Miami Today: Week of Thursday, July 21, 2016

A Singular Voice in an Evolving City

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2016

WWW.MIAMITODAYNEWS.COM $4.00

BANKING & FINANCE

Clarity of fees a concern as feds keeping lid on, pg. 15 CRIME DECLINES: Violent crimes handled

by Miami-Dade County Police decreased 7.85% and non-violent major crimes dropped 4.42% in the first six months of this year from the first six months of 2015, Mayor Carlos Gimenez reported to county commissioners Monday. Homicides decreased from 39 to 37 in the period from last year’s first half, the report said. The major deviation from a general decline was an 11% increase in forcible sex offenses, driven by an 18.85% increase in rape cases, which rose from 191 to 227. The report does not cover crimes occurring in those areas of the county with municipal police departments.

Bankers race to stay ahead on mobile banking, pg. 16

THE ACHIEVER

BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS

ANTI-NOISE PILOT PROGRAM: Commercial deliveries in the dead of night will be prohibited in District 4 of the City of Miami after recent action by the city commission. Repeated complaints to Commissioner Francis Suarez led him to propose limiting commercial deliveries to businesses that abut residential neighborhoods. The original legislation covered the entire city, limiting off-street freight and commercial deliveries to businesses within 100 feet of properties in the T-3 Transect Zone – typical residential neighborhoods of single-family homes and duplexes. After Commissioner Wifredo “Willy” Gort raised concerns about how the proposal would impact some businesses in his District 1, commissioners agreed to make it a pilot program for one year, in District 4 only, which includes Coral Way, Shenandoah, Flagami and more.

Violations will trigger $500 fines to the property owner.

HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES: County commissioners approved on first reading Tuesday decreasing an exemption to $700,000 or less for certified small businesses to obtain certain Miami-Dade contracts. Previously, the exemption was $2.5 million or less for professional architectural, engineering, landscape architectural, surveying and mapping and construction services under the county’s Small Business Enterprise Services program, which is designed to aid in their growth, development and contribution to Miami-Dade and South Florida economies.

STILL OLD HOMESTEAD CITY HALL: The building – which received the title when the new city hall opened its doors in March – is still sitting vacant on an 18-acre lot. In April, city officials told Miami Today there were no immediate plans for the building but in the future they would look into putting it up for sale. Homestead City Manager George Gretsas confirmed last week that he had “nothing new” to say about the fate of the 50-year-old structure.

Ken Russell

Photo by Marlene Quaroni

Aims to put new players, viewpoints onto city boards The profile is on Page 4

County dips into pool of water transit solutions

BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS

Miami-Dade County is considering a fleet of water transit solutions to lessen the traffic gridlock that is daily Miami.

Miami city commissioners last week got a county preview of its probe of water transportation, from public transit via the water with a fixed schedule to private water taxis.

Even the term “water bus” is being used as the county examines all aspects of water transportation, from the size of vessels to fares to projected ridership.

Commissioner Wifredo “Willy” Gort was happy to hear it. For more than a year he’s been calling for a waterways transportation plan.

Irene Hegedus, the new chief of transportation enhancements at the Miami-Dade County Transit Department, speaking at the invitation of Commissioner Francis Suarez, said the county began by poring through old studies of water transportation ideas, including one from 2003 by the Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization.

She said the county is looking at both a water bus, with a fixed schedule and route, and water taxis.

“We want to compare apples to apples,”

AGENDA

Downtown fire station set for sale

she said. It’s important to determine projected costs of waterborne transit to ensure it’s affordable, she said.

The county, or the county and city, or both with private partners could run the water transit, she said.

“We all have to work together as a team,” said Mr. Gort, who also pushed for connecting the region’s municipal trolley services. “We can connect to the other cities.

It would be more efficient for everyone.”

“It is very important,” Ms. Hegedus agreed. “Connectivity is going to be critical.”

More study is needed, she said, with many moving parts to any water transportation plan, from adding docks along the bay and on the Miami River, and getting others involved including the Department of Environmental Resource Management, the state, the US Coast Guard and Fish and Wildlife Service.

The ideal size vessel would carry the most passengers but be low enough to pass under bridges. Forcing more bridge openings would only make roadway congestion worse, she said.

The report encouraged Commissioner Ken

Russell, who said the Downtown Development Authority, which he chairs, has created a waterfront task force looking to improve access to the water.

The group is considering ways to allow and encourage private boats to dock along the riverwalk. “There could be some synergy here,” he said.

Ms. Hegedus said the county is looking at north-south routes and east-west routes for its plan for water taxis and water buses.

One express route from Aventura to downtown Miami might shave 15 minutes off a commuter’s travel, she said.

Mr. Suarez said the county’s proposed water transportation plan could be “a significant mass transit option.”

Ms. Hegedus and city officials said they’re encouraged about water transportation by the successful use of a fleet of water taxis during the 2016 Miami International Boat Show.

Water taxis ferried more than 53,000 people to the boat show’s new venue on Virginia Key, representing more than half of the 100,000-plus who attended, according to show organizers.

Miami is moving to rezone land under Fire Station No. 1 in the heart of downtown to make it even more appealing for sale.

A potential buyer for the city’s 144 NE Fifth St. site could be Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus, which hugs the city’s land on two sides. A developer of transit-related projects might also find the land steps from the College North Metromover Station appealing.

On July 14, city commissioners preliminarily approved the land use and zoning changes. A final vote on the city’s application is to be scheduled. The Department of Planning and Zoning and the Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board both recommend the changes.

The first ordinance would change the land use designation from “Major Institutional, Public Facilities, Transportation, and Utilities” to “Central Business District.” The second would change the property from Civic Institutional to Urban Core Transect Zone - Open.

Planning Director Francisco Garcia said the site is in the urban core and the proposed changes are to make it available for sale-development.

The two-story Fire Station No. 1 is on Northeast Fifth Street between Northeast First and Second avenues.

Adjacent to the east is the Harry Cain Tower, and to the west is a stairway that leads to the Metromover. Across the street to the north is Miami Dade College Building 7. Adjacent and to the south is the heart of the Wolfson Campus as it incorporates a closed Fourth Street, including the college bookstore.

The city operates more than a dozen fire stations, and more are due. This year, commissioners approved a deal with developers of Brickell City Centre to establish a fire-rescue station inside the vast mixeduse project. Fire stations are also planned in Wynwood, downtown and Coral Way.

NO TAX RATE HIKE, DOWNTOWN BOARD TELLS STAFF ...

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ZOO MIAMI AIMS TOWARD TWO BIG GRAND OPENINGS ...

