Miami Today: Week of Thursday, August 9, 2018 by Miami Today

WEEK OF THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 2018

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MIAMI ORDERS AUDIT OF MELREESE GOLF COURSE AS IT SEEKS RETAIL-OFFICE-SOCCER COMPLEX, pg. 3 JOINING THE GABLES: The Little Gables, High Pines and Ponce Davis annexation into Coral Gables is progressing.All three applications are being reviewed by Miami-Dade County staff, according to Assistant CityAttorney Stephanie Throckmorton. She said she hoped the applications would be going to the planning and advisory board Sept. 24, but the Little Gables application could go first since it was submitted before the High Pines and Ponce Davis applications. “There are many steps that take place before the annexations go on to a community election,” she said. “We expect that election to take place at some time in the spring of 2020.” Ponce-Davis and High Pines are unincorporated communities that border South Miami, Coral Gables and each other. Little Gables is an unincorporated community surrounded on all sides by Coral Gables.

The Achiever

NEW TURNPIKE EXIT POINT: As part of the ongoing $54.4 million widening on Florida’s Turnpike between Southwest 40th and Southwest 72nd streets, the northbound Florida Turnpike exit ramp at Southwest 40th Street (Bird Road) is being temporarily shifted about a quarter mile south starting this week. The change is expected to last until spring 2019. DIGGING UP THE BOULEVARD: Biscayne Boulevard traffic downtown could shrink to one lane in either or both directions during overnight hours from Sunday through Thursday in the next three weeks as a new 42-inch waterline and a 10-inch wastewater line are installed. Work will be done from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. and then trenches will be temporarily covered over during daytime hours so that traffic can fully flow. The water line project of the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department is at Biscayne Boulevard and Northeast Fifth Street, and the wastewater line is across Biscayne Boulevard between Northeast Fifth and Sixth streets. YOU ARE HERE: Miami-Dade County’s Internal Services Department can identify county-owned properties in Commissioner Javier Souto’s District 10 where it might be possible to install guide signs noting that the land is within District 10, a memo from Mayor Carlos Giménez has told county commissioners. The commission in November 2016 asked the mayor to install panels and official markers at or near major county road intersections and county facilities in the district informing the community that the area is District 10. Mr. Souto sought the signs, citing that they would improve government accountability and let the public know who is responsible for overseeing the area. The mayor said he would place his report on the next available county commission agenda.

Mark Trowbridge

Photo by Cristina Sullivan

Improving the climate for business in Coral Gables The profile is on Page 4

New airport use agreement puts American first By Jesse Scheckner

American Airlines went to the front of the line at up to 61 gates as Miami-Dade commissioners approved a 15-year agreement granting high-volume airlines priority use of concourse gates and changing how domestic and international carriers pay for facilities and services at Miami International Airport – but not before Commissioner Barbara Jordan ensured tougher language was included to eliminate living wage loopholes. Commissioners had already OK’d an ordinance change to require concessionaires and other “covered service” businesses at the airport to pay employees up to $15.52 an hour or payment with equivalent healthcare plans. But a line in the new 2018 Airline Use Agreement allowing consortiums of airlines to internally provide services otherwise afforded by airline or airport personnel prompted Ms. Jordan to request an amendment to eliminate wage-related ambiguity. After a lengthy back-and-forth with the county attorney, the item’s primary sponsor, Rebeca Sosa, Aviation Director Lester Sola and American Airlines attorney Richard Weiss, himself a former assistant county attorney, Ms. Jordan got her way.

New language was included to specify that consortiums were not exempt from paying living wages. The 2018 use agreement, which supplants the interim agreement held over since 2017, will otherwise mostly continue the airport’s rates and charges policies, Deputy Mayor Jack Osterholt wrote. Large air carriers may now be specially allocated gates by the Aviation Department. The accommodation is neither a lease nor a grant of exclusivity and bestows one preferential gate to an airline for each five departures it operates, onto which it may consolidate operations and pay an affixed cost. Airlines granted preferential use may outfit gates with branding, signage and other decorative fixtures like carpeting and logos; however, all gates must still be available for non-branded carrier use when needed. Airlines must also maintain necessary usage levels or be subject to gate recapture and reassignment by the Aviation Department, following notice and monitoring of the carrier’s assignment logs over a minimum of 150 days. The Aviation Department also has the right to change the location and number of preferential gates for efficiency and emergency

