WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2018
A Singular Voice in an Evolving City
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COMPLEX DEAL TO DEVELOP 10 ACRES OF SCHOOLS LAND, CREATE ARSHT CENTER PARKING, pg. 16 WORLD CUP IN MIAMI: Miami-Dade County residents will know by 2020 whether Hard Rock Stadium will stage matches in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau President William D. Talbert III. “We could not have done this without the new stadium,” Mr. Talbert told county commissioners. “If we’re counting down, 2,918 days from today, Miami will hold its first World Cup match.” Commissioner Rebeca Sosa, who sponsored the legislation supporting the county’s bid to be a host site, credited several groups and individuals, including Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross. “Nothing happens because of one person,” she said. Because the county already has a proper stadium, major expenditures wouldn’t be necessary to host World Cup matches, said Mayor Carlos Giménez, who added he was confident Miami would host a semi-final match. “This has to be played in Miami,” Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz said. “I know with the leadership that’s in place right now, we should have many games and, for our citizens, it would mean so much.”
The Achiever
By Jesse Scheckner
EL SALVADOR SISTER CITY: The Coral Gables Commission last week unanimously recommended that the city of Santa Tecla, El Salvador, be named a Sister City of Coral Gables. Santa Tecla is a municipality in the La Libertad Department. According to the City of Coral Gables International Affairs Coordinating Council, “common ties of mutual interest” exist between Santa Tecla and Coral Gables in the areas of education, arts, culture, economic development, public services, tourism and trade. SHERIFF LAWSUIT COMING: Miami-Dade County may soon join Broward and Volusia counties in suing Florida to remove a controversial amendment from the November ballot, according to Commissioner Dennis Moss and County Attorney Abigail Price-Williams. Amendment 10, which would overrule county charters and require Broward to elect a tax collector, Volusia to overturn a nearly 50-year decision to appoint county officers and Miami-Dade to elect a sheriff, tax collector and supervisor of elections, challenges counties’ rule of power and ability to self-govern, Mr. Moss said. “If we want to have those positions elected, we can certainly go through a process here at the local level,” he said. “You will definitely be seeing something soon regarding that particular issue.” A resolution sponsored by Mr. Moss to either join the existing suits or file on its own will be brought before the commission in July, according to Ms. Price-Williams. Commissioner Audrey Edmonson asked, and was approved, to be added to be added as co-sponsor of the pending legislation.
Clock ticks: courthouse on timeline
Manny Mencia
Photo by Cristina Sullivan
Developing Florida business and trade around the globe The profile is on Page 4
5-point solution targets Brickell Bridge gridlock By John Charles Robbins
Coast Guard’s plan rejected downtown, pg. 13
The Coast Guard says it’s willing to test an altered schedule for opening the Brickell Avenue Bridge if others deliver on four key changes to the clogged roadway crossing the Miami River. On May 29, James Wolfe of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) wrote to the Coast Guard requesting changes to scheduled bridge openings. They include trimming the morning operating curfew by 30 minutes, with a corresponding increase of 30 minutes to the afternoon curfew. This letter asking for an altered schedule to keep the bridge locked down and open to street traffic during peak hours followed a meeting of stakeholders including the Coast Guard, FDOT, Downtown Development Authority and Miami River Commission. The Coast Guard is in charge of bridge operations, as the river is a federal navigable channel. FDOT is responsible for Brickell Avenue and the roadbed crossing the river. In response, Coast Guard Capt. L.A. Allen sent a letter to Mr. Wolfe on June 8 setting forth potential actions that could lead to a Coast Guard
“test deviation from the existing regulation for a period of up to 180 days.” Ms. Allen’s follow-up reads, “However, any deviation or change to the existing Brickell Bridge regulation would be ineffective without implementation of a broader, comprehensive plan to address the vehicular traffic issues.” The DDA has long sought solutions for Brickell-to-downtown gridlock and waged battle with the Coast Guard, FDOT and river commission over what it calls improper bridge openings that bring street traffic to a standstill. When the drawbridge is opened, road traffic snarls, impacting downtown and Brickell businesses. When the bridge is down and ships await a scheduled opening, shipping halts. The river commission has proposed more than a dozen ways to ease bridge jams, including opening all three lanes in each direction to cars, installing pedestrian gates and adding real-time signage on bridge approaches to tell motorists to take a different route. Ms. Allen’s letter refers to some of these, with a hint at some resolution.
“If implemented, any period of test deviation should be used by FDOT to conduct reliable traffic studies that will provide valid metrics upon which a satisfactory cooperative plan for future action can be based,” she wrote. “To aid in my consideration of the request to change the Brickell Bridge curfew periods, please identify a period of time when a test deviation could be accompanied by both appropriate traffic data collection and implementation of these additional measures...: a. Pedestrian gates to prevent pedestrians from delaying drawbridge opening. b. Maximizing the number of open traffic lanes. c. Optimizing traffic signal sequencing for queue clearing. d. Policing the area to assist with traffic and pedestrian law enforcement.” Horacio Stuart Aguirre, river commission chair, knows of the FDOT letter and Coast Guard response, and says he intends to have the bridge operation on his July 9 agenda. “I will have the item on the agenda so any party that wants to be heard or stated on the record can do so,” he wrote to Miami Today in a Tuesday email.
