Miami Today: Week of Thursday, November 16, 2017

WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017

MIAMI TODAY

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MIAMI TODAY

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WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 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

Time for new mayors to use lessons they learned from dad Miami-Dade’s iconic cities have just elected new mayors who got head starts learning the job: each attorney is son of a mayor of his city and has gained valued lessons about municipal leadership from a mayorattorney father.

In a profile in this issue Francis Suarez talks of his respect for former Miami mayor and now County Commissioner Xavier Suarez. Doubtless Dan Gelber has similar feelings about former judge and Miami Beach Mayor Seymour Gelber.

Still, both new mayors are their own men and will rise or fall on their own performance. Neither will be a copy of dad.

They also govern in different times from their father’s, grappling with altered challenges.

Each new mayor must handle specific irritants as well as pervasive challenges of leadership in a government setting at a time that national leadership falters. How they undertake their roles locally in this new federal era of invective will be vital.

Specifically, both new mayors need to lead on climate change, as well as on mobility within their own community and between communities. These challenges

pervade this region, but both transportation and sea level rise are particularly pressing in these two cities.

Miami Beach under Philip Levine and Miami under Tomás Regalado both prioritized sea level rise, but neither predecessor mayor came close to finishing the job. Mayors Gelber and Suarez can be expected to get out in front. We would hope their steps would be not more studies but more action.

This issue is not going to either go away or be “solved” – it’s a long-term battle.

As for transportation, Mayor Gelber must decide whether to follow Mr. Levine’s model of going it alone or to get fully involved with linking the county in better mobility.

Miami Beach’s traffic is more congested than ever. A trolley system just completed is a very good step, but a small one. Mr. Gelber should think bigger, and more collegially with the mainland.

Mr. Suarez as city commissioner and on the county’s Transportation Planning Organization has actively sought county-wide mobility. As mayor he will need to get in front of his city and seek concrete, broadrange actions on several fronts at once.

Both mayors should also take on massive development. Local government seems to judge each project as though it was the only building about to rise.

In the core of Miami, new tower after new tower dumps cars onto congested streets in ever-growing streams. What if developments were approved only as transportation and parking improvements or changes in transit use, carpooling and lifestyle were

removing cars from the roads, so that the total remains about finite? Mayors are the people who can produce such radical change.

Each new mayor also will confront unique challenges.

In Mayor Gelber’s case, one is to get his city off of square one in creating hotel rooms for an upgrading city convention center. A large adjoining hotel would lure prime conventions. A small hotel might reduce traffic and wouldn’t compete with existing hotels.

Yet a size compromise would fail both sides, neither luring conventions nor appeasing competitors. The mayor will have to lead.

Mayor Suarez has his own challenges.

Will he promote or roadblock a “signature” bridge downtown? Will he push to lease city-owned waterfront, conserve patrimony or let nature take its course? Will he promote or pull back on efforts to develop a city office building and pull cash out of the present site on the Miami River, or let the city commission take the lead? Will he lead on a true park in Bicentennial Park?

The challenges go on.

Each issue comes back to a single attribute: leadership. Each city is structured so that a professional manager runs day-to-day operations, leaving to the mayor the vital job of leading.

The mayor gets the bully pulpit, the right to address government, the voters, the residents and the world in the name of an iconic city.

The whole world knows of Miami and Miami Beach. The mayor of each can play on a stage as broad as he likes, as Philip Levine

is showing right now in a gubernatorial run based on having run Miami Beach.

By contrast, Carlos Giménez is mayor of the far more powerful Miami-Dade County, but outside of Florida both Miami and Miami Beach dwarf the county’s image. The cities are the icons, and their mayors hold bully pulpits.

From such a pulpit should issue calls for actions, large and small, and the even larger visualization in words of what a Miami or a Miami Beach should stand for.

All cities aren’t the same, and other than a few platitudes their aims shouldn’t be the same, either.

Is Miami Beach a party town? A business hub? A vacation getaway? A magnet for the globe? A wonderful hometown? A retirement site for the rich? A new tech or finance center? Something else?

You could ask similar questions about Miami.

One thing is certain: if we choose all the attributes as correct answers, we become nothing to anybody.

Everyone can play in deciding what we are or want to be. But the mayor gets to lead the band – and he should lead it. In everything from economic development to quality of life, the mayor is responsible to not only voice an opinion but then lead to achieve measurable gains.

Mayors Gelber and Suarez learned lessons of true leadership long ago at home.

Now it’s their turn to call on their lessons to the benefit of their cities. The voters who chose them should demand nothing less.

After privatizing air traffic control, Britain hits sticky wicket As Congress takes up a bill to renew funding of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the controversial plan from Pennsylvania Rep. Bill Shuster to privatize US air traffic control promises to be a sticking point.

One thing Congress clearly does not need is an additional source of delay in doing its normal business, given the pressing problems with hurricane relief, passage of a budget and other major legislative tasks.

Boosters of the plan often point to the example of countries that have undertaken similar reorganizations, including Great Britain. Chances are they haven’t talked to travelers who bear the burden of that new regime. It turns out that doubts over the wisdom of the British restructuring are rising in Britain itself.

If you think airline service in the US is terrible, apparently privatization in European countries has not spared their passengers from the same grief. Complaints from travelers in Europe about flight delays and unpleasant conditions in the air and in airport terminals would be familiar to US travelers. On Aug. 7, the British Independent ran a story headlined “Every summer, airports and everyone connected with air travel decide to inflict as much misery as possible on customers – and no one is prepared to take the blame.”

The British National Air Traffic System (‘NATS’) was privatized in 2001, when a 51% ownership share was sold to the private sector. Control in this arrangement was dominated by the major airlines, which

The Writer

Max Sawicky is an economist and writer specializing in public finance and privatization. is also what is feared will result in the US from Rep. Shuster’s plan. Two advantages of the British reform compared to the proposal in our Congress is, first, the British government kept an ownership stake in the system, and, second, it made some money by selling shares to the airlines. Under the Shuster plan, the entire set-up would be given away for free.

