WEEK OF THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2015
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Teller you ‘meet’ in Miami bank might be in New Mexico, pg. 13 PATENT/TRADEMARK SATELLITE: County commissioners will urge the US Department of Commerce and the US Patent and Trade Office to establish a patent and trademark satellite office in Miami-Dade. With its advances in new business creation and entrepreneurship, commissioners say this county would be ideal to host a satellite office to facilitate the technology industry and assist start-up businesses, intellectual property services and jobgrowth accelerators. Since 2004, the resolution states, Miami-Dade has remained among the top US communities for business creation; in 2012 it received the highest entrepreneurial index in the US, and was 1.5 times greater than the national average in 2013. The US Patent and Trademark Office, an agency within the Department of Commerce, examines and issues patents nationally. Headquartered in Alexandria, VA, it has satellites in Dallas, Denver, Detroit and Silicon Valley.
Local banks’ loan totals rise 6%, bad loans decline 20%, pg. 14
THE ACHIEVER
BY SUSAN D ANSEYAR
RICKENBACKER TOLLS SOAR: Traffic on the Rickenbacker Causeway linking the mainland to Virginia Key and Key Biscayne rose 5% in the first eight months of the current fiscal year, but toll revenues from the mainland rose 22.5% as the county restricted the ability to buy annual causeway passes, Fitch Ratings reported as it rated bonds for causeway debt ‘BBB’ with a stable outlook. The report notes that causeway traffic is roughly half discretionary and leisure trips and half commuting by keys workers, residents and students. The $31.6 million in bonds were issued last year to reimburse the county for its expenditures to replace the superstructure and rehabilitate the substructure of the West and Bear Cut bridges on the causeway. A toll increase of 50 cents is targeted for 2018, Fitch says, but the agency assumes that the county will stick with earlier patterns and raise the toll only 25 cents then. AGRIBUSINESS INNOVATION: County commissioners last week unanimously urged the legislature to fund a Miami-Dade innovation center for businesses that farm, process, manufacture, package and distribute agricultural products. The resolution states that agribusiness innovation centers help improve agricultural products, enter new markets and develop products; provide market opportunities and information, financial management skills and access to financing, technical information and training, and mentorship; and assist with regulations, standards and compliance. Partnering with Florida International University and the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and Tropical Research and Education Center, Miami-Dade plans an agribusiness innovation center for which state funding is called critical.
Photo by Marlene Quaroni
Rene Ruiz
Fashion designer targets Hialeah manufacturing jobs The profile is on Page 4
City poised to create its own transportation trust BY JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS
It’s been talked about for months, and today (9/10) Miami city commissioners are to consider the first of two votes to create a transportation trust fund. Sponsored by Commissioner Francis Suarez, the trust is proposed to help fund public transit and other transportation-related projects, with a goal of lessening roadway gridlock. On today’s commission agenda is the first reading of an amendment creating a transportation trust fund as part of the city’s current ordinance on motor vehicles and traffic. The proposed legislation says the fund would be used “to facilitate the creation, operation, and maintenance, including capital and operating costs, of mass transit and other transportation facilities within the City, and public parking garages for transit enhancement purposes.” It says trust fund money could be used as the city’s share of the cost of an eligible project undertaken by other governments or through a public-private partnership. As an
AGENDA
County cuts work hours on its roads
example, city and county officials have considered a public-private partnership to build and run a light rail system connecting Miami and Miami Beach. Revenue to feed the trust fund would come from several sources. The proposed legislation says at least 20% of any unrestricted one-time cash payments to the city of $500,000 or more, including payments received through lease re-negotiations, judgments from lawsuits, audit findings or any other lump sum payments would go to the trust fund for mass transit capital or acquisition costs. Another revenue source would be a portion of money that developers pay into the city’s Public Benefits Trust Fund. In general, developers can pay to build public benefit projects like parks or pay directly into the Public Benefits Fund in exchange for higher project density or other considerations. The proposal says at least 20% of all cash contributions to the Public Benefits Trust Fund would be reserved for the new fund. Also, the legislation says, each fiscal year, no less than one-quarter of one percent of the city’s general fund budget “shall be
reserved in this Trust Fund for operation and maintenance costs associated with mass transit. These funds may be carried over to the succeeding fiscal year.” There is also consideration for the costs of needed parking garages built into the new fund, with revenue coming from developers who seek parking requirement reductions. “All funds collected through parking ratio reductions… shall be reserved in this Trust Fund for capital or acquisition costs associated with the creation of new public parking garages operated by the Department of Off-Street Parking.” Contributions to the fund would not be limited to the minimums cited. Expenditures from the fund would require four votes from the five-member city commission upon a written recommendation from the city manager. An included support document, the “2015 Urban Mobility Scorecard” from Texas A&M Transportation Institute, ranks Miami sixth of 15 large cities with the worst traffic congestion in the nation in terms of hours lost stuck in traffic and excess fuel consumed.
Maintenance on arterial county roads will now be done only in non-peak hours, a measure county commissioners hope other agencies and municipalities in Miami-Dade will emulate to cut traffic congestion. Commissioners unanimously passed the change last week after prime sponsor Esteban L. Bovo Jr. excluded construction. Audrey M. Edmonson said that amendment helped because she was concerned that limiting hours of construction could lengthen construction time. The restrictions apply to activities such as landscaping, among others, which now can’t be done between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. and between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. The original resolution didn’t restrict any projects related to the county’s sanitary sewer system or what the county engineer deems emergency and necessary work to address dangerous or unsafe conditions. Rebeca Sosa said she, too, was concerned the resolution would add time to complete projects. She described how the Florida Department of Transportation was successful with several large projects such as Flagler Street when “all the mayors got together and forced them to do one thing after another.” The industry term that the transportation department used was one layer after another, Ms. Sosa said, and she advised it’s a good method to mention when officials and staff discuss road construction. Miami-Dade consistently ranks in the nation’s worst 10 for traffic congestion, the resolution states. According to a national study, the county’s congestion level last year was 27%, meaning the average trip takes 27% longer than it would if there were no traffic. The resolution stresses that the commission encourages federal, state and other local governments working within county limits to adopt similar requirements.
COUNTY SEEKS FILM STUDY, BUT ONE IS COMPLETED ...
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FIU BUILDS MORE ON AN ALREADY PACKED CAMPUS ...
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OFFICE DEVELOPERS FOCUS NEAR TRANSIT STATIONS ...
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LIBRARIES PLAN ON NEW SERVICES, MORE DAYS OPEN ...