purposes at any time. Many commercial airports throughout the country have similar practices, Mr. Osterholt wrote. The use agreement last month was amended by Commissioner Sally Heyman to make assessments of preferred use gates mandatory, rather than elective, every five years. Of the airport’s 140 gates, the county has identified 77 as eligible for preferential use. Sixty-one will potentially go to American Airlines, which took advantage of the new agreement as a fifth amendment to its lease with the county was accepted by commissioners. The airline will be granted preferential gates in the airport’s North Terminal. American’s lease was changed in 2002 to prevent it from gaining exclusive use of the terminal. Today, the restriction would make the airline the only carrier prohibited from using preferential gates. Under the new Airline Use Agreement, domestic airlines will no longer support international facilities and services, making cost-sharing “more equitable between international and domestic flights,” Mr. Osterholt wrote, adding that domestic and international flights from the airport are about equal.

3.1% region salary gains outpace US South Florida’s wages and salary cost increases continue to outpace nationwide rises, a new federal quarterly report reveals, while a prominent local analyst warns that inflationary pressures are building as skilled labor shortages push up labor costs. Wages and salaries in South Florida rose 3.1% in the second quarter, the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported last week, above the national rise of 2.9%. Miami is about at the midpoint of the 15 largest metropolitan areas in wage and salary increases and is on a par with Chicago and Minneapolis, the US report shows. At the top among large metropolitan areas is Seattle, with a 3.9% rise in wages and salaries and a whopping 7.8% jump in total compensation costs, almost double the next highest total compensation cost rise, 4% in San Jose, CA. Seattle registered the increases just as a huge local firm, Amazon, looks to locate a second headquarters with up to 50,000 workers elsewhere. Miami, which is in the running to house that headquarters, registered a 2.7% increase in total employment costs in the second quarter, below the national rise of 2.9%. The cautions about higher inflation driven partly by rising skilled labor costs came from J. Antonio Villamil, founder of Coral Gables-based Washington Economics Group. “US inflationary pressures are building up, especially due to skill labor shortages that are placing upward pressure on labor costs,” a report from the company stated, and the Federal Reserve’s tighter monetary policy is ‘in essence signaling that it is ready to ‘take the punch bowl away if the party gets too loud.’” While the Miami area’s risingwage party is louder than the nation as a whole, it’s muted from a year ago. At the end of June 2017, South Florida’s wages and salaries had risen 3.9% for the quarter versus this year’s 3.1%, and total compensation had risen 3.7% versus this year’s 2.7%.

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TODAY’S NEWS

WEEK OF THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 2018

MIAMI TODAY

Miami wants audit of golf course as it seeks to bulldoze it By John Charles Robbins

What exactly has been going on behind the scenes at the Melreese golf course in Miami? City of Miami officials are seeking to find out. The city-owned property, about 131 acres with an 18-hole golf course, has been thrust into the spotlight this summer after David Beckham and his business partners showed an interest in securing the site for redevelopment and home to a new professional soccer team. While the property at 1400 NW 37th Ave. is publicly owned, private DeLucca Enterprises runs the golf course under a contract with the city. Financial questions arose recently when city commissioners began debating a proposal from Miami Freedom Park LLC (Beckham’s group) to lease the golf course for a new multi-use office tech campus with hotel, retail and restaurants and anchored by a 25,000-seat soccer stadium for the Beckham Major League Soccer team. At their July 26 meeting, commissioners voted to direct the city’s independent auditor general “to conduct an audit of any and all financial matters involving the operations and management of the City of Miami’s Melreese Golf Complex operated and managed by DeLucca Enterprises Inc.,” further directing the auditor general provide the results of the audit to the city commission. The move comes one week after the commission, on a split 3-to-2 vote, approved placing the Miami Freedom Park proposal on the Nov. 6 ballot for city voters to decide. The action came at a special meeting July 18. The deal includes creation of a Park Infrastructure Fund by the city to which Miami Freedom Park would make a $20 million contribution (payable in equal yearly installments for 30 years) to defray the site development and other infrastructure-related costs for a public park of about 58 acres to be developed on adjacent property, currently used for the Melreese Country Club. The city-owned property is

Developers will put offices, retail, hotels, dining and a soccer stadium on Melreese site if voters approve.