In August, Britain’s air traffic regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority, reported that NATS service suffered from failure to manage staffing shortages due to sickness, unforeseen retirements and refusals to work overtime. The example of European nations’ privatization of air traffic control is often cited as evidence of its appropriateness for the US, but apparently service across Europe also leaves much to be desired.

One motive for privatization in the US is the need to upgrade the technology.

This appears to have been a problem in the British case, even after privatization.

The head of the British system was quoted as saying “The UK’s airspace was designed decades ago and doesn’t allow us to take advantage of the technology on board modern aircraft that would raise capacity, and also reduce emissions and noise for communities on the ground.”

Technological advance and innovation are said to be the fruits of privatization, but apparently such benefits are not guaranteed.

In the same vein, in 2014 British business secretary and parliamentarian Vince Cable criticized NATS for inadequate capital investment. As the BBC reported, “He said it was running ‘ancient computer systems, which then crash.’” This was in the wake of a computer glitch that, according to the BBC, affected “thousands of passengers.”

NATS’ difficulties with investment points to a problem that could arise in the US case. The separation of NATS from full British government control came with strings attached that limit NATS’ ability to raise its own funds for investment.

The result is that the British government has been obliged to provide additional funds. Under the Shuster plan, the new system would have more power to set its own taxes and fees, but insofar as Congress objects to an independent agency creating revenue-collection devices, the federal government could still end up responsible for bailouts and other infusions into a new air traffic control entity. At the same time, the difficulty of “letting go” means the same political pressures that inhibit investment in the US could carry over into a new “privatization” set-up.

Aside from technological weakness, why isn’t the NATS system working?

Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), their own version of the FAA, found understaffing and low employee morale to be problems. They also said the air traffic control system needed to “boost its resilience.” In the US, a lack of flexibility in the face of adversity is a complaint commonly directed at government operations, one that privatization is supposed to remedy.

The CAA sourly noted “Nats is already the second-highest cost air traffic control

service provider in the EU, and posted profits of £126 million last year.” So not only is service lacking, but British travelers are paying a premium for it.

Air traffic control privatization was not the only sad chapter in British transportation policy. In 1996 they performed a wholesale privatization of passenger rail.

Subsequently, multiple polls of Britons have shown a preference for nationalizing it again.

Going on with yet another dubious privatization bespeaks the Brits’ triumph of hope over experience. In economics, we call the prevalence of beliefs that have been disproven many times over “zombie economics.”

As long as most of the big airlines have a big financial interest in taking over air traffic control, it’s another of those bad ideas that will never die.

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TODAY’S NEWS

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017

Commissioner aiming to save West Grove’s shotgun homes

By John Charles Robbins

Shotgun homes – simple, long and narrow – are remnants of and reminders of South Florida’s earliest settlers.

These rare houses are worth saving and protecting, says Commissioner Ken Russell, who wants the City of Miami to adopt new historic preservation rules to bolster that quest. His district includes the West Grove, where about 20 so-called shotgun homes remain.

“The Grove has a lot of historic homes being lost,” he told colleagues Oct. 26. He mentioned the shotgun homes, calling them iconic.

At that meeting, commissioners unanimously approved on first reading an ordinance amending the city’s historic preservation rules to provide definitions and establish provisions for multiple property designations.

The proposal would carve out a new method of historic designation by the city. Mr. Russell said the current ordinance allows historic designation of one single property or of an entire district.

“I want something in-between,” said Mr. Russell.

A background memo on the proposal says that on Oct. 3 the city’s Historic and Environmental Preservation Board voted 9-0 to recommend approval of the amendment.

“This amendment will establish provisions whereby a group of thematically-related significant properties can be nominated for historic designation by the use of a streamlined alternative to historic district designation as only eligible thematically-related resources are surveyed,” it reads.

Mr. Russell’s ordinance says the preservation of the city’s

These homes are similar to West Grove shotgun homes that Commissioner Ken Russell aims to save.

historic resources is a significant goal in the city’s overall vision for its future.

The intent of the historic preservation chapter of the city code is to preserve and protect the heritage of the city through the identification, evaluation, rehabilitation, adaptive use, restoration, and public awareness of Miami’s historic, architectural, and archaeological resources.

In the proposed amendment, “Multiple Property Designation” means two or more historic resources related by a common theme, general geographical area, and period of time that has been designated by the preservation board.

The term “Multiple Property,” is described this way: Designa-

tion boundaries shall in general be drawn to include all Historic Resources related by a common theme and may include properties which individually have no relation to the theme. Properties within the boundary that have no relation to the theme will not require regulation under this Chapter of the City Code unless they are individually designated Historic Resources or included within a historic district or archaeological zone.

“The intention is not to go in and create large themes,” said Warren Adams, the city’s new preservation officer.

The proposal is one of several legislative steps contemplated by Mr. Russell and the commission in a broad effort to bring new life to the impoverished neighborhood.

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Mr. Russell reminded fellow commissioners and the audience of other steps, including directing the city manager’s office to study the West Grove for property opportunities for construction of affordable housing, and studying the possibility of expanding the Omni Community Redevelopment Area, or CRA, to include the West Grove.

Financial assistance to help homeowners preserve their houses could come from several sources, Mr. Russell said, including a general obligation bond up

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, North Bay Road/41st to 64th streets, Sunset Islands.

Imagina Content LLC. Miami. Master Chef. Swale Parking.

Fox Entertainment Group/RMTV. Los Angeles. AC53. Collins Avenue/41st to 87th streets, Haulover Beach, Ocean Drive/Fifth to 15th streets, South Pointe Pier.

Beach Bum Film Holdings LLC. Culver City. The Beach Bum. Crandon Park Tennis Center, Miami-Dade County Courthouse, Rickenbacker Causeway Fishing Pier,

for a vote of residents this week, final adoption of Art in Public Places rules, CRA expansion, and the Dade Heritage Trust.