Miami-Dade has a timeline to build a civil courthouse to replace the crumbling one on Flagler Street, with work to start in July 2020, according to a memo from Mayor Carlos Giménez. Commissioners this month voted to cancel a public-private partnership solicitation for the tower, seek a new hybrid partnership and provide a timeline for their consideration June 19. Commissioners on Tuesday accepted without discussion the timeline developed by BMO Capital Markets Corp., Perez & Perez Architects Planners and the county attorney’s office. Between this July and February 2020, the developers are to request proposals for Phase 1 and 2, which the memo doesn’t define; accept proposals and develop design and performance specifications by Perez & Perez; negotiate and evaluate submissions by a shortlist of proposers; and firm up designs and the guaranteed maximum price with the winner. Most critical to the process, which would seek commission approval in April 2020, is completion of designs, operations and maintenance performance standards and payment schedules, the memo said. “This work… must be thoroughly vetted by stakeholders to ensure that the county is adequately protected during the 30year operations and maintenance period,” Mr. Giménez wrote, adding that while the process is expected to take two years, the county is evaluating shortcuts. In March, commissioners at the Public Safety and Health Committee blocked a requested $3 million addition to the $1.5 million Perez & Perez consulting contract. They ultimately approved it June 5. No site for a courthouse is firm, said Daniel Chatlos, strategic programs director for the county’s Internal Services Department. The landmark 1928 courthouse is said to be a health risk and eats up millions for remediation each year, with three floors currently out of service.
DOCKLESS BIKE RENTAL RULES ROLLING, SCOOTERS NEXT ...
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HALF OF BILTMORE’S RENT TO RESTORE HISTORIC HOTEL ...
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AIRLINES PACT WOULD LET AMERICAN BRAND 61 GATES ...
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‘FESTIVAL STREET’ ADDS $10 MILLION TO FLAGLER WORK ...
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VIEWPOINT: PAYING OFFICIALS MORE FAIR TO EVERYONE ...
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HOTEL OCCUPANCY, TOTAL ROOMS, BOOMING DOWNTOWN ...
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GROWTH ON RUNWAY AT TWO SMALL COUNTY AIRPORTS ...
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ALMOST 20% OF IRMA CLAIMS IN AREA STILL UNSETTLED ...
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WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2018
MIAMI TODAY
TODAY’S NEWS
Half of Biltmore’s rent to restore historic hotel By Katherine Lewin
The Coral Gables City Commission voted unanimously last week to allow the Biltmore Hotel Limited Partnership to redirect 50% of annual rent payments to the city to the building’s historic preservation, paying up to half of the historic monument’s improvement costs. The city attorney and the city manager are to meet with Biltmore officials to draft the five-year agreement. City staff and the historic preservation officer’s staff reviewed a list of needed capital improvements provided by the Biltmore. They determined that about $10.5 million of the $25 million total renovations were targeted to preserving the historic value of the hotel, which the US Department of Interior designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1996. On Feb. 10, 1986, the Biltmore Hotel entered into a 99-year lease with the city with requirements that the Biltmore Hotel Limited Partnership must uphold, including that the Biltmore operate as a luxury first-class hotel center with at least a four-star rating by Forbes Travel Guide. The city owns the land, hotel and golf course at 1200 Anastasia Ave. The city requested that the Biltmore do an independent study to verify that it meets the luxury requirements established in the lease. The Biltmore partnered with Hotel Consulting International (HCI), based in Miami, whose managing director, Thomas O’Neill, did the analysis – he has 40 years of hotel operations, ownership, development and consulting experience. The analysis compared the Biltmore to other historic hotels of similar size. The seven hotels selected, comprising 3,240 rooms, included
the Waldorf Astoria Boca Raton Resort, the Marriott Grand Hotel Resort Golf Club & Spa, the Marriott Sawgrass Golf Resort & Spa, the Renaissance StAugustine Resort World Golf Village, the Marriott Fort Lauderdale Coral Springs Hotel Golf Club & Convention Center, and the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort Naples. “It was important for us to have confirmation of the condition and luxury level of that hotel and the promise for the hotel to continue to be successful,� said City Manager Cathy Swanson-Rivenbark. “Thomas O’Neill is a highly respected hospitality evaluation expert and so he conducted the review.� The analysis found that the Biltmore is upholding its end of the lease by continuing to operate as a four-star luxury resort and there is minimal risk of losing its designation as a luxury hotel. But capital improvements are needed, the analysis said, to preserve its historic landmark status. They include window replacements, the 40-year recertification requirements, a roof replacement, balcony door replacements and renovated elevators. Replacing the windows alone is costing $5.5 million and will be finished by Dec. 1, said Gene Prescott, president of Biltmore Hotel Limited Partnership. Other renovations that aren’t considered part of maintaining a historic landmark include hallway renovations, ballroom improvements, room renovations, digital signage and a new garage system. The Miami Biltmore Hotel has a long history. Designed by Schultze and Weaver and built in 1926 by John McEntee Bowman and George Merrick, the hotel became the tallest building in Florida at 315 feet, holding the record until 1928 when the Dade County Courthouse was built. It served as a hospital during World War II and as a VA Hospital
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Banking course targeting digital transformation By Katherine Lewin
The window replacements will be done by Dec. 1, said Gene Prescott.