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VIEWPOINT: GOVERNMENT IS THE PUBLIC’S BUSINESS ...
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RELATED SOON TO SELL 3-TOWER BRICKELL PROJECT ...
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BUSINESS GETS ANOTHER YEAR TO MEET 2010 ZONING ...
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NONE OF 10 DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS FILLS CRITERIA ...
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MIAMI TODAY
VIEWPOINT
WEEK OF THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2015
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
The public has a firm right to view the public’s business Miami-Dade commissioners covet a bit of backroom wheeling and dealing out of the public eye, perhaps cutting deals and swapping votes for whatever. Little has created more distrust than Michael Lewis such hidden government dealing – witness concerns about Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server rather than official channels as secretary of state. That distrust is why Florida in 1967 created our Sunshine Law, which bars commissioners from privately discussing legislation, budgets, zoning and more. Otherwise, commissioners could hash out issues, trade favors, cut deals, call each other names or just explain their thinking in one-on-one talks and we’d never know. It’s so much more efficient, some say, to just debate in private and then vote in public. Things would get done and nobody need know how or why. It would be so much more efficient than if actions have to be explained. Efficiency is why Miami-Dade commissioners voted last week to ask the legislature to weaken the Sunshine Law so
that they can meet in pairs – at least, they say it’s for efficiency. They also say they could get to know each other better and resolve things privately. It would all be so nice and friendly. Meeting in pairs, they say, they could reach deals without having to use lobbyists as go-betweens, which Commissioner Bruno Barreiro complained is how they now deal out of the public eye. The Sunshine Law “should be called the Lobbyist Empowerment Act,” Mr. Barreiro said. Of course, the law only empowers lobbyists if commissioners want to skirt the law and communicate without the public knowing, which apparently they do regularly. The lone dissenter, Daniella Levine Cava, conceded the logistics challenges of communicating in the sunshine but warned against less transparency: “I believe that in an effort to be more efficient and have two meet out of the sunshine it could reduce trust in government.” Is there a reason for distrust? Do some commissioners really hate for you to know what’s going on? In discussing the vote sought by former legislator and now Commissioner Juan Zapata to weaken the Sunshine Law, Commissioner Barbara Jordan told him quite seriously, “I hope you are not one of those who voted on the Sunshine Law.” Mr. Zapata distanced himself from Sunshine: “I wouldn’t have voted for
that,” he said quickly. Now, he said of his measure to allow private huddles, “I know there are some current members [of the legislature] who are going to file this legislation in Tallahassee.” We’d empathize with pleas that commissioners need to meet in private if it added anything they can’t legally do now. But they often meet and talk in pairs now, all in accord with the Sunshine Law. They just have to let the public know and attend, and that’s what some of them don’t want to keep doing. Sure, it’s more bother to talk when the public gets to know about it, but they can do it. So why shut out the public unless what they want to do isn’t legal? Just what is it, commissioners, that you don’t want the public to hear? What is so secret? That question will echo if this pernicious plan should happen to pass in Tallahassee. Open government gets messy. People disagree, tempers flare. The public even gets to speak. It is, after all, government of, by and for the people, not of, by and for the elected officials. So much more efficient to meet privately. Even more efficient would be a nice benevolent dictatorship. It’s fast and sure. And there’s no ugly disagreement. Unfortunately, there has never been a nice benevolent dictatorship that put the inter-
ests of the governed ahead of the government. That’s why this nation was founded. Our commissioners would seethe against dictatorship. But in putting their own convenience ahead of the right of the people to see their county in action and be able to participate, we would be taking a step back from free and open government. As Laura Reynolds, executive director of the Tropical Audubon Society, told commissioners before last week’s vote, “The public depends on transparency now more than ever to make sure that issues are discussed in the public eye. And I think that this resolution is a slippery slope.… I think this could send the wrong message if you pass it.” She was spot on. It sent exactly the wrong message, one of closed government that people would have even more cause to mistrust. Not that anything would necessarily be nefarious in private oneon-one meetings, but the public would never, ever know whether it was nefarious or not. That is the point: the public has a right to know the public’s business. It is not lawmakers’ private concerns. As soon as we take public business private, everyone loses – including elected leaders, who could face mistrust and allegations of which they might be totally innocent. Totally innocent, but because it was all in secret no one would ever know that, would they?
L E Republicans offering wall to wall solutions End Gables police circus ETTERS TO THE
Republican presidential candidates deserve more credit than they are getting. While the Democrats are busy trying to figure out if Biden will run or Bernie will bust, the GOP candidates are displaying incredible Isaac Prilleltensky ingenuity. Building on each other’s ideas, the likes of Trump, Walker and Rubio are working on a miracle wall. The Donald was the first to propose building a wall along the Mexico border to solve the illegal immigration problem. Trump said that construction of the wall would provide employment for all the illegal immigrants that would sneak in through Canada. With a stroke of brilliance, Gov. Scott Walker proposed building a wall along the Canadian border as well. This would have multiple benefits: prevent illegal immigrants, other than the ones required to build the wall of course, and stop the creep of socialized medicine into this country. As everybody knows, universal health care has destroyed the moral fiber of Canadians, who have gotten used to governmental coddling. “Instead of stimulating the economy by buying guns, Canadians waste their money on taxes,” said Mr. Walker. Not to be outdone, Marco Rubio proposed building a wall against Cuba, another major socialist influence on this hemisphere. Rand Paul, who understands the Chinese threat, suggested building a wall along the Pacific Ocean.