Dolly MacIntyre of the Dade Heritage Trust board spoke in favor of the proposed amendment, saying the changes will make historic designation more efficient in the city.

She called it a “win-win” for the city and historic preservation.

Commissioner Wifredo “Willy” Gort supports the proposed amendment but said city officials should make sure to keep the public informed about historic designations, and to let potential buyers of designated homes know of the designation.

In a recent letter to the editor in Miami Today, Dr. Karelia Martinez Carbonell, president of the Historic Preservation Association of Coral Gables, praised Mr. Russell’s stance in proposing to protect and preserve the 20 or so remaining Bahamian-style homes in the Grove.

“These historic homes (also known as shotgun houses) are in danger of being lost to gentrification and development. Many have already been lost to neglect and destruction,” she wrote.

Shotgun houses are wooden frame structures one room wide and three rooms deep, with doors at the gable ends, wrote folklife curator Tina Bucuvalas.

This house type originated in West Africa and is common throughout the Caribbean and the American South, she wrote.

A second and final vote is scheduled today (11/16).

in

M iami

Rickenbacker Marina, Stockade, William Powell Bridge Turnaround.

Forest Productions Inc. Burbank. Warriors of Liberty City, Miami Beach citywide.

Paradiso Pictures. Miami. MTV SwipeDate. Amelia Earhart Park.

NFGTV Inc. D/B/A Eastern. New York. Love & Hip-Hop Miami. Miami Beach citywide.

ToT Movie LLC. Miami. ToT movie. Bradford House.

N House Productions. Miami. Carters. Countywide.

Pro One Productions Inc. Miami Beach. Sheego Fashion. Countywide, Miami Beach citywide, Rickenbacker Causeway Beaches.

AREA1202. New York. FILA FW18 Athlete Shoot. Crandon Park Tennis Center.

The Production Factory LLC. Miami Beach. SBC Advertising. Swale Parking.

Mobile Arts Inc. Miami Beach. Koh’s Swim. Haulover Beach.

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TODAY’S NEWS

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017

Miami looks at a public benefits trust to create Underline

By John Charles Robbins

In the City of Miami, developers can earn additional floor space and height and other advantages by committing to spend money on public benefits, like constructing a new section of the baywalk or improving a nearby park.

In some cases the developer can pay cash into a public benefits fund in lieu of making the improvements.

The city employs the process to raise money for needed capital projects, from street improvements to affordable housing.

City commissioners are planning to create a public benefits trust to help fund The Underline, a 10-mile linear park and urban trail. The item, sponsored by Francis Suarez, is due for a preliminary vote at today’s (11/16) city commission meeting.

The proposal would establish The Underline Public Benefits Trust Fund by amending part of the city code entitled Planning and Zoning/Public Benefits Trust Fund.

As currently written, the proposed ordinance says The Underline “presents an extraordinary opportunity to generate a significant amount of economic development in the region by increasing property values along the corridor and thus stimulating new and unique developments” that can reinforce The Underline’s vision as a new sector of the region.

The ambitious plan calls for transforming the land under the county’s elevated Metrorail into a linear park, urban trail and living art destination.

Miami-Dade County controls the land under the Metrorail, property that runs the length

The 10-mile Underline, which has been in the works four years, is due to be done in seven more years.

of the tracks. It is designated a Rapid Transit Corridor and also referred to as the M-Path.

Miami-Dade County’s Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department has partnered with Friends of The Underline to turn 10 miles of pathway beneath the Metrorail into something special.

The initial plan includes upgrades to the M-Path between the Miami River north of Brickell and the Dadeland South station.

About half of the 10-mile route is in the City of Miami.

The new legislation notes that the city seeks to encourage reinvestment of construction and maintenance from development abutting The Underline.

It is intended that The Underline Public Benefits Trust Fund be established to collect cash contributions “to support reinvestment into the creation, operation, and maintenance,

including capital and operating costs” of The Underline Master Plan vision within the city limits, the ordinance reads.

It is further intended that The Underline Public Benefit Trust Fund money may be expended as the city’s share of the cost of an eligible project undertaken or developed by other governmental entities or through a publicprivate partnership, according to the proposal.

Money from this new fund must be allocated annually to: Construct, maintain, operate, manage, or provide funds for improvements to The Underline within the city limits that is designed to improve connectivity for city residents from the Miami River south to the city limits along the M-Path as a linear park, providing that municipal expenditures will be within the city limits, it reads.

This yearly allocation would be by the city commission, upon the city manager’s recommendation.

The proposal would also require an annual financial report on the trust fund prepared at the close of the fiscal year by the city manager, for review and approval by the city commission.

If approved, the trust fund would be just one of several funding methods to support the project.

The City of Miami was an early supporter of The Underline, contributing money toward the master plan in the fall of 2015.

In September 2016, city commissioners approved an understanding with the county to fund part of The Underline with park impact fees from new development.

The impact fees would come from new development within

1,000 feet of The Underline and wouldn’t exceed $50 million, according to the agreement.

The project’s vision is to enhance connectivity, mobility and biking safety for hundreds of thousands of Miami-Dade residents and visitors.

Meg Daly, founder of Friends of The Underline, said the project will make Miami a “connected, engaged community” and will add 60 acres of new open space – 10 acres in Brickell alone.

She said the project will be an economic driver, encourage more transit-oriented development and improve public safety.

More than 200 businesses and neighborhood associations support The Underline, and many area municipalities have provided funds for it. The largest private pledge was $600,000 from Swire Properties Inc., announced in 2016.

The project really got off the ground in October 2014 when county commissioners endorsed The Underline and provided a funding plan. James Corner Field Operations was chosen as master plan design team for the project.

Miami commissioners approved a $200,000 allocation to the county to help pay for the master plan, while the City of Coral Gables contributed $50,000 toward the master plan.

