WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2017
A Singular Voice in an Evolving City
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OPA-LOCKA AIRPORT SITE GEARED FOR AMAZON HUB GETS COUNTY LEASE AMENDMENTS OK, pg. 2 MANAGING THE MASSES: Miami city commissioners have approved a contract for crowd management and parking personnel services for the Bayfront Park Management Trust, as needed, with Federal Tactics Security Inc. The contract is for two years, with the option to renew for two more two-year periods, at an estimated annual cost of $200,000. In December 2016 the city received eight bids. Three were deemed non-responsive. The remaining five were evaluated and tabulated. The procurement department recommended Federal Tactics Inc., the lowest responsive and responsive bidder. The Bayfront Park Management Trust operates and maintains city-owned Bayfront Park, with budgetary matters decided by the city commission.
The Achiever
By Camila Cepero
TRANSIT FUNDS TO TRANSIT: Looking to fund six new county transit corridors, Miami-Dade County Commission Chairman Esteban L. Bovo Jr. is asking his Chairman’s Policy Council today (6/8) to approve his resolution that would sweep Metrorail station development revenues into the transit plan’s coffers. His resolution would shift any legally available funds from a long-term lease to Adler 13th Floor Douglas Station for the development of the Douglas Road Metrorail Station and from a long-term lease and development agreement from the South Miami Metrorail Station to the Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit Plan. If the policy council approves, the measure would go to the full county commission July 6. SAND FOR SUNNY ISLES: A plan to renourish Sunny Isles Beach with at least 100,000 cubic yards of sand is headed to county commissioners, Mayor Carlos Gimenez wrote them in a memo this week. Under work to begin in September, the sand would be hauled to the beach by truck in work that would take four to six months to complete. Initial sand would be placed along the most eroded sections of the beach, “with options for additional segments if funds are available,” the mayor wrote. The contract for the work is expected to be awarded at the end of July, the mayor said. The most-recent beach erosion project involving the county government concluded in March in key spots on Miami Beach. The Village of Key Biscayne also recently completed its own beach renourishment. MILITARY MUSEUM STALLS: No progress has been made in opening the Miami Military Museum & Memorial near Zoo Miami, according to Executive Director Anthony Atwood, who has championed the museum since 2007. Dr. Atwood had been anticipating a summer 2017 opening after the state approved $1.5 million in funding for the project.
Photo by Cristina Sullivan
Jeannette Acevedo-Isenberg
Captains multi-lingual Downtown Doral charter school The profile is on Page 4
US 1 city-county-private project wins first OK By John Charles Robbins
A large mixed-use public-private partnership that includes Miami-Dade County as a player has won preliminary Miami city commission approval. Platform 3750 LLC proposes to build on 2.1-acres at 3750 S Dixie Highway (US 1). The county is a co-applicant for land use and zoning changes, which city commissioners approved on first reading May 25. A final vote has yet to be scheduled. The project includes new office, retail and residential uses on one site and intends to take advantage of its location at the foot of a pedestrian overpass that connects to Metrorail’s Douglas Road Station. Besides being a transit-oriented development, Platform 3750 plans a mix of workforce and market rate apartments. Melissa Tapanes Llahues, an attorney for the developer, said the project will truly transform an outdated county facility. The site, owned by Miami-Dade County Community Action and Human Services Department, includes the Frankie Rolle Center. Platform 3750 was the subject of a Miami-Dade County request for proposals.
New Brazil link among six in 2017
The plan calls for a building from 5 to 8 stories and about 396,751 square feet. Platform 3750 would be home to 192 residences, 30,070 square feet of offices, 20,200 square feet of commercial and retail, a garage for 403 vehicles and 10,863 square feet of open space. A gas station at the very corner isn’t part of the project and is expected to keep operating. A large elevated billboard adjacent to the gas station may also remain. A structure built in 1967 will be razed to make way for the new building, and the county will use some of the new office space. The proposed retail will focus on opportunities for businesses that provide services and jobs to neighborhood residents. The proposal includes a Starbucks and a grocer. Amenities will probably include a spa, rooftop pool, common gourmet kitchen, in-house movie theater, coffee bistro and more. Initially, the developer and the county planned to dedicate 20% of the apartments to workforce housing, but after some community outreach the plan changed. Ms. Llahues told commissioners of a
January community meeting at which West Grove neighbors adamantly called for more affordable housing. She said developers have applied for state tax credits to help include more affordable units. In addition, she said, the county agreed to a mix of up to 40% of the units dedicated as affordable and workforce housing. The promise of workforce housing and other items will be included in a covenant that will run with the land, said officials. A draft says: “The workforce housing units provided on the property shall be interspersed throughout the building and generally consist of the same features and amenities as the market-rate units on the property.” The proposed covenant also calls for the county and the developer, during construction, to “use best efforts” to relocate the Frankie Rolle Center to be accessible to the community it serves. Ms. Llahues said West Grove residents have cited the importance of the community center to the neighborhood. She added that negotiations with the county for the overall lease of the property are ongoing and subject to a cone of silence rule.
Passengers looking to fly out of Miami InternationalAirport to Brazil this summer will have an easier time doing so beginning the end of this month. Though Miami International Airport has announced six new airline launches for the year,Avianca Brasil is anticipated to be the only one set to launch this summer. February saw the launch of three new routes – Mexican low-cost carrier Volaris, Qatar Airways Cargo and Canadian airline First Air – and April welcomed the launch of one – low cost transatlantic airline WOW Air – but the airport took a pause before announcing in April that Avianca Brasil would launch June 23. The daily passenger service will be between Miami International Airport and Sao Paulo. The flights will be served by Airbus A330-200 aircraft that seat 238 passengers. Miami will be the first US destination and only the second outside of Brazil for the airline, which has operated freighter service at Miami International since 2015. Avianca Brasil, which has been a scheduled carrier since 2002, currently serves 22 destinations in Brazil and one in Colombia with 230 daily flights, carrying 9.4 million passengers in 2016. It will be Miami International’s third airline serving Brazil, the airport’s top international market which served more than 2 million total passengers last year. After the summer launch ofAvianca Brasil, the airline will take a pause until September, when Aer Lingus, the national airline of Ireland, will launch first-ever service from Dublin with three weekly flights. It will also be the airport’s first pre-clearance transatlantic destination, essentially allowing passengers to receive US Customs and Border Protection clearance before they leave Ireland, meaning they will arrive in Miami as domestic fliers. Perhaps the most anticipated launch of the year will come in November as EL AL Israel Airlines makes a home at Miami International, the sixth destination in North America for the airline. It will offer three nonstop flights to Tel Aviv.
MIRACLE MILE STREETSCAPING HALFWAY TO FINISH LINE ...