bordered on the east by Northwest 37th Avenue, on the south by Northwest 14th Street, and on the west by Northwest 42nd Avenue. It hugs the city’s Grapeland Water Park, and is next door to Miami International Airport. At the July 18 meeting, as commissioners argued for and against sending the matter to a vote in November, Commissioner Joe Carollo was critical of the operations at the city-owned property. “We keep talking about now. We don’t want to talk about the past, what’s been going on there. You can say you want transparency now, but I want to look at transparency in the past and now,” said Mr. Carollo. In response to those opposed to the Miami Freedom Park proposal, who say it’s wrong to give open green space and public park land to a private developer, Mr. Carollo said the property is not a public park used by the average city resident. “It’s a myth that this is a public

‘It’s a myth that this is a public park. This is a private country club.’ Joe Carollo park. This is a private country club,” Mr. Carollo said, estimating that 95% of the people who use the golf course don’t live in the city. He spoke of a sign at the entrance of Melreese Country Club that says jogging is not allowed, along with

other activities. “What park in the world is a park you can’t jog in? No fishing. No walking on golf course. What park in the world says you can’t go walking in? No personal coolers. How can you have a picnic?” asked Mr. Carollo. As he has on several issues since taking office in late 2017, Mr. Carollo said he’s working to improve the lives of the average city resident. “I assure you, I will fight with everything I have to give to real taxpayers of Miami that piece of land back to them, and work for those Miami jobs and dollars it can possibly bring,” he said. Mr. Beckham’s group is promising a world-class soccer village and technology hub, 110 acres of permanent green space, 23 acres of youth soccer fields, 2,300 permanent jobs, and $40-plus million annual tax revenue for the city, county, state and school board. Mr. Carollo listed several busi-

SINGLE-FAMILY HOME & CONDO SALES

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$859M

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$800M

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BROKERAGE #4

$766M

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$457M

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ness entities that have filed paperwork with the state using the golf course address. Those he cited included: Florida Football Association; DeLucca Mini Soccer Magnet LLC; Tina’s Touch Inc.; DeLucca Surfaces Inc.; DeLucca Enterprises Inc.; Charlie DeLucca’s School of Golf; The First Tee Of Miami-Dade Inc.; Bunkers Inc.; and others. “There are 10 active corporations there, frankly,” Mr. Carollo told his fellow commissioners. “There are so many addendums and changes to the original contract I don’t know who’s at first or second there, all I know is, we are losing money there. The residents are losing money.” Commission Chairman Keon Hardemon was upset by the revelation. “This is the first time hearing this and it’s very shocking,” he said. “Arguably, there are many things going on there than the city is aware of,” said City Attorney Victoria Mendez. Mr. Carollo said, “We’re entitled to get to the bottom of this… What’s been going on out there? Have we been getting dollars from them or not?” City voters will decide in November whether to authorize the city to negotiate an agreement for the development of Miami Freedom Park. At the special meeting July 18, Mr. Hardemon, Ken Russell and Mr. Carollo voted in favor of the referendum, while Wifredo “Willy” Gort and Manolo Reyes voted against. The formal ballot language reads: “Shall Miami’s Charter be amended authorizing City to negotiate, execute 99-year lease with Miami Freedom Park LLC, for approximately 73 acres of City land, waiving bidding, converting Melreese Country Club (1400 Northwest 37 Avenue) at no cost to City to: soccer stadium; minimum 1,000,000 square feet office, retail, commercial uses; minimum 750 hotel rooms; living wage for on-site employees; $3,577,365 minimum annual rent; $20,000,000 for 58acre public park or other green space?”

MIAMI TODAY

VIEWPOINT

WEEK OF THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 2018

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

Double-deck bus idea is appealing, but pitfalls are apparent No silver bullet will blast away MiamiDade’s growing mobility barriers in a flash, though all commuters are “expert” in not only what’s wrong but how to fix the mess now and some, due to their jobs, are even positioned to try quick fixes. But whether it’s an amateur flash of brilliance or a professional judgment, all quick mobility solutions face two huge hurdles. One is money to make it go. The other is that everything we try brings changes we didn’t anticipate – the law of unintended consequences. Take one example, reported on last week’s front page: a creative solution by Commissioner Dennis Moss that the county use double-decker buses to double capacity. Administrators said they hadn’t looked at the idea but would do so. The concept is appealing. Who wouldn’t like to be on the second deck with a great view of Miami? Plus, with double capacity you could have half as many buses, saving on both equipment and labor. And by taking up no added road space per bus, you remove half the bus space from roads, opening them up for other vehicles. You probably even save fuel. It all sounds so logical that when Mr. Moss parried concerns about height with the comeback that sightseeing buses are that tall, and about access for wheelchairs with the thought that the lower level would be accessible, I asked myself, why not?

