WEEK OF THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2017
TODAY’S NEWS
MIAMI TODAY
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The Harbor is to rise on seven city-owned acres that include former hangars and two waterfront restaurants, sites of the former Scott’s Landing at left and the Chart House.
Irma blew The Harbor bayfront revamp in Grove off course By Marcus Lim
A multi-million-dollar project to reshape the Coconut Grove waterfront into a mixed-used development called The Harbor was scheduled to demolish the aging and now-defunct Chart House restaurant Sept. 11. The only problem was that Hurricane Irma hit Miami on the same day. The Grove Bay Hospitality Group had plans to start construction on the waterfront once demolition finished, but with the damages the hurricane wrought, the entire schedule is now pushed back a couple of weeks, according to co-CEO and co-founder Ignacio Garcia-Menocal. “Talk about timing,” he said, referring to the hurricane. “The demolition and construction crew were pulled back by multiple municipalities to do clean-up work, so it will take longer. We have a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff from engineering and architectural complete. The actual physical work was going to be kicked off after the demolition.” Estimated to be an 18-month process, Mr. Garcia-Menocal hopes that The Harbor opens by the end of 2018 or the beginning of 2019. The project is estimated to cost $80 million, as submitted in the request for proposals for development of the city-owned land, which spans seven acres, including the marina, construction of three restaurants and converting World War II era seaplane hangars into retail shops. The Harbor is to have an expansive and elevated indoor/ outdoor event space overlooking the waterfront, a public baywalk, retail shops to serve the marine community and local neighborhood needs, a public mini-park, and two high-class dining restaurants, a seafood restaurant by top chef Jeremy Ford and another “nationally renowned chef” for a steakhouse that will be announced later, the developers said. The Grove Bay Hospitality Group had won the contract from the Miami City Commission in 2013 to lease seven waterfront acres that includes the waterfront and historical hangars. To bring life back to the area, the group is reinventing long-time outdoor waterfront eatery Scotty’s Landing to Hangar 42, a public eating area that is a tribute to what was
‘Talk about timing. The demolition and construction crew were pulled back by multiple municipalities to do clean-up work, so it will take longer.’
‘We are mindful of what this land and location means to the locals and we will open it back up to them. This is a selfishly local project...’
Ignacio Garcia-Menocal the former home of PanAm’s Sikorsky-42 airplanes. COO Eddie Acevedo, who specializes in attracting renowned restaurants, said The Harbor includes a marina with 400 boat slips that allow guests to dock their boats and enjoy what the place offers.
“This is an added bonus for guests, where you can just get off your boat and into a restaurant and see the most beautiful sight in Miami,” Mr. Acevedo said. “In terms of scope, this is currently our biggest project.” Co-CEO Francesco Balli saw the area as currently underutilized
Francesco Balli and inaccessible but said it still contains a lot of rich history and natural beauty, prompting the group to initially bid on the land. “We are all locals, born and raised here, and go to Coconut Grove a lot. Some people forget that the water is here, and some current designs are unappealing,”
Mr. Balli said. “We are mindful of what this land and location means to the locals and we will open it back up to them. This is a selfishly local project, and we want to see the area get what it deserves.” Details: www.grovebaymiami.com
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MIAMI TODAY
VIEWPOINT
WEEK OF THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 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
County able to (bait and) switch its transit funding sources Faced with a legitimate outcry over transit cuts just as the county aims to spend $6 billion to add transit corridors, Mayor Carlos Giménez took a well-worn route last week: he cut in half funds to be set aside for future lines to instead run Michael Lewis today’s. This came just months after Miami-Dade had reduced rail hours and frequency to save money in the face of continuing ridership declines and consequent loss of fare revenues to run the trains and buses. The county is in a bind: too little money for transit as road congestion builds and patience with lack of fixes expires. But stripping away long-term answers to keep transit rolling today solves nothing. It helps commissioners brag that they kept buses and trains rolling more frequently but undercuts equally vital longterm plans. As the hours ticked down to a budget vote, the mayor last week outlined his Band-aid for transit and promised that “as we bring in our new train cars [now being tested], service reliability will improve.” Then he recommended that commissioners amend the People’sTransportation Plan, which governs the spending of our transportation tax for equipment and routes, to cut the share of funds going to new service from a pitiful 8% of
revenue now to 4% “from this point forward.” If you acted in 2002 when this newspaper backed a vote in favor of the half-percent sales tax just for new transportation, we apologize. That promise has been whittled away again and again in a classic bait-and-switch that the mayor’s new plan all but completes. The sales tax that voters geared 100% to expand transit has been redirected to augment general revenue. The county commission formalized the bait-and-switch in 2009, leaving only 10% of county’s share of tax receipts – only 8% of the total, because cities get one-fifth of receipts – remaining to do what the whole tax was guaranteed to do. How did we get to the point of robbing future transit gains to pay for today’s loses? In 2002, then-mayor Alex Penelas sold us the half percent tax to expand Metrorail. Using the tax, the sales pitch said, we would link Metrorail to the West Dade campus of Florida International University, the airport, the seaport, even Miami Beach, and run up to Broward County. Only the airport link was ever created. There was more. Every project the tax would build was listed. Because nobody trusted county hall, Mayor Penelas pledged that a firewall would protect the funds: a totally independent trust would dole out the cash properly. But as soon as voters created the tax, the county broke promises, one by one. First, instead of an independent trust, commissioners decided to appoint the team and control every step. They planned to spend the money first, then seek a retroactive OK.