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CITY AGENCY HELPS TO FUND TECHNOLOGY STARTUP HUB ...
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VIEWPOINT: 10 QUESTIONS FOR CHARTER REVIEW’S TEAM ...
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TIMING IN DC MAY FAVOR FUNDING FOR MIAMI’S TRANSIT ...
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RIVER GROUP TARGETING ADDED BRICKELL BRIDGE LANE ...
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AFTER YEAR, CONVENTION HOTEL WINS PANEL’S BACKING ...
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CHAMBER AIMS TO LEVERAGE BUSINESS ADVOCACY ROLE ...
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SIX MAJOR AIRLINES LIST DOUBLE-DIGIT PASSENGER GAIN ...
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MIAMI TODAY
VIEWPOINT
WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2017
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
10 questions for the team that will review county’s charter A 15-member team is nearing the starting line to propose changes to the rulebook under which MiamiDade County’s government operates. It’s a vital job. Though the task sounds soporific, changes to the county’s char- Michael Lewis ter – its version of a constitution – could affect every voter and every taxpayer, because the rules determine how government serves the governed. That means we all need to heed what the charter task force recommends be put on the ballot for voters to act on – and then which of those proposals the county commission ultimately allows voters to act on, because commissioners routinely roadblock most charter recommendations. Nonetheless, as one task force member said, “hope springs eternal” that voters will be allowed to act on task force ideas and then that voters will choose wisely. If it were up to commissioners we’d have no charter review at all. Some vocally opposed the study. But the charter itself requires a review every five years, though it leaves to commissioners all the details.
In the last review, in 2012, commissioners individually named 13 of the study’s 20 members, keeping their thumbs on the scale of what a charter team might propose. This year they named 13 of 15. While that will limit how far a charter review can deviate from the interests of commissioners as distinct from the interests of voters or taxpayers, the fact that commissioners themselves named virtually the whole team should make it harder for the commission to then disavow most of the output, as it has in the past. Because the review team can look at anything and everything in the 60-year-old charter, it’s hard to anticipate the output. On the other hand, close observers of the county might agree with some of Miami Today’s recommendations for study focus. We mentioned most at the time of the last review. We’d suggest that the task force probe these questions: ■Why don’t we pay our county commissioners fairly for what has become fulltime work? They’re still paid the same $6,000 a year that they got 60 years ago when the charter was written and commissioners were part time. Every other Florida county pays commissioners on a state scale based on population – and in even the smallest, county commissioners get more than four times what our charter specifies. Those in big counties get more than 16 times as much as ours do. ■Why don’t we continue to nominate
commissioners from districts but then elect them by countywide ballot, to limit parochialism? A commissioner who needs every voter equally considers them all. ■We used to have nine commissioners. Is the present 13 too unwieldy? ■Should we look again at commission term limits that are about to kick in with an eye to unplugging them? The entire commission membership is about to change, almost all at once. Why not let the voters decided candidate by candidate, district by district, whether keeping institutional memory trumps a desire for change? ■Why is the county still handling intensely local issues that in a metropolis should be the purview of cities and towns? If the entire county were divided into towns and cities with local governments very close to the voters, that would free county hall to focus solely on big-picture needs. ■Knowing that many elected leaders don’t happen to be top-level administrators, should we split our present set-up with a single person handling both the political function of mayor and running the staff and restore the former administrative job of manager too? As it is, the mayor is our top elected official but as an administrator reports to commissioners. And few top-level political leaders with vision and charisma are also trained managers with the ability to lead a paid staff of 25,000. ■Why are commissioners influencing contracts that should be awarded by pro-
fessional administrators who do not seek campaign contributions? That doesn’t happen on the state or federal levels, where elected officials have not a word to say about who gets contracts. ■Should we end individual commissioner control of hundreds of thousands of dollars of at-will spending of office funds that have become political slush funds? ■Should we limit the right to recall officials to specified reasons, preventing blackmail threats over voting decisions? ■Should the charter specify a format for naming those who review it and the conditions under which they operate to prevent commissioners from stacking the deck to exclude issues they don’t want touched? These 10 questions need to be on the charter review team’s agenda for serious discussion and voting. We know that getting most changes past commissioners would be difficult – and that might extend even to giving commissioners a raise, since fair pay would allow many more good candidates to run and thus would increase competition for the incumbents. But a charter review team shouldn’t be counting commission votes on its recommendations for the ballot. Charter team members need to call for changes that would benefit voters and taxpayers by improving county government, thus giving commissioners a better chance to do the right thing. No charter team will long be revered for its timidity.
Transportation changes in the tsunami that is about to hit The dilemma is real. The MiamiDade County Board of Commissioners, led by the chair, the Transportation Planning Organization, the major MiamiDade daily newspaper, the chamber of commerce, the Maurice A. Ferré mayors of the MiamiDade South cities, the Miami-Dade Legislative Delegation, the dynastic political families of Miami-Dade all want an extension of Metrorail: trains, trains, trains. Reality dictates it will not happen. Trains and rail made sense 25 years ago, when Miami-Dade first considered the SMART Plan. They were even sensible in 2002, when voters approved the half-cent sales tax for expanding Metrorail. But in 10 to 20 years, trains will be obsolete. The future belongs to Autonomous Vehicles (AV), including self-driving buses of all sizes. Autonomous buses are poised to radically change the way we think about transit. Transit technology like UberPool and Lyft Line will transform the traditional fixedroute bus service to accommodate passenger pick-ups and drop-offs, a bus that comes to you via your mobile phone app and connects you with an express transit system. In the interim express buses on a network of managed lanes on highways will prepare the way for electric autonomous buses. The Reason Foundation has published multiple studies on express bus systems on managed lanes (Baruch Feignbaum, Jan. 14, 2014). This transit system change is not 10 years away; this transit technology is in final development now. Mercedes-Benz tested its CityPilot autonomous bus technology on the streets of Amsterdam. Chinese manufacturer Yutong successfully tested its autonomous bus as well. IBM is develop-
The Writer
Maurice A. Ferré has been a member of the Florida Transportation Commission since 2011. He was mayor of Miami from 1973-1985, a Miami-Dade County commissioner from 1993-1996, a MiamiDade Expressway Authority board member from 2005-2017 and a county Transportation Planning Organization board member from 2011-2017. ing its self-driving, electric shuttle bus with production scheduled for summer 2018 and could be among the first self-driving vehicles on US roads. A self-driving bus is also a key component of Elon Musk’s Tesla plan. Henry Ford opened Ford Motors in 1908. By 1913 almost all the coach manufacturing companies in the Midwest were out of business. The horse-and-buggy age died in five years. Change! Kodak owned all the rights for non-film photography, but it controlled over 70% of the photo paper business in the world. They tried to stretch it another decade. Kodak went broke in two years. Nokia, ATT, IBM all had tomorrow’s technology in hand. They underestimated change and Intel, Microsoft, Apple and others leapfrogged over those giants. Two years after Blockbuster said no to a Netflix merger offer it was gone. Change! Elon Musk stated that soon all Tesla vehicles will have an eight terabyte computer on board that would cost $185. The University of Miami has the largest supercomputer in the South of the US that is one terabyte and cost over $50 million. Change! On May 16, Hewlett Packard Enterprises launched the world’s largest single-memory computer. The most recent prototypes can work with 160 terabytes of data in memory, but the computing architecture has the potential to scale into the thousands of yottabytes
(that’s a quintillion DVDs). This is the kind of technology that could send us to Mars, revolutionize healthcare or accomplish things we can’t even imagine yet. Change! Surface transportation change will make public transit faster, cheaper, safer and accessible to all. It will not be ten years to implementation. Look at your iPhone and realize that ten years ago it did not exist. We are fortunate that the Miami-DadeTransportation Planning Organization, Florida Department of Transportation District 6 and Miami-Dade Transit are spending well over $50 million to study change in the developing technologies available soon. A modern transit system, to be funded, must not only be cost effective but must be able to induce the private sector to invest, be flexible and sustainable as new surface technologies dominate public transit.