Double-deck buses serve London, where fully electric double-deckers debuted in 2016.

After all, as Mr. Moss said, “We can always find reasons for not doing things.” That’s quite true. But some reasons for not doing things might be valid. So, what pitfalls might lurk in doubledecking? One is that if you double capacity, half the drivers are surplus. But drivers have a powerful union. So, do you keep paying extra drivers not to drive, thus saving no money? That’s what happened when trains went from steam to diesel: firemen were paid to not shovel coal. Another pitfall is that half as many buses could carry just as many passengers as now but would run half as often. That works in hauling freight but is a disaster if you’re carrying real workers who want to get to jobs on time and must wait longer for a bus. They’d find another road to work, and it wouldn’t be public transit. In which case, failed double-decker buses could then be replaced by single-level buses with half the capacity, completing the cycle. The answer to less frequency is to run new double-decker buses at present frequency, which doubles capacity. That

L etters $91 million stadium loan costs $1.8 billion interest

It is always referred to as the Bad Marlins Stadium deal. While I agree most everything about the deal was wrong, the major crime is the Miami-Dade subordinate special obligation bonds, Series 2009 – $91 million of the total $319,342,986 financed by the county. The $91.2 million set of bonds is costing more than $1.9 billion, $1.8 billion in interest. That amounts to paying $47.5 million in interest each year for 40 years, if divided by the 40-year loan, or equal to paying back the whole $91 million we borrowed each and every two years for 40 years! But it’s worse! I believe our last monthly payment in 2048 is more than the $319 million we originally borrowed. Who in their right mind would have ever agreed to this? Miami-Dade regularly refinances many outstanding bonds to obtain better interest rates. Why is that not being done with these bonds? How was this ever agreed upon and exactly who were all the entities involved? How is this not a criminal act and investigated by our grand jury? Bob Deresz

to the

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operating by using existing railroad tracks: (1) East-West corridor using CSX tracks running parallel to the 836 Expressway and extend it out to FIU; and (2) Northeast corridor using FEC tracks. The third Smart Plan corridor could be built with railroad tracks on the existing South Dade Busway from the Metrorail Dadeland South station to Homestead. The fourth Smart Plan corridor should look at Julia Tuttle Causeway to run light rail over to the Beach in a loop while staying off Washington Avenue, Fifth Street and Alton Road by using less congestive streets from the Design District station. Jim Garrett

Transit needs advocates to increase its benefits

As a student at a magnet senior high in Miami, I don’t live close to my school. Driving from West Kendall to the Downtown Miami area is easily an hour and a half at 6 in the morning. The public transportation Two of six Smart Plan corridors may be system saves me some time and gives me

Rail tracks could be used for Smart Plan corridors

would work if demand for buses was growing – but heaven knows it’s just the opposite. The latest figures from county transit, just out, show bus ridership has fallen by a double-digit percentage each of the past six months. For April, the latest month reported, bus ridership fell 10.9% from April 2017. Since 2014, April bus ridership has nosedived by more than a third, from 6,634,261 boardings in 2014 to 4,360,997 in April 2018 – an April loss of more than 2.2 million rides in four years. Why, for goodness’ sake, would you double bus capacity when you have a third fewer riders and falling fast? Maybe it’s because you think more tourist-type riders would flock to the upper deck, the way people did in Manhattan from the 1930s through the 1970s, when double-deck public buses were in use. But then why, if the buses did so well, did Manhattan abolish them, leaving no double-deck US bus service for decades? Maybe we could learn from others. Start in New York, which in May began testing a new double-deck bus run between