and campus of the University of Miami medical school until 1968. It reopened as a hotel Dec. 26, 1986. The Biltmore has been a special attraction. The movie “Bad Boys� and television programs like “CSI: Miami� and “Miami Vice� were filmed there. The 1977 horror film “Shock Waves� also used the hotel as a major setting when it was in a state of abandoned disrepair. The Biltmore counted the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Al Capone and the Roosevelt and Vanderbilt families. Franklin D. Roosevelt had a temporary White House office set up at the Biltmore when he went on fishing trips in Miami. Getting financial help from Miami-Dade County and the City of Coral Gables has happened before. In October 2001, the city commission voted unanimously to defer the Biltmore’s October and January quarterly base rent payments
Florida International University and Fintech Americas are teaming up to bring a banking continuing education program Sept. 5 at the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach. The one-day course will be immediately followed by the Fintech Americas Bank Innovation and Transformation Conference. The cost for the program and two-day conference is $2,195. Up to 40 people will be accepted in the course. According to a joint press release, the program is designed for mid-career banking professionals to “become knowledgeable and proficient on the innovative trends, technologies and strategies that bankers and banks need to transform in the digital age.� The course is meant to help those in banking more successfully transition into a society that increasingly does its banking online. “As banking disruption accelerates, many banking professionals are finding themselves in need of a new strategic and business-model framework in order to help their organization and careers remain competitive,� said Ray Ruga, Fintech Americas co-founder, in a statement. Both FIU professors and representatives from Fintech Americas will be leading the course, said Jerry Haar, a clinical professor at the Department of Management and International Business at FIU. Dr. Haar and Rosangel Quintero, who both direct executive and professional education in FIU’s College of Business, helped bring the course to Miami. Professor Deanne Butchey of FIU’s Finance Department will serve as the academic coordinator.
of $112,500 each. Low occupancy rates were draining the hotel. A year later, in October 2002, the Biltmore repaired the tower and cupola using $675,000 from the county and the city. Just as happened last week, in 2002 then-Coral Gables Mayor Don Slesnick said it was fair for the county to share repaid costs because MiamiDade benefits from the regional and international visitors who come to the historic hotel. At last week’s commission meeting, City Manager Cathy Swanson-Rivenbark said allowing the Biltmore to use 50% of annual rent payments toward renovations was not a city expenditure but an investment. “The product, from the point of view of a hotel, is tired,� Mr. Prescott said. “We’ve got more competition. Revenues were down 6% in 2017 but Details: www.fintechamericas. the market is up. We need to get our co/register product better.�
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MIAMI TODAY
TODAY’S NEWS
WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2018
Miami fills out its roster of trolley routes, goes citywide
By John Charles Robbins
Miami city commissioners have given the green light to the final trolley route yet to be served in their goal of offering free trolley rides citywide. Commissioners last week approved a new Miami Trolley route, expanding the service into the Flagami community, with a direct link to regional transportation at the Miami Intermodal Center (MIC), next to Miami International Airport. The MIC provides connectivity with Miami-Dade County Metrobus routes, Metrorail, Tri-Rail, Amtrak, Greyhound bus service and more. The resolution was co-sponsored by Mayor Francis Suarez and Commissioner Manolo Reyes. “Our plan to continue expanding our trolley system throughout the city has been a success, and the Flagami route is a great example of this,” said Mayor Suarez. “We are committed to providing accessible and reliable transportation options to Miami residents to alleviate congestion and promote a better quality of life,” he said. The new Flagami Trolley Route will have five new trolleys operating six days a week with service connecting major arteries such as Southwest Eighth Street and West Flagler Street to the existing Little Havana Trolley Route and other nearby neighborhoods. “The residents of Flagami had expressed to me a need for better transportation in the area,” said District 4 Commissioner Reyes.
One of the first trolley routes ran through the Brickell community. The city now is adding Flagami area.
“The Miami Trolley will help many of them get to and from work and school, and run errands in the community while connecting them to surrounding areas,” he said. The action directs the city manager to take all steps necessary, including an amendment to the city’s current agreement with the county to add a Flagami route to the trolley system that would connect with the city’s Little Havana trolley in the Flagami area. A background memo on the Flagami route says the city is working to provide transportation alternatives within the Flagami neighborhood by connecting with regional transportation including the MIC. The Flagami trolley will travel from the MIC to Northwest 37th Avenue, to Northwest Seventh Street, to Northwest 57th Avenue,
and serve the farthest western portion of the city. When traveling east, the Flagami trolley will serve partial sections of Southwest Eighth Street, West Flagler Street, and Northwest Seventh Street to Magic City Casino and back to the MIC. The route will service the area’s parks, schools, connection with the city’s Little Havana trolley, the county’s transit routes 6, 7, 8, 11, 37, 51, 57, 73, 238, the City of West Miami Shuttle, and the Coral Gables Trolley. The city will buy five new trolleys for $1.75 million for the Flagami Trolley Route, and the operation cost of $1.2 million (excluding fuel) brings the total to $2.95 million. The commission also took two other actions, approving expansion of the Brickell Trolley
rides (compared to 2.3 million in 2013-14). The most popular routes in 2016-17 included Little Havana, Coral Way, Allapattah, Biscayne and Brickell. The Little Havana Trolley Route more than doubled boardings from 2015-16 to 2016-17, according to city officials. A Little Haiti route was added in February, after the city received a $400,000 grant from the Florida Department of Transportation. The deal requires a 50% match of $400,000 from the city’s coffers. City leaders have requested that the Flagami route be considered a pilot project of the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization’s (TPO) SMART Plan. The plan prioritizes light rail or premium transit technology along six corridors, and a bus express rapid transit network. City officials are also working on a proposal to add a Beach Express to the city’s trolley system that would connect the City of Miami with the City of Miami Beach. The route could link with the Miami Beach Trolley, existing City of Miami Biscayne and Coral Way Trolley routes, the Metromover and Metrobus routes. The 9.67-mile route would roll seven days a week. This proposal was on the city commission’s agenda last week but was deferred until July 26.