L etters to the E ditor
Space must be meaningful
The value of open space is very high, but it also must be meaningful. When you have examples of a high-rise condo with landscaping on the side that doesn’t serve any purpose except for show, then it’s a waste of space. I participated in the Bicentennial Park Charrette a number of years ago and it didn’t go as many would have liked. I sat at a table and there were two others there with an urban perspective. We proposed moving Biscayne Boulevard a few feet to the east because it would have the effect of lining up the sight angles for monuments. A woman there was adamant about not doing it because it “took away” a few feet from the park, everything else be damned. That’s the problem one encounters. Michael Bregman
In 2011, the International Transportation Systems Congress had its annual summit in Orlando. All the big players in transportation met. Keynote speaker Bill Ford Jr., executive chair of the Ford Motor Co., said that for his company to exist in ten years, Ford had to move from being a vehicle manufacturer to a provider of mobility. Ford has committed $4.5 billion to develop its Level 4 AV. On May 23, Ford abruptly replaced CEO Mark Fields (56) and named James Hackett (62) the new CEO. Ford’s market value ($44 billion) was below Tesla Inc. ($51 billion). Bill Ford Jr. and the Ford Motor directors think they are running out of time as a disruptive tidal wave hits their industry. Change is here. Like the Ford Motor Co., we in Miami-Dade must realize that expanding Metrorail is yesterday’s technology and that costs and economics demand that we too prepare for the transportation tsunami about to hit. Change!
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WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2017
TODAY’S NEWS
MIAMI TODAY
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River commission targets use of added Brickell Bridge lane
ď ŽDevelopment authority aims its street for ‘Valet Parking’, which is clogged with marine traffic,â€? velopment Authority supporting eliminates two needed vehicular said Mr. Martin. “We all know a Brickell Avenue tunnel, the Officials with the Miami River bridge guns at Coast Guard, pg. 11 lanes and forces all traffic to the real solution is something like river commission approved a
By John Charles Robbins
Commission want the Florida Department of Transportation to restore one northbound lane of traffic to the Brickell Avenue Bridge. This is just one of a dozen ideas assembled by the commission to keep cars moving on Brickell Avenue and keep ships moving on the Miami River. River commission members and others are working toward balancing these competing interests. The state transportation department removed one lane of northbound traffic in a redesign of traffic patterns a few years ago, on a temporary basis, for public safety reasons. While state officials don’t seem eager to return the lost lane, river commission members continue to push for its return. That and a host of other suggestions were discussed recently by the river commission’s Urban Infill and Greenways Subcommittee. The Brickell Avenue Bridge is a very important bridge on a major transportation corridor, where road transportation and water transportation intersect, said Jim Murley, committee co-chair. When the bridge is up, road traffic snarls and downtown and Brickell businesses are impacted. When the bridge is down and ships are awaiting a scheduled opening, it impacts the marine industry. Mr. Murley said the bridge’s designer couldn’t have foreseen what downtown Miami would be today. “The river corridor will always undergo changes,â€? said Mr. Murley. “There will be more cars, more recreational boats, more freighters ‌ it is an ongoing process.â€? For some time, river commission members have been trying to work with the state transportation department, which is responsible for the street, and the US Coast Guard, which is in charge of the bridge operation as the river is a federal navigable channel. Those talks have included other City of Miami officials, along with the Downtown Development Authority. State transportation department officials, including Ramon Sierra, were at the committee meeting. Mr. Sierra agreed a lot of competing interests are involved and it’s important to work toward a
balance. He handed out copies of a transportation department traffic analysis of the Brickell Avenue Bridge. The study is tied to a proposal by the department to have one less bridge opening in the morning rush hour and one less in late afternoon, which would keep cars moving but affect shipping. The transportation department requested the change of the Coast Guard in May 2016. The Coast Guard wanted a traffic study. A summary of the study showed the proposed changes would increase hourly volume 9% in the morning and 38% in the afternoon, said Mr. Garcia. The Miami River Marine Group has been critical of the study, saying it has inconsistencies, omissions and misleading results. Mark Bailey of the marine group reiterated those concerns at the committee meeting and said the idea of two fewer bridge openings – for river vessels – is “short-sighted and misguided.� Mr. Bailey expressed his support for a May 18 editorial by Miami Today Editor and Publisher Michael Lewis. The editorial recommended the city police department create a traffic enforcement squad to enforce existing traffic laws and write tickets for cars blocking intersections and traffic lanes associated with the bridge. The river commission earlier assembled a Brickell Bridge Action Items list, which included uniformed officers on and near the bridge. The action item suggests installing pedestrian gates and employing “white glove� security officers to reduce unnecessarily long openings created by pedestrians who insist on continuing to cross the bridge after the warning signals light up, thus creating longer auto traffic delays. Currently the first operational step in opening the bridge for a vessel is closing the vehicular safety gates to stop traffic. After the gates close and before the bridge opens for the vessel, numerous pedestrians and bicycles knowingly go beneath or over the closed safety gates and cross the bridge because they don’t want to wait a few minutes for an opening, and in doing so put themselves at risk, according to the river commission. This happens during the majority of bridge openings, and the bridge tender, who must remain in the bridge house, tells violators over a loudspeaker not to cross the bridge which is about to open, but they continue to cross regardless. “The actual time needed for the bridge to be open for the vessel to pass could be equivalent to a long red light, but the dangerously crossing pedestrians and bicycles ‘The river corridor will are doubling the time the cars are always undergo changes. stopped for a bridge opening, essentially doubling the There will be more cars, therefore resulting vehicular traffic,� the more recreational boats, action list says. The action plan also suggested: more freighters... it is an “Do not allow hotels on the north ongoing process.’ side of Brickell Bridge to illegally Jim Murley block vehicular traffic lanes in the
merge into only one vehicular lane, which creates traffic jams.� Ernie Martin, river commission member and committee co-chair, thanked the transportation department for its study. “The reality is: downtown is clogged with traffic and the river
a tunnel.� The idea of boring a tunnel under the river to keep traffic flowing on Brickell Avenue to and from downtown continues to attract the spotlight. On the heels of a January decision by the Downtown De-
resolution in March supporting the concept. The next step for river commission members is to have a faceto-face with the Coast Guard. A scheduled meeting in June had to be cancelled and now they’re trying to schedule a meeting in July.