Manhattan and Staten Island. What have they learned so far that we could profit from? In California they’re trying two electric double-deck buses between Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley. What’s their experience? Of course, double-deck red buses are a symbol of London. They’re relatively common too in continental Europe and Asia, and again they’re successful. But if one thing is apparent, it’s that in other nations transit works that fails here. It may be totally logical that it would succeed here, but it doesn’t. Whether it’s our love affair with driving or Miami’s weather or economic status or our mentalities, logic and transit success don’t always go around together. That’s what makes Miami’s transit puzzle so exasperating. As our highway lanes congeal, our mass transit empties out faster and faster. Where is the logic in that? Even if the county decides that doubledeck is twice as good, it has another problem: money. No way could taller buses cost the same as normal buses. So, how do we fit them into our budget when bus fare receipts have fallen a third in four years? Beyond the cost of buses is the fact that the county has already ordered 355 new buses, with 55 of them now here, 200 expected this year and the final 100 due next year. You don’t mothball new buses. So at best, double-deck buses could only roll on a few routes – logically, those with the biggest demand. And then there’s one more nagging issue if you look at double-deck buses: some county commissioners, including notably Mr. Moss, are calling loudly for fewer buses and more trains. This is where I get off.

E ditor

the opportunity to catch up on school work. My school is particularly known for having a strenuous workload, so having some time not needing to worry about this city’s traffic problem is a good thing. I’ve heard many complaints over the last three years that I’ve been relying on the public transit system to get me to school – all of which are valid – and most of the issues could be solved or bettered by increased support from the public. The public transportation system ultimately benefits everyone in Miami, whether you ride the trains and trolleys and buses or not. Anyone who has been on the streets here knows there is a serious overabundance of vehicles. Public transportation moves thousands of people every day, meaning thousands fewer on the roads and highways. This summer I’ve had the opportunity to intern at the Government Center in Downtown Miami and I’ve learned more than I thought I would about the transportation system and what goes into making it work. All of the concerns brought up by the public are being taken into account and are actively being worked on. New projects to make Miami a more interconnected city are constantly in the works. The transportation system is extremely beneficial to me as a student and could be even more efficient and usable by the community with a little more advocacy from the people of Miami. Tatiana Taylee

Bus Rapid Transit won’t lure in new development

Nobody builds anything around a bus stop, but they do around a train station. Something to think about the next time the county talks about new Bus Rapid Transit on the Transitway. The county needs to give the voters the extended Metrorail that we paid $2.8 billion into with the half penny sales tax. You know, the fund that was to pay for more rail but had $1 billion stolen from it to pay for something else. Cully Waggoner

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WEEK OF THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 2018

TODAY’S NEWS

MIAMI TODAY

Another bid for mini-parks in parking spaces gets zapped Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Giménez has zapped a 20-month-old proposal by former County Commissioner Juan Carlos Zapata that would have led to mini-parks, called parklets, spread in parking spaces among streets and roadways around the county. The reason: no money. At the request of Mr. Zapata, the county commission in November 2016 had voted to order the mayor’s office to create a parklet program, find appropriate locations for the mini-parks and talk with local governments that already had tried the program. Last month, the mayor responded with a report reminding commissioners that in April of this year he had told them that “without some kind of enhancement to revenues, the county will be prioritizing critical services at the expense of requested enhancements.” While praising the concept of parklets, the mayor’s memo parked them with a long list of “requested enhancements” that he had already said the county has no money to even investigate fully, much less put to work. Parklets typically involve placing a platform over parking spaces to bring them to the same level as the sidewalk and allowing a business to place amenities such as benches, tables and chairs onto the decorative spaces. The concept surfaced, unsuccessfully, in the City of Miami in 2013 and returned in 2016 in Miami Beach. Mayor Giménez’s memo refers briefly to both of those experiments. In Miami, the city approved a one-year pilot program and two Coconut Grove businesses applied to the Miami Parking Authority for permits to operate a parklet outside their doors. Mayfair Hotel & Spa at 3330 Virginia St. and Acropolis Greek Taverna at 3484 Main Highway were the first to seek this use of parking spaces after city commissioners approved it, but neither wound up opening a parklet. The Mayfair’s application did pass the initial stage but got no farther. In Miami, the parklets were limited to two parking spaces – about 40 square feet. Under the plan, parklets could have extended a café or added landscaping or decoration to a storefront. They weren’t to change the sidewalk or roadway but could add green space or provide amenities. To install a parklet in Miami, a company had to choose the parking spaces it wanted, create a site plan and apply to the Miami Parking Authority. Eligible applicants included

Carlos Giménez: no money for it.