“That should stimulate the economy,” he said. Ben Carson, the physician, said that all this construction work will be great for America. “It’s a win-win-win solution,” Dr. Carson said. “We stop the influx of illegal immigrants, prevent the intrusion of socialist ideologies, and get the country moving again. People sit around all day long. It is time we got people off the couch and onto ladders. This will be a wonderful national project. Millions will volunteer to work on the wall, improving their wellness and lowering health care costs at the same time.” Meanwhile, Chris Christie offered to put bar codes on every newcomer’s forehead and run after them with a scanner to report their whereabouts. In a rare show of unanimity, Ted Cruz and Rick Perry volunteered to run along with Mr. Christie, chasing newcomers all over Texas. Jeb Bush offered to serve as translator for the border patrol and bake tortillas for immigrants. “We need to show these people some compassion, especially before we send them to work on Donald’s walls,” said the former governor of Florida. Mike Huckabee, in turn, will provide religious counseling to the newcomers. Lindsey Graham, who has a great deal of experience in foreign affairs, wants to build a wall along the Syrian border. “Today it’s Germany dealing with the influx of refugees, tomorrow it’s the USA. We better stop the refugee problem at the source,” the senator from South Carolina said. Once the walls are built, we will have to install Wi-Fi and internet stations, said Carly Fiorina, who is the only presi-
dential candidate with a tech background – other than Hillary Clinton, of course. “I have the experience to bring cutting edge technology to the walls,” she said in an interview with Vox News. People from all over the world will come to visit The Wall. It will be a showpiece of American ingenuity: simple, multi-purpose and ridiculous. Not only it will solve the illegal immigration problem, but it will also improve the health of the nation and prevent dangerous ideologies from sweeping under the border. Not to mention the reality shows already in the making. There are also plans to hold there the next Trump Miss Universe pageant, which was kicked out of Univision this year. The pageant will travel from Wall to Wall to Wall. Mr. Trump promised to broadcast the event at Wallivision. “When was the last time that Democrats built on each other’s ideas like that?” asked Neill O’Malley of Vox News. “The country needs more entrepreneurs who can come up with bold solutions. The wall idea is superb.” In the spirit of public-private partnerships, some Republican leaders are seeking sponsorships for The Wall from Walmart, Walgreens and Walt Disney studios. Business commentators believe it will be an amazing marketing opportunity for these companies. Co-branding The Wall with Walmart, Walgreens and Walt Disney will create unprecedented publicity for these companies. Some have already come up with a slogan: “Come visit the Wall, save money and live better, right at the corner of happy and healthy, where miracles happen.”
DITOR
The shameful and embarrassing circus occurring yet again in Coral Gables has merely proven the need for new city leadership. The Coral Gables Police Department has been the subject of much scrutiny and public controversy for the last several years. It is clear the city has failed to correct the problems and find the right leadership. To consider two candidates, and two candidates only, for police chief whose disdain for each other has spilled into public view, caused so much polarity and third world politics is a testament to the real problem. The police department and city hall both need new management and elected officials. It is tragic that the city would not bring in a real professional to put an end to the circus. The employees of the department and residents alike have suffered enough from years of this nonsense. Bring in a real chief of police and put a stop to the dysfunction. Edward Claughton
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Royal Caribbean appoints VP Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has appointed Michael Giresi senior vice president and chief information officer. Mr. Giresi had been a chief information officer at Tory Burch. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Seton Hall University and masCharles D. Brecker Maria Acevedo ters from St. Joseph’s Uni- Harry Fruhman versity. Miller Weissler Alhadeff & To Submit Sitterson P.A. He holds a Information Plaza Health bachelor’s from Temple UniMiami Today welcomes news of adds CFO versity and a JD from Univer- job changes, promotions, hiring and awards. Please send your submisPlaza Health Network has sity of Florida. sions to Katya Maruri at People added Harry Fruhman as chief @Miamitodaynews.com or mail financial officer. Mr. Fruhman Gunster them to Miami Today, 2000 S. Dixie will oversee financial opera- adds shareholder Highway, Suite 100, Miami FL 33133. tions of the entire organization. Gunster has added Maria Be sure to include contact informaWe will select submissions for He had been chief financial of- Acevedo as shareholder. Ms. tion. publication. ficer at Millennium Manage- Acevedo had been a partner at ment. He holds a bachelor’s Homer Bonner Jacobs P.A. She Sullivan. He holds a bachelor’s from Yeshiva University and a holds a bachelor’s from Brown from Northwestern University master’s from Rutgers Univer- University and a JD from and a JD from University of sity. Harvard University. Notre Dame. Arnstein & Lehr adds partner Arnstein & Lehr LLP has added Charles D. Brecker as partner. Mr. Brecker had been a shareholder at Stearns Weaver
Bilzin Sumberg adds associate Bilzin Sumberg has added James Ward as an associate. Mr. Ward had been an associate at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart &
WEEK OF THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2015
Greenberg Traurig adds shareholder Greenberg Traurig has added Marc L. Druckman as shareholder. Mr. Druckman had been partner at Carlton Fields Jorden
James Ward
Marc L. Druckman David Dawkins
Burt. He holds a bachelor’s from University of Florida. from University of Florida, a master’s from New York Uni- HistoryMiami versity and a JD from George adds manager Washington University. HistoryMiami Museum has added Michele Reese as public GrayRobinson relations and marketing manadds shareholders ager. Ms. Reese had been an GrayRobinson P.A. has added account executive at Kreps Alexandra de Alejo and Demaria. She holds a bachelor’s Anastasia Protopapadakis as from Southern Methodist Unishareholders. Ms. de Alejo had versity. been a sales associate at A & J Real Estate Co. Inc. She holds a Century 21 Realty bachelor’s from University of adds sales associate Florida and a JD from Stetson Century 21 Premier Elite ReUniversity. alty has added David Dawkins Ms. Protopapadakis had been as sales associate. Mr. Dawkins an attorney at Johnson, had served overseas at Ramstein Anselmo, Murdoch, Burke, Airbase with the 82nd airlift wing. Piper & Hochman P.A. She He holds an associate’s degree holds a bachelor’s and a JD from Miami Dade College.
FIU builds more on packed campus BY NICOLÁS RIVERO
As Florida International University looks to expand, construction is underway on a campus that is already “bursting out at the seams,” according to John Cal, associate vice president of facilities management. The Modesto Maidique Campus, FIU’s first, will be home to a new Student Academic Support Center in March, Mr. Cal said. The center is to host the front office for all enrollment services, including the registrar, financial aid office and advisement offices. It will also host offices for the honors program, the career center and the study abroad program, according to a release from the university. Mr. Cal said those offices are now scattered across campus,
but the goal is to create one facility where students can go to take care of administrative errands from when they are high school students applying to FIU until they graduate. “Rather than trying to hopscotch around a rather large campus, we want to have everything in one place,” Mr. Cal said. But even though the Modesto Maidique Campus covers 344 acres, Mr. Cal said FIU, with over 50,000 students, has the smallest ratio of land to students in the state’s university system. And, he said, its master plan calls for an eventual expansion to 65,000 students. In November, Miami-Dade County voters approved a measure that could permit FIU to expand into the 86-acre grounds of the Miami-Dade County Fair
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& Exposition just south of the Modesto Maidique Campus. Mr. Cal said the university still has not decided what would be built there but said it would facilitate FIU’s growth and the economic development of South Florida. An expansion is still not a certainty as the county seeks a suitable new home for what is commonly called the Youth Fair. Such an expansion would have an initial economic impact of $1.8 billion in South Florida and an annual recurring impact of $541 million, according to a university press release. Meanwhile, FIU continues to build up the Modesto Maidique Campus. To make the most of limited space, its two latest parking garages have included mixeduse ground floors. Parking Garage 6 was built in the spring at a
FIU’s new Student Academic Support Center is to be open in March.