Friends of The Underline reported that the project received a $5 million appropriation from the Florida Legislature this year.

These funds were directed to Miami-Dade County for construction and are in addition to 2016 SunTrail grants and a $2 million appropriation, for a total of more than $11 million from the state.

$70 million Underline project has $27 million to get going

By Marcus Lim

The Underline project, which hopes to introduce walking as a daily part of Miamians’ life by transforming 10 bare miles underneath the elevated Metrorail route into a linear

bike and pedestrian path with recreational parks, is expected to finish within seven years as funds are rolling in.

The nine-phase project is now in its fourth year, said Meg Daly, president and CEO of nonprofit Friends of The Underline.

Hailing the Best of

MIAMI

Currently, the first two phases are fully funded for construction at $27 million, which is roughly three of the 10 miles that stretch from the Dadeland South Station of the Metrorail to the Brickell Station.

Construction of the first three miles, to be done by MiamiDade, is expected to start at the beginning of next year, giving optimism to Ms. Daly, who said progress on the timetable has exceeded expectations, pointing out that New York’s 1.45-mile High Line, an elevated linear park from which The Underline drew inspirations, took 10 years to be built/ Sister project six-mile Atlanta BeltLine took 18 years.

“We will be on the ground next year. This could possibly be the fastest-moving project of this scope in the country,” Ms. Daly said. “It shows we have a need in transforming how people move, and this project fulfills the need to provide solutions for Miami and urban parks.”

Ms. Daly first thought of the idea four years ago after she had broken both arms and couldn’t drive. Walking underneath the Metrorail to get physical therapy, she noticed the land,

mostly covered in dirt and grass, was large but she was the only one using it. She saw potential in transforming the land into a linear park space and enhanced urban trail that spans 120 acres.

“Our lead talking point is transforming the way we move.

The reason why people are in their cars a lot is because we built a city that revolves around a car,” Ms. Daly said.

“If we built it revolving around walking or transit, the city will be less reliant on a car.”

Miami city Meg Daly commissioners agreed last year, approving a memo of understanding with the county to fund up to $50 million for the project, which is contingent on future construction. MiamiDade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department also partnered with Friends of The Underline to help transform the pathway.

“Enhancing this recreational space within the city will provide numerous benefits to the surrounding community,” last year’s resolution read.

The entire project is expected to cost $70 million. The State of Florida, Miami-Dade County, Florida Department of Transportation and private donors are helping to fund this project.

Additional features include a bike parking garage that accommodates over 100 bicycles, improvements to 34 intersections on the stretch to increase pedestrian safety by having more lights and longer crossing times, and having trees and benches that will be named after donors.

While Ms. Daly admits presently walking in Miami is “incredibly unsafe,” she hopes that when more people use The Underline it will make people feel safe to walk. She also hopes this project encourages children to walk, so that they will adopt the idea when they are older, creating a new generation in which Miamians walk.

“This is a great city, you don’t want to drive in a great city. You experience it on foot,” Ms. Daly said. “And this is an urban solution. This is what this generation is demanding a transportation alternative.”

Details: www.theunderline.org or email info@theunderline.org.

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TODAY’S NEWS

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017

Tides flooding Miami River area without rains, team told

By John Charles Robbins 80

Relative Sea Level Rise near Key West (Inches relative to mean sea level)

Climate change is real and South Florida is feeling the effects now.

That’s the assessment of Keren Bolter, Ph.D., climate, policy and geospatial analyst at the South Florida Regional Planning Council, in a presentation to the Miami River Commission’s Urban Infill and Greenways Subcommittee regarding sea level rise and climate change in the Miami River District.

Showing photos of flooded yards and streets, Ms. Bolter said action is needed to fight sea level rise.

“It’s happening … It’s not something to argue about,” she said.

Ms. Bolter said tidal flooding has hit portions of the Miami River District without rain events.

She noted the limestone in the ground is porous and the water rises through the limestone, as has been seen in the lower riverfront portion of Sewell Park.

“It’s like Swiss cheese – all the seawalls in the world won’t protect us,” Ms. Bolter said.

“People and property are at risk,” she said. “The good news is: There is time. We need to address current and future impacts.”

Those impacts include tidal flooding; saltwater intrusion; failing drainage; malfunctioning canals; beach erosion; habitat loss; and reduced groundwater storage.

She detailed sea level rise projections for Southeast Florida from an October 2015 report from the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact Sea Level Rise Work Group. The report updated a study from 2011.

“The objective of the unified sea level rise projection for the

Unified Sea Level Rise Projection (Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact, 2015)

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IPCC ARS MEDIAN (INCHES)

USACE HIGH (INCHES)

NOAA HIGH (INCHES)

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2030

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81

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USACE Intermediate/NOAA Intermediate Low

0 1992

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Southeast Florida region remains consistent that the projection is for use by the Climate Compact Counties and partners for planning purposes to aid in understanding of potential vulnerabilities and to provide a basis for developing risk informed adaptation strategies for the region,” the report says.

For the 2015 update, the starting point for all sea level rise projections was shifted from 2010 to 1992. This allows direct use of local tide station information to convert projections into local water surface elevations for flood vulnerability studies and is consistent with current guidance from

2010

2020

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the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency.

The Unified Sea Level Rise projection for Southeast Florida has also been extended to 2100 in recognition of the need for longer-range guidance for major infrastructure and other long-term investments now being planned.

In the short term, sea level rise is projected to be 6 to 10 inches by 2030 and 14 to 26 inches by 2060 above the 1992 mean sea level. In the long term, sea level rise is projected to be 31 to 61 inches by 2100, the report says.

“For critical infrastructure proj-

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ects with design lives in excess of 50 years, use of the upper curve is recommended with planning values of 34 inches in 2060 and 81 inches in 2100,” the report reads.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Jet Propulsion Laboratory reported in 2015 that the average global sea level had risen almost 3 inches between 1992 and 2015 based on satellite measurements.

