Miami Today: Week of Thursday, November 2, 2017 by Miami Today

WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

A Singular Voice in an Evolving City

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COUNTY MARKETING OF ‘MADE IN MIAMI’ PRODUCT TRADEMARKS STILL AT STARTING LINE, pg. 2 CONSTRUCTION SLOWDOWN: The value of new construction started in South Florida in September fell 12% from the September 2016 level, according to figures provided last week by Dodge Data & Analytics. Residential construction continued a steady decline, falling 13% to a bit more than $287 million in value for work begun in September, while nonresidential starts – which had been rising as residential fell – dropped 11% from the value of September 2016 to just under $439 million. For the first nine months of the year, total construction start values are down 6% in the tri-county area, with residential falling 28% and nonresidential rising 29%, according to Dodge’s figures.

The Achiever

By John Charles Robbins

IPADS AT MIA: When discussing how to improve revenues at the airport’s concessions at the Economic Development and Tourism Committee meeting Tuesday, Commissioner Rebeca Sosa pointed out that some airports are investing in high-tech equipment, and she urged Miami International Airport to do the same. “People are using iPads to order food at other airports,” Ms. Sosa said. “Times change and people should be able to sit down and work at airports. Then they will arrive earlier and buy more from the concessions.” Aviation Director Emilio Gonzalez told Ms. Sosa the airport is “already looking into that right now.” CRIME LEVELS STEADY: The number of crimes in areas patrolled by the Miami-Dade Police Department have remained virtually flat in the first nine months of 2017 compared to the first nine months of 2016. Police figures released from the mayor’s office last week showed serious crimes reported dropping less than 1%, from 31,155 from January through September last year to 30,877 this year. Homicides remained at the same total, 63. Violent crimes in total rose from 4,629 to 4,649, while nonviolent crimes trickled down from 26,526 to 26,228. The figures are from areas where the county police have responsibility and do not include most of the county’s cities, which comprise the majority of the county’s population. NO SHOPLIFTING ONLINE: By far the largest crime drop this year in areas patrolled by the Miami-Dade County Police Department has been in shoplifting, where crimes fell more than 23% from 3,352 for the first nine months of 2016 to 2,574 in the same period this year. Are we witnessing an “Amazon effect” of lift-proof online transactions? NEW PAYMENT MACHINES COMING: The city’s Off-Street Parking Board has allocated $265,181.40 to Skidata Inc. for upgrading the parking revenue control equipment in the Miami Parking Authority’s Cultural Center Garage. The facility is at 90 SW First St.

Lilian Ayalde

Photo by Cristina Sullivan

Using her diplomatic skills for US Southern Command The profile is on Page 4

Clearing Irma’s debris costing city $73 million By John Charles Robbins

City of Miami officials have calculated a preliminary cost estimate of handling debris from Hurricane Irma, $73 million, as they continue to dig out from the storm’s lingering impact. Christopher Rose, director of the Office of Management and Budget, gave commissioners the tally during a budget report last week. The massive clean-up continues while residents and others assess the damage and critique the city’s response. Mr. Rose said the city will seek FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) reimbursement, according to the Federal Stafford Act, for most storm-related costs. He told commissioners FEMA should reimburse 90% of the cost of debris removal, with the city and state splitting the remaining 10%. Asked to estimate the final cost impact to the city for all Irma-related items, Mr. Rose said $5 million to $7 million. Hurricane Irma hit South Florida Sept. 10, bringing storm surge and winds that tore through the tree canopy. Downed trees, broken branches and other

City profits at big ticket park events

clutter churned up by Irma quickly piled up on the sides of streets citywide. The city’s own clean-up crews and a fleet of private contractors began to collect the mess, but process was slow. Compounding the problem, residents began mixing bulk household garbage and debris onto the mounds of trees and branches. It took more than a month to remove the bulk of the debris from the streets. On Oct. 17 the city announced it had completed the first pass of debris collection and would be starting the final pass to pick up any leftover hurricane-related debris. The Department of Solid Waste was set to resume regularly scheduled bulky trash pickup this week. Meanwhile, Virginia Key Advisory Board members continue to complain that the island is a dumping ground for storm debris, and perhaps more worrisome is the addition of household garbage including mattresses, couches, paint buckets and more, raising concern that the water runoff from the massive piles could pollute the island and the bay. Kevin Kirwin, parks director, said the city is doing all it can to get debris separated,

compacted and removed from the key as soon as possible. At the Oct. 26 meeting, one resident complained of massive debris caused by uprooted trees and snapped branches, and asked who dropped the ball in keeping trees trimmed, the city or Florida Power & Light Co. She said the city needs a smart and fair tree removal process, and a less cumbersome process for residents to get tree trimming permits. Commissioners handled two related items last week. In one, they retroactively authorized the city manager to sign an understanding with Miami-Dade County for removal of debris from county-maintained rights-of-way due to Hurricane Irma, and retroactively authorized paying for the work. They also approved an agreement with private property owner 1010 NW LLC for the use of 206,530 square feet of land at 1010 NW 72nd Ave. for the staging of debris from Hurricane Irma, at a cost of $23,800 a month. The resolution also authorizes the city manager to negotiate similar agreements if needed with additional property owners, private and public, to clear the remaining debris from the city.

Miami will generate added income for the city’s premier event venue, Bayfront Park, by adding to operations and maintenance funds via an escalated surcharge on event tickets of $100 or more. The city owns the 32-acre waterfront park, which is managed by the Bayfront Park Management Trust. City Commissioner Frank Carollo, who sponsored the legislation, chairs the trust. Before the change, a city ordinance allowed for surcharges on tickets at three levels. The highest was $2 on a ticket of $30 or more. The new surcharges max out at $12. The surcharge will depend upon the price charged to attendees of an event, as established by the sponsor or promoter. For admissions of $1 to $14.99, the surcharge is 75 cents. For $15 to $29.99, it’s $1. For $30-$99.99, it’s $2. For $100-$249.99, it’s $3. For $250-$499.99, it’s $5. For $500-$999.99 it’s $10. And at $1,000 up, it’s $12. The commission approved the change at a first reading Oct. 12. The final vote last week was 4-1. Ken Russell cast the lone “no.” He had earlier admitted this would be a protest; he’s unhappy with financial matters dealing with Museum Park, which is also under the management trust’s control. Also, Bayfront Park is in Mr. Russell’s district, and he said downtown residents impacted by events there should have more voice in the park’s operation. “They don’t have a voice – I’m hearing it a lot,” he said. While many events at the park are free, it also hosts large concerts, events and music festivals that rake in major money, arguably the largest being the Ultra Music Festival, which is staged three days each March. Free park events include a July Fourth celebration and Pitbull’s New Year’s Revolution at Bayfront Park. The maximum capacity for gated events can range from 20,000-25,000. Facilities include the Amphitheater at Bayfront Park and The Tina Hills Pavilion.