L etters Floridians tired of waiting for small business tax cut
to the
would include high-rise housing, too. 2. Form a partnership with those wanting to build the American Dream Mall to offer that valuable piece of land sitting on the Miami-Dade/Broward County border for Amazon’s campus. It’s close to their Opa-locka operations and is large enough to erect a campus that includes housing for its workers. Suggesting a plan that includes worker housing as part of the campus may be one of the things that helps us land Amazon because, let’s face it, effective mass transit down here is a joke and because of today’s construction costs, will likely never get built. If workers can take an elevator down from their condos to walk to work through a park surrounding the Amazon campus – and to shop for groceries and see movies, etc. – who wouldn’t want to live and work there? DC Copeland
People in Florida are tired of waiting for Congress to deliver a legislative achievement. The time for empty promises is over: Small business owners need tax cuts now. As a small business owner, I have personally experienced how high tax rates hurt business expansion. There are over 2 million small businesses in Florida alone, employing 43% of the state’s workforce, but our total tax burden can reach 50%. According to a recent poll by the Job Creators Network, most small business owners said they would use the savings from a tax cut to raise wages, create jobs and expand their business. I completely agree. I would gladly reinvest earnings back into my business instead of the federal government. It’s time for Congress to do the right thing and pass small business tax cuts. When small businesses grow, so does the US economy. Carlos Gazitua President and CEO This is a response to both an Aug. 31 Sergio’s Restaurants article by Catherine Lackner, “Transportation leaders look at trackless trains,” and quotes by Miami-Dade County Commission Chairman Esteban Bovo Jr., “Let’s act quickly and not keep talking Here are a couple of ideas from “Ideas on the subject” of regional passenger R Us”: transport. 1. Give Amazon Opa-locka Airport to BRT stands for bus rapid transit, trackbuild their campus. It already is building less trains or tram-train – this mode of a gignormous warehouse there; let them transport assumes several names. At first build their campus there, too. Heck, they glance Ms. Lackner’s article appears to fit can fly goods – and people – in and out local requirements: a multi-billion-dollar from their campus runways – which (Asia-based) international manufacturer
Rebuild Metrorail trains to run airport-Homestead
Opa-locka land, mall site could be Amazon campus
Then, commissioners delayed naming members and made huge spending moves before the trust was formed. Meanwhile, the commission hijacked most of the money meant to build transit to maintain what we already had. The administration said it had never had enough money to run the present system. After that, the county admitted that the tax funds, even if properly used, would never suffice to create most of what voters had been promised. Then, in 2009, commissioners formalized the theft of 90% of the trust money to operate the present system, meaning virtually nothing the tax was intended for would ever be funded. As voters, we taxed ourselves because officials promised more transit. Instead, the sales tax was used to exterminate bugs in buses, pay salaries, and do routine chores that general funds should have covered. And other county revenues needed just to keep the minimal transit system that we already have going are being spent elsewhere. If the commission didn’t want to cut its other spending to maintain transit at the level it now achieves via hijacked tax funds, it could have raised property taxes. Now, it’s just tapping a sales tax we were credulous enough to levy on ourselves. Mayor Giménez knows all of this. But commissioners told him they want most transit service cuts restored, as transit use keeps falling and falling – in June it was down 9.1% overall from a year earlier and down 18.2% from four years earlier; the pattern is the same for other months. Part of the answer was to tap sales tax
receipts reserved for new transit. Last year that income was a bit over $11 million. If commissioners follow the mayor’s plan, half of that will be spent on operating costs, including raises for transit operators. The mayor told commissioners that if they don’t vote to cut in half annual funding to the reserve for new transit and they then don’t put the current $11 million or so into the fund, they’ll lose the ability to raid the sales tax receipts to keep present operations going instead of funding future routes. If the county hadn’t passed the final budget last week, we’d have applauded a very belated shift to use all of the sales tax to build for the future instead of formalizing an expanded raid for current operations. If transit is really one of the county’s top priorities, it should come first when dividing the budget pie. As it is, the county is caught with two concurrent and equally pressing needs: keep transit running as much as possible and then add a full countywide web of service on top of it. The mayor last week helped fund current operations by promising to cut $2 million somewhere in the budget to fill gaps. In a $7 billion budget that is certainly possible. But formalizing yet another raid on a transit tax that we were solemnly promised would never be raided is hardly a way to build voter confidence in county government and its ability to deal with transportation. Voters will soon be called on to create special transportation taxing districts or other mechanisms to fund more transit. Furthering the bait-and-switch handling of the present transportation sales tax will impede those vital transit growth efforts.