Sea level rise in South Florida has been of similar magnitude over the same period but is anticipated to outpace the global average due to ongoing variations in Florida currents and the Gulf

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Stream, the report says.

Ms. Bolter stated the need for adaptation strategies like land use regulations and building codes, limits on insurance costs, redesign and retrofit structures, updates for drainage, flood control and water supply infrastructure, and increased coastal protection.

She said if we wait, the costs of these needed expensive improvements will increase.

On Nov. 7, City of Miami voters approved a $400 million general obligation bond, which is to include nearly $192 million for sea level rise mitigation and flood prevention projects.

New York nonprofit funds new anti-flooding park design

By J ohn Charles Robbins

One of the largest and most popular parks in the City of Miami will be getting improvements, and a grant may help spur on the renovation.

Jose Marti Park, at 351 SW Fourth St., lies next to the Miami River and in the shadow of an elevated I-95 freeway.

The Van Alen Institute, a New York City 501(c)(3) not-forprofit, has awarded the city a gift and a grant for the design development phase of a new general plan for the park, which anchors the east side of Little Havana.

City commissioners are to consider acceptance of the gift and grant today (11/16).

The institute collaborates with communities, scholars, policymakers and professionals on local and global initiatives to investigate the most pressing social, cultural and ecological challenges of tomorrow, according to Jane Gilbert, the city’s chief resilience officer.

In a letter, Ms. Gilbert recommends the city accept the in-kind service donation from the institute for a new general design of Jose Marti Park to address flood risk in Little Havana.

The institute is donating its

North part of Jose Marti Park lacks seawall, is hit by tidal flooding.

professional consulting for advising, providing input, assisting with community engagement and other services to assist the city with the design phase of park improvements.

The gift is about $120,000 of in-kind services, plus $60,000 in funds to compensate the design team selected through the city’s request for qualifications for the conceptual design.

Commissioners will be asked

to approve, by four-fifths vote, City Manager Daniel Alfonso’s recommendation waiving competitive sealed bidding as not being practicable to accept the donation of services and money.

A background memo from the manager’s office says the design phase would involve developing a new general plan for the park, taking into consideration increasing flood risks associated with sea level rise, unique

cultural heritage of Little Havana, increasing use related to developments surrounding the park, and parking, transportation and access issues.

The process would research and analyze site and contextual elements, identify opportunities and constraints, engage stakeholders and community residents, and recommend a phased approach for implementation.

The institute’s consulting includes assistance with the development of the city’s request for qualifications to select the design team, assistance with community engagement, and other tasks, the memo says.

The park is home to a public riverwalk the length of the property.

On the southern end of the park is an elevated seawall.

There is no seawall on the northern portion and tidal flooding floods the riverwalk, a green space area and beyond.

Once the design is complete, the cost of much of the improvements is expected to be paid as part of a public-private partnership between the city and a developer who owns the property next door on the river, CG Miami River LLC. A plans calls for multiple

towers offering residential, hotel, offices and retail space in a project to be called simply Miami River. City commissioners approved the partnership and the project in October 2015.

The developer has committed to millions in public benefits to the park as part of a five-phase development.

The agreement calls for the developer to renovate a pool and restroom, demolish gates, plazas and structures, and construct a children’s interactive fountain and playground and adult game area, outdoor built-in gym, plus add new equipment, a canoe launch and concession area, and improve the park with landscaping, hardscaping and signage.

A list of estimated costs attached to the development agreement shows that contributions to Jose Marti Park, including seawall repairs, riverwalk and Art in Public Places, totals more than $6 million.

Jose Marti Park offers swimming, baseball, basketball, a playground and a gymnasium, along with after school programs, summer camp, spring break camp, winter camp, ESOL classes, arts and crafts for seniors, computer classes and more.

MIAMI TODAY

WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017

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Arts & Culture Institute of Contemporary Art Miami opens museum Dec.1

By Katya Maruri

With preparations underway to open its permanent home in the Miami Design District on Dec. 1, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami plans to kick off its grand opening with a bold inaugural program that its director says reflects the museum’s commitment to championing new narratives in contemporary art, while providing a platform for the exchange of art and ideas.

“We are thrilled to unveil ICA Miami’s new permanent home in December and to sustain our commitment to free general admission, inviting the entire community to engage with our dynamic inaugural program,” said Ellen Salpeter, director of ICA Miami. “We look forward to building on the diverse spectrum of exhibitions and educational programs offered year round from workshops for teens and youth, to public talks and activities, to seminars for graduate students that foster cross-cultural dialogue and the exchange of ideas.”

As a result, the museum’s

Photo by Iwan Baan

Ellen Salpeter cites free admission.

ICA museum will enter its new permanent 37,500-square-foot home.

new 37,500-square-foot home, which was designed by the Spanish firm Aranguren + Gallegos Arquitectos and funded entirely by a major capital gift from Irma and Norman Braman, will provide guests with the opportunity to view exhibitions from local and international artists in its new exhibition galleries, ground floor galleries and 15,000-square-foot sculpture garden.

One of those exhibitions includes its inaugural program of “The Everywhere Studio,” which brings together over 50 artists from the past five decades to reveal the artist’s studio as a charged site that has both predicted and responded to broader social and economic changes of our time.

“The inaugural program of the new ICA Miami represents an expansion of the depth and

breadth of our programmatic approach,” said Alex Gartenfeld, deputy director and chief curator of ICA Miami in a release.

“Thematic surveys such as ‘The Everywhere Studio’ will explore critical topics in contemporary practice through the work of today’s leading artists as well as their predecessors,” he said. “These major exhibitions, in addition to solo presentations of rarely exhibited bodies of

work like those of Senga Nengudi and Hélio Oiticica, are key examples of ICA Miami’s commitment to bringing fresh perspectives to our understanding of contemporary art, fostering dialogue and expanding scholarship in the field.