BEACON COUNCIL HAILS 2,134 ADDED JOBS ON THE WAY ...

VOTERS TO RULE ON MONTY’S, $400 MILLION IN BONDING ...

FAIRCHILD PICKS UP PACE TO ADD 100,000 NEW ORCHIDS ...

IRMA, LEADERSHIP CHANGE SLOW ZIKA VACCINE TRIALS ...

VIEWPOINT: NO SILVER BULLET FOR TRAFFIC PROBLEMS ...

WYNWOOD BUSINESS SOARS AS FASHION NIGHT ARRIVES ...

CHARTER TEAM EYES URBAN DEVELOPMENT BOUNDARY ...

REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY HEAD RETURNING TO CITY HALL ...

WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

TODAY’S NEWS

MIAMI TODAY

Renovated concourse E fills MIA Customs gap via self-service screens By Rebecca San Juan

Carl Lewis, director of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, works in the garden’s micropropagation lab.

Fairchild picking up speed to place 100,000 orchids after Irma hit trees By Katya Maruri

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden’s Million Orchid Project, which aims to repopulate Miami with exotic plants that have disappeared over the years, hit a minor road bump in September after many trees were damaged due to hurricane Irma. The project, which started in December 2012, gained initial support through partnerships with Coral Gables, the Village of Palmetto Bay and Miami-Dade Public Schools. Since then, the project has partnered with the City of Miami Beach, Doral and the Miami Design District on June 16, as part of the project’s efforts to reach its goal of growing and reintroducing 1 million endangered orchids to South Florida’s urban spaces by planting various orchid species on trees throughout the county. “The hurricane hit during the beginning of planting season, which affected the project only because it damaged a lot of trees,” said Carl Lewis, director of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. “Thankfully, we are still planting but it’s not at the same rate as before due to tree damage.” Looking forward, Mr. Lewis said, “Our target for this year is to grow and plant 100,000 orchids. It all depends on how quickly we can put the orchids out.” One way Mr. Lewis said he thinks the project can reach its goal for the year is through its fully functioning STEMLab, courtesy of the project’s partnership with Miami-Dade Public Schools. The STEMLab, which was unveiled in March 2016, houses a mobile tissue culture lab inside a decommissioned school bus that was constructed and designed by University of Miami School of Architecture students. The mobile lab, which is similar to the micropropagation laboratory that Fairchild has in its DiMare Science Village to nurture the orchid seeds until they are ready to grow, travels to schools to let students participate

in the project in several ways. One of those is working on propagation protocol-related issues such as deciding whether to grow the orchids on moss or bark and how that decision will affect the overall growing process. Once the students record that data it is collected, used and applied in real-time throughout the project. “The STEMLab is still going strong and has picked back

up where we left off before the hurricane,” Mr. Lewis said, “We currently have 30 middle schools working with us to plant as many orchids as we can and are working very hard to meet our goal.” Looking forward, Mr. Lewis said, the main concerns are “how can we get orchids into different neighborhoods? And how can work with different municipalities to make it happen?” Only time, he said, will tell.

Miami International Airport, facing a shortage of needed US Customs and Border Protection officers, is launching a renovated concourse this month to fill the gap in staff numbers with self-service technology. US Customs and Border Protection failed to move forward with a plan announced in October 2015 that would have brought more vital officers to Miami International. The agency had intended to fill major domestic airports with new training sites for officers. Michael Silva, public affairs and border community liaison for the federal agency, doesn’t expect the program proposed in 2015 to cycle back. Other programs meet the current needs of Customs and Border Protection as well as that of Homeland Security, he said. The Customs and Border Protection program would have brought 250 to 300 new officers to be trained in Miami. The Department of Homeland Security proposed training officers at selected US airports before or after the Border Patrol Academy. But, Mr. Silva said, plans changed. “It was never implemented due to the critical hiring needs in the areas with the greatest workload, the Southwest border,” Mr. Silva said. Customs and Border Protection now place new hires at a few airports along the nation’s southwestern

and northern borders, as well as the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, GA. Another program, titled the National Reassignment Opportunity Bulletin, allows for officers thereafter to select a reassignment at a different site, including Miami International Airport, through negotiation or upon returning from an assignment overseas. But the need for more officers at Miami International remains, said Greg Chin, the county Aviation Department’s communications director. “The staffing levels back then to now remain the same. We’re reopening Concourse E to mitigate low staffing,” Mr. Chin said. The decision to assign more officers remains out of the airport’s hands, Mr. Chin said. Customs and Border Protection ultimately directs officials where it sees fit. The Miami-Dade Aviation Department remains hopeful that new technology will make up for the lack of boots on the ground. “We always welcome as many officers as they’re able to provide,” Mr. Chin said. However, “with our new facility, we’re relying on new self-service technology.” Concourse E debuts this month at Miami International, providing an array of automated resources. It will be the first in the nation, Mr. Chin said, to screen passengers primarily via self-service technology.