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VIEWPOINT: DISPLAY, FUND MIAMI CIRCLE PROPERLY ...

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A MIAMI STRONG MAYOR MAY HIT NOVEMBER BALLOT ...

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GABLES MILLION-AND-UP HOUSING MARKET STRONG ...

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PLAYHOUSE OR NOT, GROVE PARKING MOVING AHEAD ...

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CITY MODIFIES COVENANTS SO SCHOOL CAN EXPAND ...

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AFTER THREE YEARS, CITY PARK GETS SOIL CLEANUP ...

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VIEWPOINT

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JULY 21, 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

Display Miami Circle properly, fund long-term operations If Miami history gets too little notice dating from the city’s founding in 1896, it’s nearly invisible for the thousands of years when this was a Native American community.

The state Michael Lewis was to display one focal point of that legacy when it bought 2.2 acres at the mouth of the Miami River in Brickell in 1999 to spotlight our best-known site in Native American history, the Miami Circle. But few living people have ever seen it.

The history at the Miami Circle has been one of neglect since Miami Today’s Marilyn Bowden in a 1998 article revealed it existed under a condo development site. County archaeologist Bob Carr told her as he uncovered artifacts at the circle that “the agreement is that when they’re ready to begin construction we’ll leave.”

That day never came. The building site was nearly impossible to reach, the next year other media latched onto the

circle’s existence, the public got excited and the would-be developer then sold his $8 million land purchase for $26.7 million as Florida sought to preserve a 2,000-year-old, 38-foot-diameter stone circle of Tequesta origin.

After the state purchase the site was controlled consecutively by the National Park Service, the Historical Museum of Southern Florida and now the Florida Department of State. The circle was never properly displayed. In 2003 it was reburied to protect it from weather. It’s now in effect a dog park and parking for scooters. Only recently has it gotten proper lawn care.

Without a visible circle or proper markers and storytelling, the site has been nearly useless as a historical touchstone for the beginnings of Miami and its peoples. But even if it were illuminating you couldn’t park a car to see it – the site has just a semi-circular drive for buses.

Neglect has not been intentional. Wellmeaning agencies and individuals have all tried to do something proper, with all sorts of good ideas for displays, covered walkways, replicas of the buried circle and historic storytelling.

What has been lacking has not been good intentions and ideas but the money to do the job well. As is often true of public

projects here, what has been available is cash to buy and to build, but seldom the funds to operate and to endow.

A parallel scenario is playing out at our now-rising science museum, where all the operating and probably the endowment money has been spent instead to build and open a gem while leaving its long-term viability in limbo. The City of Miami did the same years ago with the once-spectacular Mildred and Claude Pepper Fountain in Bayfront Park – ever even hear of it?

The Miami Circle is not just some casual state land in the heart of booming Brickell. It has been formally declared a National Historic Landmark.

So when the state tells us, as we reported last week, that it recognizes the circle’s historic significance and is committed to improve, maintain and preserve it, we’re pleased.

But we’d be happier if a concrete plan and the money were in place to back it up and to operate, publicize and endow the site properly as well.

The next phase of the state’s plan, says Kerri L. Post, deputy secretary of state, is to add pet waste stations and trash and recycling bins, plant trees, add a railing with benches and put up some interpretive signs.

That’s inexpensive, so we’ll get a really nice and clean dog park with signage. Then, she says, they’re looking at public art and a 3-D replica of the circle that’s still just a concept.

The replica and what should come with it are the minimum that the site absolutely requires – sort of what was planned a decade or so ago still being planned today. We’ll all like that.

But what the Miami Circle needs is not just the site as it should be but the money to make it attract visitors not only from out of town but Miamians, as well as the funds to care for and upgrade the site in perpetuity, regardless of future Florida budget cuts that are as inevitable as the summer rains in Miami.

Without both visionary plans and the money to achieve them regardless of the budgetary weather in Tallahassee, this newspaper will be writing again in a decade about the neglect of the Miami Circle, with dogs and scooters sitting on a historic but hidden gem.

Don’t give us the Brickell equivalent of a non-functional Pepper Fountain.

Miami and Florida do precious little to recognize the indigenous people who were our predecessors. Can’t we do one thing right, and do it in the next legislative session?

Beach officials need vital convention center hotel answers Contrary to the headline last week, NOT everyone wants a convention hotel. I continue to be fascinated by the lack of information as well as misleading information relating to this issue.

Since the first Stuart Blumberg study in 2001, there was a listing of the 30 top convention destinations in the country. All had a convention hotel, or were building one, except Miami Beach. However, in every study the consultant left out one important fact: Miami Beach was the only destination with an ocean and a beach! How significant is that fact? Let me explain.

The key to a successful convention center hotel is the ability to have your surrounding hotels contribute room blocks and rates necessary to book a convention.

This is why New Orleans, Las Vegas, Orlando, Atlanta and the others succeed.

This does not and will not happen in Miami Beach. Historically, none of the

L ETTERS

The Writer Stuart Blumberg is founder and former president of the Greater Miami & The Beaches Hotel Association and past chairman of the Miami Beach Convention Center Advisory Board. high-rated boutique oceanfront hotels between the Loews and the Fontainebleau have ever participated in room blocks, or considered lowering their highly profitable rates. No one expects the Loews or the Bleau to sit around waiting for a convention, so chances are they may not have availability.

Read that again. An 800-room hotel is being proposed, of which only 600 are provided for a convention room block.

Your article states that “convention hotels bring in true conventions and the center hopes to attract 20-35 convention and trade shows yearly. To ensure that, a hotel is needed.”

One does not have to be a rocket scientist to realize that adding 600 rooms to a non-responsive hotel industry on the

TO THE

Ex-commissioner donated salary, calls for better pay I liked Mr. Lewis’s article very much, I was appointed twice to the MiamiDade County Board of County Commissioners in 2002, first by the Gov. Jeb Bush, later by the county Mayor Alex Penelas and the commission Chairwoman Gwen Margolis.

In my almost seven months, many times on the dais and I continued to say that the salaries of the 13 county commissioners of $6,000 per year needed to be readjusted. They made less than $3

E DITOR

per hour, and waiters make more and receive tips.

Having a decent salary, many more good people will run for that position.

Having the same salary for almost 59 years to me and many others is absurd, and many commissioners work more than fulltime jobs. By the way in my county time, the ridiculous salary I donated 100% to charities.

We need a referendum to have a decent salary for the county commissioners, and they need to work 100% in their positions, without any sideline jobs.