E ditor
offers to provide rolling stock (vehicles), financing, guideway construction / renovation and a multi-year exclusive maintenance contract, all for an initial capital cost lower than LRT – light rail transit, or a Metrorail type heavy rail transport. In 2001 a multi-national rail equipment manufacturer offered BRT – bus rapid transit type, rubber tired vehicles then labeled “tram-train” to the municipality of Nancy, France; favorable financing by the region, guideway construction / renovation, an exclusive multi-year (single-source) maintenance contract, all at an initial capital cost lower than LRT – light rail transit, or a Metrorail type heavy rail transport. Nancy was not alone in adopting such rubber-tired vehicles. Caen, France, did as well, and trial routes were established in Paris and towns in Belgium. The BRT operation at Caen was terminated after an expense of 760 million Euros from 2001 through 2015. Further, tram-trains were to be replaced with light rail vehicles by 2018. “Smart” routes are often spoken of with the option of transit as an additional service along expanded toll expressways in south Miami-Dade County (Remember the concrete bus shelters along expressways built near overpasses? Express lane expansion projects ended that). And while it is claimed that there is no money to fund transit expansion, the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority continues its plan to extend SR 836 as a tollway west to Krome Avenue then south to Southwest 136th Street while overlaying existing rail tracks, then eastward
two miles to end at a new single-family housing project. And Florida’s Turnpike features new, extra-fee express toll lanes to Homestead, a city whose residents represent some of the lowest average incomes in the region. My humble alternative suggestion: rebuild a portion of the existing Metrorail coach fleet to feature a self-propelled, diesel-electric drive to operate on electrified as well as (rebuilt) non-electrified rail routes from the Miami International Airport rail hub (MIC) southward to Homestead and west to west Kendall, skirting the Tamiami airfield. Perhaps the Metrorail vehicle replacement contract may be reviewed to find what fate awaits the existing rolling stock. Michael Smith
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MIAMI TODAY
TODAY’S NEWS
WEEK OF THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2017
County asked to restrict development at seaport to tie uses to port work Miami-Dade Commissioner Rebeca Sosa, who for years has sought to limit development at the Port of Miami to port-related projects, this week asked fellow commissions to make that aim county policy. The resolution would direct the administration to update the port’s 2035 master plan and develop “the Port of Miami 2040 Master Plan” to conform to her proposed policy that all future port development “shall be for seaport purposes.” For years, outside developers have had designs on the port for projects ranging from hotels to sports arenas and office towers. Most of those aims targeted 11 vacant acres at the port’s southwest corner. Some also sought adjacent sites near that land. All of those unsolicited deals have been backed by some commissioners. Ms. Sosa’s resolution seeks to stave off such developments.
The resolution notes that the City of Miami and the state gave the county the port land to create the present seaport on Dodge Island. The earlier port for Miami had been on city land on Biscayne Boulevard near where the American Airlines Arena sits today. But the land gifts for the current port came with strings attached, the resolution notes, that the site could only be used for a seaport. That could be problematic for development: the City of Miami several years ago threatened to try to reclaim the port land if it were used for non-port purposes. Ms. Sosa’s resolution says “the county seeks to further develop the Port of Miami without any uncertainty as to whether such further development… avoids any potential violation of such deed restrictions and to ensure that other current
The Port of Miami’s southwest corner has been a target for unsolicited developments for many uses.
seaport users such as cruise lines, cargo terminal operators and cargo shipping lines… are amenable to such development.” Both the state and city, she said, have said they don’t object to more development for port purposes. In May 2016, Mayor Carlos Giménez, facing a commission order to expedite development of the port’s southwest corner, told commissioners that after a survey of stakeholders he’d told Port Director Juan Kuryla to pinpoint uses that most benefit the port. The mayor also said then that the
port was to award a contract to update its master plan. Commissioners have relied on the old plan as a green light to seek profitable outside projects on the mostly bare land. The mayor’s memo revealed one hot-button use: “Most of the stakeholders (nearly every cruise line and several of the other non-cruise stakeholders) expressed an interest in locating their offices on the port.” In February 2016, commissioners upset with the mayor’s response to a 2015 directive to seek proposals for developing the 11 acres unanimously deferred even accepting his report on
ways he was looking for the site’s best use. The mayor said then, however, that circumstances had changed after the commission’s order. One change: the port was awash in cash, whereas earlier it had faced difficulties. The mayor’s report said cruise lines were seeking pre- and postcruise activities on the land, including pre-boarding areas; ferry facilities; hotels for passengers, and a site for crew needs. Cargo operators, Mr. Giménez said, agreed on cruise and ferry needs plus support services for cargo activity, including liquefied natural gas fuel infrastructure and a Customs and Border Protection inspection station. Other stakeholders, he said, supported cruise, ferry and cargo-related activities, including warehousing, refrigerated warehousing and water taxi services. Earlier unsolicited proposals for the site had included a Major League Soccer stadium for a team fronted by David Beckham and a multi-use project. Mr. Kuryla concurrently said the port had different needs than those pinpointed in its 2010-2011 master plan, with a demand that year for more cruise ship berths. More recently, the port has signed contracts with major cruise lines for massive new terminals to handle the latest era of large cruise vessels. There was also a move to smaller, more upscale cruise ships, and a demand for refrigerated warehouses, Mr. Kuryla said then. “We propose to update our master plan to reflect those new realities.” Commissioner Sosa had brought legislation in 2015 that she said would protect the port and ensure stakeholders would keep using it, though colleagues largely disagreed. “I’m trying to make sure we put in writing that we are not risking the port at any time and want something that protects us legally,” she said then in reference to a resolution, which she ultimately withdrew, that would have prohibited presentation to the commission of any legislation dealing with commercial development at the port. The commission two weeks earlier had discussed Miami Yacht Harbor, which had proposed a trade center, hotels, office space and a marina on the land. The majority of commissioners disagreed with Ms. Sosa’s other 2015 resolution that would have directed the mayor’s office to consult with all port stakeholders to access its land use and infrastructure needs over the next 20 to 30 years as well as amend the port master plan as it related to commercial development. Port officials said then that they anticipated starting an updated master plan, an undertaking that takes approximately two years to complete that they perform every five to eight years.