MIAMI TODAY

VIEWPOINT

WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 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

Miami’s traffic riddle has no one solution, yet it has many As we struggle to map out an easy path to mobility in a rapidly congesting Miami, let me deliver the bad news: no single solution serves us all. But that’s also the good news: while no silver-bullet solution can cure MiamiDade’s congestion woes for everyone, a number of partial solutions can together do the job. It’s not a matter of throwing money at one magic project. We need plenty of money, yes, but we also need creativity, vision and cooperation to attack the local mobility problem on many fronts simultaneously. That was the basis of our Smart plan, which originally targeted six transit corridors at once to spread what was envisioned as rail linkage across the map of the county – a map sketched decades ago. Now the plan has been slimmed to two legs to start, with buses instead of rail on another leg, slowing the effort to put other pieces of the puzzle in position. The agreement among leaders not to leave behind any areas thus has been at minimum bent. But it would be shortsighted to say that mobility efforts now have all been focused on a single north-south rail run from Florida City in the south up to the Broward County line at the north. That might be the single most costly attack on our mobility crisis, but it also

might be among the slowest to bear fruit. Far more pieces of the puzzle could be in position years before the first passenger takes a single train trip from Florida City to Broward. We neglect these other pieces of the puzzle to our own discomfort and economic disadvantage. If you doubt that multiple efforts to hack away at congestion are either needed or in the pipeline, you didn’t read this newspaper last week. Including the north-south rail line priority, we published 15 – count ’em, 15 – separate articles on pieces of MiamiDade’s mobility puzzle. Those articles discussed progress of a Brightline rail service that will link downtown Miami with the downtowns of Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, a service promised by year’s end. Virtually every future passenger into or out of downtown Miami would otherwise have been in a car on our roadways and would have been roaming the streets to find parking. Then, six months after Brightline, TriRail commuter service is to link downtown and communities to our north along Brightline’s tracks – more trainloads of former auto commuters into and out of Miami. Then come 136 new Metrorail cars. These are to replace trains we have now, but we can still expect more comfort, reliability and on-time service. Those benefits can perhaps reverse the steady exodus from our rail system. If we can’t adequately serve today’s rail riders, after all, how can we hope that a Smart plan’s north-south service could reach its potential? Another article looked at the hope for a tunnel under the Miami River that would unclog downtown and Brickell traffic that backs up for blocks whenever the Brickell Bridge opens. Remove that single tie-up

L etters Planning council to weigh American Dream Miami

It was with great interest that I read the Oct. 26 article “American Dream Miami battles land use, zoning issues,” written by Marilyn Bowden. I would like to take this opportunity to commend MiamiDade County, Triple Five Group and Graham Properties for their voluntary participation and support for regional coordination and meetings facilitated by the South Florida Regional Planning Council over the last few years. At these meetings public, private, nonprofit, and resident stakeholders have sought to identify, debate, and address myriad issues associated with these two proposed large-scale developments with regional impacts. I would also like to take this opportunity to add to Miguel Diaz de la Portilla’s statement of the council’s review and initial finding of Miami-Dade County Comprehensive Plan Amendment 171ESR consisting of Applications No. 5 (American Dream Miami) and No. 6 (Graham Properties). On Feb 17, council staff received proposed amendment package 17-1ESR (Applications 5 and 6) consisting of map and text changes to the MiamiDade County Community Development Master Plan (CDMP). Both projects sought land use designation changes to accommodate the advancement of the proposed, large “DRI” scale devel-

‘There is no silver bullet that we can fire into the target of gridlock and get a bull’s-eye. Life just isn’t that simple.’ and traffic in the city’s heart becomes almost bearable – a substantial improvement. Far before a tunnel, the Dolphin Station Park & Ride will open in West Dade next year to allow motorists to exit cars and take mass transit to the heart of Miami and back. Every driver who parks and rides is off the roads, With more than 800 long-term parking spaces, that’s 800 cars a day gone. Each of these advances will move hundreds or thousands of extra people every day while using fewer cars. Add them up and they’re significant. But that’s not all. We wrote last week about a new transit hub in Homestead, systems to manage traffic in Miami Beach, a new South Beach trolley, a Little Haiti trolley run in Miami, plans to expand our water taxi (and those passengers too come right off the roads), a large new garage in Coconut Grove that will pull autos out of the center of that area, school bus lanes that could speed roadway traffic, more express bus service, and repairs on Flagler Street, which long has been a traffic stumbling block. Those 15 separate steps that could loosen our mobility straitjacket aren’t all that we could do to relieve congestion for varied geographic groups. No one doubts that a plan to extend SR 836 west and then into the south part of the county would be a traffic godsend, but some object that it would also open

to the

opment American Dream Miami and Graham Properties projects. Florida Statutes require review agencies to provide comments within 30 days of receipt of the amendment package. A staff report containing an evaluation of the potential impacts was presented at the Feb. 27 council meeting. At this meeting, the board voted to hold a special meeting on March 10 to allow for greater public notice and participation; and discussion of the amendments and any potential extra-jurisdictional impacts and adverse effects on regional resources and facilities. At the special meeting, council staff gave a summary of the review process and recommendations, followed by applicant and Miami-Dade County presentations. The board deliberated after asking questions and listening to public comments. The board drafted language to ensure adverse impacts identified by Broward and Miami-Dade counties and affected municipalities would be addressed in a Chapter 163 Agreement, prior to final approval of the amendments. The board ratified council staff recommendations and found proposed amendment package 17-1ESR generally consistent with the Strategic Regional Policy Plan for South Florida (SRPP). The recommendation language follows: Find Amendments 5 and 6 of the Miami-Dade County proposed amendment packet 17-1ESR generally consistent with the Strategic Regional Policy

doors to more unwanted development in sensitive areas. At the same time environmentally friendly steps could increase mobility via an Underline pedestrian and bike pathway running from Brickell 10 miles to the south. Also environmentally friendly are technological changes that might spell an end to gasoline and diesel power for cars that might soon be driving themselves. That in turn could pack far more cars safely onto the same roadways and might result in cars that none of us need own because we will share in their use as needed. Meanwhile, the county says it’s hard at work installing traffic signals so smart that they too can pack more cars onto a roadway and still move traffic faster. That promise, years in the works, might soon be kept. New highway interchange designs also in process here will move more cars through the same space with fewer delays. While all of these upgrades are at stages of becoming reality in Miami-Dade, a Miami Mobility FasTrack study team is promising newer and less costly solutions. We’re eager to learn what else they can find. So, no, there is no silver bullet that we can fire into the target of gridlock and get a bull’s-eye. Life just isn’t that simple, especially when problems are as complex and the malady as advanced as is our congestion. But the good news is that on many fronts and in many areas we’re chipping away at the problem. We need to continue to support those disparate efforts, large and small, even as we seek newer, bolder solutions. The trick will be to avoid some wizard’s distracting promise of a single all-encompassing solution that is more sleight-of-hand than real.