Jose Pepe Cancio

ocean with a beach, hoping that the Loews and Bleau are available, will not bring 2035 conventions on an annual basis. Those numbers have been pulled out of thin air.

The city also changed its booking policy, making consumer shows a no-no. This has resulted in the boat show, auto show, jewelry show, home show, etc., seeking new homes. If 20-35 groups are unrealistic and my largest tenants are not welcome, do I really need a new hotel?

I have great respect for [planned hotel developer] Jack Portman. He and his father have earned worldwide respect. Since the city is putting up no money, maybe it couldn’t care less whether the hotel succeeds, but to ask Mr. Portman to investment $400 million without the above facts is not only a disservice to him but shows a total lack of respect by not providing him with vital information so he can succeed.

There is this myth that booking conventions means no traffic and everyone will use Uber or cabs. Folks, Jack Portman has 800 rooms and two ballrooms to fill.

They all won’t be conventions. There will be leisure guests with cars, social events, community luncheons and dinners, all with cars plus normal hotel traffic.

Let’s talk about the Gleason. The simple fact is it’s not an historic building, by definition. Does the building have a history? Sure it does. There’s a big difference.

I worked with Jackie when I was assistant manager of the then auditorium.

The stick sculpture in front of the building is a replica of the cufflinks he gave me as a Christmas present. How many of you have visited the sculpture?

Incidentally, there is another cultural venue in Miami-Dade County that engages residents and also young people.

It’s called the Arsht. Does the Fillmore offer educational programs for young people? I’m sure the New World Symphony would question the statement of no

other facility in South Beach.

The Fillmore/Live Nation is a theatrical brand, a concert booking machine. What’s being proposed is a new theater with better sound, better sight lines, better seating and better shows. The marquee now says, “The Fillmore at the Jackie Gleason Theatre.” That will not change.

The history of the theater will be preserved. Jackie will be remembered and we will all be able to enjoy the shows in more comfortable surroundings.

This process will continue until next November, when the hotel again goes on the ballot, but this time it will be in a Miami Beach election year. It will be a campaign issue for sure.

I know how much Jack Portman wants to build this hotel, but the city and the [Greater Miami Convention & Visitors] Bureau should have been up front and honest with him. I end with this question for Miami Beach officials: If it was your money that was being used to build the hotel, wouldn’t you want answers to these concerns?

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TODAY’S NEWS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2016

MIAMI TODAY

7

Gables million-and-up market strong, but slowdown seen

BY CAMILA CEPERO

The Coral Gables $1 million and up residential realty market stays strong even in the face of upcoming elections and global market issues, with serious buyers purchasing from serious sellers. But experts say they expect an unsubstantial pause in the market soon.

“I think it’s a healthy, normal market,” said Christina Pappas, realtor and Coral Gables assistant district sales manager for The Keyes Co. “We’re not used to the normal market. From 2011-2014 we’ve seen some adjustments in the market like incredible increases in appreciation, adjusting for incredible depreciations in the market.”

“Coral Gables is a $1 million and up total market,” Ms. Pappas said. “The nuances you’re seeing in the market are really between the $1 million and up in Coral Gables versus the new construction” “It’s changing from what we saw in 2011-2014. We’re not seeing those double-digit appreciations. It’s a normal market with real sellers and real buyers,” she said.

“I think the market is healthy now but trending towards slowing down,” said Riley Smith, real estate agent at EWM’s Coral Gables-South Miami office.

Since the beginning of the year there has been a slowing number of transactions, he said, but numbers remain in good condition nonetheless.

“We all know Miami is a very international city and the strong dollar has certainly not helped us, so we’ve seen less international buyers,” Mr. Smith said.

“I do think that the global market caused a little bit of a pause,” Ms. Pappas said.

“Just in my experience, running up to elections means people are hesitant and distracted,” Mr. Smith said, explaining that those involved in the market are waiting to see what – if anything – will change after the elections.

“A lot of people are saying ‘People aren’t going to put their house on the market, they’re going to wait and see,’” Ms. Pappas said. There may be a pause from buyers waiting to see what happens, but she’s not convinced that this will have noticeable effect on the market.

“The government probably won’t make any major changes

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Christina Pappas sees normal market’s “real sellers and real buyers.”

as far as anything that’s going to drastically change the market,” she said.

“I don’t predict by any means a crash or bubble breaking – just a pause,” Mr. Smith said.

“I think the cut-off is not $1 million anymore. The cut-off is more like $2 million... $500,000 to $1 million is entry pricing. $1.5 million-$2 million has a slow down and then we’re really seeing the slow down at $2 million and up.”

From January to June of this year, the $1 million and up singlefamily home market saw an average of 20 units closing per month. January to June of last year saw the same figures, Ms. Pappas said.

From January to June of this year, there was an average of 300 single-family properties available per month in the $1 million and up market, she said.

Last year, the average number of properties available was 250 per month.

“So we’re still closing the same amount, but there’s more in the market,” Ms. Pappas said. “It’s great to see more in the market.

When the economy is good and people trust what’s occurring in the economy, they put their homes for sale – when the economy is bad, no one sells.”

“I do think that with increased inventory means that we’re only going to see appreciation in the single digits.”

“As a rule of thumb, the closer you price to where you think it will close, the faster it closes. I do think that this stronger market may see people testing the

L e a d e r s

F o r

STU.EDU

market a little bit, feeling comfortable,” she said.

Of the $1 million and up singlefamily units sold from January to June last year, the properties spent an average of 160 days on the

market. This year, that number has increased minimally to 170.

“It’s not that much of a difference even when there is more inventory,” Ms. Pappas said. The rise in properties on the market from January to June of this year is a “positive thing,” she said.

“I think we’re going to stay pretty even – not increase like we did from 2014 to 2015 – maybe see a nice little increase.

That [2014 to 2015] was really a correction and it was a major correction.”

“Basically we needed to get property values back to normal in 2011, 2012, 2013,” Ms. Pappas said. “In Coral Gables alone the distressed properties are low so those bargain deals, those don’t exist.”

From January to June last year, the average price per square foot for $1 million and up singlefamily homes was $521.83. In February of last year, the average was $485 after removing an outlier of $705, roughly $200 more than the second highest price, from the calculation. This year, the average was $491.

“You’re getting more for the home,” Ms. Pappas said.

“In eight years we haven’t seen a normal market. There are people in this market that have held on to property that they are just start-

‘I think the market is healthy now but trending towards slowing down.’

Riley Smith

ing to sell. There are people getting in now that don’t know what the market looked like before.”

“Finally we’re having the single-digit increase – this is normal appreciation,” she said.