cost of more than $49 million. In addition to 2,000 parking spaces, it will also host office and retail space, four classrooms, a computer lab and an indoor seating area. The classrooms are to be complete in the fall, and a university release said a diverse roster of retail tenants would include Reebok Cross Fit, CSI Pediatric Care Providers and Half Moon Empanadas. Mr. Cal said mixed-use ga-
rages “just make a lot more sense.” “As we’ve progressed and we’ve grown, we’ve become much more like a typical urban campus,” he explained. He said this type of construction is what you’d expect to find on an urban campus. He added that greater flexibility from the state on how universities can fund parking garages has made it much easier for FIU to build its last two garages as mixed-use buildings. To alleviate on-campus traffic jams that are common during major events like graduation and convocation, Mr. Cal said, the university will create a new entrance to the Modesto Maidique Campus on Southwest 117th Avenue at Southwest 12th Street by June 2016. The university also plans to greatly expand the campus’s recreation center by December 2016 to include new indoor and outdoor basketball courts, sand volleyball courts, a weight training room, additional locker rooms and a mezzanine-level jogging track. In June, the university built a 36,000-square-foot ambulatory care center that hosts an FIU Health center on the first floor. This facility is to provide primary care, women’s health services, family medicine, internal medicine and other medical services to the public. The second floor is to be the home of the Miami Children’s Hospital Ambulatory Surgical Center, the first dedicated pediatric ambulatory surgical center in South Florida.
TODAY’S NEWS
WEEK OF THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2015
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With budget hike, libraries plan new services, more days open BY MARILYN BOWDEN
A generous hike in its proposed collections budget will allow Miami Dade Public Library System to buy more books and databases this year for its 49 branch libraries. Thanks to rising real estate valuations, if the budget passes as it now stands the system will also be able to make urgent infrastructure repairs and add a number of new programs and services that will support the library’s growing role as an educational community center. The library system receives $28 of every $100,000 of a property’s taxable value. “The millage remains the same,” said Gia Arbogast, the county library system’s director, “but because the value of properties has increased, we could see as much as a $5 million increase to the library’s tax rolls.” Plans for the new budget, which will be implemented Oct. 1, now allocate about $1 million for infrastructure upgrades at older branches. “Some of our libraries are over 40 years old,” Ms. Arbogast said, “and the wear and tear is really apparent. We need to pay attention to things like AC, roofs and carpeting.” In response to requests from
Photo by Maxine Usdan
The older branches need infrastructure upgrades, said Gia Arbogast.
patrons, she said, 10 branches – California Club, Coral Reef, Country Walk, Golden Glades, Hispanic, Homestead, International Mall, Kendall, Little River and Pinecrest – that have been operating on a five-day schedule are now to be open six days a week. “Technology is something we need to stay abreast of,” Ms. Arbogast said. “We’re looking at some interesting technology and pilot projects.” For example, she said, book vending machines, similar to the ubiquitous Redbox DVD dispensers, from which people
could check out library books and DVDs, would be one way to “bring the library to the public.” The system is already beginning to implement co-working spaces for public use, Ms. Arbogast said, on the same model as commercial shared office space. “This will be an enclosed space that young entrepreneurs and others who don’t have access to office space can use for an hour or two hours,” she said. “At this point we’re not thinking of charging a fee.” The only requirement would be booking
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CARING. FOREVER. Our hearts go out to those affected by 9/11. We will never forget the significance of this day.
the space in advance. The first will be in the West Kendall branch, she said, with plans to add at least one other location. Libraries are expanding far beyond their original purpose as book repositories. “I am feeling very optimistic,” Ms. Arbogast said, “about where libraries are headed for the future. We offer so much more than books. If you need to learn something or have an interest you want to explore, I’ll bet you a dollar your public library has something to support that, no matter what your age or socio-economic situation is.” For example, she said, “there’s a lot of talk in libraries about the digital divide. One thing we’ve spent a lot of time doing is computer classes for those 55 and over. We want to make sure that everyone has a level of expertise. “We want to brand ourselves as that community center where
you can come and chat with your neighbors or meet new friends. You don’t need to check out a book.” There’s also good news for those who do go to the library for books, however. In the county’s proposed budget for the coming year, which is to face a final county commission vote after a Sept. 17 hearing, Mayor Carlos Gimenez raised the library system’s collection budget from $3 million to $4 million. About 60% of that will pay for books in their traditional form, Ms. Arbogast said. “Books will never go away,” she said. “The majority of our patrons still want to hold a book.” Children’s books are particularly popular, she said; it’s not uncommon for a parent to check out 20 at a time. “Then there are books that support school curricula,” she said, “that we must buy hundreds of copies of. So the book budget must remain robust.”
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Related to pre-sell three-tower Brickell project as year begins BY CARLA VIANNA
The Related Group aims to start pre-sales on One Brickell, its three-tower megaproject in the heart of Brickell, at the beginning of next year. Despite a recent “notice of presumed hazard� sent to the development group by the Federal Aviation Administration regarding the project’s proposed heights, Related’s Condo Division President Carlos Rosso said the project is on track. “Believe me, we are moving,� Mr. Rosso said. The notice means the development at 444 Brickell Ave., which would reach 877 feet at its highest point, requires further study by the FAA to determine the potential impact it might have on flights coming in and out of Miami International Airport, according to the FAA.