E ditor

Plan for South Florida (SRPP) but prior to final approval the applicants need to ensure that the impacts of these developments, including but not limited to intergovernmental impacts to MiamiDade and Broward counties, and their respective municipalities; transportation; environmental; and other regional impacts identified in Applications No. 5 and No. 6 (May 2016 cycle, revised and replaced January 2017) are adequately quantified and addressed. This specifically includes, but is not limited to, identifying and mitigating regional traffic impacts in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, and coordination with county transit agencies to provide transit service connections to/from North Miami-Dade and South Broward to the proposed onsite transit facilities. This shall be accomplished by execution of a Chapter 163 FS, or other legal agreement, which shall be executed reasonably concurrently with the CDMP. Since the March 2017, council meeting, the staff of the Miami-Dade County Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources, Planning Division,

has been hard at work, in collaboration with the applicants and regional stakeholders, to identify and quantify impacts and the appropriate required mitigation that will be incorporated into the 163 Agreement. When the Amendments 5 and 6 return to the council for final review and approval, the council will consider carefully whether the impacts have been adequately quantified and addressed, and whether the amendments are consistent with the Strategic Regional Policy Plan for South Florida. Tim Daubert, Chair South Florida Regional Planning Council

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TODAY’S NEWS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

MIAMI TODAY

UM professors’ entertaining game yields data for research By Marcus Lim

Two University of Miami professors have created a new mobile game in the name of science. Titled “Blues and Reds,” the puzzle game measures the players’ problem-solving abilities and has two overall objectives: to provide entertainment for the players and to provide scientific data for researchers. Economics professors Konrad Grabiszewski and Alex Horenstein at the UM School of Business Administration came up with the idea last October when they wanted to help advance science in an interesting way where anyone could participate. They identified mobile gaming as the best way to accomplish this. “We realized watching people in transportation, family meetings and our class that they use their phones all the time. This is a huge opportunity for scientists because the technology is already in the hands of billions,” Mr. Grabiszewski said. “You can be anywhere in the world and be a part of research – a game for science.” The two, who have known each other for more than 10 years, had commented that their experiments conducted in the university had lacked data because of their limited sample, which usually only included students. This made their data hard to generalize to others outside the campus environment. “So we thought, why not take the lab and experiments out and put it into everyone’s pockets since everyone uses mobile devices,” Mr. Horenstein said. “The idea is part of our long-term friendship of

two nerds. That was how the idea was born.” The game measures the players’ logical reasoning through interactive problems that get increasingly harder each time. There are 58 levels divided into 10 chapters, where the concept and basics are the same. The player is pitted against the computer, and they take turns moving into position until there is a dead end where there is either a blue or red node. If players land on the blue node, they win. If players land on a red node, they lose. Players who complete all levels will be provided an analysis of their skills and how they rank against others within their demographic groups that include country, age and gender. This identifies the percentage of users who are able to attain the levels for researchers to develop better theories of behavior. For the pair, the creation process was a challenge, as this was their first time ever dreaming up a game. All they had was an idea that they pitched to a board of UM higherups, who approved the idea and gave them an undisclosed budget of less than half a million dollars. The idea of behavioral economics has always been prevalent, but had a boost when the economist Richard Thaler won a Nobel Prize for work in the same field. “We have great satisfaction of coming up with an idea and being able to materialize it. And now we can see the data being generated,” Mr. Horenstein said. “We have interesting behavioral data that will help.” The game, released in August, is free to download and has had 15,000 players from all over the

The game, released in August, is free to download and has had 15,000 players all over the globe so far.

world. Eventually, the researchers believe scientific journals will ask for the results for replication purposes, but until then they are promoting their game globally. The game went live in the China market last week. The two hope to create another game in the future, adding more research for science. “The video game industry is a very important industry from an economic perspective,” Mr. Grabiszewski said. “I look at it from a scientific perspective and how we can use it. The data collected is the treasure that comes from the game.” Details: www.bluesandreds. com

More bike repair stations on way By Katya Maruri

After receiving positive feedback from the community, the City of Miami Beach anticipates adding more bike repair stations within parking garages throughout the city to offer bicyclists more storage and maintenance options, according to the city’s transportation director. The first station, which was installed in August at 11th Street and Washington Avenue, comes equipped with tools such as wrenches, screwdrivers, tire levers and air pumps that are attached to the stand with steel aircraft-grade cables and tamper-proof fasteners. Hangar arms attached to the station allow for the pedals and wheels of the bike to spin freely so that cyclists can make any necessary repairs, Milosh Majstorovic, transportation operations supervisor for the city, Get Your Master’s For an Accelerated Career Boost

STU.EDU/CareerBoost

previously told Miami Today. Since then, said José González, director of transportation for the city, “We have had a lot of positive feedback from the community regarding the bike repair stations.” “I don’t have specific numbers in regards to the use of the stations,” he said, “but I know they are being used, based off of all the good things I hear about them.” In regards to installing new stations, Mr. González said, “we

recently installed a new station a couple weeks ago in North Beach and installed vertical bike parking and bicycle racks in the 17th Street garage on Pennsylvania Avenue and the City Hall Garage on 18th Street and Meridian Avenue across from city hall.” As for what’s coming down the pipeline, Mr. González told Miami Today, “We plan to install more bicycle repair stations in other garages across the city and are very appreciative of the community’s support.”

Ross Report Real Estate by Audrey Ross

House Hunting Tips

research on the neighborhood schools.

You’re finally ready. You’ve got your down payment tucked away, you’re pre-qualified. Now that you’ve jumped through the hurdles, it’s time for the fun part! So, where do you start, when you’re on the hunt for your dream house?

Next, decide how much space you need, and then factor in how much space you want. Is square footage your main concern, or is closet space more of a consideration? Do you have a specific floor plan you’re looking for? Will you consider a house if the backyard is small?

First, concentrate on the neighborhoods that are convenient to your workplace, or if you plan on commuting, decide how long of a drive you’re willing to make. If you have children, also do some

Try to be flexible, in the home design elements that are most important to you. If carpet’s not your favorite choice in flooring, or you’re not wild about the color of the walls, those are design

elements that are easy and inexpensive to change. The floor plan and location are much more important considerations. Once you’ve found the right house at the right price, sit down with your Realtor® to write out an offer. Discuss all the options available to you and have your Realtor® present it. Remember, always strike while the iron is hot! Audrey Ross 305.206.4003 aross@miamirealestate.com www.miamirealestate.com

Alex Horenstein and Konrad Grabiszewski are economics professors.

