WEEK OF THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2015
A Singular Voice in an Evolving City
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RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE
Brickell City Centre spurring spate of nearby towers, pg. 13 SAFE PASSAGE: County crews last week began five months of road resurfacing and bike lane-widening along Crandon Boulevard between Bear Cut Bridge and the Village of Key Biscayne. The new bike lanes, to be painted bright green, will be separated from auto traffic by a 2-foot-wide striped buffer zone bounded by vibratory pavement markings similar to those recently installed along the Bear Cut and William Powell bridge bike lanes along the Rickenbacker Causeway. The work, to take place weekdays from 8 a.m.5 p.m., is to be done in December. One vehicular and one bicycle lane will stay open at all times in either direction. Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz, who sponsored legislation calling for safety measures for bicyclists on the road, said in a written release the changes are essential to keep cyclists safe after a number of hit-and-run cyclist fatalities on the roadway over the past several years.
12,000 new residential units drive growth in Doral, pg. 15
THE ACHIEVER
BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS
PARK AND BOAT: A plan to handle parking during one of the year’s busiest weekends is nearly done, said Art Noriega, CEO of the Miami Parking Authority, reporting to the city’s Off-Street Parking Board. The second weekend in February 2016 is expected to be busy, with visitors filling Coconut Grove for its arts festival and others heading to Virginia Key for the Miami International Boat Show. City-owned Marine Stadium Park is ground zero for the next boat show, in an agreement between the city and the National Marine Manufacturers Association. The parking authority was called in to help manage what is expected to be a flood of cars. Mr. Noriega acknowledged the challenges. In terms of logistics, it will be “a pretty heavy lift,” he said of the boat show parking plan, which includes 10,000 spaces in downtown Miami with shuttle and water taxi service directly to the show. He also expects a big learning curve as “it’s year one.” For decades the show’s main venue was Miami Beach. GAS PRICES FALLING: As the price of oil is slipping toward the $50per-barrel mark, gasoline prices are following suit, falling in Miami-Dade as of Sunday to average $2.73 a gallon. That’s down 2.7 cents per gallon in a week and below the national average of $2.76, said GasBuddy pricetracking service, which studies prices at 1,690 Miami area gas stations. AAA, meanwhile, said that while oil peaked at $61.43 for the year in June, it was down last week to $50.89. GasBuddy Senior Analyst Patrick DeHaan said that “by mid-fall, gasoline prices could be under $2 a gallon in a growing number of states.”
Felice Gorordo
Photo by Marlene Quaroni
Building a business around immigration status needs The profile is on Page 4
Eager Chinese partners await chamber trade trip BY CARLA VIANNA
Miami delegates will fly to China on Jan. 16 for the second Chinese trade mission led by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. The business mission, spearheaded by the chamber’s Americas Linkage Committee, will visit Hong Kong, Shinjin, Guangzhou and Shanghai. The committee met Tuesday at the offices of accounting firm Morrison, Brown, Argiz & Farra to discuss upcoming trade missions and its ongoing efforts to strengthen ties between the Miami and Chinese business communities. Committee Chair Hernando Gomez said the Asian Financial Forum in Hong Kong, one of the world’s largest financial events, will take up the mission’s first two days. In a series of seminars in each city, delegates will showcase Miami business opportunities to Chinese businesses and investors. “We’re here to help you and facilitate business,” Mr. Gomez said about the committee. According to Cathy Wang, who addressed attendees Tuesday, Chinese businesses are just as interested in partnering with Miami business owners and investing within South
AGENDA
1,750 units get review: still a boom
Florida. Ms. Wang, a senior commercial specialist with the foreign commercial service of the US Department of Commerce, discussed business opportunities in China’s major business meccas, with a special focus on Guangzhou. Her recommendation, she said, always is don’t just think of Beijing and Shanghai. She said it’s time for manufacturers throughout China to upgrade systems, adding that they’re potential buyers and investors in American machinery via Miami. The Florida International Bankers Association recently launched its own Asian Markets Committee to focus on Chinese bank outreach. Alex Rey, chair of the chamber’s banking committee, cited three critical aims affecting his committee’s international banking efforts: Miami should have a Chinese consulate. Promote a non-stop flight between Miami and China. Solidify trade between Chinese banks and Miami banks so that when investment starts, the financial infrastructure is ready to support it. Discussions surrounding a direct flight to China have been brewing, said Olga
If you think Miami’s building boom is slowing, try telling that to the city’s Urban Development Review Board. In one afternoon last week the board reviewed about a half-dozen planned projects that would total 1,750 new residential units in the city – the bulk of them rental apartments. And the pockets of growth stretch from one side of the city to the other, from Edgewater to Coral Way, from downtown to the river. They include: Yotel, a mixed-use 45-story tower offering 180 condos, 254 hotel cabins and about 16,000 square feet of commercial at 227235 NE Second St. Chiquita North and Chiquita South, multi-family housing offering 700 rental units in several buildings, eight stories and one section at 12 stories, at 2900 and 3010 NE Second Ave. The angular site hugging the FEC rail line was once a Chiquita Banana distribution center. Edgewater Tower, a mixeduse 27-story building with 56 condos at 522-526 NE 34th St. River Central, a mixed-use project to include 633 rental units in two eight-story buildings connected by a parking garage, and two 1,500-square-foot commercial spaces, at 650 NW Eighth St. Modera Station, Phase II of Mill Creek Residential’s development on Bird Road just west of Douglas Road, with 181 rental units at 3750 Bird Road. Phase I, which is nearing completion, includes 262 apartments in an eightstory square next door. The Chiquita development stirred negative reaction from several board members mainly due to its size – the layout or massing of the low-level buildings. Board member Willy Bermello also said the drawings lacked needed detail. The bulk of the project was deferred until September. The board recommended approval for the other projects, some with conditions.
Ramudo, president and CEO of Express Travel and a US Travel and Tourism advisory board member. Mr. Gomez also announced a date for the upcoming Brazil mission, in which participants will visit the cities of Campinas, São Paulo and Porto Alegre from Oct. 24 to 31. Registration for the Brazil trip is $600 for members, $750 for others. The China and Hong Kong mission will be Jan. 16-26, including flight days. The registration price for the China mission, which includes attendance costs for the Asian Financial Forum, is $950. The committee is working with American Airlines to cut flight deals. Participants will leave from Dallas Jan. 16 for the 17-hour flight. During last year’s mission, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Hong Kong Institute of Bankers. This year, Mr. Gomez said, a similar agreement is being sought with similar organizations in Shanghai. Next year, the Americas Linkage Committee says, it will explore Canadian busi As one project is finished, owner ness opportunities, with plans for a trip up is planning another next door, pg. 7 north in the works.
HEALTH CARE COST RISE HERE FAR OUTPACES NATION ...
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LANDFILL GAS WILL SOON POWER WATER TREATMENT ...
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COUNTY’S FUND DOORS MAY OPEN FOR NEW PROJECTS ...
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CITY DREDGES UP FUNDS TO CLEAN POLLUTED WATERS ...
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VIEWPOINT: COUNTY DOESN’T HAVE TO SPEND IT ALL ...
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THE CONSTANT CHALLENGE OF FUNDING NEW TRANSIT ...
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NEW BIDDING NEEDED TO DEVELOP DOWNTOWN SIGNS ...
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SCIENTISTS PROBE EMOTIONS OF FINANCIAL DECISIONS ...
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