Route to City Hall. Additionally, the Coconut Grove route was modified. There’s no charge to ride the city trolleys – rubber-tired vehicles designed to look like old-time streetcars – and from the onset of the program in 2011 city leaders have stated a desire to keep it free. Commissioners have tried to offset operating costs by adjusting routes once patterns are established and cost-saving measures present themselves. Also, in 2016, commissioners created a transportation trust fund, in part to provide funds to support continued trolley operations. Trolley riders can download the free trolley app available for iOS and Android devices. The Miami Trolley has grown year over year since fiscal 2013Details: www.miamigov.com/ 14. In fiscal 2016-17, the trolley service gave more than 5 million trolley
Recriminations in Gables: commissioner attacks manager By Katherine Lewin
Coral Gables Commissioner Vince Lago alleged at last week’s commission meeting that City Manager Cathy Swanson-Rivenbark spent city money inappropriately, sent confidential memos to a public relations firm and interfered with the hiring process of a city employee in 2015. In 2015, the office of the Assistant City Manager of Public Safety was open for applications. During that time, the city contracted with the International Association of Chiefs of Police to conduct a background investigation on the potential employee. Ms. Swanson-Rivenbark, in an email dated May 2, 2015, asked the background investigator to “neither seek nor include any information for Broward PBA or Jeff Marano individually, as it will hold no credibility nor value in my decision-making.” The International Association of Chiefs of Police responded by saying it absolutely would not comply with her request. Commissioner Lago said that in response to the memo he wrote to the commission detailing the 2015 interference, the city manager responded: “I originally told the background investigator not to reach out to Broward PBA or President Jeff Marano because his comments would hold no credibility or value in my decisionmaking. I did not realize such a request was inappropriate.” “I would expect that a sea-
Vince Lago targets PR spending, memos and city’s hiring process.
soned professional with over 25 years of government managerial experience would know better,” Mr. Lago said. “I will continue to write memos. I will continue to ensure that transparency is our number one priority.” Mr. Lago also detailed the cost of a public service agreement with an “outside consulting company,” Adkins and Associates, which is headed by Stan Adkins, who he said appears to be acting as both a political and public relations consultant for the city manager. Mr. Lago said he had reviewed all 1,700 emails between the city manager and Mr. Adkins. The only person copied on the emails was Commissioner Patricia Keon. The only member of the commission besides the city manager who knew that Mr. Adkins was working for the city was also Commissioner Keon, Mr. Lago said. Mayor Raul Valdes-Fauli said at the commission meeting he
did not know the city had retained Mr. Adkins. From July 20, 2015, through July 20, 2016, and from August 2017 through August 2018, Mr. Adkins provided communication services such as “publications, printouts, presentations and consulting related to crisis management,” Mr. Lago said. In 2015, the total contract was for $25,000, he said. For 2018, the contract was for $48,000 for a combined total of $72,995, he said. Mr. Adkins is paid out of the City Manager’s fund, Mr. Lago told the commission. In response, Ms. SwansonRivenbark showed a PowerPoint of several of the fliers that Mr. Adkins put together for the city. One of the fliers was for a town hall meeting previously held by Mr. Lago. The fliers were never actually printed, Mr. Lago responded. The Coral Gables Communication Department has a $900,000 budget with three employees who make $439,647 total, including a part-time multimedia production marketing and public affairs manager, Mr. Lago told the commission. “I understand there have been times when the city needed communication consultant services. What I don’t understand is why other items not related to the city have been forwarded via email to this individual, or why a script was needed for the [Police Chief Ed] Hudak reprimand rescind letter,” Mr. Lago said. “If the city does have a consultant,
Cathy Swanson-Rivenbark said spending also went to Lago event.