F ilming These film permits were issued last week by the Miami-Dade County Department of Regulatory & Economic Resources’ Office of Film and Entertainment, (305) 375-3288; the Miami Mayor’s Office of Film, Arts & Entertainment, (305) 860-3823; and the Miami Beach Office of Arts, Culture and Entertainment-Film and Print Division, (305) 673-7070. Stonehenge Circle/Warner Bros. International Television. Cologne. Model Maker. Miami Beach citywide. Imagina Content LLC. Miami. Master Chef. Swale Parking. The Beach Bum Film Holdings LLC. Miami. The Beach Bum. 42 Star Island, 46 Star Island, Haulover Beach Park, Rickenbacker Causeway. Telemundo Studios/NBC Universal Media LLC. Miami. Mi Familia Perfecta. 140-Metro Flagler Building.

M iami

Paradiso Pictures. Miami. MTV SwipeDate. Amelia Earhart Park. N House Productions. Miami. Carters. Countywide. P. Studios Productions Inc. Miami Beach. Only. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide. The Production Factory LLC. Miami Beach. Monsoon. Countywide, Crandon Park Beach, Flamingo Park, Miami Beach citywide. Perry Ellis International. Miami. Photo Shoot. Haulover Beach Park. Pro One Productions Inc. Miami Beach. Sheego Fashion. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide. Carlos Ramos. Surfside. Vehicle Photography. Haulover Park Marina. Spike Productions Corp. Biscayne Park. Madeleine. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide. Harbour Films Inc. Miami. Bon Prix. City of Miami, Countywide, Dade County Streets, Miami Beach citywide.

TODAY’S NEWS

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

$400 million bond issue on ballot has broad uses By John Charles Robbins

Monty’s will get a 32-year lease extension, improve the site and pay more if voters approve the package.

Voters to rule on new Monty’s lease By John Charles Robbins

A popular waterfront venue in Coconut Grove that anchors several small businesses and a marina is looking to gain a long lease extension and make millions in improvements. The land is owned by the City of Miami and a lease amendment or extension requires the approval of city voters at referendum. It is one of several ballot proposals on city ballots in the Tuesday, Nov. 7, General Election. For the city, the changes would mean additional rent revenue and improvements to the property at 2550 S Bayshore Drive, anchored by Monty’s Raw Bar & Restaurant. On July 27, city commissioners approved ballot language to extend the Aligned Bayshore Marina LLC (Monty’s) lease, which would be accomplished through a charter amendment. The official ballot wording is: “Shall Miami’s Charter be amended to extend Aligned Bayshore Marina, LLC’s (“Monty’s”) Lease, requiring Commission to waive competitive bidding, under these terms: 32-year lease extension plus two 10-year options; Monty’s to pay the City $10,000,000.00 in addi13TH ANNUAL

tional rent or an additional 1.75% of gross revenues, whichever is greater, but no less than $1,500,000.00 per year beginning in 2019; and Monty’s contributes $7,500,000.00 in property improvements and a minimum of $4,000,000.00 for future improvements?” The city charter requires that voters approve any sale or lease of city-owned waterfront land. The proposed new lease says the tenant must make at least $7.5 million in improvements to the property within three years of voter approval of the lease amendment. City officials have noted that some of the improvements have already been made or begun. The site includes Monty’s, a Starbucks, small shops and offices, and a marina. The proposed lease would also create a capital account requiring a minimum additional investment to the property of $4 million over the amended lease term including renewal options. It would add a transfer fee if the property were transferred or assigned, and would include a refinancing fee should the property be refinanced after the initial refinancing. Monty’s has been a longtime fixture of the Grove waterfront, and district Commissioner Ken Russell has commended the leaseholder’s willingness to make improvements even before approval of an extended lease.

VETS FOR PETS

G LF

TOURNAMENT EVENT DETAILS: Friday, November 17, 2017

Silent Auction Opens Complimentary Range Balls

Melreese Country Club 1802 NW 37th Avenue Miami, FL 33125

12:00 PM: Gun Shot Start

10:30 AM: Registration Bagged Lunch Golfer Gift Bag Distribution

5:00 PM: Dinner Banquet PLAYER ENTRY Foursome: $900 Individual Golfer: $250 Dinner Banquet Guest: $50

Our mission is to increase access to veterinary care, promote responsible pet ownership, strengthen the human animal bond, and to support reduction of pet overpopulation in our community.

Donations are welcome. Mail to: C. Septer, 15601 SW 170 Ave., Miami, FL 33187 Contact: office@sfvet.org or 786.380.2850

City of Miami leaders point to Hurricane Irma as a wake-up call about the dangers of storm surge and flooding and sea level rise, citing the storm’s impact as they campaign for passage of a general obligation bond proposal. It is one of several proposals on city ballots in the Tuesday, Nov. 7, General Election. Voters will be asked to approve millions in bonds to cover a wide assortment of major capital projects, from roads to parks, enhanced public safety and new affordable housing. The city commission approved the ballot language July 27. The largest chunk, nearly $192 million, would go to sea level rise mitigation and flood prevention. The official wording of the request on the ballot is: “Shall the City issue General Obligation Bonds in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding $400,000,000.00 with interest payable at or below the maximum rate allowed by law, payable from ad valorem taxes levied on all taxable property in the City, provided that the capital projects debt millage not exceed the current rate of 0.5935, to: Reduce Flooding Risks; Improve Stormwater Infrastructure; Improve Affordable Housing, Economic Development, Parks, Cultural Facilities, Streets, and Infrastructure; Enhance Public Safety?” Mayor Tomás Regalado and Commissioner Ken Russell have been joined this fall by the city’s Chief Resilience Officer Jane Gilbert in promoting the proposal as a vital step toward beginning to deal with climate change. A proposal from Mayor Regalado and the city administration had set these amounts for the “Miami Forever General Obligation

Keon Hardemon amended uses.

Bond” categories: Sea level rise mitigation and flood prevention $191,962,000; parks and cultural facilities $58.2 million; roadway improvements $22,838,000; workforce housing $20 million; and public safety $7 million. The grand total was $300 million. But in the end, the commission followed the lead of Chairman Keon Hardemon and made affordable housing a higher priority. Sea level rise and the challenges it poses are important, said Mr. Hardemon at the July meeting, but Miami has a greater immediate need for affordable housing, especially for low-income residents and seniors. Mr. Hardemon suggested changing the category called “workforce housing” to “affordable housing and economic development.” Mr. Hardemon was also successful in an amendment that approved an additional $100 million: $80 million to be added to the affordable housing and economic development category, for a total of $100 million, and adding $20 million to parks and cultural facilities. If the voters approve, the decisions on exactly what projects will be funded will come later and are to be guided by a bond oversight committee.