Public Notice NOTICE IS GIVEN that a meeting of the following Committees will be held on the dates stipulated below in the Commission Chambers, located on the Second Floor, of the Stephen P. Clark Center, 111 NW First Street, Miami, Florida, wherein, among other matters to be considered, a public hearing will be held relating to the following proposed ordinances/ resolutions: Housing and Social Services Committee (HSSC) Meeting – Monday, June 12, 2017, at 9:30 AM t 0SEJOBODF SFMBUJOH UP UIF $PNNJTTJPO PO %JTBCJMJUZ *TTVFT QSPWJEJOH UIBU UIF 0GmDF PG $PNNVOJUZ "EWPDBDZ SBUIFS UIBO UIF 0GmDF PG "NFSJDBOT XJUI %JTBCJMJUJFT "DU $PPSEJOBUJPO DPPSEJOBUF TVQQPSU BOE QSPWJEF MJBJTPO TFSWJDFT GPS UIF $PNNJTTJPO BNFOEJOH "SUJDMF 999*7 PG UIF $PEF t 3FTPMVUJPO BQQSPWJOH BGUFS B QVCMJD IFBSJOH .JBNJ %BEF $PVOUZ 1VCMJD )PVTJOH BOE $PNNVOJUZ %FWFMPQNFOU %FQBSUNFOU T 'JTDBM :FBS 1VCMJD )PVTJOH "HFODZ 1MBO BOE BVUIPSJ[JOH UIF %FQBSUNFOU %JSFDUPS UP TVCNJU UIF QMBO UP 6OJUFE 4UBUFT %FQBSUNFOU PG )PVTJOH BOE 6SCBO %FWFMPQNFOU GPS mOBM BQQSPWBM BOE UP NBLF BOZ OFDFTTBSZ SFWJTJPOT TVCKFDU UP UIF MJNJUBUJPOT PG UIF i4JHOJmDBOU "NFOENFOU BOE 4VCTUBOUJBM %FWJBUJPOw EFmOJUJPO DPOUBJOFE UIFSFJO BT NBZ CF SFRVJSFE CZ SFHVMBUPSZ BOE TUBUVUPSZ DIBOHFT DPVSU PSEFST PS JOUFSOBM QPMJDZ DIBOHFT Infrastructure and Utilities Committee (IUC) Meeting – Tuesday, June 13, 2017, at 9:30 AM t 0SEJOBODF SFMBUJOH UP UIF .JTDFMMBOFPVT $POTUSVDUJPO $POUSBDUT 1SPHSBN QSPWJEJOH GPS B EFQBSUNFOU TQFDJmD QMBO UP CF VTFE UP NFFU UIF TQFDJmD OFFET PG UIF 8BUFS BOE 4FXFS %FQBSUNFOU BOE PUIFS EFQBSUNFOUT XIFO BVUIPSJ[FE CZ #PBSE 3FTPMVUJPO FTUBCMJTIJOH QSPDFTT GPS DPOUSBDUJOH PQQPSUVOJUJFT BNFOEJOH 4FDUJPO PG UIF $PEF Government Operations Committee (GOC) Meeting – Tuesday, June 13, 2017, at 1:30 PM t 0SEJOBODF SFMBUJOH UP DPOWFZBODF PG $PVOUZ QSPQFSUZ DPEJGZJOH JO UIF $PEF FYJTUJOH $PVOUZ 1PMJDZ UIBU QSPWJEFT GPS MFBTF SBUIFS UIBO DPOWFZBODF PG $PVOUZ QSPQFSUZ UP OPU GPS QSPmU DPSQPSBUJPOT VOMFTT PUIFS DPNQFMMJOH DJSDVNTUBODFT KVTUJGZ DPOWFZBODF QSPWJEJOH GPS XBJWFS XJUI B TVQFSNBKPSJUZ WPUF BNFOEJOH 4FDUJPO PG UIF $PEF t 0SEJOBODF SFMBUJOH UP JNNPCJMJ[BUJPO PG WFIJDMFT XJUIPVU DPOTFOU FTUBCMJTIJOH SFWJTFE NBYJNVN SBUFT GPS JNNPCJMJ[BUJPO PG WFIJDMFT BU UIF SFRVFTU PG QSJWBUF QSPQFSUZ PXOFST BOE 1PMJDF "HFODJFT XJUIPVU QSJPS DPOTFOU PG UIF WFIJDMF PXOFS PS B EVMZ BVUIPSJ[FE ESJWFS BNFOEJOH 4FDUJPO PG UIF $PEF t 0SEJOBODF SFMBUJOH UP ;POJOH SFWJTJOH UIF TUBOEBSE 6SCBO $FOUFS %JTUSJDU SFHVMBUJPOTXJUI SFTQFDU UP VTFT EFOTJUZ BOE CVJMEJOH QMBDFNFOU TUBOEBSET BMMPXJOH NVMUJ GBNJMZ SFTJEFOUJBM VTFT JO BEEJUJPOBM BSFBT QSPWJEFE DFSUBJO DSJUFSJB BSF NFU BNFOEJOH 4FDUJPOT BOE PG UIF $PEF t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t 0SEJOBODF SFMBUJOH UP MPDBM QSFGFSFODF JODSFBTJOH UIF NJOJNVN OVNCFS PG FNQMPZFFT B WFOEPS NVTU FNQMPZ JO UIF MPDBM CVTJOFTT MPDBUJPO UP RVBMJGZ GPS MPDBM QSFGFSFODF QSPWJEJOH FYDFQUJPO GPS TNBMM CVTJOFTT FOUFSQSJTFT BNFOEJOH TFDUJPO PG UIF $PEF t 0SEJOBODF SFMBUJOH UP MBOE EFWFMPQNFOU BNFOEJOH 4FDUJPO PG UIF $PEF BNFOEJOH EFmOJUJPOT DSFBUJOH BSUJDMF 999***% PG $IBQUFS DSFBUJOH &NQMPZNFOU $FOUFS 1MBOOFE "SFB %FWFMPQNFOU ;POJOH %JTUSJDU &$1"% BOE FTUBCMJTIJOH EFWFMPQNFOU TUBOEBSET GPS &$1"% DSFBUJOH "SUJDMF 999***% PG $IBQUFS DSFBUJOH 3FUBJM &OUFSUBJONFOU %JTUSJDU 1MBOOFE "SFB %FWFMPQNFOU ;POJOH %JTUSJDU 3&%1"% BOE FTUBCMJTIJOH EFWFMPQNFOU TUBOEBSET GPS 3&%1"% BNFOEJOH 4FDUJPO SFWJTJOH JMMVNJOBUJPO TUBOEBSET JO TUBOEBSE 6SCBO $FOUFS %JTUSJDU 3FHVMBUJPOT DSFBUJOH 4FDUJPO BVUIPSJ[JOH VTF PG EFWFMPQNFOU BHSFFNFOUT UP UIF FYUFOU BVUIPSJ[FE CZ MBX BNFOEJOH $IBQUFS ( VQEBUJOH TFSWJDF DPODVSSFODZ NBOBHFNFOU QSPHSBN UP JODMVEF QSFWJPVTMZ BEPQUFE TDIPPM DPODVSSFODZ SFRVJSFNFOUT BOE PUIFS TUBUVUPSZ SFRVJSFNFOUT EFMFHBUF BVUIPSJUZ UP $PVOUZ .BZPS PS %FTJHOFF UP FYFDVUF QSPQPSUJPOBUF TIBSF NJUJHBUJPO BHSFFNFOUT GPS TDIPPM DPODVSSFODZ BOE NBLF UFDIOJDBM DIBOHFT BNFOEJOH 4FDUJPOT BOE QSPWJEJOH GPS $PVOUZ $PNNJTTJPO KVSJTEJDUJPO PWFS BQQMJDBUJPOT SFMBUJOH UP &$1"% 3&%1"% PS EFWFMPQNFOU BHSFFNFOUT BNFOEJOH 4FDUJPOT BOE I QSPWJEJOH GPS DPOUJOVFE $PVOUZ KVSJTEJDUJPO PWFS EFWFMPQNFOU BHSFFNFOUT BT DPOEJUJPOT PG NVOJDJQBM CPVOEBSZ DIBOHFT PS JODPSQPSBUJPOT BNFOEJOH 4FDUJPO # 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WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2017
GOALS CONFERENCE
MIAMI TODAY
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Chamber looks to leverage its advocacy role for business The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce is looking to weigh in on community issues far more effectively than in the past, moving quickly to make the needs of business known when the chamber can make a difference, incoming Chairman Gene Schaefer said in outlining his aims for the year ahead. “We want to increase our voice,” Mr. Schaefer said, because the chamber is “the voice of business.” Under his leadership, he said, he wants to make the chamber more responsive and quicker to speak out as an advocate when major issues arise. Mr. Schaefer, the market president of Bank of America, takes over as chamber chairman this week during the chamber’s annual goals conference, replacing Mark Rosenberg, president of Florida International University. Each chairman’s term is one year. In a broad look at how he sees his year as chairman, Mr. Schaefer also stressed in an interview last week the need for the chamber to help serve its members, asking “how do we put our clients at the center and help them grow their business?” One tactic he cited is to increase connections with and for chamber members. The chamber, the largest business organization in Miami-Dade in terms of both membership and total employees involved in member organizations, has historically held a number of sessions during its annual conference, each session focused on the activities and aims