“The inaugural program,” he said, “also represents the global and local voices represented in ICA Miami’s programs, from renowned Trinidadian artist Chris Ofili to emerging Miami artist Tomm El-Saieh.”

As to what sets the museum apart from other cultural institutions, Ms. Salpeter told Miami Today, “We are free, we are new and we are exciting, and what sets us apart is that you can step into the museum for a planned visit or stop by for a lunch meeting in the sculpture garden and answer emails.”

“It all depends,” she said, “on what visitors feel like seeing and doing.”

Looking forward, she said, “We are extremely excited to open on Dec. 1, and are looking forward to welcoming Miami to the museum.”

Science museum passes half-million attendance and adds on

By Katya Maruri

After opening its doors to the public sixth months ago, the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science has seen strong attendance, a spokesman said, resulting in an expansion of its planetarium shows and exhibitions.

“We’ve had an extremely strong response and warm welcome from the community,” said Rebecca Dorfman, a public relations manager at the museum. “Our visitor numbers from opening through Oct. 31 were 529,800.”

As for meeting attendance expectations, she said, “We never really set specific metrics on how many visitors we expected in the first year, but we’re thrilled with the number of attendees.”

As a result, the museum has added a new planetarium show and two new exhibitions to its traveling gallery spaces.

“Since opening, we’ve added one more planetarium show and welcomed two new exhibitions in our traveling gallery spaces, which include, Brain: The Inside Story and Monster Fish: In Search of the Last River Giant,” she said, “both of these exhibitions will be open through Spring 2018.”

Beyond this, she told Miami Today, the museum has expanded its ‘Laser Fridays’ programming to the first and third Friday of every month instead of just one Friday night per month, and has added shows such as Queen and Beyonce to its lineup.

The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science added a show in its 250-seat planetarium as first-year attendance has passed 530,000.

In regards to the museum branching out into the community, she said, “Frost Science was just selected by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Wells Fargo as one of eight non-profit organizations nationwide to receive a grant aimed at increasing community capacity to plan and

implement coastal resilience projects and improve the ability of urban coastal communities to adapt to sea level rise.”

As a result, she said, “in partnership with the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County Resilience offices and other local non-profits, we were awarded $289,000 to re-

store 17 acres of living shorelines, create a unique exhibition about sea level rise adaptation in South Florida and work with youth in three urban communities facing threats from sea level rise to tell their stories about sea level rise adaptation in their communities and identify solutions.”

Looking forward, she said, the museum plans to continue focusing its efforts on sharing the power of science, sparking wonder and investigation, and fueling innovation for the future through its interactive exhibitions, unique shows and projects.

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MIAMI TODAY

ARTS & CULTURE

WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017

Ballet will offer its ‘Nutcracker’ in Los Angeles for 3 years

By Katya Maruri

As the Miami City Ballet enters its 32nd season with 51 dancers and a repertoire of more than 100 ballets, the company’s interim executive director points to continued growth after signing an agreement with the Los Angeles Music Center to perform George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker” in Miami and Los Angeles for the next three years.

“We recently signed an agreement with the LAMusic Center, which is part of the organization that manages Disney Hall, to perform ‘The Nutcracker’ in both Los Angeles and Miami over the next three years, making the ballet company bicoastal,” said Michael Tiknis, the interim executive director. “This year’s production of ‘The Nutcracker’ will be overseen by the husband-wife duo, Isabel and Ruben Toledo and will feature new sets and costumes, while retaining George Balanchine’s iconic choreography and Tchaikovsky’s timeless score performed by the Opus One Orchestra.”

As to how this agreement would impact the Miami City Ballet financially, Mr. Tiknis said, “right now our budget is between $17 million and $18 million and has been growing steadily over the past five to six years, which we anticipate will continue to grow at a steady rate.”

“For us,” he said, “the size of our budget speaks to the community’s commitment to quality and has allowed us to become one of the largest arts organizations in South Florida.”

The Miami City ballet has 51 dancers as it enters its 32nd season, with a budget of $17 million to $18 million that has been growing.

Looking forward, though, he said, “We are in the process of developing a five-year strategic plan that will be focused on affirming the Miami City Ballet’s current mission, or achieving consensus on a revised mission, building consensus among board, staff and key stakeholders on the future direction of the organization, deepening engagement among select stakeholder and constituent groups, and developing a strong foundation upon which the Miami City Ballet can accelerate transformational and sustainable growth during the next five years and into its future.”

In order to achieve these goals, he said, the ballet team has been engaged in strategic planning that includes strategic visioning and qualitative and quantitative research to engage key stakeholders and constituents.

The resulting plan, he said, is practical, ambitious and responsive to Miami City Ballet’s current and potential stakeholders.

Aside from the ballet company’s strategic plan, he said, the Miami City Ballet is also looking forward to hosting its 25th anniversary gala in benefit of its Miami City Ballet scholarship fund.

“The Miami City Ballet School will be celebrating its 25th anniversary on March 10, 2018, at the Faena Forum,” Mr. Tiknis told Miami Today, “which will include an evening of dinner and dancing showcasing an artistic extravaganza inspired by the school’s history and community impact.”

As for the ballet’s plans and goals, he said, “we plan to continue working on and sustaining the level of artistic excellence that is associated with the Miami City Ballet and are looking forward to seeing its continued growth and success.”

Withdrawn Olympia Theater offer may still spark renovation

By John Charles Robbins

A developer’s proposal to renovate the historic Olympia Theater building in downtown Miami may be the catalyst for a restoration of the entire property – even though the proposal was withdrawn after voices of opposition were raised.

Now the owner of the famous venue, the City of Miami, is studying exactly what will be needed to bring the theater and the old building above it new life.

And the emphasis is to be on historic preservation at the outset, according to Ken Russell, vice chairman of the city commission.

The city owns the aging Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts at 174 E Flagler St., which is currently managed by Olympia Center Inc., a not-for-profit.