Building heights should not exceed 467 feet above ground level at that location, the FAA concluded. “A Notice of Proposed Hazard is not a final determination, it is an interim step after the initial study in which we notify the proponent that we have concerns with the proposed structures,� the FAA said. The developer has 60 days from when the notice was issued, Aug. 11, to give an additional study the OK. A second study would then be completed within 120 days. One Brickell’s 1,200 residential units will be completed in phases, Mr. Rosso said. The first phase will include the two back towers and will take about two years to be completed. Within a year after the completion of phase one, the next phase will commence, he said. The
existing office building at the location that now houses Capital Grille won’t be demolished until the two back towers are completed, he said. The highest tower, he said, will be about 80 stories. A 250-room hotel that will be located in the first tower is in its final branding stages, Mr. Rosso said. There will be about 50,000 square feet of offices in the second tower and 30,000 square feet of restaurant space. Mr. Rosso said more than $150 million has been invested in this project. Earlier this summer, a neighboring property owner filed an appeal against various proposed waivers the developer was seeking city approval for. Attorney W. Tucker Gibbs, who represented 500 Brickell Master Association Inc., said the waivers showed the project was “too
Virginia Key garage work extended four years BY SUSAN D ANSEYAR
The county will have to wait a bit longer for the public parking garage on Virginia Key, originally scheduled for completion in April 2017 but now extended another four years per the request of the City of Miami. Commissioners agreed last week, 9-1, to authorize the extension of timeframes for work to begin and completed by April 2021, four years after originally agreed, as well as issue a corrected deed. Jose “Pepe� Diaz cast the opposing vote. Sally Heyman and Juan Zapata were absent when the item came up in the early evening. Prior to issuing the corrected deed, Mayor Carlos Gimenez is to negotiate with the City of Miami to provide the county with parking during the Miami Open. In April 2013, the commission authorized the conveyance of a small portion of the Rickenbacker Causeway to the City of Miami at no cost for construction and maintenance
of a public municipal parking garage on Virginia Key. The deed included a restriction, requiring the City of Miami to begin construction within four years of the transfer and complete the garage no later than five years from conveyance. At the Sept. 1 commission meeting, Jose “Pepe� Diaz questioned why construction has taken so long and why an extension is necessary. City of Miami spokespeople explained the project’s delay has been due to litigation and funding issues. “When we tell people about a project, extending the timeframe is similar to changing an exchange order,� Mr. Diaz said. “It raises a red flag that this is a ‘Hail Mary’ whether it will happen or not.� The resolution states the proposed construction, operation and maintenance by the city of a municipal garage is in the public and community interest and welfare and consistent with public transportation purposes.
CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING A public hearing will be held by the City Commission of the City of Miami, Florida on September 24, 2015, at 9:00 a.m. in the City Commission Chambers at City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida, for the purpose of waiving the requirements of obtaining sealed bids for the procurement of a proprietary web-based platform that offers financial transparency to local and state governments from OpenGov, Inc., at 955 Charter Street, Redwood City, CA 94064, for the Office of Management and Budget, subject to the availability of funds and budgetary approval at the time of need and further authorizing the City Manager to negotiate and execute any necessary amendments, renewals, and modifications for said purposes. The account number for this allocation is 00001.2311000.534000.0.0 Inquiries from other potential sources of such a product who feel that they might be able to satisfy the City’s requirement for this item may contact Richard McLaren, C.P.M., City of Miami Department of Procurement, at (305) 416-1958. All interested persons are invited to appear and may be heard concerning such proposed acquisition. Should any person desire to appeal any decision of the City Commission with respect to any matter considered at this hearing, that person shall ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, including all testimony and evidence upon which any appeal may be based (F.S.286.0105). In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, persons needing special accommodations to participate in this proceeding may contact the Office of the City Clerk at (305) 250-5361 (Voice) no later than two (2) business days prior to the proceeding or TTY users may call via 711 (Florida Relay Service) no later than three (3) business days prior to the proceeding. Todd B. Hannon City Clerk #22703
The garage is part of the city’s Virginia Key Master Plan – a development overhaul of the 82acre barrier island between Key Biscayne and Miami. The garage will rise on a portion of the causeway that is now used for drainage and landscaping, according to officials.
big and too intense� for the area. All four waivers were recommended approval by city planning and zoning staff, with conditions. The city’s Planning, Zoning
and Appeals Board considered the appeal and voted to continue the discussion on Oct. 7. Mr. Rosso told Miami Today that Related is wrapping up agreements with the neighbor and hopes to get moving soon.
CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING A public hearing will be held by the City Commission of the City of Miami, Florida on September 24, 2015 at 9:00 a.m., in the City Commission Chambers at City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida, for the purpose of ratifying, approving and confirming the City Manager’s recommendations and findings, pursuant to Sections 18-85 and 18-86 of the Code of the City of Miami, Florida, as amended; authorizing the retroactive payment of $13,582.00 for the purchase and installation of a separate, stand-alone VideOversight Interview Room Recording and Case Management System for the City of Miami Police Department from Microception, Inc., located at 4555 Mansell Road, Suite 300, Alpharetta, GA 30022. Inquiries from other potential sources of such a package who feel that they might be able to satisfy the City’s requirements for this item may contact Pearl Bethel, Procurement Contracting Manager, at the City of Miami Procurement Department at (305) 416-1949. All interested persons are invited to appear and may be heard concerning such proposed acquisition. Should any person desire to appeal any decision of the City Commission with respect to any matter considered at this hearing, that person shall ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, including all testimony and evidence upon which any appeal may be based (F.S.286.0105). In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, persons needing special accommodations to participate in this proceeding may contact the Office of the City Clerk at (305) 250-5361 (Voice) no later than two (2) business days prior to the proceeding or TTY users may call via 711 (Florida Relay Service) no later than three (3) business days prior to the proceeding. Todd B. Hannon City Clerk
#22702
Public Notice Notice is given that a meeting of the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners is scheduled on Wednesday, September 16, 2015, at 9:30 AM, in the Commission Chambers, located on the Second Floor of the Stephen P. Clark Center, 111 N.W. First Street, Miami, Florida, 33128, wherein, among other matters to be considered, a public hearing will be held on the following proposed resolution: Resolutions Approving the Following Plat: t Flagler Station North (bounded on the north approximately 200 feet south of NW 114 Street, on the east approximately 2,400 feet west of NW 107 Avenue, on the south by NW 106 Street, and on the west by State Road 821) t 3FTPMVUJPO approving SigniďŹ cant ModiďŹ cations of Building Better Communities General Obligation Bond Program Project No. 10 - ‘’Purchase of Development Rights’’ to reduce its allocation by $10,000,000.00, declaring these surplus funds, and Project No. 52 - ‘’Beach Erosion Mitigation and Renourishment’’ in order to increase its allocation by $10,000,000.00 of surplus funds from Project No. 10, all as identiďŹ ed in Appendix A to Resolution No. R-913-04, after a public hearing and in accordance with Implementing Order 3-47 All interested parties may appear and be heard at the time and place speciďŹ ed. The proposed ordinances listed below will have a Second Reading to be considered for enactment by the Board at the time and place speciďŹ ed above. t 0SEJOBODF QFSUBJOJOH UP 4NBMM #VTJOFTT &OUFSQSJTF 1SPHSBN amending Section 2-8.1.1.1.1 of the Code to delete the goods portion of the program in order to create a services-only program based upon certiďŹ cation tiers using three year average gross revenues, provide virtual ofďŹ ce deďŹ nition, require one year doing business in Miami-Dade County prior to certiďŹ cation, require quarterly reporting of contracts to certiďŹ ed ďŹ rms by Public Health Trust, allow application for recertiďŹ cation after submittal of required documents, and contribution to economic development and well-being of Miami-Dade County t 0SEJOBODF QFSUBJOJOH UP 4NBMM #VTJOFTT &OUFSQSJTF 1SPHSBN DSFBUJOH 4FDUJPO PG UIF $PEF to create a goods-only program based upon certiďŹ cation tiers, provide deďŹ nitions and program criteria, require one year doing business in Miami-Dade County prior to certiďŹ cation, require quarterly reporting of contracts to certiďŹ ed ďŹ rms by Public Health Trust, allow application for recertiďŹ cation after submittal of required documents, and contribution to economic development and well-being of Miami-Dade County t 0SEJOBODF FMJNJOBUJOH RVFTUJPOT SFHBSEJOH DSJNJOBM IJTUPSZ GSPN BMM $PVOUZ FNQMPZNFOU BQQMJDBUJPOT establishing screening practices for the use of criminal history information in County employment EFDJTJPOT DSFBUJOH 4FDUJPO PG UIF $PEF All interested parties may appear at the time and place speciďŹ ed. A person who decides to appeal any decision made by any board, agency, or commission with respect to any matter considered at its meeting or hearing, will need a record of proceedings. Such persons may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, including the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based. Miami-Dade County provides equal access and equal opportunity and does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its programs or services. For material in alternate format, a sign language interpreter or other accommodation, please call 305-375-2035 or email: agendco@miamidade.gov.