“We want to increase our voice,” says Chairman Gene Schaefer.
of an individual committee. Each session selected the committee’s top three to six goals for the year ahead. But this year, those sessions took place over the past month or so. Members thus come to the goals conference with aims for the year already in mind for each committee. In a broader sense, however, Mr. Schaefer sees four main areas for the chamber to focus on in addition to the area’s key industries and international areas of concern. Those four are the transportation challenges to the community, the issues surrounding workforce development and needs, resilience and sea level rise, and the new area of disruption, technology and innovation and how that rapid change is affecting the Miami business community. Disruption came into focus for the chamber under Dr. Rosenberg,
Mr. Schaefer noted, but “this is a journey” and innovation will remain front and center. The past year was one of change for the chamber itself, as longtime CEO and president Barry Johnson transitioned into the presidency of the chamber-driven Florida Progress Foundation, the chamber hunted for new staff leadership and brought aboard as President and CEO Alfred Sanchez, former regional chief executive officer for the South Florida region of the American Red Cross, who has been driving the train for the past five months. Now, with that change firmly in place, Mr. Schaefer said, “we’ve got to start making strong progress.” Mr. Sanchez is aiming to develop a five-year strategic plan for the chamber as opposed to shifting aims each year as committees set new annual goals, Mr. Schaefer said. While there is a chamber plan that has been revised many times, Mr. Schaefer said, it’s time to revamp that document and live by it so that the annual goals of the chamber actually fit into its longer-term strategic plan. A member of the chamber’s executive committee, Ralph MacNamara, has been added as the point person for that strategic planning effort. Mr. MacNamara is director of client services for Kaufman Rossin & Co. accountants and advisors. The chamber has long had a succession of leadership built into its structure. Just as Mr. Schaefer re-
Goals conference replete with changes The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce is making numerous changes to its annual goal-setting conference this week. It’s holding its first midweek version of the conference, June 7 and 8, and it’s in a new location in West Dade. The setting is the DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Airport & Convention Center, 711 NW 72nd Ave. Goals that for decades were set in the annual session will now be presented to members instead as the chamber focuses on a handful of hot topics instead of well over a dozen committee meetings to set goals for the coming year. The keynote speaker, now appearing at Thursday’s South Florida Good to Great Awards luncheon, a tri-county event, instead of at the outset, will be a late switch as well. Alex Acosta, the new US secretary of labor who until recently was dean of the FIU law school and chairman of U.S. Century Bank, cited a
scheduling conflict and will be replaced by Thinh H. Tran, chief clinical officer and chief operating officer of the University of Miami Health System. Thursday’s morning panel at 10:45 a.m. is “Resilient Greater Miami & The Beaches.” The introduction will be by Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine, with George Burgess, senior government relations strategist and consultant from Becker & Poliakoff, who was the last Miami-Dade County manager under its former mayor-manager system, will moderate. Panelists are all chief resilience officers: Jim Murley of the county, Jane Gilbert of the City of Miami and Susy Torriente of Miami Beach. Even the title chief resilience officer didn’t exist until recently. The goals for the chamber were to be unveiled Wednesday morning and new Chairman Gene Schaefer, market president for Bank of America, installed as
chairman. Awards then were to be given to T. Willard Fair, long-time president of the Urban League of Greater Miami, who was to receive the M. Athalie Range Miami Pioneer for Progress Award, and Lydia Muñiz, chief executive officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters, who was to get the Henry M. Flagler Community Builder Award. Concurrent Wednesday morning panels were to deal with transportation and infrastructure as well as with trade and goods under the Trump administration. The Wednesday lunch was to honor Leadership Miami alumni, to be followed in the afternoon by the Leadership Miami Graduation. As the graduation ceremony was being held, two more concurrent panels were to deal with housing solutions and medical marijuana. Wednesday afternoon was to end with a panel on smart cities, innovation and technology.