it should be for city use, not to assist the city manager with her image with the commission or the community.” Mr. Lago was referring to when Ms. Swanson-Rivenbark publicly rescinded a reprimand and threat to fire Chief Hudak for taking a photo by a pool with several female officers wearing bathing suits. Mr. Lago said that Mr. Adkins reviewed the script that Ms. Swanson-Rivenbark wrote for herself, Mayor Valdes-Fauli and Mr. Hudak in April 2018. Other costs from Ms. SwansonRivenbark detailed by Mr. Lago at the meeting included $10,000 for a cease-and-desist letter to Ariel Fernandez, a local activist, and $50,000 for cancellation of a study of US 1. Mr. Lago also accused Ms. Swanson-Rivenbark of sending confidential memos and information to Mr. Adkins, including the memo that detailed her possible
interference with a 2015 hiring process. “Should the city manager be sending my memo that I write to her, that deals with city issues, to an outside consultant, along with confidential info that no one is supposed to know? And he has it before the commission has it!” Mr. Lago said. “I’m going to continue to put items in the spotlight that deserve to be in the spotlight.” In response to the accusations, Ms. Swanson-Rivenbark said she sent Mr. Lago’s memo to Mr. Adkins because she “wanted advice on how best to address the matter.” Mayor Valdes-Fauli said that when he was the mayor previously, from 1993 to 2001, the city had a public relations firm to which it paid $90,000 a year. The mayor said he thinks it’s a problem of communication and that the commission needs to be better apprised of communications with consultants. He agreed that forwarding confidential memos is not right. Commissioner Michael Mena said he does not see an issue with contracting with an outside firm but does see a problem with the city manager possibly using it for personal gain. For payments under $50,000, the city manager does not need to come before the commission, Mr. Lago said. He suggested that be changed. Mayor Valdes-Fauli suggested that the commission meet with the city manager once a week for 30 minutes from now on.
MIAMI TODAY
WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2018
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Downtown & Brickell New Flagler ‘festival street’ design adds $10 million to cost By Catherine Lackner
Prospects for the Flagler Street renovation – which has dragged on several years – are suddenly brighter, as leaders of Miami-Dade County, Miami, and the Downtown Development Authority pledged to pump more money into the project. In February, the downtown authority, which has steered the project since its inception, agreed to consider suggestions by Moishe Mana, an investor who has bought a portfolio of Flagler Street properties. The Mana design would raise the roadbed slightly and eliminating curbs – as has been done in Midtown Miami and Miracle Mile in Coral Gables – to create a “festival street” that would be more open. “It’s a big-sky, tropical vision,” said Dylan Finger, Mana Wynwood managing director, then. “We looked at a broad range of designs.” There was general agreement that the plan was better than its predecessor. The changes would take about 36 months to complete with the current contractor, and 42 months if a new request for proposals has to be issued, he said then. It would only affect the curbs and roadway; the sidewalks would remain the same, he added. But the new plan costs a lot more. Authority directors heard Friday that the new budget will be $27.572 million, the shortfall created by the new plan would be $10.34 million, and the project will probably take four more years. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos
Photo by Cristina Sulllivan
Work on Flagler Street in December 2016, before job was halted. A new plan calls for a “festival street.”
Gimenez has volunteered $3.8 million from the county, said Ken Russell, authority chair and Miami commissioner. Chris Rose, Miami budget director, and Nzeribe Ihekwaba, assistant city manager and chief of operations, came up with another proposal. “The city can provide additional funds, but not the entire $10.34 million, or even the $6.54 million [remaining] after the county’s $3.8 million is applied,” said a document distributed to authority directors. “So the city is proposing that the county provide true ‘halvsies,’ which means $4.17 million, not
$3.8 million, with new additional city funding of $4.17 million. And, the city is proposing that the DDA contribute $250,000 for each of the next four years ($1 million) and that there be a second, one-time assessment of $1 million [to Flagler Street property owners], with the city funding its equity share of the second assessment, in addition to the above $4.17 million.” “After a hard engineering review, we agreed that the city supports the expanded festival street concept,” Mr. Ihekwaba said. “The city should be able to fund some of the deficit, but not the entire amount. It’s only fair: if the county can up its offer, the
city will match it, if the commission approves. The city is committed to getting this done.” “The mayor is enthusiastic about funding the thing,” said Ed Marquez, county deputy mayor. “Ultimately, it must be blessed by the commission, but I’m sure if the city comes up with the money, we’ll match it.” “We’re very pleased with the mayor’s support – it’s put gas in this tank,” Mr. Russell said. “This is going to be transformative for downtown. Everyone’s in love with the plan, but we have to decide whether we want to do this or not. I think it’s well worth it, if the city
is pledging $4 million, to go back to Mayor Gimenez to see if the money is there.” The money won’t come from the general obligation bond voters approved last November, he added. “This is a want, not a need. We have to spend $20 million to fix failing roads, and the climate on the commission is to start tightening belts. Chris has done a miracle here.” “This is a phenomenal development,” said Neisen Kasdin, authority vice chair and office-managing partner of Akerman LLP. He co-chairs the Flagler Street Task Force with Brian Alonso, a real estate investor. “Thanks to Mayor Gimenez and the city, this is huge progress,” Mr. Kasdin said. “I do think we need to look seriously at filling the gap. This is not just any street.” “This additional deficit is a surprise,” Mr. Alonso said. “But I’ll talk to the stakeholders and find out what’s agreeable to the community.” “This is exactly the kind of project you invest in,” said Gary Ressler, authority board member and principal of the Tilia family of companies. He said he is confident owners on the street “will fill in the last million.” Directors voted that the downtown authority will contribute the requested $250,000 per year for four years, beginning this fiscal year, but no more than that. “Make sure the resolution says, ‘But that’s it!’,” Mr. Russell told Barnaby Min, assistant city attorney, to laughter from the group.