)"37&: 367*/ $-&3, $)3*4501)&3 "(3*11" %&165: $-&3, For legal ads online, go to http://legalads.miamidade.gov
WEEK OF THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2015
MIAMI TODAY
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Tellers you ‘meet’ in a Miami bank may be in New Mexico BY CARLA VIANNA
Banks of all shapes and sizes are changing the way they cater to customer needs, and many of these changes are occurring within the bricks-and-mortar branches. Nationally, some have gone so far as to transform traditional branches into teller-free Internet cafes, all in the aims of satisfying the evermore online and mobile customer. Although measures on a local scale aren’t as drastic, South Florida bank branches are being used in more creative ways while offering a longer list of services – and, in some cases, talking ATMs are expanding teller hours. Bank of America’s ATMs with Teller Assist allow a customer to virtually speak to a teller via an ATM screen. The customer can do things like cash a check and receive exact change; or make loan and credit card payments any time between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. during the week, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the weekend, according to a bank fact sheet. “At the end of the day, customers actually interact with us more, not less,” said Bernard Hampton, the Miami-area executive in retail banking and distribution for Bank of America. Mr. Hampton said 60 machines have been installed in the Broward and Miami-Dade county areas. The evolved ATMs may be located in 24-hour vestibules, traditional branches or drive-through lanes. The onscreen teller, or “video agent,” works remotely from Jacksonville, Delaware or New Mexico, according to the fact sheet. Bank of America announced a couple of years ago it would get rid of about 750 of its branches, and the bank is keeping up with its plan, Mr. Hampton said. New teller-free express locations, two of which have sprung up in South Florida, give customers access to per-
Photo by Marlene Quaroni
Customers set high value on face-to-face interaction: Joe Atkinson.
sonal bankers and the tellerassist ATMs, he said. Technology has helped banks reduce, or maintain, the number of staff members physically planted in a branch. OneUnited Bank, which has a branch in Liberty City, has used technology to curb the need for new staff members. President Teri Williams explained the factors that bring individuals into bank branches are changing. “A lot of people are going in when there’s a problem or an opportunity,” Ms. Williams said. “Because of the decrease in the middle – the day-to-day transactions – banks are repurposing their branches.” In OneUnited’s case, the branch is used as a community resource center. The bank’s Liberty City branch is home to
community events and fundraisers as well as financial literacy classes, Ms. Williams said, which in turn, attracts more customers to the store. Wells Fargo now has more than 14 million active mobile customers and more than 25 million active online customers, a 19% and 8% annual increase, respectively, according to an April bank report. Yet Joe Atkinson, Wells Fargo’s South Florida regional president, contends that customers still see tremendous value in face-to-face interaction. More than 75% of the bank’s customers visit a store at least once every six months, he said. He said Wells Fargo hasn’t decreased its number of branches in South Florida. If
60 Bank of America ATMs with Teller Assist operate in South Florida.
one branch has closed, it has opened elsewhere. In 2013, the bank unveiled its “neighborhood bank,” a 1,000square-foot mini-store equipped with less staff and located in highly dense markets such as DC. Banks are also offering more services to attract and better serve in-person customers. Bank of America, for example, is diversifying its in-branch staff to offer various lines of business. Wells Fargo offers more than 80, Mr. Atkinson said. “Today, you walk in and see a level of expertise wrapped around the client, depending on client traffic and the particular location,” Mr. Hampton said about Bank of America branches. Personal bankers, as well as
new hires, are being converted to senior small business relationship managers, small business bankers, mortgage loan officers and financial solutions advisors. Another 9,000 Bank of America tellers are being converted to “relationship bankers,” who will provide basic online and mobile banking training for customers inside a branch. The bank has also started same-day appointments in 25 South Florida locations, in which a customer can make an appointment online and see his or her banker that same day. Although online and mobile banking continues to pick up steam, Mr. Hampton backs his optimism with the organization and expertise a physical bank branch offers – expertise “you can’t find anywhere else.”