If everything continues as is, Ms. Pappas said, the market isn’t going to see major changes.

“Coral Gables does a lot for its community in order for its homeowners’ properties to hold value. A lot of people are willing to spend more because they know values do hold... Coral Gables prides itself on making sure properties hold their value.”

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TODAY’S NEWS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2016

MIAMI TODAY

9

Missing visitor goal, zoo turns toward two grand openings

BY CAMILA CEPERO

After a rough start to the year due to bad weather and heavy rainfall, Zoo Miami has all but thrown in the towel on its goal to reach 1 million visitors this year.

Officials remain in high spirits, however, and are looking forward to two in-house grand openings this year.

In January, Miami saw the most rainfall in its recorded history, according to the Florida Climate Center, Office of the State Climatologist. A number of 24-hour precipitation records for the month were broken throughout Florida, but Miami took the worst hit with 7.57 inches of rainfall, a whopping 5.95 inches more than normal.

“These rains came at peak attendance and had a very negative impact on our numbers,” said Zoo Miami communications director Ron Magill, who has been with the zoo 36 years.

The zoo’s visitor numbers suffered the most, he said, during a five-day-long shutdown in January – the height of peak season – with the park losing anywhere from 2,000 to possibly more than 4,000 visitors a day.

The zoo’s 2015 fiscal year brought 972,454 visitors, up from the previous year’s 914,139. In October, Mr. Magill told Miami Today that the zoo was hoping to get closer to the million-visitor mark in 2016.

Unfortunately, he said last

The $19 million entrance includes an art in public places installation.

week, that’s probably not going to happen now.

“The weather hurt us at our highest attendance period.

Coupled with delays in construction projects, right now, as we stand, we’re down about 40,000 people,” Mr. Magill said.

From October 2015 through June 2016, the zoo greeted 682,041 visitors, he said, with this number being “below projections.”

By May 2015, the zoo already had had 660,662 visitors. By May 2016, however, visitor numbers had clocked in at only 618,049.

June alone saw an even bigger difference in numbers with 63,992 visitors, compared to 80,116 in June 2015.

“The biggest thrill of the zoo for the next couple of years is the $52 million project,” Mr. Magill

said. “It’s going to be a while before we’re able to build another $52 million project.”

This $52 million project is, in fact, made up of two separate projects. The larger of the two is the Florida: Mission Everglades exhibit, coming in at 4.5-acres and accounting for $33 million of the larger budget.

With the Florida: Mission Everglades exhibit scheduled to be completed by the end of this year, Zoo Miami has seemingly thought of everything a visitor could wish to experience while spending a day at the zoo.

Exhibit highlights include alligator, crocodile, otter, bald eagle, Florida panther, Florida black bear, armadillo, raccoon and bobcat exhibits, to name a few. Visitors will have the chance to walk across a hanging bridge and slide

in an underwater acrylic tube through the crocodile and alligator exhibits, through the water where otters play, and enjoy a truly “interactive” experience.

The objective is not to satisfy visitors’ curiosity about the Florida Everglades, Mr. Magill said, but to encourage them to head to the national park itself.

The second project is a new 1.5-acre Front Entry Plaza, formally opened Friday.

The $19 million project will include an Art in Public Places installation and a 100-foot tower with animal silhouettes and video screens. A cloud-like structure encircles the plaza from above while blue-and-green terrazzo creates the effect of a flowing river on the floor.

The plaza includes a new gift shop and café, a multi-purpose event space and guest relations space. Perhaps most exciting is the pink flamingo exhibit located outside the gate – a first-time move for the zoo.

The realization of these projects has not been easy by any stretch of the imagination. The zoo has repeatedly faced a multitude of setbacks, Mr. Magill said, especially with the Front Entry Plaza inching through several months of delay and now opening during the zoo’s worst time of the year in terms of visitor numbers.

“There have been all kinds of issues – utilities, permits, FPL, unforeseen cable lines, plumbing, underground things, order-

Ron Magill: rain dampened hopes.

ing special components. This is all state-of-the-art stuff... any time it rains, construction shuts down.”

“Weather is the single greatest driving factor in the attendance of the zoo,” Mr. Magill said. “If it’s a beautiful day out, people want to come and visit... If a weatherperson says, ‘it’s going to rain today,’ [people say] ‘we’re not going to go to the zoo.’”

The zoo has tried to amp up its marketing and promotion to make up for the earlier downturn of visitors, Mr. Magill said, but a limited marketing budget only lets officials do so much.

“Whether we can make that up is subjective, but I don’t think so,” he said. “Right now we’re going to hopefully be striving to just match with last year.

“It’s a little bit of a disappointment about the delays, but with the Florida exhibit – people are going to be wowed.”

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MIAMI TODAY

TODAY’S NEWS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2016

With or without Grove playhouse, parking moves ahead

BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS

No matter what happens to the Coconut Grove Playhouse, officials with the Miami Parking Authority want to move ahead with plans for a new parking garage for the Grove.

Authority CEO Art Noriega said he’s working with the architectural firm hired for the playhouse revival project in order to get a defined footprint for the planned garage.

With that decided, the authority can get moving on building a new garage and won’t have to continue to wait on the slow process of determining exactly how to bring the playhouse back to life.

The authority – the city’s parking agency – can continue to travel “parallel paths” with Miami-Dade County but could move faster and bring additional parking to the community, Mr. Noriega told the Off-Street Parking Board on July 13. The board runs the authority.

The grandiose 90-year-old playhouse has sat vacant and deteriorating since it shut down in 2006, after financial woes strapped the group in charge.

The property is now under the control of Miami-Dade County in a long-term agreement with Florida International

Art Noriega wants to move faster.

Photo by Maxine Usdan

The Miami Parking Authority, which now has a surface lot at the old playhouse site, is seeking a defined footprint for a parking garage at the site, regardless of what playhouse structures rise nearby or when.

In April 2015, county commissioners approved allowing GableStage, a Coral Gables nonprofit, to run a 300-seat theater in the playhouse.

The county also hired architectural firm Arquitectonica to create a master design plan for the playhouse property. The instructions included exploring a proposal to add a 700-seat theater adjacent to the smaller venue, to be operated by another entity.

A design team led by Arquitectonica began work on the site in late September 2015, according to county officials.

CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA The first stage of their activiNOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ties focused on the review of existing reports and materials ANY PERSON WHO RECEIVES COMPENSATION, REMUNERATION OR EXPENSES FOR CONand a physical assessment of DUCTING LOBBYING ACTIVITIES IS REQUIRED TO REGISTER AS A LOBBYIST WITH THE CITY the site, including a survey of CLERK PRIOR TO ENGAGING IN LOBBYING ACTIVITIES BEFORE CITY STAFF, BOARDS AND the architectural elements of the COMMITTEES OR THE CITY COMMISSION. A COPY OF THE APPLICABLE ORDINANCE IS building, a structural analysis AVAILABLE IN THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK (MIAMI CITY HALL), LOCATED AT 3500 PAN and an updated survey of the AMERICAN DRIVE, MIAMI, FLORIDA, 33133. property.

The design team includes AT THE SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, TO members with expertise in hisBE HELD ON JULY 29, 2016, AT 9:00 A.M., IN ITS CHAMBERS AT CITY HALL, 3500 PAN AMERI- toric preservation, structural CAN DRIVE, THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION WILL CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING ITEM RELAT- engineering, theater, acoustical and sound communications and ED TO THE REGULAR AGENDA: other disciplines essential to the A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENTS, ACCEPTING THE project, the county said.

The parking authority is rePLAT ENTITLED “MAYFLOWER SUBDIVISION AMENDED”, A REPLAT AND A SUBDIVISION IN THE CITY OF MIAMI, SUBJECT TO ALL OF THE CONDITIONS OF THE PLAT AND STREET sponsible for creating a plan for COMMITTEE AND THE PROVISIONS CONTAINED IN CITY CODE SECTION 55-8, AND ACCEPT- an independently-financed parkING THE DEDICATIONS SHOWN ON SAID PLAT, LOCATED ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF NE ing garage on site. The author71 STREET, AND ALONG THE SOUTHWESTERLY SIDE OF F.E.C. RAILWAY COMPANY MIAMI ity continues to manage the old BELT LINE, AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY CLERK TO EXE- surface parking lot adjacent to CUTE SAID PLAT; AND PROVIDING FOR THE RECORDATION OF SAID PLAT IN THE PUBLIC the playhouse under an agreement with the county.

RECORDS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA. The county’s latest update on the playhouse, dated May 10, Copies of the proposed Resolution are available for review at the Public Works Department, Survey said the design team was comand Land Records Section of the Construction Division, located at 444 SW 2nd Avenue, 4th Floor, pleting work on the key eleduring regular working hours. Phone 305-416-1232. ments necessary to develop site plan options including: The Miami City Commission requests all interested parties be present or represented at the meeting A building program (i.e., a and may be heard with respect to any proposition before the City Commission in which the City Com- list of the back-of-house, frontmission may take action. Should any person desire to appeal any decision of the City Commission of-house and performance with respect to any matter to be considered at this meeting, that person shall ensure that a verbatim spaces) for the 300-seat theater record of the proceedings is made including all testimony and evidence upon which any appeal may for GableStage. be based (F.S. 286.0105).

A building program for the parking garage being done in In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, persons needing special accommo- consultation with the Miami GDWLRQV WR SDUWLFLSDWH LQ WKLV SURFHHGLQJ PD\ FRQWDFW WKH 2I¿FH RI WKH &LW\ &OHUN DW Parking Authority.

An assessment of the struc 9RLFH QR ODWHU WKDQ ¿YH EXVLQHVV GD\V SULRU WR WKH SURFHHGLQJ 77< XVHUV PD\ FDOO YLD )ORUtural condition of the existing LGD 5HOD\ 6HUYLFH QR ODWHU WKDQ ¿YH EXVLQHVV GD\V SULRU WR WKH SURFHHGLQJ playhouse building and comprehensive historical research, analysis and documentation.

A review of local code requirements.

Todd B. Hannon Preliminary construction City Clerk cost estimates.

“With these basic ‘building blocks,’ the design team will # 22838 develop options for how these University. A key player is Michael Spring, director of the county’s Department of Cultural Affairs.

Plans to resuscitate the stateowned theater began to come together in 2013 when the county announced an agreement with FIU. The state approved FIU’s business plan, which allows the university – in partnership with the county – to have a 50-year lease of the theater, with a possibility of two 25-year renewals. The long-term lease

was signed in October 2013.

In early 2014, the county announced it had met a Jan. 15 deadline to clear up old debts and encumbrances related to the property, requirements set by the state before the lease could take effect.

It took a few more months for all old debts to be handled, but in July 2014 Mr. Spring told county commissioners that all had been resolved, finally clearing the lease paperwork with the state.

elements might best fit together on the Playhouse site. In addition, alternate site plan options will be developed to test the feasibility of locating a second theater on the property,” the latest update reads.

“Once drafted, these site plan options will be shared with key stakeholders for feedback in public meetings. We anticipate scheduling and announcing these sessions over the summer. Then, the next steps for the project will be to proceed with the schematic design phase of the architectural and engineering work,” it reads.

The site plan options are now expected to be released by the end of summer, according to the county.

Mr. Noriega is talking about not waiting and getting the authority’s new garage closer to built.

The idea is to have a set garage footprint, no matter whether one or two theaters end up on the property, he said.

He said he’s met with Arquitectonica about “moving the garage faster.”

Mr. Noriega and the OffStreet Street Parking Board have promised the Grove new parking. For the playhouse garage, other potential users are already showing interest in new public parking spaces in that end of town, he said.

Ransom school has expressed interest in the planned garage, Mr. Noriega said, along with an adjacent planned four-story office building.

“We have a standing need,” he said.

Mr. Noriega said he’s hopeful the county will be flexible and approve of the garage plans moving forward now. He said he’d like to start construction by mid to late summer 2017.

Mr. Noriega wants to work to get the community’s backing of the project. “We’re already getting pressure to build it,” he said.

County officials have long set aside $20 million from general obligation bonds to upgrade the historic playhouse.

The state had acquired the 1926-vintage Mediterranean Revival-style theater in 1980, when it agreed to purchase its $1.5 million mortgage, according to a Miami city report on the site.

Originally, the theater could seat 1,500 and the building housed seven storefronts on the ground floor, 10 offices on the second and apartments on the third.

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2016

BANKING & FINANCE

MIAMI TODAY

15

Clarity of banking fees a concern as feds try to keep lid on

BY CAMILA CEPERO

Bank fees are virtually unavoidable for anyone who’d rather keep money in a proper institution instead of under their mattress – but George Acevedo thinks that it should be as simple as possible for customers to know exactly what they’re signing up for when they open a new bank account.

“We’re making sure that we really are providing clients with the right type of accounts, and we have simplified fees for those accounts to provide a better experience, and as a result, customers have seen a reduction of fees,” said Mr. Acevedo, head of Chase’s branches in Florida.