The city’s Department of Real Estate and Asset Management received an unsolicited proposal in May from RUDG (Related Urban Development Group) LLC, to form a public-private partnership to redevelop the site’s 80 residential units and make capital improvements to the theater.

The matter was a discussion item scheduled for the commission but was deferred a couple of times, at the urging of Mr. Russell, until the developer withdrew the proposal Oct. 24.

At the commission meeting Oct. 26, Mr. Russell made a successful motion to direct the city manager to prepare a request for proposals to study exactly what is needed to fix the building and look at future uses and management.

“I saw it wasn’t ready,” Mr. Russell said of the proposal from Related, noting miscommunication in the community regarding the developer’s intention.

“Watching that tension rise, I think Related recognized that

Managing Olympia Center Inc. wants to take to the community its vision for the historic theater’s future.

this isn’t the right time or maybe the right way to do this,” he said.

Mr. Russell said there are many options for the future of the theater building.

“Right now it has affordable housing, of which I am a fan. And I think if it were cleaned up right and put back together in the right way, it could service downtown very nicely.

“But there are other concepts: cultural offices for artistic groups; housing for artists that are at the Olympia Theater. You name it.

Maybe it’s a blend. Maybe it’s a mix,” he said.

But Mr. Russell said he wants clarification on what is necessary to renovate the façade, because “the idea of demolition sounds horrible.”

He has been told that the only way to fix that façade is to take every brick off, fix what’s behind it, and put it back together.

“So I need a full study on that before we move forward,” he said. “It’s going to study what our uses are, how we’re going to manage it, how we’re going to pay for it… What I’d like to do though is start with the historic side at the beginning of the process rather than at the end.”

The adopted resolution says that on Oct. 26 an unsolicited proposal was discussed proposing demolition and replication of the existing office building in accordance with the city’s Historic Preservation Office standards; construction of a mixed-income affordable and workforce housing

development, containing 200 to 300 units; and renovation of the Olympia.

The commission directed the city manager to request proposals for a study based on a communitycentered vision for the uses and management of the Olympia, its adjacent office building, and the required façade remedial work.

Several residents spoke out about the theater Oct. 26 with a common message to commissioners: Please don’t tear it down, don’t rebuild it, and respect the present management team.

Olympia Center Inc. is a 501 c3 non-profit formed specifically to manage, activate, program and preserve the historic Olympia Theater and office building for the community and for future

generations, said Robert T. Geitner, executive director.

Mr. Geitner thanked Mr. Russell Oct. 26 for deferring the matter to afford the center time to reach out to community groups and stakeholders and express its concerns.

He asked the commissioners to follow a resolution adopted by the Miami Downtown Development Authority that he said calls for a vision-driven community-based process “that allows us to discuss what we want for our Olympia Theater.”

This was echoed by Ralph Patino, chairman of the center’s board of directors, who said: “All groups are unanimous and that we need a community-based, vision-driven open public process to define future redevelopment of the historic Olympia Theater in the office building. And we will work with you tirelessly from now until it gets done.”

The city has set aside about $3 million over the past three years for improvements to the building.

At the Oct. 26 meeting, Mr. Russell mentioned another possible source of funds if city voters approved a $400 million general obligation bond at the Nov. 7 General Election, which they did.

“We may have new funds available to us, where we might not need the help as much of a [public-private partnership] or an outside partner,” said Mr. Russell.

The approved Miami Forever General Obligation Bond earmarks about $58.2 million for parks and cultural facilities.

The Olympia Theater opened in 1926 as a silent movie palace and the city’s first air-conditioned building, and was donated to the city as a cultural arts facility by the Maurice Gusman family in 1975. It was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017

MIAMI TODAY

TODAY’S NEWS

17

First television production applies for county film incentives

By Catherine Lackner

Miami-Dade County’s new film incentive program has been slow to get out of the gate, but is expected to accelerate quickly.

The county commission approved the program in July. “Then we had to get the word out,” said Sandy Lighterman, county film and entertainment commissioner. “There was a big marketing push; I had a trip scheduled to Toronto. Then came Irma, and I had to cancel that trip. It was a big setback for me.”

One television pro- Sandy Lighterman duction has completed the application process; its proposal is to be heard before the county’s Tourism and Economic Development Committee in December. Another application, also for a television series, is expected soon.

Ms. Lighterman said Monday that she has just returned from back-to-back marketing trips to New York City and Los

Angeles. “There’s a lot of interest out there for 2018, especially from independent film producers. We urge them to apply.”

Citing the loss of millions in revenues Miami-Dade County has suffered “in the absence of state incentives,” county Commissioner Sally Heyman proposed the program in June. To be eligible, companies must spend at least $1 million, film at least 70% of the production here, and hire at least 80% of vendors and contractors locally to receive a tax rebate not to exceed $100,000 per production. Producers must adhere to a long list of requirements before their shows are eligible for incentives.

Entertainment industry stakeholders – who have seen their businesses wither as the state allowed its incentive program to die – filled the county commission chambers last summer and bombarded commissions with statements in support of the ordinance.

“There has been no opposition,” Ms. Heyman told the crowd at one meeting, holding up a stack of 250 comment cards

that were collected at a previous meeting.

“Everyone wants this done. My colleagues and I kept waiting for the state to step up and entice the industry back, especially to South Florida.”

Each year between 2010 and 2016 – when Florida had a well-funded incentive program – film, television, digital media and other productions spent $160 million to $406 million in Miami-Dade County, the ordinance said. In addition to local crew salaries, auxiliary spending benefitted hotels, restaurants, suppliers and other businesses.

A 2012 study by the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau found that television shows and movies filmed here reached more than 1.5 billion viewers, for an advertising value of $405 billion. That same year, a study by the Visit Florida tourism board revealed that 23% of people interviewed reported that seeing a movie or television series filmed in the state guided their decision to travel to Florida.