Redevelopment agency puts more funding into hospitality By Catherine Lackner

Directors of the Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency voted unanimously Monday to continue an ongoing relationship with Miami Dade College’s Hospitality Institute and to grant the institute $225,000 per year. Frank Carollo, CRA director and Miami commissioner, was absent. The grant will only be available to the college upon reimbursement of funds from the US Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, or EDA, said a memo from Clarence E. Woods III, CRA executive director, to the board. “The purpose of the grant award from the EDA was to assist with adaptive re-use and rehabilitation of the property to provide hospitality and culinary training services,” it said. “The underlying mission of the CRA in approving this grant was also to train the community by creating skilled jobs and employment opportunities within the community to help fill an in-

demand skill set for hospitality workers which exists as a need in the local economy. “Since the CRA received the EDA award, the CRA and MDC have had several discussions about MDC moving the institute to a new location within the redevelopment area with the continued support of the CRA … this resolution seeks to authorize the issuance of a grant, in an amount not to exceed $900,000, to MDC for the operation of the institute at a new location within the redevelopment area, for a four-year period.” The CRA and MDC also executed a revocable license in connection with MDC’s use of the current property if it finds a new location, the memo continued. “This resolution also authorizes the executive director to terminate a revocable license considering MDC operating the institute at another location…the termination will be effectuated administratively in accordance with the applicable provisions of the revocable license.”

WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

MIAMI TODAY

Public Hearing NOTICE IS GIVEN that a meeting of the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners will be held on Tuesday, November 7, 2017, at 9:30 AM, in the Commission Chambers, located on the Second Floor of the Stephen P. Clark Center, 111 N.W. First Street, Miami, Florida, wherein, among other matters to be considered, a public hearing will be held at such time that the item is called on the following:

Irma, leadership change slow Zika vaccine trials By Rebecca San Juan

The Miami branch of an international clinical trial evaluating a Zika DNA vaccine is launching into part B late due to a change in leadership and Hurricane Irma. With similar slowdowns elsewhere, the national research project is now a year behind schedule. Locally, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), selected Dr. Diane R. Krieger to join the study after a University of Miami facility failed to start on time. After receiving approval to start in September, the team at QPS Miami Research Associates (QPS-MRA) continues recruiting research subjects after Hurricane Irma further prolonged the process. As other teams in the US and abroad face similar setbacks, the NIH/NIAID anticipates its trial to extend into 2020. Dr. Krieger said she expects to recruit 50 research subjects from Miami-Dade as she begins vaccinations for the VRC 705 project, the official name given to the trial. Dr. Julie E. Ledgerwood and Dr. Grace Chen, the VRC 705 study co-chairs, say they believe that the physicianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prior experience in conducting clinical trials prepares her well as the lead investigator. The clinic is part of a $100 million project funded by the NIH/NIAID. The organization is allocating about $63 million among the 21 facilities according to their needs. The QPS-MRA site at 6141 Sunset Dr., Suite 301, replaces a UM facility for the study. The NIH/NIAID anticipated early this year that Dr. Margaret Fischl, a professor of medicine at UM, would lead the study. But plans changed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Due to operational delays at the site, the University of Miami was not activated for participation in the trial, so it did not enroll or vaccinate any volunteers,â&#x20AC;? said Jennifer Routh, the scientific communications editor for the NIAID. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As expected, additional sites have been activated beyond what was listed in the original release, including the QPS site in Miami.â&#x20AC;? Dr. Fischl was contacted for comment but did not reply to several messages. The other sites experienced similar setbacks. As a result, said Dr. Chen, who communicates with each lead investigator every week, regulatory hurdles and

natural disasters set their investigation a year behind schedule. Dr. Krieger remains in early stages of the recruitment process. She works alongside two study coordinators, four lab analysts and 15 research assistants to find test subjects. Her team taps into social media networks and the QPSMRA database to find candidates ages 18 to 35 from Miami-Dade. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We encourage them to come in if they get symptoms that could be due to Zika,â&#x20AC;? Dr. Krieger said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want them to be close by and within the county to do so.â&#x20AC;? She said she meets with five to 10 candidates per day. As part of the ongoing consenting process, the QPS-MRA team first explains the research process in detail. The patient knows that as part of a randomized, doubleblind placebo controlled trial, neither they nor the doctor will know whether they receive a placebo or vaccine. Some refuse to sign the consent form after learning new information, such as that they cannot get pregnant during the trial. For the candidates that remain, researchers learn each personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s medical history and conduct lab tests and physical exams. Researchers consider whether the candidate would be an ideal test subject for up to 56 days before making their decision. Dr. Krieger expects to accelerate the process through November since she needs to enlist 50 subjects. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will recruit 100 research subjects if Zika becomes endemic in Miami,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As of today, it is not endemic and we are targeting 50.â&#x20AC;? The QPS-MRA team tests the vaccine on a handful of subjects, as of today. A typical visit for approved research subjects may take up to two and a half hours. Dr. Kriegerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s staff starts with protocol procedures, and then injects what may be a vaccine or placebo in both thighs or arms. Researchers observe patients for 15 minutes after they receive a vaccine or placebo for immediate reactions. The patients return after seven days with a diary cataloging their health. They are then to visit the clinic every few weeks for the next two years. The QPS-MRA team vaccinates patients and updates Drs. Ledgerwood and Chen of their progress, but does not analyze any results. Dr. Kriegerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team works toward completing recruitment soon. Her team has enlisted several patients and intends to cap the list this month.