After years without a new foreign bank, Mexican entry near BY CARLA VIANNA
Key members involved in bringing Mexico-based Intercam Banco to Miami are estimating the application will be approved within six months. Intercam Banco will be the first foreign bank to enter the Miami market in several years, and the first Mexican bank to do so, said David Schwartz, CEO of the Florida International Bankers Association. The approval process involves both a state and federal application. The bank will re-file its federal application within 30 to 60 days as it completes a merge between Intercam Securities, an existing broker/dealer operating in Miami, and a broker/dealer in Mexico, said
Alcides Avila, a Miami-based attorney representing the bank. Although an international bank application can take up to several years to be processed, Mr. Avila said he believes this one should take about six months. “We believe that in this application all the criteria is met,” he said. Nine employees are to initially staff the Miami agency at 1221 Brickell Avenue: an agent, a credit manager, an anti-money laundering compliance manager, an operations manager, a relationship manager and four junior staff members. Intercam Banco provides full banking services, including foreign trade financing and commercial loans in dollars, according to its state application. The Miami agency plans to provide typical
branch services but will not accept deposits from US residents or citizens. Fifty-two percent of the bank’s more than 60,000 active customers are commercial-based, according to the application. Goals for the local agency include: Providing the bank access to lowcost and stable US dollar deposits. Enhancing its ability to provide dollar financing to Mexico’s commercial and corporate markets. Taking advantage of business opportunities in foreign trade financing. Enhancing Intercam’s relationship with US banks. Historically, Miami hasn’t been a top choice for Mexican banks. Mr. Avila said the institutions typically choose
California or Texas as US stomping grounds. “Yet we’re seeing more business and more business transactions between Florida and Mexico, and more Mexican individuals also doing business in Florida,” he said. The bank will expand Miami’s Latin American base, Mr. Schwartz said, as well as diversify the city’s international banking industry. “It is a good time for a foreign bank, particularly a bank from a country that we don’t have,” he said. “If their investors are interested in the South Florida area, it’s much easier to do that through one of their own banks than to establish a relationship with one from another country.”
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BANKING & FINANCE
WEEK OF THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2015
Local banks’ loan totals rise 6% while bad loans fall 20% BY SUSAN D ANSEYAR
Despite the dramatic swings of late in global stock prices and uncertainty over the effect this will have on US consumer confidence and spending, local bankers are optimistic South Florida’s economy will remain robust and loan totals will keep growing. Banks continue to recover nicely and are increasing loan totals, according to Karen Dorway, president and director of research for BauerFinancial, the national independent bank and credit union rating/research firm. “Comparing March 31, 2015, data to March 31, 2014, data for banks with branches in Miami-Dade County, we see loans are up almost 6% while bad Photos by Maxine Usdan loans are down over 20%,” she At City National Bank, “we’re on pace to exceed last year’s lending by 10%,” said CEO Jorge Gonzalez. told Miami Today. “The largest areas of growth are at community banks and in the multifamily and construction loan segments.” There’s been fairly steady loan growth over the years at most institutions in South Florida, said Jorge Gonzalez, president and CEO of City National Bank. He said the bank had good momentum going into 2015 and, with the economy continuing to strengthen, City National has focused on hiring more people as the marketplace is gravitating toward banks that can provide “a customized experience,” which Mr. Gonzalez describes as taking time to get to know a client and providing face-to-face interaction as much as possible. “We’re on pace to exceed last year’s lending by 10%, to $1.6 billion,” he said. “We’re lending US Century Bank’s loan portfolio will grow 8% to 10% this year, said President and CEO Carlos Davila. to small businesses, middle market, commercial and residential real estate.” Three or four years ago, Mr. Gonzalez said, City National Bank decided to have diversified lending to reflect the diversification of South Florida. Currently, he said, the bank’s loans are well-balanced, with 33% going to commercial and residential real estate, 33% to small and medium-size businesses and 33% to individuals. Industry-wide, the market continues to show consistent growth, said Carlos J. Davila, president, CEO and member of the board of directors for US Century Bank. That must be counterbalanced, he said, with the competitive landscape, which can result in increased pricing. “We learned during the economic downturn that we have to be prudent with how we handle loan growth,” Mr. Davila said. US Century Bank’s loan portfolio will grow 8% to 10% this year, excluding extraordinary circumstances, Mr. Davila said. His bank is normalizing its numbers but still resolving legacy bad loans, which Mr. Davila said means the net numbers are not as high, but he said that’s good for the institution. He stressed that banks must be cautious with competitive pricing on loans for residential
and commercial real estate. “It’s a tale of two cities,” Mr. Davila said in reference to the Miami markets that are experiencing tremendous growth such as Wynwood and the Design District compared with those at lower levels than the height in 2007, such as Homestead. Moreover, Mr. Davila said, the bank must be cautious when there’s high volatility in the world markets, but he emphasized that Miami is a lot more diversified than just 10 years ago. “We used to be exclusively dependent on investment from Latin America but are more balanced and diversified now,” he said. “As things get more difficult in other countries, that might mean those people will not have the money to invest in Miami but it could also mean more people will be coming here.” The price of oil continues to drop and the bottom has fallen out of the commodities market. Emerging market currencies have taken a significant beating. And now, world wide, stock markets are plunging into correction territory. By some accounts, these markets showed weaknesses in the context of a global economic slowdown, with fears particularly centered on China’s economy with its volatile stock market and recent devaluation of the yuan. However, Miami is not a totally global city in terms of major investment from China, according Miami-based independent bank consultant and economist Ken Thomas. Therefore, he said, any adverse impact of China’s economic situation will not be felt in South Florida as much as other parts of the country. Mr. Thomas said he does not believe the Federal Reserve will do anything about the long-anticipated rate increase until next year, which would mean consumers will continue to pay lower rates on loans. All in all, Mr. Thomas said, there are many reasons for banks to be optimistic about loan growth and the South Florida economy. “Banks are stronger than ever with stress tests by both domestic and international regulators,” he said. “No community banks are being formed, so the ones already here are not getting competition.” However, Mr. Thomas said he is concerned with whether small businesses and people with low and moderate income will reap the benefits of increased loan growth. “My biggest concern with mortgage lenders is that a few Miami banks are exclusively lending to upper- and some middle-income households but little or none to low- or moderate-income ones,” he said. “I recently expressed my concern about a local bank to the FDIC over this issue and I was surprised at their responses.” Miami has one of the highest poverty rates in the nation, Mr. Thomas said, and needs its banks lending to the entire community – not just the affluent households as a few banks are doing.