After refusing to add new funding to the

incentive program for four consecutive years, the Florida Legislature allowed it to end in 2016.

“Over time, many other locations throughout the United States have established film programs or increased support for such programs, which has had a negative marketing and economic impact on Miami-Dade County,” the ordinance said.

“While Miami-Dade is still a popular … backdrop for many television shows, films and music videos, many of those productions ultimately chose … other locations as a result of incentives, which neither the State of Florida or Miami-Dade County currently offers.

“This program is intended to reverse Miami-Dade County’s fortunes by increasing the number of television, film and entertainment productions shot and produced in Miami-Dade County,” it continued. “It is anticipated that this will ultimately stop many of the remaining jobs supported by the industry from leaving to other locations, and also create new job opportunities.”

Grove Bay garage’s builder picked, key to bayfront project

By John Charles Robbins

A contractor has been selected to build the long-awaited Grove Bay Parking Garage on the waterfront in Coconut Grove.

The city’s Off-Street Parking Board on Nov. 1 authorized the Miami Parking Authority to negotiate a construction agreement with Munilla Construction Management (MCM). Authority staff reported that MCM was the lowest responsible bidder among six companies at $14,526,192.

The Grove Bay garage project underwent a redesign, and on Aug. 30 the authority invited its pool of pre-qualified general contractors for projects costing $2 million and more to bid.

In a memo to the board, authority CEO Art Noriega said staff thoroughly reviewed and evaluated all six of these proposals: MCM: $14,526,192.

KVC: $14,850,101.

FL Lemark: $14,957,667.

Emerald Construction: $15,170,457.

Link Construction: $15,497,582.

West Construction: $15,990,436.

The final contract, once negotiated, will go to the parking board for approval.

The garage and its ground floor retail spaces are a key part of a public-private partnership among the authority, the

Photo by John Charles Robbins

A two-story garage that will hold 333 cars is to rise on this Coconut Grove site and cost nearly $15 million.

City of Miami and Grove Bay Investment Group LLC. The developer has leased about 7 acres from the city as part of an agreement to redevelop the waterfront north of City Hall into The Harbour.

Clearing of the garage site has already begun at Pan American Drive and South Bayshore Drive.

The overall plan calls for Grove Bay Investment Group to make about $17.9 million

of privately-funded improvements to redevelop a marina, construct restaurants, improve the public baywalk, make other improvements and fund part of the garage.

As part of a revised agreement, the developer agreed to contribute $4 million toward the cost of the garage, or about half of an initial projected $8 million construction budget.

But authority officials were

shocked when the bids on the garage came in more than double the estimated budget. Four contractors’ bids ranged from about $17.7 million to nearly $18.8 million.

The parking board rejected them all and the garage was redesigned.

Mr. Noriega has said some factors leading to the high costs arose during the permitting process. He said one of the biggest

unexpected costs came when the Federal Emergency Management Agency ordered flood panels built into the structure.

The parking board hired Wolfberg Alvarez & Partners for design and architectural work on the garage on a $375,000 contract in 2014.

Litigation against the city delayed start of The Harbour and was not settled until 2015.

To cover additional work by the architectural firm, the board added $93,000 to the contract in October 2015. In April of this year, the board approved $160,000 more.

Design changes were said to include reconfiguration of the parking levels, including the ramping system to simplify the structure; reduction in the ornamental façade; and adding an open metal skin façade to satisfy rules for a naturally-ventilated garage versus a mechanically ventilated garage with an exhaust fan system.

According to Mr. Noriega, one major change will lower it from three levels to two. But even with one less level, he said, interior changes should result in about the same number of parking spaces: 333.

Also in April, the board approved hiring RH Engineering Group Inc. for project management on the Grove Bay garage for about $6,500 a month.

County adds to funding for ash-to-cement research project

By Gabi Maspons

Miami-Dade commissioners are all in on a University of Florida research project to test if costly county waste ash produced at the Resources Recovery Facility can be used to create cement and generate revenues for the county.

Now, waste ash is a costly burden to the county with 165,000 tons disposed in the ash landfill each year.

The county paid $5.19 million to build the ash landfill and spends about $330,600 a year to operate it. The county estimates the landfill will fill by 2032 and it will need an additional site for disposal. Even after the landfill is full, state law mandates it

be maintained for at least 30 years after it closes.

UF is now under contract with the county to test the waste-based cement once it’s produced, but the project was stalled until a disposal agreement could be reached if the cement isn’t usable.

Commissioners last week voted to pay to dispose of the cement if it can’t be used commercially, and increase the $118,893 project value by $68,130, to total $187,023.

If needed, the Department of Solid Waste Management is to pay $6,500 to transport the cement back to the ash landfill and $47,000 to dispose of the 700 tons of test cement, totaling $53,500.

Covanta Dade Renewable Energy, the

resource facility operator, and Titan, a local cement manufacturer, are to evaluate the now-useless ash as a substitute for scarce coal ash.

Titan is to use a full production day at its local plant to test the recycling facility’s ash to make cement. Covanta will then haul the ash from its operation site at 6990 NW 97th Ave. to the cement plant.

Then, UF is to test the cement through its Hinkley Center for Solid and Hazardous waste Research and compare the test cement with commonly available cement in Florida.

If the Florida Department of Environmental Protection approves the ash, the ash landfill will add a huge revenue source for the county, save the county

money on ash disposal and make the county more environmentally-friendly, the legislation says.

Changes in air quality regulations are closing down coal-fired plants and driving up ash demand. Local cement kilns report importing coal ash from as far as Italy to satisfy demand, the report says.

“We anticipate that the test will yield approximately 1,000 tons of cement containing 300 tons of RFR ash,” Deputy Mayor Alina Hudak said in a memo.

Turning waste ash into cement will reduce the amount disposed in the landfill by 85%, extending its lifespan by 90 years.

The agreement is to be completed in seven steps by Nov. 20, 2019.

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WEEK OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017

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