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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 WFSCBUJN SFDPSE PG UIF QSPDFFEJOHT JT NBEF JODMVEJOH UIF UFTUJNPOZ BOE FWJEFODF VQPO XIJDI UIF BQQFBM JT UP CF based. 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For material in alternate format, a sign language interpreter or other accommodation, please call 305-375-2035 or send email to: agendco@miamidade.gov BU MFBTU mWF EBZT JO BEWBODF of the meeting. )"37&: 367*/ $-&3, $)3*4501)&3 "(3*11" %&165: $-&3, For legal ads online, go to http://legalads.miamidade.gov

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

Midtown/Wynwood City tweaks rules that govern Wynwood Yard’s businesses By John Charles Robbins

Miami planning and zoning officials continue to tweak language of proposed legislation to govern temporary uses on vacant land, which impacts so-called pop-up businesses – in particular the venture in the Wynwood Arts District called The Wynwood Yard. City commissioners approved the ordinance amendment after a first reading in September. The final vote has been deferred to December. The Wynwood Yard is a hub of food and culture at 56 NW 29th St. in the heart of Wynwood. This pop-up entrepreneurial hub introduces creative food, drink, design and more in a vibrant outdoor setting in the everevolving Wynwood Arts District. The collection of business start-ups describes itself this way: “The food yard, events-and-livemusic venue and all-day hangout space brings locals a smorgasbord of food, fitness, music and other cultural activities.” Della Heiman, founder of The Wynwood Yard, describes it as a culinary incubator and a community hub. She spoke to commissioners at the first reading of the legislation and thanked Chairman Keon Hardemon for sponsoring the measure. The amendment would modify the requirements for temporary uses on vacant land, and the proposed ordinance notes the growing popularity of pop-ups. “The increasing popularity of temporary uses on vacant land has exposed challenges for code compliance and a lack of flexibility for businesses, and [the city] wishes to promote activation of vacant lands to prevent blight within the community while maintaining proper enforcement measures,” it says. Temporary uses and occupancies are of limited duration on private property or public properties and require special review by the city zoning administrator. Currently, temporary uses on vacant land are limited to temporary structures such as tents, kiosks, mobile or manufactured offices, temporary exhibition areas, and other similar structures, and provide such things as food, arts, entertainment, cultural, civic, scientific, horticultural, vocational or educational uses. The proposed amendment would add the term “food service establishments” and “recreational,” to that section of the zoning ordinance. Any intensive commercial or industrial use or occupancy is strictly prohibited, unless expressly allowed by the zoning ordinance. Currently, temporary uses and occupancies are limited to six months but may be extended

Hand-picked culinary concepts along with a bar and a garden are anchored within the Wynwood Yard.

administratively by the zoning administrator in six-month increments for up to two years. The amendment would extend the times this way: “…a limited duration of one year and can be extended annually administratively by the zoning administrator for a maximum of three years.” The proposal would also add this provision: “Temporary uses on vacant land may be further extended beyond the three [year] maximum by City Commission.” Ms. Heiman, who founded The Wynwood Yard in 2015, told commissioners it has become a launch pad for entrepreneurs in the city to test out their concepts as part of a collaborative community and, ultimately, scale and grow within the culinary ecosystem in Miami. She said 16 culinary tenants work in the space. “We have about eight tenants that have either moved to brick and mortar permanently or are in the process of doing so,” she said.

As a whole, the site cumulatively employs about 120 people, and runs about 30 events out of the space every week. “They’re all in the areas of art, culture, fitness, culinary education. We do a lot of children’s education programming, wellness and sustainability programming,” said Ms. Heiman. The site also has the largest edible organic garden in Miami-Dade County, home to a lot of classes focused on sustainability, cooking, and health and wellness. Tenant Ken Lyon runs two businesses at The Wynwood Yard. He said several tenants have gone from operating temporarily at the yard to becoming a brickand-mortar business elsewhere. “It’s happening right now with several other tenants, including myself … this culinary incubator is taking small start-ups and giving them the room to grow and become more permanent. It’s a very interesting exercise, and

I think it’s very much needed,” Mr. Lyon said. In many cities, it’s often difficult to start a new business from scratch, he said. “So this temporary use permit that we’re working under is succeeding very well, and we think that by continuing it, more and more businesses will be able to be brought forward … we’ve seen an amazing community built there,” he said. David Lombardi, the landlord of The Wynwood Yard, also addressed commissioners. Mr. Lombardi said he’s been developing Wynwood since 2001 and he sees the neighborhood as “a place where the little guy or girl can hang a shingle and start a business and maintain a business.” Mr. Lombardi said Ms. Heiman met him about three years ago, wanting to do a traditional brick and mortar business. “And after we explained how expensive that would be for her

Della Heiman calls the Wynwood Yard a culinary incubator. Ken Lyon runs two businesses at the site.

concept, we talked about this vacant parcel of land that I had on 29th Street, where we were growing vegetables and herbs, and we had one single food truck. “And I discussed with her where I thought this could go, and it could be an incubator for young entrepreneurs. It could be almost a food court. We could program, have music, events, yoga. And she took the ball and ran with it and has done an amazing job,” Mr. Lombardi said. He said The Wynwood Yard is a microcosm of the Miami community; every demographic is represented. “It’s also almost like a public park, where young families come, and the kids run around, and they listen to the music,” he said. “In an area where we’re growing by thousands of vertical residences right now in Midtown, Edgewater and Wynwood, there is no real public park in that particular area, and this has become the de facto place…” Mr. Lombardi said the yard is the best example of what a temporary use permit is for. Hand-picked culinary concepts, along with The Bar at The Yard and a garden by Little River Cooperative, are anchored within the outdoor setting. The current round of food concepts includes della test kitchen, offering plant-based “healthy bowls of happy”; Brazilian Fire’s mobile rodizio grill; Kuenko, offering unique Japanese-Spanish fusion fare conceived of by Michelin-starred Chef Ricardo Sanz; Caribbean-inspired soul food by World Famous House of Mac; and Mr. Bing, a purveyor of Taiwanese-inspired “Ice Cream with a Fork”; The Lone Wolfe Food Truck serving Mexican fusion cuisine; Food Dude bringing authentic Caribbean eats with a contemporary twist; Yoko Matcha, offering 100% organic matcha tea offerings; and Morgan’s Pizza Truck offering wood-fired pizzas. Charcoal Garden Bar + Grill is the first full-service restaurant at The Yard, and the only one in Miami built out of modified shipping containers; it features seasonal, charcoal-grilled food and a bar. Other concepts at The Wynwood Yard include the soonto-open Support Local Market curated by Prism Creative Group and offering hand-picked home, clothing and accessories created by a bi-monthly rotating roster of local artisans and small businesses; Radiate Miami, a one-stop source for natural living and healthy eating offering kombucha, food and natural beauty products; and LivBox, a prototypical container home by design startup Wyn-Box available as a showroom for potential buyers, as well as event rentals.