WEEK OF THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2017
TODAY’S NEWS
MIAMI TODAY
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Devices calm traffic but aggravate residents, city hits brakes By John Charles Robbins
Miami commissioner Francis Suarez has put the brakes on a traffic calming project on busy Southwest 22nd Avenue. On a motion from Mr. Suarez, the city commission voted to stop the project and remove the bulk of the funds planned for the work in fiscal year 2017-2018. The new budget year began Oct. 1. Mr. Suarez said the project is on hold awaiting a new traffic study and community outreach to determine what the residents want in the Silver Bluff neighborhood, the area most impacted by the changes. The reconstruction of 22nd Avenue, between heavily-traveled US 1 and Coral Way (Southwest 22nd Street) had been in the works for some time. In April, commissioners approved the installation of temporary access control devices or traffic delineators; rows of tightly clustered plastic tubes, blocking traffic access and direct crossover traffic from many of the side streets. The tubes and directional street markings painted on the road surface were to be a precursor to the finished product, which was to include reduced lanes, two big traffic circles and landscaping, all designed to slow cars and discourage cut-through traffic. For several years, city commissioners have installed traffic-calming devices like traffic circles, speed humps, raised intersections and more in the residential streets that abut congested main thoroughfares. As congestion has grown on the main roads, so has cut-through traffic nearby. The often high speed of these in-a-rush motorists endangers children, pets, pedestrians and property. Soon after the temporary tubes were placed on Southwest 22nd Avenue, complaints arose from residents troubled by increased side street traffic. Rather than discourage the cutthrough traffic, the street markings and delineators instead funneled much of the cut-through traffic onto one or two side streets. Mr. Suarez told fellow commissioners that at least two side streets were “overburdened” by traffic. “The matter requires more study and more community conversation,” he said. Miami Today asked Mr. Suarez if some people were saying the traffic was being funneled past their homes. “I would say residents of 23rd Terrace and 25th Street would certainly say so with regard to their streets,” he said. “We are going to do a traffic study to determine traffic flow and overall volume counts, to get an objective analysis.” The tubes so upset at least one resident that he knocked down several that were prohibiting direct cross traffic last week. The Southwest 22nd Avenue improvement project had a total estimated price of $1,145,343. The costs were spread over three budget years, with the largest portion – $868,386 – set aside for the 2017-18 budget. The commission’s recent vote put a stop to that allocation. The project’s scope was to include removal of the 4-foot traffic separator and turn lanes, proposing a new grass median within the
‘We are also looking at this project holistically on how cut-through traffic will be approached throughout the city.’ Francis Suarez Photo by John Charles Robbins
Drivers scattered access control guides along Southwest 22nd Avenue, and the city reversed its policy.
center of the road and only milling and resurfacing the existing lanes. Reconstructing the median islands and restricting vehicles from crossing straight over all lanes of 22nd Avenue from side streets was designed to discourage cut-through cars. Similar roadway modifications – limiting access with repositioned and raised medians and right-turnonly design – were made to Southwest 27th Avenue by the Florida Department of Transportation. Before it was halted, the city’s capital improvement budget showed an estimate completion date of Dec. 3, 2018, for the 22nd Avenue project.
With the project on hold and possibly headed for modification, will the city remove the rows of tubes? “We cannot remove the temporary barriers until we perform the study,” Mr. Suarez told Miami Today. “We also want to have a followup community meeting to see where the entire community stands on the permanent project,” he said. “I would say we are also looking at this project holistically on how cut-through traffic will be approached throughout the city,” said Mr. Suarez. The idea, in part, will be to examine cause and effect; what expected
outcome will be experienced in one section of the city if traffic is restricted in another area. To install the tubes or delineators, the city needed an agreement with Miami-Dade County. The county owns Southwest 22nd Avenue and is solely responsible for operating and maintaining traffic control devices on the divided roadway, says the city resolution approving the temporary measures. “The county has approved the installation of the delineators along Southwest 22nd Avenue and requires a maintenance covenant as a condition of approval to which the city has agreed to maintain the delineators,” it says.
Back in April, Commissioner Frank Carollo cast the lone “no” vote, voicing concern about restricting access to roadways. He said he “cringed a little bit” when he saw the resolution on the agenda. He said any move to limit access to streets reminded him of resident opposition that surfaced years ago when the city proposed limiting turns along Southwest 17th Avenue. At the April meeting, Mr. Suarez told Mr. Carollo he understood his concern, and while he admitted it’s often difficult to get a consensus, most Silver Bluff residents supported these proposed measures. “They’re pushing for the delineators… and it allows for an immediate solution,” Mr. Suarez said then.
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: Government Operations Committee (GOC) Meeting – Tuesday, October 10, 2017, at 1:30 PM: • Ordinance relating to the South B Municipal Advisory Committee created to study the possible incorporation of a municipality in the South B Area in County Commission District 9; amending Ordinance No. 15-85 to extend the sunset date of the committee for up to one year • Ordinance relating to immobilization of vehicles without consent; establishing revised maximum rates for immobilization of vehicles at the request of private property owners and Police Agencies without prior consent of the vehicle owner or a duly authorized driver; amending Section 30-476 of the Code • Ordinance related to bond underwriters; providing mechanism by which unfilled positions on initial teams for negotiated bond transactions may be filled at discretion of County Mayor or Designee; clarifying that each of the firms selected to the County’s Underwriting Pool may serve as Senior Manager for any transaction with a par amount equal to or less than $125 million; amending Section 2-10.6 of the Code • Ordinance relating to Zoning; amending regulations for approval of governmental facilities to provide for approval of County facilities where the County retains jurisdiction in incorporated areas; reorganizing existing Code provisions setting forth the County’s Zoning jurisdiction and exemptions for governmental facilities hearings; updating definitions; amending Sections 33-302 and 33-303 of the Code • Ordinance relating to Zoning; providing