A Brickell Bridge offer gets catcalls downtown By Catherine Lackner
Negotiations continue between Miami’s Downtown Development Authority the US Coast Guard about a change in the hours when the Brickell Avenue Bridge over the Miami River should be locked down. In April, it appeared a temporary compromise had been reached: on a pilot program, the bridge was to be locked down from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays. The current lockdown hours (at least in theory) are 7:35 to 8:59 a.m., 12:05 to 12:59 p.m., and 4:35 to 5:59 p.m. weekdays, except for vessels in distress or vessels under tow (usually freighters.) During all other times, the bridge is to open only on the hour and the halfhour, and then only in response to a vessel request. Authority chair Ken Russell, a Miami commissioner, held a mediation session between authority members, the state transportation department, the Miami River
Commission, the Coast Guard, and other stakeholders, he told authority members in April. “It’s a shift and a trade-off,” Mr. Russell said then, in that the authority is giving up some time in the morning to gain more time in the evening. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), which governs vehicular traffic on Brickell Avenue, backed the compromise, Mr. Russell said. But Friday, Downtown Development Authority directors heard that the Coast Guard has come back with a list of requests. Key among them: that a northbound lane on the bridge FDOT closed years ago be re-opened. “We may have a sticking point on this one,” Mr. Russell admitted, because FDOT has staunchly refused to re-open the lane, saying it would be unsafe. “This is a distraction from the conversation we need to be having,” said authority board member Gary Ressler, a principal of the Tilia family of companies. “We’ve gotten to the point
Cars pile up as they leave the Brickell Bridge into downtown. The Coast Guard seeks to open more lanes.
of ridiculousness here,” said Richard Lydecker, senior partner of the Lydecker-Diaz law firm and a vigorous proponent of increasing the lockdown hours. He also questioned whether the Coast Guard should be involved in managing vehicular traffic on the bridge.
“This is progress,” Mr. Russell insisted. “This is how mediation works. They say they’ll do their part if we do our part.” Several authority directors, among them Jerome Hollo, vice president of Florida East Coast Realty; and Neisen Kasdin, office-managing partner of Aker-
man LLP; agreed that the Coast Guard was throwing unnecessary obstacles into the process. “I’m an optimist,” Mr. Russell told them. “I don’t think this is a red herring. Thank you for your passion, but let me move forward, keep talking with them, and make sure they stay at the table.”
WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2018
DOWNTOWN & BRICKELL
MIAMI TODAY
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One pact on plan to narrow boulevard, but studies still due By John Charles Robbins
The city’s Off-Street Parking Board has approved a new more detailed agreement between the Miami Parking Authority and the Downtown Development Authority for the Biscayne Green Project. But the plan to transform Biscayne Boulevard into something other than a busy downtown street hugging vast surface parking lots may still be a couple of studies down the road. At the direction of authority CEO Art Noriega, the parking board on June 13 unanimously approved a new memorandum of understanding with the DDA. “We talked to the DDA about our role,” said Mr. Noriega. “This anticipates a very good working relationship with the DDA.” He said both parties see opportunities ahead. “The future of Biscayne Boulevard will be radically different … this is a really unique opportunity for us, and the DDA as our principal partner,” Mr. Noriega said. In a background memo on the new agreement, Mr. Noriega said the document will allow for MPA to take the lead on the Biscayne Green Project while partnering with the DDA to develop a plan, identify stakeholder priorities, generate partner buy-in, and develop a shared vision to transform the signature Biscayne Boulevard corridor. The introduction to the latest agreement notes that since the creation of the 2025 Downtown Miami Master Plan in 2009, the DDA has worked with multiple stakeholders to identify strategies to transform Biscayne Boulevard into a beautiful corridor that offers a grand promenade, connects people to Bayfront
A design of Biscayne Green in the heart of downtown shows a Biscayne Boulevard with almost no traffic.
Park, creates more green space, and creates a visitor-friendly experience. It also states that after studying multiple options, the DDA board selected the version that repurposes Biscayne Boulevard for people by reducing the number of through lanes and transforming the median parking into green space, now known as “Biscayne Green.” In 2017, the City of Miami and the DDA were awarded a $421,829 federal grant to speed the Biscayne Green Lane Elimination Analysis Project along Biscayne Boulevard, from Southeast First to Northeast Sixth streets. The state transportation department was to pass through the federal funds, and a local agency participation agreement will be required to access the funds. A background memo on the grant said the Biscayne Green Lane Elimination Analysis
Project would provide essential pedestrian safety and accessibility improvements at seven Metromover stations. Currently, the Biscayne Green Project is included in the transportation department’s five-year work program, a comprehensive list of major capital projects throughout Florida. For years the DDA has advocated for Biscayne Green, which aims to reduce driving lanes from eight to four or six from Biscayne Boulevard Way to Northeast Eighth Street and replace them with grass, trees, street furniture and other features to link Biscayne Bay and Bayfront Park to downtown. The proposed vision of Biscayne Green calls for the redesign of the boulevard into Miami’s grand pedestrian promenade, and aims to calm downtown traffic and provide more and safer pedestrian and bike access.