Over the past year, government regulations have tried to keep a lid on bank fees, he said.

“The way we used to charge overdraft fees in the past – that has been simplified,” Mr. Acevedo said. “There were different ways that we were charging fees... The different rules were a little complicated for

clients. All of that went away and we made it a lot simpler.”

A Consumer Federation of America overdraft and fees report explained overdraft fees as “a transaction that your bank pays when you have insufficient funds in your account to cover a payment.”

“Big banks charge on average a $35 fee each time you overdraft,” the report said. “If you buy three things with your debit card, and you don’t have money in your account, you will be charged three separate fees.”

Additionally, it said, some banks also charge a second

overdraft fee if the overdraft and fee are not paid back in a few days. “Sustained” overdraft fees are either another flat fee or a fee per day.

The main goal, Mr. Acevedo said, is to simplify and streamline complicated language and explain fees in a way that cus-

tomers will understand. The bank has “thrown away a lot of disclosures” and “spent a lot of resources” to accomplish this, he said.

“We introduced a new product called Chase Liquid, which is an account that doesn’t have access to checks but it works like a checking account – you can use a debit card, can withdraw, can make deposits, pay bills,” he said, with a flat monthly service fee of $4.95.

Generally speaking, he said, fees are similar across the country, but the aim is to simplify the number of products offered in order to make it simpler to understand the fees that are already in place.

“Obviously, just like any business, what competitors are doing and what their product offerings are – we do look at that,” Mr. Acevedo said. “But we’re also trying to understand our customer base to make sure our product does fit the needs of the population we’re serving.”

As global banking flees Switzerland, Miami eyes its edge

BY CATHERINE LACKNER

What does Miami’s future as an international financial center hold, as established names in global banking flee Switzerland?

“The world is shrinking,” said Alan Lips, a partner at the Gerson Preston accounting firm. “The old days of numbered private accounts are over, and not just in Switzerland.

Banking has become more global and much more unified. This is a great opportunity for Miami.”

The US dollar is still considered a safe haven among currencies, he said, and if one is considering settling in the US, Miami is more affordable, and has a better climate than some other major cities.

The 2010 Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act – which is enforced worldwide – requires that US citizens living abroad file yearly reports on their nonUS financial accounts. That has removed some of the advantages of being an ex-pat, observers say.

“But today, people are looking less for tax havens than for a comfortable, safe place for their funds,” Mr. Lips said.

“This is an international city and a place where you can come and enjoy yourself. There’s no state income tax, and so many other advantages to Miami and South Florida as a whole. Keeping money in the US becomes a better option.”

“We see more transparency – banks no longer want to hold assets of US citizens even if properly declared,” said Daniel Toledano, managing director of IBT Group. The cost of complying with complicated government regulations is prohibitive and so are fines if any mistakes are made, he said. In some banks now, he said, there are more compliance officers than

bankers. New regulations on the cash purchase of a luxury home in Miami or Manhattan also throw obstacles in the path of wealthy people who would settle here, he said.

“We tend to overreact,” Mr. Toledano said of the new regulations. “We really need to double down on illegal sources of funds, drug trafficking and the like,” but still provide a safe haven for those whose governments are not stable. “We must find equilibrium between regulation and anarchy.”

London, he said, has traditionally been the financial center of the world and stands to regain its rightful place “if they can get it right. We might have lost that in the US as we have gone too far on the regulatory side. With the new prime minister coming in, there is an opportunity for great leadership and to turn things around, restoring London as the real financial capital of the world.”

“Over the past decade, Miami has gained recognition as an increasingly sophisticated, multi-cultural center for global finance, not only as a gateway to Latin America but also as a preferred location for international investors, including from China, India, the Middle East, India and Europe, and their bankers and other financial professionals,” said Art Requenez, an international finance attorney from the K&L Gates law firm, via email.

“We expect that the Swiss financial ‘exodus’ will help to accelerate this development, especially as the impending Brexit and other recent major geopolitical and demographic events in Europe – including the resurgence of populist nationalism, Middle Eastern and North African migration, as well as growing terrorism concerns – are raising significant doubts

over security and stability in many parts of the world and further crystallizing the ‘flight to safety’ that we see with the international capital flow into the US. “The international investors and financial professionals who drive and facilitate this capital flow are coming to recognize Miami as a safe haven for international wealth that offers an international flavor not present in many US and foreign world financial centers, with no sacri-

fice in quality: The sophistication of financial and related services in Miami mirrors that of New York, London, Singapore and Hong Kong, with many international firms maintaining offices and staffs in all of those locations and often working closely as a single team, as in the case of our firm. Meanwhile, the absence of an individual state income tax further adds to Florida’s attractiveness for investors and financials professionals.”

Art Requenez: gaining recognition.

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MIAMI TODAY

BANKING & FINANCE

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2016

Local banks up to snuff on mobile battleground

BY CAMILA CEPERO

Bank of America has its cardless ATMs in Boston, Charlotte, New York, San Francisco and Silicon Valley.

As online and mobile banking gain, bankers race to stay ahead of curve

BY CAMILA CEPERO

While online and mobile banking continues to pick up speed and popularity, the banks continue to scheme about how to stay on top of it. Sometimes the solution comes in the form of recruiting a small army of employees to work behind the scenes on digital channels or listening to what consumers have to say – literally.

“Over the past four years we have been trying to convert our branches more into advice centers,” said George Acevedo, head of Chase’s branches in Florida, “then looking to transition most of the transactions being done in our branches to mobile as well as ATM and online banking.”

To meet the needs of the bank’s customers who are not willing to use mobile and online functionality, branches still have tellers, but so far “the transition has been great.”

“Our customers really embrace the technology that we have,” he said. “Person-to-person QuickPay [an online service that allows anyone with an email address who’s enrolled in the service to send and receive money] and the ability to use your cell phone to make a check deposit have also been great.”

The company now sees over 40 million digital users – mobile and online – across JPMorgan Chase, 16 million digital and mobile logins every day and more than 35 million active web users.

In terms of developing its online and mobile functionalities, Mr. Acevedo said, the bank does most of the work internally.

As of June, the bank had 24.8 million mobile customers and 42.8 digital customers, he said.

“In 2015, we brought 200 external hires into our digital organization to work across all digital competencies: design, data and analytics, development, engineering,” Mr. Acevedo said.

“Currently, 1,500-2,000 employees are working on the digital agenda for Chase.”