placed Dr. Rosenberg, Carlos Orta, the chamber’s first vice chairman and the vice president of corporate affairs for Carnival Corp., is to become chair in 2018. At this week’s conference, it will be announced that Joe Atkinson, the South Florida region president for Wells Fargo, who has been the group chair for the chamber’s Marketing, Strategic Revenue & Membership Growth committees, will become first vice chairman and thus be in line to become chamber chairman in 2019. Mr. Schaefer sees the same focus on succession being placed on the individual chamber committees, with a tactical continuity of vice chairs moving up to become committee chairs. The chamber will also meet a concern voiced by some long-time members that the chamber get the best possible speakers for each of its monthly trustee lunches. To
increase the overall speaker quality and impact, Mr. Schaefer said, the chamber plans to create a speakers bureau to help recruit the best possible speakers. That effort might cause another alteration for the chamber, which has historically held its trustee lunches – long considered the top business networking events in the community – on the first Wednesday of each month. Mr. Schaefer notes that to get the best-known speakers, meeting dates might have to adjust to the speakers’ schedules, not adhere to a first Wednesday calendar. Mr. Schaefer commented on what he sees as an impressive dedication by business leaders to the chamber, evidenced in the hours, events and panels they are involved with. He noted that he is building on the efforts of his predecessors, Christine Barney, CEO of rbb Communications, and Dr. Rosenberg. “It’s an exciting time for the chamber,” he said.
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MIAMI TODAY
WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2017
13
Summer Getaways 2017
A busload of tourists arrives at the Dolphin Mall for shopping. Caribbean residents flock to Miami to shop.
Robert Hill cites a dramatic shift in the travelers who stay downtown.
Miami’s charms power through season despite competition By Catherine Lackner
Though the tranquil islands of the Caribbean and historic destinations in the Southeast US have a powerful allure, Miami has sufficient charms to power through the summer season, observers say. “With Miami’s rise as a top-tier international destination over the past 15 years, we’ve seen a dramatic change in the mix of travelers staying with us,” said Robert Hill, general manager of the InterContinental Miami. “When I returned as general manager in 2009, business travel accounted for about 80% of our clientele and leisure travelers made up the remaining 20%. With downtown’s brand becoming synonymous with
arts, culture and entertainment through venues like Pérez Art Museum Miami and the new Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, we’re seeing a noticeable rise in the number of leisure travelers. “We’ve kept the corporate clientele intact – which is critical to our business – but the demographics have shifted, and today leisure travel accounts for upwards of 40% of our year-round occupancy. Weekends now bring a rush of families and pleasure-seekers who are visiting downtown for sightseeing, staycations or a cruise,” Mr. Hill said. “Downtown has come a long way since I first worked in Miami back in the late ’90s. I remember when the streets around the hotel were empty once the clock struck 5 p.m., but now there is activity at all hours of the day.
“This urban vibe is incredibly familiar and appealing to visitors from other cities around the world – be it Latin America, Europe and even Asia – and it puts us in better position to compete with other leading destinations for leisure and business travelers,” he said. “Miami’s downtown offers great activities, world-class restaurants, premium shopping and nightlife.” Though Caribbean destinations were once thought of only for their beaches and crystalline waters, tourism officials there have focused on developing each island’s cuisine and folkways to make them even more attractive to visitors, said Sylvia Scholey, vice president of sales marketing for Elegant Hotels, which owns a portfolio of hotel properties in Barbados.
But Miami has a significant advantage in airlift, she said. Many more airlines serve the Miami-Fort Lauderdale market than serve the Caribbean. “There’s also more of an opportunity for twinning,” she added. “You can combine Orlando with South Beach, or South Beach with the Florida Keys,” which is more difficult to do in the Caribbean. “You can get very different experiences in the same vacation.” Surprisingly, Miami draws a steady stream of tourists from the islands, she said. “They come for that central urban experience, and also for the shopping,” Ms. Scholey said. “It’s very expensive to shop in the island, so Miami is, for them, a big shopping destination.”
After year’s study, convention hotel wins panel’s backing By Marcus Lim
The long-anticipated recommendation has been made: the City of Miami Beach should build a convention center headquarters hotel. The Miami Beach City Commission has waited a year for its Blue Ribbon Committee to recommend whether to proceed with building a headquarters hotel for the cityowned Miami Beach Convention Center, which is in the process of being revamped and upgraded. On June 1, the seven-member panel finally reached consensus that the city needs and will benefit greatly from a convention center hotel, and that the hotel should rise on the land of the city’s Jackie Gleason Theater, which abuts the convention center. A recommendation will be sent to commissioners to build the hotel, outlining key factors regarding what the panel sees as the necessity of a hotel attached to the convention center, the next steps the city should take, and how to win over voters for the election Nov. 7, something the city failed to do twice before.
Photo by Marcus Lim
Ricky Arriola makes a point at last week’s meeting, when the panel issued its hotel recommendations.
In March 2016, only 54% of voters supported a hotel, short of the needed 60%. This prompted Mayor Philip Levine to form the committee spearheaded by two commissioners and five residents in May 2016. The panel identified the public’s concerns regarding traffic congestion and the hotel’s perceived out-of-scale height, problems that – after a year of
research and hearing from experts – the panel says can be rectified. “We are in a better place than we were a year ago,” the panel’s chair, Commissioner Ricky Arriola, said. “We can go out to different parts of the community to go out and explain this. Do everything we didn’t do last time. We botched it completely last time.” The panel heard that the city be-
fore the last ballot did not actively engage with residents and hear their concerns. In the past year, the seven-member panel engaged with traffic experts to show that the hotel would reduce traffic because hotel guests wouldn’t be driving back and forth to meetings and conventions, and convention experts who said that the hotel is needed to draw in larger conventions.