standards, criteria, and procedures related to digital kiosk signs; making technical amendments; amending Sections 33-84, 33-96, 33-107, 33-284.87, 33-314, 21-166, 21-169, and 33c-2 of the Code • Ordinance relating to environmental protection; requiring the posting of notice of contamination on property where any person resides or on vacant property; requiring certain information to be included in the posted notice; requiring laboratory results and other information to be provided to the County; providing for enforcement by civil penalty; providing for delayed enforcement; amending Sections 24-44 and 8CC-10 of the Code Transportation and Public Works Committee (TPWC) Meeting – Thursday, October 12, 2017, at 9:30 AM • Resolution approving application for three certificates of public convenience and necessity to ATC Medical Transport Corp. to provide wheelchair and sedan nonemergency medical transportation service • Resolution approving terms of and authorizing the County Mayor or County Mayor’s Designee to execute and file a grant application with the United States Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration for Fiscal Year 2016, Section 5339(c) low or no emission grant program funding in the amount of $2,357,143.00; authorizing receipt and expenditure of funds pursuant to such application and agreement; authorizing receipt of any additional funds as specified in the agreement should they become available; and authorizing use of Charter County Transportation System Surtax Funds as matching funds for the grant application in the amount of $415,966.00 Housing and Social Services Committee (HSSC) Meeting – Friday, October 13, 2017, at 9:30 AM • Resolution approving substantial amendments to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013-2017 consolidated plan and the FY 2013-2017 action plans for the allocation of $150,000.00 of one-time supplemental Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Funds and $400,000.00 of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program Income Funds and the recapture and reallocation of $1,382,301.09 of CDBG Funds, $150,000.00 of Home Investment Partnerships (home) Funds, and $274.72 of Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Funds; authorizing the County Mayor or County Mayor’s Designee to file substantial amendments with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development; and authorizing the County Mayor or County Mayor’s Designee to execute all agreements necessary to accomplish the purposes set forth in this resolution and to exercise the termination, waiver, acceleration, cancellation, or other provisions set forth therein All interested parties may appear and be heard at the time and place specified. 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 send email to: agendco@miamidade.gov. HARVEY RUVIN, CLERK CHRISTOPHER AGRIPPA, DEPUTY CLERK For legal ads online, go to http://legalads.miamidade.gov
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MIAMI TODAY
TODAY’S NEWS
WEEK OF THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2017
Riverfront site leased from city to be culinary pop-up venue John Charles Robbins
At a bend in the Miami River, just a few blocks from downtown, developers plan to open a culinary pop-up venue next month. They say it will be a taste of what’s to eventually rise at the site, a mixed-use food and entertainment destination known as Riverside Wharf. The overall project earned the approval of City of Miami voters in March 2016, a referendum triggered by the city code and charter requiring voter approval of the lease or sale of city property. The temporary pop-up designed to kick-start activation of the site at 114 SW North River Drive was announced Monday at a meeting of the Miami River Commission by one of the owner-developers, Alex Mantecon. The temporary use assembly plan goes by the name The Wharf and is being promoted as “South Florida’s newest entertainment venue.” The Wharf will employ concrete, AstroTurf, tents and canopies, tables and chairs and three to four food trucks to bring life to the vacant land between I-95 and the SW First Street Bridge. Documents presented to river commission members show the anticipated temporary commercial use will cover about 27,020 square feet. The use is described as: “A temporary entertainment and culinary installation/event featuring local
Riverfront pop-up site The Wharf is later to give way to a mixed-use food and entertainment destination.
chef inspired food trucks where local residents and visitors may sample unique and limited local fare and music.” It further says the temporary venue is designed to accommodate up to 1,000 people. The site plan shows the layout for the food trucks, up to five small retail huts, lounge seating on a wooden deck, waterside seating along the river, pedestal seating and tables, space for two bars, communal tables and ping pong. Garcia’s Seafood Grille & Fish Market plans to feature an open air fish market and raw bar at The Wharf.
A 5-foot-deep landscaped buffer is to be placed along Southwest North River Drive, and the site will have some transient dockage. The site is to include a restroom trailer. Parking will be at a Miami Parking Authority lot at 200 SW First St. Mr. Mantecon said the venue will offer live jazz bands. The site plan notes that programming will be in accordance with the city’s noise ordinance. The plan calls for family-oriented spaces with play areas for children during the daytime. The specific entity creating the pop-up is MV Real Estate Hold-
ings LLC. Mr. Mantecon told the commission that Riverside Wharf LLC has signed its lease with the city and already made significant improvements to the property. Construction of a new seawall has been completed, he said, along with removal of old underground tanks in environmental remediation. Mr. Mantecon said the developers have spent close to $1 million on the property thus far. He said The Wharf will open in the first or second week of November. The riverside venue will debut just a few weeks prior to Art Basel Miami Beach, the international art
fair that brings thousands to South Florida. Anews release touting The Wharf refers to being a part of a growing new arts and culinary scene in Miami. “Patrons will have the opportunity to support a delightful rotation of artists, acclaimed chefs and musicians, helping to further shape the city’s dynamic local arts and cultural scene,” it says. Mr. Mantecon said the main goal is to build a culinary and art destination in Miami, and this temporary use is like “an introduction to the future” of the site. In March 2016, voters approved a lease of 0.73-acre on the river to Riverside Wharf LLC, providing for $195,500 of minimum guaranteed annual rent and an investment of about $7 million in private improvements, including construction of restaurants and the continuity of the public riverwalk, for a 30-year term with two 10-year renewal options. The proposal includes a complex of four riverfront restaurants and event spaces and a fish market and oyster bar run by Garcia’s Seafood, along with a new portion of the riverwalk. Mr. Mantecon said the developers don’t expect to begin their construction for about one to oneand-a-half years. The river commission unanimously supported the project in late 2015.