The parking authority has parking lots along Biscayne Boulevard that generate about $3 million a year. A projection showed the Biscayne Green project might result in a 50% reduction of parking and ultimately reduce annual revenue to about $1.5 million. Mr. Noriega told the parking board that Article III of the new agreement is pretty clear on the MPA’s responsibilities. “MPA will be responsible for the bidding, award, and management of the design and economic development expert scoping of the project,” it reads. Before proceeding on these major decision points, it said, both parties shall agree: ■With regard to the medians: Percentage of open space; percentage of monetized space; percentage of flexible space; design/aesthetic criteria for any buildings in the median (percentage glass, height, frontage, etc.);
programming of land and buildings; and the interface between the median and street. ■With regard to the lane elimination, the DDA will work directly with the Florida Department of Transportation on the decisions below and from these determinations will coordinate with the MPA: The final reduction of lanes; the width of the sidewalks; the width of bike lane; and the landscaping. A focus will remain on income stream, Mr. Noriega told the parking board. “Whatever we lose from the median, we make up a little elsewhere,” he said of a redesigned boulevard. “Our goal is to minimize revenue impact.” Whatever happens there will be expensive, he said. “It is a major lift.” Mr. Noriega told the board the next step is hiring a consultant, which was a perfect transition to the next agenda item, the hiring of Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc. The parking board unanimously approved an agreement with Kimley-Horn to provide planning and consulting services for the Biscayne Green Project for $104,800, which includes $5,300 for reimbursable expenses. Kimley-Horn is to work collaboratively with MPA’s staff to gather information, build consensus, and ultimately develop a program plan to meet operational and financial goals. Given all the variables involved in a project of this magnitude, staff feels that all would be best served if these services were being rendered by a professional firm, a background memo states. The DDA is currently working on the start of a lane reduction study, as part of the overall Biscayne Green proposal.
Signature bridge project is likely to start again in six months By Catherine Lackner
With a legal challenge out of the way, the Florida Department of Transportation is set to commence the long-awaited “signature bridge” that will replace the I-395 exchange near the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. Directors of Miami’s Downtown Development Authority want, if not a voice in the project, at least to be kept informed, they said Friday. In April, Fluor-Astaldi-MCM, the losing bidder on the project, dropped its bid protest, clearing the way for the winning bidder, the Archer Western-de Moya joint venture, to begin. “They have a notice to proceed” and the project schedule will probably re-start within six months, said Alyce Robertson, authority executive director. “We want the DDA to be a go-to resource for them,” said Ken Russell, authority chair and Miami commissioner. “This is going to affect us.” Not much information has come from the state transportation department, presumably because final contracts haven’t been signed, said Patrice Gil-
lespie Smith, authority senior manager for planning, design and transportation. But she suggested that the state secretary of transportation, being far removed from the bid fray, might speak with the group. The project is a partnership between the state transportation department and the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority, which has announced a number of improvements to State Road 836, which intersects with I-395. The “signature bridge” is to extend 1,025 feet over Northeast Second Avenue and Biscayne Boulevard and be crowned with six sweeping arches. The 55 acres beneath the new bridge – which will now be opened up visually – is slated to be park space for Overtown and surrounding communities. “We all want this,” said Nitin Motwani, managing director of Miami Worldcenter Group LLC. “Think what it will do for downtown.” But he acknowledged that the construction will undoubtedly affect the way commuters, visitors and residents come into the central business district and move around within it. “We should get someone here to speak with us.”
“Do we have a list of issues?” asked Jerome Hollo, authority board member and vice president of Florida East Coast Realty. No defined list was identified, but there was general agreement that time is of the essence when communicating with the state transportation department. Said board member Kim Stone, executive vice president and general manager of the Heat Group and American Airlines Arena, “They’re making decisions now.” Contracts have yet to be signed to build a signature bridge downtown.
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MIAMI TODAY
TODAY’S NEWS
WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2018
New Institute of Contemporary Art leaders hail attendance By K atya M aruri
With two new leaders at the helm, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami has seen upwards of 50,000 visitors since opening six months ago and is looking forward to introducing new exhibitions and programming during the summer months. “I am very proud to be the next artistic director,” Alex Gartenfeld said. “We are exceeding expectations for year one and have really seen an appetite here for more programming and exhibitions.” “We have essentially tripled membership numbers since opening,” said Tommy Pace, the museum’s deputy director, “and feel that that the museum will continue to grow in both membership and attendance.” As for the switch to new leadership, Mr. Pace said, “it was a very natural transition that was always a part of the plan.” “Ellen Salpeter [the former artistic director of the museum] was instrumental in creating the structure for the museum and getting things up and running,” Mr. Pace said. Ms. Salpeter, who joined the ICA before construction of the new museum was complete in December 2015, resigned effective June 1 to pursue other projects, according to museum officials.
A youth program at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, which has tallied more than 50,000 visitors.
Moving forward, Mr. Gartenfeld said, “we have been impressed and humbled by the response the public has had to the museum and look forward to implementing new programming.” Currently the museum has 14 exhibits on display on the first, second and third floors, as well as outside in the sculpture garden and in one of the stairwells
in the museum, according to the museum’s website. One exhibit that drew a large crowd, Mr. Gartenfeld said, was Diamond Stingily’s solo exhibition “Diamond Stingily: Life in My Pocket.” Early this month “we had a packed house at Paradise Plaza,” Mr. Pace said, “where we had our First Fridays event, which was made possible by the
museum’s innovation partner, MINI.” During the “In Conversation with Diamond Stingily” event, Mr. Pace said, “a lot of people showed up to support the artist’s first solo museum show.” As a result of the show’s success, he said, “we plan to publish a catalog of the artist’s works.” As for other upcoming events, programs and exhibitions, Mr.