In order to stay in scale with the rest of the city’s buildings, the panel’s report states that the hotel should be “no taller than the existing Clock Tower Building” on Lincoln Road, at 185 feet, and that heavy emphasis on the design (a “world-class design and aesthetics”) should be implemented. The Jackie Gleason Theater is the currently targeted site for the hotel. The panel also recommended that the theater should be rebuilt and revitalized. Despite it being a much longer task, key community leaders have urged that the “historical importance” of the theater warrants that it not be ignored. This week would be the earliest that the city commission could approve the recommendations. The hotel issue would then be placed on the commission agenda, where the public could learn more and input concerns. The issue was not on the commission agenda by early Monday afternoon. “The residents need to own this and get excited about it,” Mr. Arriola said. “This will be in for the long haul. We have to do this right.”
WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2017
SUMMER GETAWAYS
MIAMI TODAY
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Six large airlines register double-digit passenger gains here Six larger airlines registered double-digit gains in passengers carried into and out of Miami International Airport in April, helping to boost airport passenger traffic 4.05% from April 2016 despite a downward trend over the past 12 months. United Airlines gained 38.43% in total traffic, Avianca 20.76%, Lufthansa 35.3%, British Airways 16.01%, Air Canada 14.89% and Aerolineas Argentinas 10.9%. All six carried more than 30,000 passengers to or from the airport during the month. A number of airlines with less traffic also registered big percentage gains in figures supplied by the county’s Aviation Department. The largest total passenger gainer was United, with 38,931 added passengers to reach 140,236 for the month. American Airlines,
United Airlines gained 38.43% in total Miami traffic in April, leading a list of gains led by foreign arrivals.
which is the airport’s largest passenger carrier with 59% of all passengers carried during April, registered a 1.73% increase from April 2016 by gaining 38,235 passengers.
Significantly for Miami’s economy, the major April gain was in passengers arriving from abroad, with an 8.9% increase to 949,015. Both real estate and the visitor industries place heavy reliance
on foreign spending. For the past 12 months, including April, international arrivals have showed a marginal decline. Both domestic arrivals and departures showed slight declines
in April, as they have over the past 12 months. Total airport passenger traffic has declined 1.21% over the past 12 months to 44,372,715 passenger flights, a loss of 544,572 passengers from the prior 12-month period. The only category of consistent passenger gains over the past 12 months has been in departures for abroad, where the 10,482,773 persons carried was a 1.3% gain – 136,251 more passengers – from the prior 12-month period. Among the eight international passenger air carriers that began flying to and from Miami International in the past 12 months, SAS Scandinavian Airlines has carried by far the most passengers, 90,808, according to the Aviation Department’s figures. Second-ranked Eurowings has so far carried 39,732.
Caribbean destinations popular getaways for Miamians
By Katya Maruri
As spring transitions into summer, Caribbean destinations such as Grand Cayman, Turks & Caicos, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic have become popular getaways for Miamians. According to recent data analyzed by the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association, cruises to the Caribbean have accounted for more than 33.7% of the global deployment capacity market share. “The younger generation, small families and couples are really embracing going on cruises,” said Greg Guiteras, president of Lorraine Travel LLC. “Right now the economy is solid and cruises present good value.” One of the more popular cruise options for Miamians includes three-day cruises to the Caribbean, said Yunis Segura-McNally, founder and chief executive officer of Yunique International Travel Services. “It depends on what the person is looking for,” said Mrs. SeguraMcNally. “But, with Port of Miami being one of the most active ports, guests can easily go on a luxury three-night cruise and experience an all-inclusive Caribbean vacation.” One of the vacation packages that Yunique offers during June is a three-night roundtrip Royal Caribbean cruise that departs from Miami and stops off at Cococay and Nassau in the Bahamas for $499 per person. However, for Miamians who want to go on longer cruise vacations, Yunique offers Caribbean cruise packages that range anywhere from three to 14 days or longer. Lorraine Travel also offers a variety of all-inclusive three-night Bahamas cruise packages, one of which includes stops at Grand Bahama Island and Nassau with prices starting at $97 per night. Other vacation options offered by Lorraine Travel can be arranged through its website Whatahotel. com, which helps vacationers book luxury hotel reservations. Said Mr. Guiteras, “Guests can choose to book a vacation at the Four Seasons Resort in Anguilla for $160 per person and receive exclusive complimentary perks
such as free breakfast for two every day of their vacation or receive a special gift at check-in.” One of the many advantages of traveling to the Caribbean from Miami is how close it is, Mrs. Segura-McNally said. “You can take a two-hour flight to the Caribbean and not spend a lot of time traveling,” she said. “Or you can get on a cruise and visit different places.” “Summer is the peak time for traveling and going on vacations since kids are out of school,” Mr. Guiteras said. “I expect for us to have a very impressive summer.” The Four Seasons Resort in Anguilla is one of many Caribbean bargain sites easily reached via Miami.
TODAY’S NEWS
WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2017
MIAMI TODAY
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After its county victory, Beckham team to take on city hall By Susan Danseyar
The Miami-Dade County Commission on Tuesday approved David Beckham and his investors buying county-owned land to build a stadium for a Major League Soccer franchise near Marlins Park, but the group still needs rezoning approval and permits from the City of Miami to build the privately-financed 25,000-seat venue. The 9-4 vote came after a discussion that Chair Esteban Bovo Jr. said took longer than a soccer game. Now, Miami Properties LLC is to pay $9 million for the 2.79-acre property within a mile or so of Marlins Park in Little Havana. The land, which belongs to the Water and Sewer Department, is adjacent to about 5.82 acres the Miami Beckham United group already owns in the southwest part of Overtown. Commission Vice Chair Audrey Edmonson spearheaded the legislation, saying she’s been working with the Beckham team to make sure the land sale will be good for residents of Overtown and Spring Garden. Under ownership and leadership of David Beckham, globally known former soccer player and LA Galaxy star, this is to host international soccer matches in Miami-Dade. The group still needs permission from Major League Soccer to own a franchise in Miami-Dade. The Miami Beckham United group – David Beckham’s investment group – must go through many steps before getting its proposed home for Major League Soccer, including within five years certifying the creation of 50 permanent full-time jobs for 10 years, 26 of which must pay employees an annual salary greater than $27,069 or the current living wage. The remaining 24 jobs must be certified each year for 44,928 hours. The commission amended the resolution Tuesday, which now stipulates that off-duty county police and City of Miami police who will work during games and events will do curb-in and curbout surveillance of sidewalks, respectively. The amended agreement also states the design and elevation of the stadium will comply with Miami-Dade’s sea level rise standards and the ownership must provide upper-management training for those who would work at
25,000-seat soccer stadium is to rise partly on land from the county.