Public-private team gets OK to build at Grove Metrorail site By John Charles Robbins
New affordable housing is coming to the West Grove, after a major public-private partnership gained final approval from Miami city commissioners. Miami-Dade County is a partner with Platform 3750 LLC, which plans to build the mixeduse project on 2.1-acres at 3750 S Dixie Highway (US 1). The project will bring stores, offices and apartments to the neighborhood, 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. The county was a co-applicant for land use and zoning changes, which city commissioners approved on first reading May 25 and with a final vote Sept. 28. Platform 3750 is to include 192 residential units, more than 22,000 square feet of commercial/retail area, more than 27,000 square feet of office space and parking for about 400 vehicles. The project is designed at eight stories on US 1 and five stories on the southern part of the site fronting Day Avenue and Douglas Road. The site is owned by MiamiDade County Community Action and Human Services Department and is home to the Frankie Shannon Rolle Neighborhood Service Center. Platform 3750 was the subject of a Miami-Dade County request for proposals.
Platform 3750 will bring stores, offices and apartments to US 1 site.
Initially, the developer and the county planned to dedicate 20% of the apartments to workforce housing, but neighbors in the West Grove demanded more. A few were still lobbying to put off a final vote on rezoning until more benefits could be gained for the community. The final approval is tied to a covenant from the developer dedicating at least 40% of the units to affordable and workforce housing. Teresa Burke said she was concerned about the impact on the West Grove, a community filled with owner-occupied singlefamily, one-story homes, some belonging to descendants of the original settlers of the area. She said she realizes that change is a given but she worries about the scale and design of Platform 3750. “I’m concerned for my neigh-
bors,” said Ms. Burke, saying she was looking for assurances from the developer and the city that the character of the neighborhood would be preserved. J.S. Rashid, area businessman and head of a homeowners association in the West Grove, asked commissioners to defer a final vote so the community could work to get more affordable units in the mix. Mr. Rashid said the city is in the grips of the “greatest housing crisis ever” and it would not be right to approve the rezoning without further negotiations to get a “win-win-win.” Grove resident and candidate for mayor Williams Armbrister Sr. echoed those comments and said “I won’t stand by” while city leaders approve a rezoning that encourages the reintroduction of segregation through gentrification. Noting the county’s role in the
Platform 3750 project, Mr. Armbrister told commissioners “don’t let the county rezone” to allow building taller than three stories right next to single-family homes. Approving the project would encourage more up-zoning, with developers trying to squeeze multiple residential units on a single lot, he said. Melissa Tapanes Llahues, an attorney for Platform 3750 LLC, requested the commission proceed with a final vote to approve the zoning and land use changes. She said the development will be “transformative” for the Grove and the final product is the result of extensive community outreach. Ms. Llahues then put on record the promises written into a covenant from the developer, which include: The property must be developed in accordance with plans prepared by Kobi Karp Architecture and Interior Design Inc. The project must meet the county’s Art in Public Places ordinance. The tenant must maintain landscaping best management practices for the courtyard’s landscape wall. Not less than 40% of the units shall be dedicated to affordable and workforce housing, restricting the units to households whose income is 40% to 140% of the median family income for Miami-Dade County. The affordable/workforce housing units must be interspersed throughout the building and generally have the same features and amenities as the market rate units.
The general contractor must work with CareerSource South Florida or a similar agency to place unemployed and underemployed community residents with sub-contractors working at the property. There must be a car sharing service on the property. The Frankie Rolle center will be moved near the community it serves. The tenant will promote the use of Metrorail as well as the proposed Underline linear park. The tenant will work with Miami-Dade Transit to redesign the pedestrian bridge to the property. Ms. Llahues said the developer and county will be applying for state subsidies to assist with the affordable housing component. District City Commissioner Ken Russell was encouraging the inclusion of affordable residential units. He asked what the mix would be. Ms. Llahues confirmed that of the 192 units, 77 would be affordable or workforce. Mr. Russell noted the project won’t displace existing residences. A gas station at the corner of US 1 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 retail is to focus on businesses that provide services and jobs to neighborhood residents, the developer said, and hopes are to attract a Starbucks and a grocer.
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MIAMI TODAY
TODAY’S NEWS
WEEK OF THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2017
Trucks roll to Sunny Isles Beach with 140,000 yards of sand By Marcus Lim
Sunny Isles Beach’s shoreline is critically eroded, a problem the US Army Corps of Engineers is trying to remedy through a beach renourishment starting this week, placing 140,000 cubic yards of beachquality sand from an upland mine, a project that’s estimated to be completed by next March. Under the Miami-Dade County Beach Erosion Control and Hurricane Protection project, the sand will be trucked in and placed in two locations, one at the north end of the city and the other on either side of the historic Newport Fishing Pier, two areas with eroded shorelines. The renourishment will also help with coastal storm management and hurricane surge protection, preserve wildlife and protect infrastructure. “Engineered beaches are designed to erode from natural storm and wave action over time to help protect land-side infra-
11 trucking companies bid to bring more sand to Sunny Isles Beach.
structure such as roads, utilities, businesses and homes,” Erica Skolte, public affairs specialist from the US Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, told Miami Today. Eastman Aggregate Enterprise LLC of Lake Worth secured the sand-hauling contract for around $8.6 million
on Aug. 31. The cost is split, with the federal government, paying 62.7% of that, MiamiDade County 19.3% and the state 18%. Laurel Reichold, corps project manager, said 11 truck hauling companies bid. After evaluating for technical competency, the corps chose East-
man Aggregate. She noted its “proven track record working in busy urban areas in South Florida.” Eastman Aggregate has done similar services in a federal project renourishing hotspots in Miami Beach. Titled the Miami Beach Erosional Hotspots Beach Renourishment Project, also under the Miami-Dade County Beach Erosion Control and Hurricane Protection project, from August 2016 to March 2017 some 233,000 cubic yards of beach-quality sand were placed along more than 3,000 feet of critically eroded shoreline in two areas of Miami Beach. Ms. Reichold said she hopes for similar success in the Sunny Isles project. “The feedback we received from residents, and city and county staff, was very positive,” Ms. Reichold said of Eastman Aggregate. “We look forward to partnering with them again on the Sunny Isles Beach truck haul.”