Gartenfeld said, “We have our youth programs and schools and tours programs for children of all ages and also have our summer intensive 2018 program coming up in July, which will address the ways in which urgent climate issues and anthropogenic effects apply pressure to contemporary cultural production.” In addition, he said, “this December we will debut a new exhibition, “Judy Chicago: A Reckoning.” According to the museum’s website, the exhibit will “highlight Chicago’s iconographic transition from abstraction to figuration, and explore the ways in which the artist’s strong feminist voice transforms our understanding of modernism and its tradition” through a survey of works. In addition to debuting new exhibits and programs, Mr. Gartenfeld said, the museum has also received grants from the Andy Warhol Institute to continue its work. “We have received a great amount of support,” Mr. Pace said, “and are really looking forward to seeing the museum continue to grow.” Details: The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, which offers visitors free admission, is at 61 NE 41st St., Miami, and is open daily except Mondays from 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Coffee service, eateries, health service to open in Edgewater By Rebecca San Juan
Five restaurants, a coffee company and an urgent care center all have one thing in common: plans to open in downtown’s waterfront community. Debut dates range from a few months to two years, but all see potential in Edgewater. Three restaurants are to debut this summer: ■Fusion restaurant Amazonico is due at 2400 NE Second Ave. a few streets away from the National YoungArtsFoundation. ■Smoothie and health-conscious café Pura Vida is launching its third location in front of Margaret Pace Park. The site sits at the ground floor of Bay Parc apartments at 1756 N Bayshore Dr. ■The third restaurant, Rice Mediterranean Kitchen, is setting up shop for its eighth store at the base of the apartment complex 2500 Biscayne. Coffee lovers can soon sample a different cup of joe and new flavors every month thanks to Alex Bord and Paula Lima. They launch their online coffee company Abra Coffee in September to offer freshly harvested coffees from around the globe. The married duo plan to market their company online while also partnering with cafes in the neighborhood. They’re searching for a commercial space in the area with the hope to expand their team. Mr. Bord says he appreciates Edgewater’s location and pace. He said, “It’s centrally located – close to Wynwood, Miami Beach, Brickell – but at the same time like a hidden treasure where it’s not too busy here.”
Photo by Cristina Sullivan
Pura Vida plans to open a site on the ground floor of Bay Parc apartments in front of Margaret Pace Park.
Residents will have access to health services too. A storefront at 2310 Biscayne Blvd. announces plans for an MD Now Urgent Care center in coming months. Visitors can seek a range of offerings from lab tests to ultrasounds to physical therapy. The company focuses on providing access to primary care needed at the drop of a hat and at a lower price than a visit to the emergency room. Dates for the opening are yet to be announced. High-end palates and philanthropic efforts unite at another project set to finish in two years. The Woman’s Club at 1737 N Bayshore Dr. is making space for two luxury restaurants and a
base for members of the namesake philanthropic organization. Developer and Edgewater resident Carmine Zayoun, vice president of Heafey Group’s Miami branch, is overseeing the internal remodeling and outdoor restoration of the location by Margaret Pace Park. The club’s building was completed in 1926. Locals got the building registered on the National Register of Historic Places in the 1970s and credited it as the birthplace of Miami-Dade’s public library system. Five floors spread across 30,000 square feet and will house three tenants, says Mr. Zayoun. He said, “The first tenant will
occupy the first and second floor. The Woman’s Club will occupy the third floor. The second tenant will occupy the fourth and fifth floor.” Restoration and remodeling will cost the Heafey Group $10 million, but the investment does not stop there. Mr. Zayoun said, “Each tenant has a build-out budget of approximately $10 million. I would anticipate about $30 million going into the building.” Residents wish more services would extend into the Edgewater neighborhood. Leslie Loewenthal of Loewenthal Agency says she wants to see another supermarket like Whole Foods or Trader
Joe’s in the area. And she’s not alone, according to Andres Althabe, president of the Biscayne Neighborhoods Association. Mr. Althabe says he’s heard from several residents that they’d like another grocery in addition to the Publix 1776 Biscayne Blvd. The anticipation of the soonto-debut Paraiso District worries some about overcrowding and traffic congestion. Locals, including Ms. Loewenthal and Mr. Althabe, also want to see a cinema. Mr. Althabe says the community desires more spaces for gathering and venturing out on the town with family and friends. There’s also room for water sports and waterway transit says Ben Dvir, president of Blue Condominium at 601 NE 36th St. He writes by email, “We are next to the water. However, the options for residents that like water sports are limited, [and] the access to the bay is limited to only a few places.” As a long-time resident who works in the area, Ms. Loewenthal says she believes more attractions will soon follow: “I think that from 36th Street to Brickell it’s going to be known as the heart of the city, with bridges to the beach, airport, hospitals and courthouses. I believe that this will be our own Manhattan.”
F ilming
in
M iami
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. University of Miami. Miami. Beaches. Crandon Park Beach, Haulover Beach Park.
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WEEK OF THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2018
MIAMI TODAY
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