Parking spaces have been used creatively in Portland, OR, in a similar program entitled “street seats.”

property owners, storefront business owners and tenants, nonprofit organizations and Business Improvement Districts or similar organizations. Following the authority’s initial approval, the user of the parklet had to pick a designer and apply for a permit from the city’s Department of Public Works, paying a permit fee of about $4,300. Once a permit was issued, the owner was to pay the authority another fee that would vary by location of the parklet, because it was based on the revenue the parking authority would normally have gotten from those spaces. In the Miami Beach experiment, the city hoped to enhance the landscaping of Washington Avenue with a one-year pilot parklet program that invited merchants along the corridor to apply for a parking space to use creatively for the public. Businesses with sidewalk cafes on Washington Avenue from Sixth Street to Lincoln Road could submit a sketch of what their proposed parklet would be. City Manager Jimmy Morales was excited about the program at the time, saying “The parklet pilot program provides a path for our Washington Avenue businesses to take individual actions in the development and beautification of our city’s public realm. It also reflects our commitment to encourage bicycle and pedestrianfriendly streets.” A parklet would occupy a parking space in front of the business, using one or two parking spaces. In the pilot program, parklets were only to be allowed in front of sidewalk cafes. The parklet could be used to extend the sidewalk café, as a green open space, as a creative public space or whatever the restaurant had in mind. The parklet space would have cost the city nothing. The payments, construction and design would come from the merchants. The framework the city used was Portland and San Francisco’s parklet programs. Dylan Rivera of the Portland Bureau of Transportation told Miami Today at the time that their idea of parklets, or “street seats” as Portland called them, had approval from the public and many of their spaces were used creatively. Apart from the common extensions of cafes, uses in Jimmy Morales: shows city values. Portland included “whimsical,

creative” use of space such as ping-pong tables, artistically designed chairs and landscaping models. “It was very successful when we first started. It grew over the years. When people see the creative use of public space, they get inspired to do something on their own,” Mr. Rivera said. A popular effort by Portland was installing bike corrals, a series of four or five bike racks that were popular among busi-

nesses and encouraged residents to use bicycles. “They are like bike parking spaces, and businesses have been requesting to convert parking spaces to more bike corrals,” Mr. Rivera said. “We recently installed our 1,000th bike corral.” San Francisco’s parklet program, called Pavement to Parks, used since 2010, led to more parklets appearing around the city each year. Like Portland, the goals of the San Francisco

program were to encourage non-motorized transportation, enhance pedestrian safety and support local businesses. In Miami-Dade, the mayor’s July 20 memo said, the Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department supports the concept but “does not have sufficient staffing and resources to complete a comprehensive analysis to run a parklet program.” But the department said it’s now in its fourth year of participating in “PARK(ing) Day Miami,” in which the department “temporarily transforms parking spaces into pop-up mini parks for the day to call attention to the critical need for more urban open open space...”

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WEEK OF THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 2018

TODAY’S NEWS

MIAMI TODAY

Electric utilities seek added economic development charges The News Service of Florida

Three of Florida’s largest electric utilities are asking regulators to make changes that would allow them to recover more money from customers for economic-development efforts. Florida Power & Light, Gulf Power Co. and Tampa Electric Co. filed a proposal last week asking

the state Public Service Commission to revamp a rule that limits the amount of customer money that can go to economic development. The proposal would change a formula that takes into account the utilities’ gross annual revenues and effectively caps the economic-development amount at $3 million a year. FPL currently is at the $3 mil-

lion cap, while Tampa Electric is limited to $2.9 million and Gulf Power is limited to $2.3 million. The utilities’ proposal would gradually increase a percentage of gross annual revenues that could go to economic development. The utilities said the changes would not have “adverse impacts” on customers, in part because economic development leads to

broader customer bases. That, in turn, allows utilities to spread out costs, the filing said. “Although intended to promote economic development in Florida, the rule in its current form has come to be unduly restrictive,” the filing said. “The $3 million expense cap set forth in the rule

has not changed since 1995. For a large utility, such as FPL, this expense cap has had the practical consequence of limiting FPL’s recoverable economic development expenses to a flat $3 million per year in each and every year since the rule’s inception over 20 years ago.”