The company built brand new spaces in its major hubs of San Francisco, Delaware and New York City with the goal of having the different digital teams and competencies deliver one cohesive digital experience.

Additionally, the company has an innovation lab in Colum-

bus, Ohio, that focuses on branch technology and innovations.

“We are always trying different things in-house,” Mr. Acevedo said. “We do leverage customer surveys that really provide us with feedback on what they’re looking for, as well as J.D. Power [performs independent industry benchmark studies based on the opinions of a sample of consumers], but it’s really what we do in-house... to create a better experience.”

The “next big thing,” he said, are cardless ATMs. Customers will be able to withdraw money by using their smartphones instead of their ATM or debit cards.

“Using the encryption in their cellphone, they’ll be able to access the ATM.” Across most of Chase’s 17,000 ATMs, customers will be able to use their mobile phone to get cash – if they don’t have their card, take out bills in multiple denominations – ones, fives, twenties and hundreds, cash their check instead of waiting in a teller line, withdraw larger amounts of cash during branch hours and get quicker access to deposits.

“When you look at deposits and withdrawals, the majority of the transactions we were performing with tellers, two-thirds of those are now being done online or at the ATMs.” Inside branches, customers can open a checking or savings account or credit card and get real-time assistance at the ATM from tellers using tablets.

“They can do just about everything else by using their mobile or online account – they can do transfers, view their statements, get alerts to protect from overdraft or even fraud.”

The most recent Apple, Android, Google and Samsung tablets and smartphones now have “digital wallets” wherein the smartphone holds users’ payment information by linking the app to a bank account or credit or debit card.

Bank of America has rolled out cardless ATMs in Boston, Charlotte, New York City, San Francisco and Silicon Valley.

“Customers can identify cardless-enabled ATMs by the contactless symbol near the card reader,” the bank said in a statement after Michelle Moore, head

of digital banking at Bank of America, and Pali Bhat, senior director of Android Pay, demonstrated a cardless ATM at Google’s IO conference.

“When ready to perform a transaction, the customer will select their Bank of America debit card in their digital wallet and hold their device over the ATM’s contactless card reader to activate the ATM. Then, they follow the normal process to enter their PIN, select their account and initiate a withdrawal, transfer or balance inquiry.”

According to a Bank of America digital banking report, during the second quarter of 2016 over 500,000 new accounts were sold online, while existing online banking customers logged into their accounts over 520 million times, or 20 times per user. During those sessions, customers made over 110 million bill payments worth over $60 billion, made nearly 60 million transfers worth nearly $130 billion and received nearly 540 million email alerts, ranging from low balances to payment due dates.

During the second quarter of 2016, active mobile banking customers logged into their accounts over 900 million times, or 47 times per user over that period.

During those sessions, customers deposited more than 25 million checks representing 17% of total deposits – about 280,000 per day – worth over $21.7 billion via mobile check deposit, made over 25 million mobile bill payments, made nearly 80 million transfers, including over 7 million transfers through email and phone numbers, and received over 240 million text and push alerts.

“We’re always listening to our customers to find out what it is they need today and what they might need in the future. Part of that involves listening in on customers’ calls and also looking at what is out there in the market and what’s best in class,” Betty Riess, Bank of America’s Consumer Banking Products representative, told Miami Today.

“Consumers are increasingly using their mobile devices to manage their everyday lives and that extends to managing their financial needs, and we want to make that as convenient as possible.”

As technology continues to bombard everyday life from every angle, it’s no surprise that consumers want easy access to their money from anywhere and on any device they have nearby.

And local banks don’t plan to be left behind in the dust – they’re already offering online and mobile services up to par with their competitors and plan to introduce new functionality that may even make the big banks turn green with envy.

“Almost every new customer or business client that we’re talking to about moving to the bank asks what we can offer in the electronic services arena. Customers want to understand what they can do [electronically],” said Ian M. Schweid, senior vice president and electronic services director for Coconut Grove Bank.

The bank is currently focusing on two main initiatives, he said, one being adding functionality to the “mobile channel” and the second being helping clients understand security risks.

The bank is working to accomplish its first initiative using an “omnichannel approach.”

The omnichannel approach aims to provide a seamless experience, regardless of what device a customer is using to access services – in this case, electronic banking services.

The goal, Mr. Schweid said, is to achieve equal functionality between their desktop and mobile platforms, which the bank is working to do by “migrating” online functionality to the mobile channel.

“The customer will have the same experience and the same look across devices.”

Coconut Grove Bank currently offers services such as the ability to transfer funds and pay bills for personal accounts, and treasury management, wire transfers and positive pay for business accounts, Mr. Schweid said.

To help with the second initiative, the bank recently launched security features for high-risk transactions and plans to launch additional security software free of charge, Mr. Schweid said.

Investing in cybersecurity is important to the bank, he said, adding that he believes it raises the value of the brand and differentiates it from competitors.

The bank plans to add multifactor authentication to make sure the person attempting to log in to a customer’s account is actually the customer and not someone else.

The goal is to make the platforms more secure, prevent fraud, combat malware and manage risk.

Some of the bank’s electronic services require out-of-band authentication – a secondary verification method such as a security question – for high-risk transactions.

A $5 transfer isn’t going to raise any red flags, but if a customer is attempting a $50,000 wire transfer, “we’re going to want an additional piece of authentication,” Mr. Schweid said.

Touch ID – a fingerprint-based

form of identification – is offered for mobile users with Apple devices.

“Part of our role is to educate our clients in proper use of our systems,” he said.

Mobile check deposit – a technology that allows customers to deposit a check using their mobile phones – is seeing a growth of 5%-10% a month, Mr. Schweid said. “People are still discovering it exists.”

“We haven’t seen a tremendous decline in our branches,” he said. “The mobile and online channels allow our customers to engage with us more frequently, so these additional tools allow a client to engage with their money at their bank in what we typically see is a much more meaningful way.”

The bank’s statistics, which track usage and login patterns, show that customers use “mobile branches” more than 30 times a month, Mr. Schweid said. That adds up to customers checking in on their money sometimes twice a day or more.

“My personal opinion is that people want to engage with their money,” he said.

“Digital channels are always evolving. You really cannot have a presence that is not going to be evolving with the competition,” said Luis de la Aguilera, president and CEO of US Century Bank.

Mr. de la Aguilera, who joined the company in his current position last December, said that when he started, electronic banking functionalities were ongoing. But under his management, he said, “this is a priority.”

“This is a clear directive as we execute our new business plan.”

The US Century Bank website is expected to be “completely reengineered” by the end of the fourth quarter, Mr. de la Aguilera said.