MIDTOWN & WYNWOOD

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

New developments rising to meet demand in Midtown area By Katya Maruri

Developers in Midtown are meeting the increase in demand for residences by building new developments such as Hyde Midtown and Midtown 8, industry experts say. With such developments underway, experts point to a higher demand for rentals in the Midtown area. “The amount of supply in Midtown is a lot less compared to other markets,” said Carlos Rosso, the president of Related Group’s condominium development division. “There is a big demand for rentals, especially in the Midtown area, because residents get to have an urban lifestyle while being in walking distance from the hottest restaurants and shops.” Hyde Midtown in particular, Mr. Rosso said, which is co-developed by The Related Group and Dezer Development, is expected to be completed by the beginning of the year and will offer 395 luxury condominium residences varying between 681 and 1,595 square feet,

The 28-story Midtown 8 is a quarter of the way through construction, with completion due in early 2019.

and urban lifestyle make up for it.” construction and have completed depending on the residence type. As for Midtown 8, Jennifer Llop- seven or eight floors out of the 28.” “Rents will be high,” Mr. Rosso said, “but the amenities, proximity to Noy, an architect at Stantec said, “We expect,” she said “to compremium retail shopping, fine dining “We are a quarter of the way through plete construction by early 2019

and will offer residents a variety of amenities, retail and more.” As for other towers going up after Midtown 8, Ms. Llop-Noy said, “to my knowledge I haven’t heard anything about any other towers going up after Midtown 8.” Assessing the market as a whole, Jay Steinman, a partner at Duane Morris LLP, said, “The residential market in Midtown continues to grow and has witnessed an escalation in prices over the past few years.” However, he said, due to developers building up Midtown, condo prices have begun to decrease and flatten. “It’s a temporary situation due to the overabundance of new condos,” he said, “but I think the market will straighten out in the next 12-18 months, causing values to rise once again.” Looking forward, he predicted Midtown will continue to a be residential hot spot due to its proximity to prime retail and dining options, making it a place to live, play and work.

Wynwood district aims to extend level of city’s services By Catherine Lackner

The dialogue on appropriate municipal services continues between directors of Wynwood’s Business Improvement District (BID) and Miami and Miami-Dade County officials. “The reason the BID was founded was to bring stakeholders to the table and advocate for the betterment of the district,” said Albert Garcia, the group’s vice chair. “Before modern Wynwood, this was an unsafe area filled largely with vacant, shuttered warehouses,” said Mr. Garcia, who is chief operating officer of Mega Shoes. “A very low level of city services was provided. “But when people started returning, drawn by the street art and other factors, it was time to assess the level of city services, especially security and sanitation.” The BID spends half of its budget on off-duty police officers and “ambassadors” who assist visitors and provide some cleaning services, he said. “We want to be partners with

the city, not provide a replacement for city services,” he said. “We can make the case to the city that the Wynwood of 2017 is far different than it was 15 years ago. It’s become an international destination, and the city and county have to acknowledge that.” Driven by the district’s status as a sought-after area, property values and tax revenues also have increased tremendously, Mr. Garcia said. From 2013 to 2016, property taxes increased from $6,211,013 to $18,409,556, according to a report by Complete Consulting Services Group released inAugust. “This represents an increase of $12,198,543, or 196.40%,” the report said. Last year, more than 1 million people visited Wynwood, generating an economic impact of more than $3 billion, said a report by the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. The typical visitor stayed seven nights, spending $426 each day, the report said. For a party of two, that included $178 for lodging, $129 for restaurant meals, $102 for entertainment, and $354 for gifts

Hailing the Best of

MIAMI

and personal shopping. A profile of Wynwood visitors by the bureau showed that 97% arrived by air, 66% stayed in a hotel, 77% came on a vacation (not for business, a sporting event or to visit someone), and 35% were in the highly desirable 25-to-34 demographic. Significantly, 58% said it was their first trip to Miami. “Wynwood should be a braggingrights beacon for the entire city,” said BID board member David Lombardi, a principal of Lombardi Properties, in August. “For some reason, they don’t seem to get it. It’s disgraceful.” “We’ve been providing more and more to the city and the county,” said BID board member Jonathon Yormak, co-founder and managing principal of East End Capital, at that time. “We not even sure what services we’re getting, and we’re paying more than other areas.” The Complete Consulting Services study surveyed 10 sample properties in other areas said that taxes from 2013 to 2016 rose 55% downtown ($560,524 to $868,793), 95% for Mimo in the upper east side ($307,645 to $600,214), 142% in the Design District ($644,781 to $1.6 million), 42% in Coconut Grove ($470,954 to $667,664) and 20% in Little Havana ($377,225 to

Albert Garcia advocates for Wynwood, included added city services.

$450,748). BID officials will negotiate with a newly elected new mayor and two new commissioners, Mr. Garcia said last week. “We’ll wait until after the

election to sit with them. Property taxes here have risen to three to five times that of other neighborhoods. The city has to reinvest to sustain that growth.”

Wynwood’s derelict buildings falling By Catherine Lackner

Members of the Wynwood Business Improvement District (BID) have scored some victories in their effort to rid the district of dangerous, derelict buildings. In August, Manny Gonzalez, BID executive director, toured by van with city and county staff to “showcase the sites throughout the district that need immediate attention due to being abandoned and unsecured, in addition to other sites that have favorable mosquito breeding locations,” according to a memo. As happens on many summer road trips, they shot a video.

“Several abandoned singlefamily homes have been taken over by homeless people and other nefarious users who gather there,” Albert Garcia, BID vice chair and chief operating officer of Mega Shoes, said last week. “They are a threat to the safety of the district. We worked with the city’s Public Works, Code Enforcement and the Building departments to bring attention to these glaring needs in the district. To their credit, they were quick to respond and quick to take appropriate action.” Some of the structures were demolished, after having been condemned as unsafe by city

fire officials, and others were boarded up and secured, he said. Owners (many of them absentee) were contacted to let them know what was happening with their properties and what their responsibilities are. “There is much work to be done, but it’s getting better,” Mr. Garcia said. “For a long, long time, nobody paid attention, and there are houses like this all over the city. But we felt it needed to be addressed, so we worked with the city to identify these properties. Going into our fifth year as a BID, we are better equipped to deal with these issues; it’s what the BID does best.”

WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

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