The hauling company was given the green light to start this week, using three access points and staging areas for construction equipment, crews and trucks hauling sand: Ellen Wynne Beach at the north end, Ocean One Condo at the south end, and just south of Pinnacle Condo. Work is to be done Monday to Saturday, except for public holidays. The corps will be there to oversee the project to provide quality assurance oversight and that the contractor is following procedure and safety requirements. “I hope that this project will provide the beach stability that is definitely needed,” Ms. Reichold said, “and it will restore the aesthetic and functionality of the Sunny Isles beaches.” Details: Work is to be from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays.
Seawall hits wall, it’s to be natural shoreline on Virginia Key By John Charles Robbins
Members of the Virginia Key Advisory Board are thanking Miami city commissioners for listening, and for changing course while navigating the future of Shrimper’s Lagoon. Following the recommendation of the board, Commissioner Ken Russell moved Sept. 28 to have the redevelopment plan for the area that includes the former Jimbo’s site redesigned to remove the concrete seawall and replace it with a living shoreline. Commissioners unanimously approved. To back up the change, Mr. Russell offered an amendment to the new city budget to earmark $75,000 for the redesign. This was also approved by vote. Advisory board Vice Chairman Gary Milano and member Esther Alonso Luft were there and ended up thanking Mr. Russell and the commission for scaling back the scope of the project. At a June 27 meeting, the board unanimously recommended the city commission amend an application for a grant to build a seawall, dock and kayak launch at the lagoon by eliminating the seawall and replacing it with a living shoreline, and eliminating any dock from its plans. The secluded area is on the northeast corner of the barrier island, the bulk of which the city owns. Some board members have been critical of the city’s $2.8 million project called the Virginia Key Nature Center, which included a new seawall, dock, kayak launch, concrete walkway and pavilions. Those changes, they say, would encourage power boats and overuse of a site that ought to be nurtured for its nature. The June 27 resolution mentioned the board’s April 25 approval of another resolution recommending the commission direct the city manager to immediately move to prohibit motorized vessels in the lagoon. In following summer meetings board members voiced frustration
A decayed seawall marks the site where the old Jimbo’s bar stood on Virginia Key. It won’t be restored.
because the resolutions seemed to go nowhere. Mr. Milano told commissioners Sept. 28 that the resolution regarding the seawall and dock unfortunately “slipped through the cracks.” He reiterated opposition to the project and said it should be redesigned and would cost less to complete. “We can do a lot better,” said Mr. Milano. Jimbo’s, a hangout bar, is long gone and the area is open, vacant and frequented by visitors to that portion of the island, just off Arthur Lamb Jr. Road. The June 27 resolution notes the sensitive aspects of the cityowned property, which board members say is finally showing signs of renewed life with returning sea grass and an improved fishery. Erin Clancy, conservation director of the Tropical Audubon Society, spoke in favor of a living, natural shoreline instead of a new concrete seawall. She listed three reasons to oppose a typical rigid seawall at the
Spencer Crowley cited 10 grants.
property: a new seawall would attract power boats and destroy sensitive habitats; construction of a new seawall would be more expensive than a living shoreline; and a seawall would be less resilient than a living shoreline. On the heels of recent hurricanes, “everyone is looking at resiliency,” said Ms. Clancy. She urged the commission to reject the seawall. Ms. Luft told the commission it was important to preserve the habitat at the lagoon while enhancing the visitor experience. “There will not be a concrete
seawall,” said Mr. Russell, when introducing the agenda item. He directed the city manager to have the project redesigned, and said he and city staff were working on modifying the redevelopment plan with a goal of “trying to find a win for all sides.” Mr. Russell said he wants a sloping, sandy beach access. He said the Virginia Key Master Plan anticipates bringing back a food and beverage usage at the property, and he hinted that might well happen but it would be low key. He said the redesigned plan will include improved public access, and will probably have to incorporate a wooden boardwalk to the water and a dock to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). “I understand the concerns about motorized vessels but we’re not doing anything to encourage that,” said Mr. Russell. He pointed out that redevelopment plans for the site’s upland portion remain undefined and will be subject to further discussions.
Mr. Russell said he respects the advisory board, and while this latest move may not be exactly what the board had envisioned, hopefully it will accomplish some of the board’s goals. He said he was pleased to report that even with the changes in the plan, it appeared the city wouldn’t lose any of the funding it hoped to get from the Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND) for improvements at the lagoon. Spencer Crowley, MiamiDade’s representative on the FIND board, told commissioners Sept. 28 that the FIND board approved 10 projects for the area for next year, amounting to $4.6 million in grants for waterfront improvements. Mr. Crowley is also a member of the Virginia Key Advisory Board. After the vote approving a living shoreline, Mr. Milano said, “Thank you for the redesign.” He said he applauded the efforts of Mr. Russell to advance a conceptual plan for the entire site and said the advisory board would be happy to work with him on that. Mr. Russell suggested a meeting of the board at the site, with area stakeholders. Ms. Luft thanked commissioners for “making the space better for everyone.” The desire for a living shoreline at the old Jimbo’s location was expressed after the board heard a presentation May 23 from Dr. Joan A. Browder of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) detailing the benefits of a living shoreline and providing examples. NOAA encourages living shorelines as a shoreline stabilization technique along sheltered coasts. A NOAA study found that living shorelines, including marshes, reefs and beaches, enhance coastal resilience. The agency says hardened structures (sea walls) often increase coastal erosion, inhibiting the shoreline’s natural processes, providing little habitat for estuarine species, and perhaps harboring port-related invasive species.