WEEK OF THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2015
TODAY’S NEWS
MIAMI TODAY
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None of 10 economic development projects meets all criteria BY SUSAN D ANSEYAR
Not one of the 10 projects in line for portions of a $75 million Miami-Dade County economic development fund has met all criteria commissioners requested, but four have made requests that aren’t deal-breakers and might be negotiable, according to a report released last week on where the proposed grants now stand. The mayor’s staff split the 10 projects into three categories: those needing little additional negotiation (four projects), those needing significant additional negotiation (three projects) and those needing significant additional negotiation as well as a county lease for site control (three projects). Grant money is not to be disbursed until the projects, including infrastructure work, have been completed and all permanent jobs promised in the grant application are in place for at least a year. Once the projects prove those two terms have been met, the county is to write a check for the grant. Once payment has been made, the recipient must post a letter of credit, or similar guarantee, in the amount of the grant payment for five additional years to assure the county that all the permanent jobs promised remain in place for at least that long. Those were major policies that the commission adopted and county staff has not deviated from them, the report states. Leland Saloman, a deputy director in the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources, met with each applicant at least once to discuss the projects and listen to ideas or objections before submitting his report within a deadline that the commission set in early February. The county attorney’s office prepared a standard grant agreement that included the three nonnegotiable conditions and other requirements of the Building Better Communities General Obligation Bond program. All applicants the commission previously approved to proceed with negotiations received a draft grant agreement April 3 and a revised draft grant agreement – with the requested revisions – June 19. The most requested change was to the new job requirement, which the county defines as permanent full-time equivalent positions (36 hours a week or more) from new businesses located in the project, existing businesses relocating to the project or area as a result of the project, and local business expansions. Another challenge that arose during discussions with project leaders included alteration or deletion of the clawback provision, the stipulation that requires proof each of the five years after the first that the jobs are still in place. The percentage of the jobs no longer in place is the share of the grant that the developer must return to the county. Other change requests included major alterations to the
Skyrise Miami, in line for $9 million of the $75 million total, is to rise on the bay at Bayside Marketplace.
scope of the development project and projects requesting time extensions because they don’t have site control. The next step is hearing what direction county commissioners want to take, Mr. Saloman said. His department isn’t authorized to negotiate on the grants until the commission directs it to do so. When the commission discusses the report, which Mr. Saloman said he assumes will be Sept. 16, commissioners could decide to do whatever they want, including instructing staff to continue all negotiations, continue only some, or even take all the money back and start over. The four grant agreements that staff says need little additional negotiation to complete include: Larkin Health Sciences campus in Naranja, slated for $5 million to help construct an Osteopathic School of Medicine, school of pharmacy, school of nursing and school of dentistry, as well as create a charter high school for life sciences and a residential student housing component. The project application promised 245 new permanent fulltime jobs at an average salary of $89,959. The requested changes are for the salaries, with no projection based on a new method of
calculation, which is a minimum of 10% or higher of the Miami-Dade County average per the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Statistics for the applicable fiscal year. RiverLanding Miami, with a $7.5 million grant to construct a mixed-use development, including a linear park on the Miami River, with about 426,000 square feet of vertical retail, 500 market rate rental apartments and 2,500 parking spaces at 1400 NW North River Drive along with pathways around the project, a seawall, river walk, roads, sidewalks, and public signage lighting. The project promised 980 new permanent fulltime jobs at an average salary of $28,163. The requested changes are to build the space based on tenant demand and in compliance with City of Miami approvals; the ability to alter the number of jobs as long as the revision doesn’t materially alter the original project or cost by greater than 15%; and that the clawback period be four, rather than five, years. Skyrise Miami, for $9 million, for a project that is to to construct an observation tower at 401 Biscayne Blvd. and attractions including a private club, nightclubs, restaurants, interactive exhibits, ballroom and private events spaces, amusement rides, the Skyrise theater and retail shops.
The project promised 571 new permanent full-time jobs at an average salary of $35,000. Changes include improvements to a publically owned marina and roadways, the creation of new expansion of a publically owned existing garage, and public spaces including an extension of the existing Baywalk. Westview Business Park, a $7.5 million grant to help construct retail and industrial space totaling up to 2 million square feet north and south of Northwest 119th Street, west of 22nd Avenue and east of 27th Avenue. The project promises to create 300 new permanent fulltime jobs at an annual salary of $32,000. The project changed in scope and revised the clawback provision. The three grant agreements that staff says require significant added negotiation to complete are: Carrie Meek International Business Park, with a $5 million grant to help construct an industrial park with aviation and non-aviation components totaling 1.75 million square feet over a five-year period with parts along the eastern boundary of the Opa-locka Executive Airport. The project was to create 2,300 permanent fulltime jobs
Miami Ocean Studios, in line for $10 million, changed its pledge from 2,684 permanent jobs to 50 jobs.
but has changed that number to 1,650, based on the formula of one job per 1,000 square feet, at an average annual salary of $44,035. Other changes include a reduction of total square footage to 1.65 million over a sevenyear period in four phases and a request for a proportionate share of grant funds at the completion of each phase. Orion Jet Center, with a $5 million grant to help build an 18,000-square-foot Class A terminal building, 28,000 square feet of offices and 200,000 square feet for aircraft hangers at 14850 NW 44th Court in Opa-locka. The project was to create 126 new permanent fulltime jobs at an annual salary of $52,353 but changed that to 31 direct and 26 indirect jobs at an average salary of $41,432. The applicant deleted the conditions precedent and says his project is complete. Overtown Gateway, with a $6 million grant to help construct a mixed-use, mixed-income development featuring rental apartments, retail, commercial office space and hotel lodging at 152 and 249 NW Eighth St. The project was to create 423 permanent fulltime jobs but the applicant changed the wording to “anticipates that the project will result in the creating of 571 new jobs” and deleted the requirement of keeping new jobs in place for five years, the provisions for certification of jobs and the clawback provisions. The three grant agreements staff says require significant additional negotiation as well as a county lease include: Miami Ocean Studios, with a $10 million grant to help construct a state-of-the-art film and television studio with a technology center featuring a digital media village as well as an upscale hotel with retail exceeding 900,000 square feet at 20000 NW 47th Ave. The original number of 2,684 permanent fulltime jobs was changed to 50 over a five-year period with the remainder of the 2,634 being indirect jobs. Miami Wilds, with a $13.5 million grant to help construct an entertainment cluster including an adventure theme park, water park, 400-room hotel/ conference center, retail shops and a movie theater adjacent to 12400 SW 152nd St. There were to be 2,758 new permanent full-time jobs at an average annual salary of $36,270. However, the applicant is now proposing the project be built in two phases, given ongoing environmental concerns for the site where part of the project would be constructed, and changed the number of jobs to 403 to be built in the first phase with an average annual salary of $35,620. Aviation Corporate Hangar, with a $500,000 grant to help build a 45,623-square-foot corporate hangar at 14933 NW 41st Ave., which was to create eight new permanent fulltime jobs. However, the applicant sent an email July 12 saying it would not be submitting an agreement by the deadline.
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WEEK OF THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2015