 2010 and 2014, with a gain of nearly 7,000 new establishments, the study said. “This was second to only Los Angeles County and ahead of New York, San Jose (Silicon Valley), Austin, San Francisco, Houston, Chicago, Phoenix, and San Diego,” the report said. Mr. Florida suggested that entrepreneurs work on some of the region’s problems, including transportation and traffic, as they invent new products. “Make the city run better,” he advised panel members, who included Javier Gonzalez, CEO of the eMerge Americas tech conference; Rebekah Monson, co-founder of WhereBy.Us and publisher of the New Tropic email newsletter; and Melissa Krinzman, managing partner of Krillion Ventures. To that list, logistics and sealevel rise might be added, said Ms. Monson. “We’re still finding out about the challenges and opportunities.”

Photo by Marlene Quaroni

“Miami has really hit a crossroads,” said urbanist Richard Florida.

The next great hurdle for entrepreneurs, the panelists agreed, was turning start-ups into scale-ups. “The chamber can help them scale up, but first we have to get them in this room,” Mr. Gonzalez said. “We want our companies to fail fast, iterate and get smart,” Ms. Krinzman said. “Chamber members are users. They could be the bridge, be the beta-users,” that would provide needed feedback for the fledgling companies. “There could be collaboration up- and down-stream,” Ms.

Monson said. “This is only the first inning of the first game,” Ms. Krinzman said. She reminded the audience that, after the 2001 terror attacks, “everybody said New York was dead. Stay the course,” she advised. The report by Creative Class Group listed further recommendations: Take even greater advantage of the region’s size and scale, even expanding the SoFlo region to include Tampa and Orlando, which would increase the population to 15 mil-

lion and the economic output to $750 billion. Leverage the region’s role as a globalization hub to utilize competitive advantage. Broaden and deepen the region’s growing start-up ecosystem to include the So-Flo region, which took in nearly $600 million in venture capital as opposed to Miami’s $300 million. Build a fully creative economy for sustained growth by supporting the arts and universities. Upgrade the region’s service sector, including hotel and restaurant workers, turning low-skill, low-paying jobs into family-supporting occupations. Capitalize on brain circulation by realizing that some students will leave, but that Miami continues to attract and retain talent from all over the world. Promote the region’s tolerance and diversity as economic strengths, recognizing they are economic drivers, not just virtues. Use quality of place as a key economic driver, focusing on good weather and housing costs that are low in comparison to New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Engage all of Miami in inclusive prosperity. Address the region’s growing crisis of success (traffic gridlock) by investing in transit and faster rail service.

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2016

TODAY’S NEWS

MIAMI TODAY

Canada’s governor general eyes Miami ‘spirit of innovation’ BY CAMILA CEPERO

Canada’s Governor General David Johnston focused on trade and tourism relationships between the US and Canada at a recent breakfast address hosted by the Beacon Council in partnership with eMerge Americas and the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. The goal of the official visit’s stop in Florida, Mr. Johnston told Miami Today, was to strengthen the already strong relationship between Canada and the US, particularly South Florida, adding that he had a desire to understand the “remarkable spirit of innovation that exists in Miami.” The trip marked the first time that a Canadian governor general had visited Florida. “We Canadians tend to think of South Florida as a wonderful place of sun and beaches, and 800,000 Canadians come each year to enjoy it, but Miami is so much more than that,” he said. “This is a crossroads, not only between North America and South America, but a crossroads for the world.” Canada is Florida’s No. 1 customer and partner, Mr. Johnston said. More than 600,000 jobs in Florida are dependent on trade and investment with Canada. Yearly trade between the state and Canada is worth $8.1 billion, with more than 200 Canadian companies in the state. Canada is Florida’s most significant economic partner in trade, agriculture, investment, tourism and real estate. Canada buys nearly a quarter of all of Florida’s agricultural exports. Canada sees its expertise in public-private partnerships as an opportunity to work together to benefit Florida companies and Floridians as they meet the state’s infrastructure needs. Already, 315 Canadian-owned companies operate in Florida – and that number is growing each year, Mr. Johnston said. The “ease of doing business from [Miami]” is one of the most attractive reasons for Canadian businesses to look into expanding into Miami, he said. “It’s the cosmopolitan, diverse community you have here,” Mr. Johnston said. “It’s the fact that you’ve centered here customer opportunities and business opportunities from the Americas, but also from the world. That especially draws Canadian investors to this part of the United States.” “Another reason Miami would be particularly attractive for Canadian investors is, we believe we’re blessed with the North American Free Trade Agreement. But we also have signed a free trade agreement, which is quite extensive – not only goods and services but regulatory issues – with the 28 countries in the European Union, yet to be ratified. That too will be an attraction for European countries, business, etc., to see a Canada-US partnership as a very important entry for them into those markets, and for business that want to sell into those markets.”

Photo by Sgt. Ronald Duchesne, Rideau Hall, OSGG

Governor General David Johnston talks with the audience at a breakfast hosted by the Beacon Council.

The Consulate General of Canada in Miami is one of the largest Canadian consulates in the US. Additionally, one of the larg-

est sections within the consulate is trade and investment promotions. It not only receives trade missions from Canada but also fa-

cilitates missions from Florida to Canada. Once back in Canada after business trips – the only kinds of trips he takes, as he only travels

at the request of the government – first on the agenda was to write a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr. Johnston said. “That letter is usually sent to a few people in our Ministry of Global Affairs, which includes our Ministry of International Trade,” he said. “We begin with a particular objective for the trip... and then at the end of it we attempt to determine whether we’ve met these objectives and, most importantly of all, what follow-up steps are appropriate.” “We’re both trading nations,” Mr. Johnston said. “But as we look over past years, Canada and the US had a common cause... in trying to reduce trade barriers, not simply tariffs but regulatory activities, and fences and hurdles within particular countries. I think in the years ahead, together we’ll be working very hard to try to remove barriers and to recognize that you want each nation to do what it does best and to be able to function in a global marketplace.”

Economic growth for Miami’s future clearly rests heavily on our technological resources and their advancement. In this special section, Miami Today will look at our strengths in technology today, the educational assets that will provide a labor force ready for technological growth and the opportunities that lie ahead. This targeted section offers advertising opportunities for businesses active in technology today, educational institutions that will be educating the technology specialists of tomorrow and entities that wish to show their support for technological advancement. For advertising reservation contact our Advertising Department at 305-358-1008. Deadline is Tuesday, July 12, at noon.

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