MIAMI TODAY
WEEK OF THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2017
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Coral Gables Miracle Mile upgrade ‘on target and on schedule’ after Irma By Catherine Lackner
One day after Hurricane Irma tore through Miami, workers were back on the job of renovating the north side of Miracle Mile, said Javier Betancourt, director of the Coral Gables Economic Development Department. “There was very little down time, because they did such a great job of prepping the site” in advance of the storm, he said. “The project is on target and on schedule.” The south side of Miracle Mile and the Giralda Avenue component of the project are done, he added. In celebration, the city and the Coral Gables Business Improvement District will host a party Oct. 13 in Giralda Plaza, the pedestrian mall on Giralda Avenue that was created as part of the project. The mall will remain closed to vehicles as part of a two-year pilot project, which was requested by businesses there, the streetscape’s website said. The renovation widened sidewalks, which were then covered
district by transforming some of the city’s main commercial streets, Miracle Mile and Giralda Avenue,” said the project’s website. “The improvements are intended to provide a cohesive pedestrianfriendly experience with garden areas, outdoor dining, improved lighting, way finding, public art and more. Completion of the last three blocks on the north side of Miracle Mile (those closest to Douglas Road) is set for no later than January, Mr. Betancourt said. Crosswalks are also being installed all along Miracle Mile. On the blocks that are done, “Thousands of people are enjoying smooth sidewalks and restaurant operators are applying for outdoor dining permits,” he said. “Early in the new year, Photo by Cristina Sullivan when the last blocks on the north The south side of Miracle Mile is complete, and renovations on the north side resumed after the storm. side are done, we’ll have a great with grey and blue hand-cut Mile was removed and parallel fiber and specialty lighting added. celebration.” stone pavers. Diseased trees were parking replaced angle spaces. “The goal of the project is to Details: www.gabremoved and replaced. One driv- Long-standing drainage issues enhance the economic vitality lesstreetscape.com. ing lane on each side of Miracle were addressed, and high-speed of the downtown Coral Gables
Foundation’s gifting fund fuels favored city events By Katya Maruri
Photo by Cristina Sullivan
Work on Hurricane Irma damage off Bird Road and Toledo Street. The costs may affect future budgets.
Gables’ emergency reserves cover any FEMA funding gaps for Irma By Katya Maruri
Although Hurricane Irma hasn’t had an immediate effect on the Coral Gables city budget, the city anticipates its impact to be felt in the coming years following the hurricane after all assessments have been completed and the city works to restore its emergency reserves to pre-hurricane levels, according to Keith Kleiman, the city’s assistant finance director of management and budget. As of right now, Mr. Kleiman said, “Hurricane Irma will not have an immediate effect on the city’s budget.” “The city,” he said, “maintains emergency reserves to cover catastrophic events. Once the event is over and all assessments have been completed, the total event cost will be known.” Once the total cost is assessed and calculated, the city expects to be reimbursement from Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). “It is hoped that FEMA reimburses as much of the event costs as possible,” Mr. Kleiman said. “Any residual cost will be covered by the city’s emergency reserves.” “The actual hit to the budget,” he said, “will be in future years as the city restores emergency reserves to pre-storm levels.” In regards to the projected cost of Hurricane Irma, Mr. Kleiman said, it is still too early to know the total event cost, but city funds are primarily being used for debris removal, in-house labor and overtime and for facility restoration and repair. “Initially, the cost will be absorbed by the city’s emergency reserves,” Mr. Kleiman said. “However, we hope that FEMA reimbursement will restore the majority of the hit to the reserves. All we can do now is wait and see.”
The Coral Gables Community Foundation, which partnered with the City of Coral Gables three years ago to initiate the Coral Gables Gifting Fund to provide individuals, businesses and organizations with the opportunity to support, grow and introduce new programming for residents, has raised over $20,100 in support of favorite local events such as Fourth of July fireworks at the Biltmore Hotel and the holiday tree lighting ceremony at city hall. “Our partnership with the City of Coral Gables is doing very well,” said Mary Snow, executive director of the Coral Gables Community Foundation. “Through the gifting fund we have been able to raise funds for city events like music/ movies on the mile, the pumpkin patch at Pittman Park, Jazz in the Gables, Fourth of July Fireworks at the Biltmore Hotel and various other events through donations provided by local residents, businesses and organizations.” Donations, which can be as small as $10, Ms. Snow said, can be made via the Coral Gables Community Foundation and the City of Coral Gables websites. “Basically, the fund is a way for people to donate to the city so that we can enhance local events as much as possible while giving back to the community,” said Belkys Perez, a marketing and events specialist in the city’s Economic Development Department. One way businesses and organizations have utilized the Coral Gables Gifting Fund, Ms. Perez said, is by
Mary Snow: donations at $10 up.
donating directly to the gifting fund instead of issuing a check to sponsor an event, offering business/organization owners the opportunity to write off the donation as a tax deduction at year’s end. In regards to whether the fund has met expectations, Ms. Perez said, “we haven’t set an exact baseline; the gifting fund is more about enhancing the experience for visitors, businesses, guests and residents while giving back to the community.” As for what comes next, Ms. Perez told MiamiToday, “during this year’s pumpkin patch festival at Pittman Park we plan to donate proceeds from the event to a Hurricane Irma recovery fund, which will be used towards helping the Florida Keys.” “The pumpkin patch usually draws a large crowd,” she said, “so we are looking forward to seeing the community come out, purchase pumpkins and have a great time while helping those in need in the Florida Keys through their donations.”
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