‘By bringing people into the neighborhood, we will be supporting neighborhood businesses and that’s critical.’ Neisen Kasdin the stadium. Residents who spoke Tuesday against having the stadium at the site included Bruce Matheson, who said there was no competitive bid for the county property, which he said is against Florida law (the county waived competitive bids), and Tammy Flood of Spring Garden, who said neighbors have had very little notification from the Beckham group, which was to be “a good neighbor,” about the plans. Others said there would be too much noise for kids to study and for everyone living near the stadium on all sides, decried lack of parking restrictions, said it’s not the best use of the property, and predicted a stadium would not bring as many jobs as would a Costco or affordable housing. Chris Allen of Pinecrest supported selling county land to
bring a soccer stadium to Miami. A former resident of London, Mr. Allen said growing up he lived “a stone’s throw” from the Emirates stadium, home to his Arsenal football club. Nothing brings a community together more than having a soccer stadium, he said. “You’re not making money for the developers. It’s about the impact this sport can have on people.” Ms. Edmonson said the countyowned property is contaminated and has been an eyesore for years. “Something needs to be done about it now.” She added that people from Overtown didn’t speak Tuesday. “I’ve had meetings with Overtown residents. Everything they’ve asked for, the Beckham group has agreed to and put forth efforts for Spring Garden as well.” Ms. Edmonson said the amendments commissioners agreed to came from the community. Attorney Neisen Kasdin of Akerman LLP, representing Miami Beckham United and affiliates, spoke about the stadium plan. It’s 100% privately financed and the team will pay property taxes, he said. Miami Beckham United has a strong commitment to work with community organizations, Mr. Kasdin said. There’s more transit access than the other sites the group has looked at and there will be a designated parking plan, he said. “By bringing people into the neighborhood, we will be supporting neighborhood businesses and that’s critical.” Mr. Kasdin said he knows from working with David Beckham for three years that the group has a commitment to community to work with youth, create jobs and offer training.
A few commissioners pointed out the proposed stadium isn’t entirely privately financed, given that the county is paying for the environmental clean-up and the Water and Sewer Department will pay the documentary stamp tax in the land sale. According to the agreement with the county, Miami Properties will put down $5 million at closing with the balance paid over four years ($1 million each year) at 5% interest less about $590,000 as an offset for an environmental clean-up the county will do. Miami-Dade would keep a $450,000 initial deposit and another $900,000 if the group wants an extension beyond the agreed-upon 17-month period to close. Proceeds from the sale would be deposited in the Water and Sewer Department’s renewal and replacement fund. If the closing doesn’t occur within the time period, the county or buyer could terminate the agreement and the escrow deposit would be released to the county as liquidated damages. Mr. Kasdin said there’s more transit access on this property than the other sites the group has looked at and there will be a designated parking plan for at least 2,000 vehicles. Among Miami Beckham United’s investors are Mr. Beckham; partners Marcelo Claure, CEO of Sprint; and Simon Fuller, Mr. Beckham’s agent/advisor and creator of the “Idol” franchise including “American Idol” in the US. Also reportedly in the group is Todd Boehly, part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. After buying the property, Miami Beckham United must have a training program for workers seeking permanent skilled jobs, provide free transit passes for employees taking public transportation to and from the property; try to have as many local workers living in the area and at least 65% of construction workers from the area; and try to have at least 40% of its construction firms in the area. The operators must also develop a partnership with the Overtown Youth Coalition, including training sessions and access to tickets for stadium events; develop a detailed security program for the immediate area surrounding the property; work with the fulltime residents of Spring Garden
‘I’ve had meetings with Overtown residents. Everything they’ve asked for, the Beckham group has agreed to and put forth efforts for Spring Garden as well.’ Audrey Edmonson to develop a plan for controlled access and to enforce parking restrictions during construction of the stadium and after ticketed events at the stadium. In other stipulations, operators are to provide a plan to encourage the use of public transportation, parking for at least 2,000 vehicles at garages or parking lots in the Civic Center or downtown area and provide shuttles from the parking garages. They’re also to develop a partnership with the Miami-Dade County School Board for special opportunities for youth education and athletics, and work with the City of Miami Parking Authority on developing a residential parking permit plan to restrict parking surrounding the stadium for event days. Everything the commission agreed to will be upheld by the City of Miami, according to the county attorney’s office. Mayor Carlos Giménez, who wasn’t at the meeting, issued a statement saying the process to approve a land sale to the group representing Mr. Beckham was lengthy and difficult but necessary to “ensure that Miami-Dade County taxpayers were property compensated. This has been a collaborative process that included five public meetings with Overtown and Spring Garden residents, and we will continue to work together to deliver to our 2.7 million residents and the millions who visit our community a world-class stadium.”
Homeless trust chair appeals to Beach mayor for funding By Catherine Lackner
In a long-running battle to have Miami Beach, Surfside and Bal Harbour pay a food and beverage surtax to help fund the MiamiDade County Homeless Trust, Ron Book, trust chair, is appealing directly to Philip Levine, mayor of Miami Beach. The three oceanside communities were exempted from paying the surtax when the funding mechanism was set up in the early 1990s, though all other municipalities pay into the fund. “At the request of Commissioner Ricky Arriola, chairman of the Miami Beach Finance and Citywide Projects Committee, I am following up on our discussion to further an end to homelessness in Miami Beach,” Mr. Book said, in a letter
obtained by Miami Today. “While a decision was made earlier this year not to pursue state legislative changes that would allow Miami Beach to participate in the countywide food and beverage tax supporting housing and services for the homeless and survivors of domestic violence, there was consensus that additional resources should be dedicated to this cause. “As you are now beginning the budget process for FY 2017-2018, I would ask that you consider budgeting $3.5 million to fund an agreement between the MiamiDade County Homeless Trust and the City of Miami Beach to create additional resources to permanently house homeless individuals, particularly chronically homeless individuals.” To further an end to homelessness on Mi-
ami Beach, four areas of focus are proposed: ■Increase available rental units by providing chronically homeless individuals with the longest histories of homelessness and most severe needs access to non-time limited permanent supportive housing. ■Enhance coordinated entry through the use of specialized outreach teams. ■Enhance rapid rehousing (short- to medium-term rental assistance) resources to permanently house non-chronic homeless individuals. ■Improve landlord recruitment and retention by contributing to the Homeless Trust’s 2017 Landlord Recruitment and Retention Program and Marketing Plan, which includes the creation of a risk mitigation fund, contracting of a lead coordinator for landlord retention and recruitment activities,
utilization of a landlord listing tool, creation of a housing locator and navigation certification program, and the establishment of a landlord hotline. “Homeless Trust staff and I look forward to again meeting with all of you during the budget development process to strategically allocate resources and ensure that homeless interventions available in the community meet the unique needs of each homeless individual, and ultimately, improve the quality of life of all residents and visitors in our community,” Mr. Book’s letter concluded. Though the letter doesn’t address Surfside and Bal Harbour, Mr. Book has said that those two cities will probably follow the lead of Miami Beach when deciding whether to be included in the food and beverage tax collections.
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