The bank is aiming to launch person-to-person payments by the end of the fourth quarter as well. The service will allow customers to transfer funds from their bank account or credit card to another individual’s account over the internet or through their mobile phone.

“This solution will use ACH [an electronic network for financial transactions in the US] in addition to the PayPal network to provide real-time payments,” Mr. de la Aguilera said.

And by the end of the third quarter, the bank hopes to have introduced me-to-me payments, which will allow customers to move funds to other institutions as long as the account title is the same.

The bank is also hoping to begin distributing debit cards at its branches in real-time, as opposed to having to mail them to customers.

“In every instance, everything we have, we’re investing heavily in them,” Mr. de la Aguilera said.

“The critical thing here is that clients want solutions to be fast, intuitive, meaningful, interactive, animated. You have to be able to understand what they want and to be able to give them the choice.”

18

MIAMI TODAY

TODAY’S NEWS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2016

Virtual physician consulting service prepares to go live

BY CAMILA CEPERO

Care on Demand, a Baptist Health South Florida virtual physician consultation service, is expected to go live during the first week of August, meaning that patients are closer than they might think to having immediate access to medical consultations at their fingertips.

The telehealth service – a term that refers to traditional clinical diagnosis and monitoring that is delivered via telecommunication technologies – will provide patients anywhere in Florida with immediate virtual access to a board-certified physician 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, via a PC, tablet or smartphone, said Luis Bellmas, vice president of Baptist Outpatient Services.

Throughout the visits, which require no appointment, patients will be able to communicate with the doctor through live

video and audio chat, so they can easily discuss their treatment and ask questions.

The cost of the service, although not yet determined, is expected to be affordable to patients, Mr. Bellmas said, and comparable to the price of a copayment.

“Most telehealth visits can happen within 10-15 minutes,” he said. With Care on Demand, physicians can extend appointments and “take as long as ‘We’re somewhat early needed.”

To access the service, pa- adopters on this. We’re tients will visit Baptisthealth.net/ careondemand or download the offering it as another free Baptist Health Care on De- convenient option for access mand app to their tablet or to care, and we expect to smartphone. Users will then be asked to create a profile by pro- see that grow over time.’ viding information such as name, Luis Bellmas date of birth, email address, phone number and “a quick medical history.” see a list of doctors available at “When you log on, you will that time,” Mr. Bellmas said.

“You’ll be able to see their specialty, where they went to school, how long they’ve been practicing medicine – and if you want to come back to the doctor, you can email the doctor and find out their availability.”

“We’re partnering with American Well, and they have done this across the nation for quite a while and have worked with other healthcare providers and insurers,” Mr. Bellmas said.

The company deploys telehealth across all areas of care delivery by using mobile and web technology to remove barriers such as distance, mobility and time, according to its website.

The physicians available on the Care on Demand service are “located throughout the US but specifically licensed to practice medicine in Florida,” Mr. Bellmas said.

“We’re somewhat early

adopters on this. We’re offering it as another convenient option for access to care, and we expect to see that grow over time.”

The service will treat non-life threatening conditions: minor colds, fever, coughs, sore throats, wound care consultation, flu-like symptoms, eye swelling, irritation, redness or pain, minor headaches, ear and sinus pain, rashes, minor burns, minor allergic reactions, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sprains, strains, burning with urination, mild asthma, minor animal bites and minor dental complaints.

“Our philosophy is that patients should always have a primary care physician,” Mr. Bellmas said. “However, when something can’t wait but it’s something that’s not an emergency, this is a great convenient option if their primary care physician is not available.”

The project would provide 15,000 square feet of retail and commercial space and 946 parking spaces.

710 market-rate apartments sought at school board Metromover station

BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS

When Melody Tower opened in May, the 38-story apartment building was more than 95% leased, illustrating the aching need for affordable and workforce housing in downtown Miami.

Melody brought 497 market rate apartments to the city’s fledgling arts and entertainment district, at 245 NE 14th St., and now its developer, Melo Group, is ready to do it again.

The developer, through its 14th Plaza Corp., is requesting a zoning change for vacant land between Northeast 14th and 15th streets, adjacent to the School Board Metromover Station.

If the change earns final approval, it paves the way for a major mixed-use residential project called Square Station, bringing about 710 market rate apartments.

The current plan would see twin 34-story towers built to a connected pedestal providing 946 parking spaces, along with about 15,000 square feet of commer-

cial/retail space.

There would be 355 units in each building, with prices ranging from $1,600 a month for a one-bedroom up to $2,500 for a three-bedroom.

Melo hopes to break ground in August at the 1424 NE Miami Place location.

Melody Tower caters to young professionals wanting to live close to their jobs in and around downtown Miami. The new tower is right next door to the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts and within walking distance of Museum Park, the waterfront and more.

Square Station is planned just three blocks to the west and also caters to those young professionals.

For a public hearing on the first reading of the proposed rezoning, the developer lined up several millennials, many of whom are new tenants in Melody Tower, who praised the company for bringing apartments to the city that are more affordable for locals.

One man said he used to live in

Kendall and it often took him an hour and a half to get to work in downtown Miami. He now resides in Melody Tower and can walk to work. He praised Melo Group for making a huge difference in the neighborhood, bringing affordable housing and commerce to the area north of I-395.

There aren’t many locals who can afford an $800,000 condo but they still want to live, work and play in the City of Miami, he told the commission, offering his support for Square Station.

Commissioner Francis Suarez pointed to a critical need for affordable and workforce housing in the city.

Mr. Suarez commended the Melo family for constructing workforce housing without being mandated to do so, and without other incentives.

Mr. Suarez also recognized the success of Melody Tower, being nearly full the day the building was opened for tenants to move in.

Melo Group is providing a unique and needed product at a quick pace and reasonable cost,

Melo’s plan would see twin 34-story apartment towers constructed.

said Mr. Suarez.

On top of all that, Melo had a work of public art installed outside of Melody Tower, a decision it made on its own, Mr. Suarez said. The 8-foot-tall stainless steel violin sculpture designed and created by artist Helidon Xhixha is titled Endless Melody.

“They should be commended for doing things right,” Mr. Suarez said.

Commissioner Frank Carollo echoed some of Mr. Suarez’s statements and expressed support for the rezoning and Square Station proposal.

“Right next to the Metromover – this is what it’s about,” Mr. Carollo said. “This is smart growth for our city.”

The commission voted unanimously to approve the rezoning on first reading. A final reading is to be scheduled soon.

WEEK OF THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2016

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MIAMITODAY A Singular Voice in an Evolving City