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County looks at trails under FPL lines By Jesse Scheckner

Miami-Dade County is considering developing park space under Florida Power and Light (FPL) transmission lines and easements as bicycle trails and walking paths. Commissioners in July accepted a report from Mayor Carlos Giménez detailing how the county could best work with the power company to create a 1.76-mile trail system under FPL lines on land managed by the county’s parks department. The report didn’t specify future development locations. “Across the country, rapid growth and development of our urban areas continue while the public demands trail networks that access parks, public lands and communities,” Mr. Giménez wrote in a July 13 memo. “These utilities can provide solutions to improve the aesthetic value, qualify of life and economic vitality for communities to traverse.” Candidate lands for trail development, according to Mr. Giménez, include properties owned by FPL and county rights-of-way near other greenways, trails, parks and libraries based on transportation, social, environmental and economic sustainability criteria as detailed in the Miami-Dade County Greenways and Trails Prioritization Plan. The two main funding sources available to the county’s parks and open spaces department to connect FPL-owned lands with county rights-of-way for bicycle and walking trails are state-funded Transportation Alternative Program funds and general obligation bonds under the county’s Building Better Communities program. Miami-Dade Parks can also apply for Shared-Use Non-motorized (SUN) Trail Network and State of Florida Greenways and Trails Acquisition Program funds. To maximize the possibility

of success for such a project and minimize operation and maintenance impacts to trail-managing entities and FPL, Mr. Giménez recommended establishing: nA strong relationship between FPL and the public entity managing the trail. n A clear understanding of the safety, economic, liability and maintenance concerns by all parties, including adjacent neighborhoods. n License agreements with FPL addressing the county’s construction activities, insurance requirements, financial legal responsibilities and types of permitted uses. nFunding solutions for trail development, maintenance and operation. nOperation and maintenance schedules. nDesign standards for safety and maintenance. nAdequate signage. nEducational programs. nInformal neighborhood patrols. nAn agreement with terms of use, including the needs of FPL or agency that may take precedence over public needs, when necessary. About 29,806 utility easement acres are partially owned by the county, FPL, South Florida Water Management District and private entities including single-family homeowners, according to the memo. Examples of successful shareduse trails within utility corridors listed included the Pinellas Trail Extension in Pinellas County, the Natural Coast Trail in NorthCentral Florida and the Cross Seminole Trail Connector in Seminole County. Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces recently negotiated with FPL to develop a biking and walking trail on the FPL Linear Park east of Northwest

137th Avenue from Southwest Sixth Street to Northwest 12th Avenue, which commissioners approved in July 2017. The parks department currently lacks sufficient staffing and resources to develop the trail, Mr. Giménez wrote, adding that it will continue to explore funding opportunities. Early last month, the MiamiDade Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) ordered a budget to study a project to connect non-motorized bicycle and pedestrian paths with its developing Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit (SMART) Plan corridors. If the project were to advance, it could connect several major public-private trails in a SMART Trails network, including the Underline, a 10-mile linear park and urban trail below the Metrorail running from the Miami River north of the Brickell Metrorail station to the Dadeland Metrorail station; the Ludlam Trail, a 6.2mile linear greenway running parallel to and west of Ludlam Road from near Northwest Seventh to Southwest 80th streets; and the Miami River Greenway, a 5.5-mile public pathway running west from Biscayne Bay to Miami International Airport. In late June, county commissioners unanimously OK’d purchasing the Ludlam Trail, a discontinued railroad corridor, from Brightline owner Florida East Coast Industries. Once developed, the trail will connect more than 34,000 people within a half-mile radius to five greenways, five schools, four parks and two transit hubs. “Linking first- and last-mile solutions is critical,” Friends of the Underline board member Steven Wernick told commissioners. “It’s for people of all ages, abilities, modes of transportation and, especially in my heart, kids – and that’s our future, of course.”

Ross Report Real Estate by Audrey Ross

Florida Ranks High in the Nation in Homes that are “Equity Rich” Buying a home is a significant investment and the benefits of that investment depend largely on the property’s equity. In addition to tax benefits, individuals who invest in property in Florida may also benefit from building equity relatively quickly. When a property owner is deemed “equity rich,” it means

that he or she has at least 50 percent equity in the home based on the home’s estimated market value. Nearly a Quarter of all Homeowners in Florida Qualify as “Equity Rich” Florida ranks 12th in the country for homes that are “equity rich,” with 24.6 percent of all Florida property owners fitting this category at the end of March 2018, according to ATTOM Data Solutions. This is great news for anyone who wants to purchase

property in Florida, especially as a long-term investment, because market values overall are rising, which increases the value of homes and owner equity over time. Even as market cycles change, there is tremendous investment value in purchasing property in South Florida.

Audrey Ross 305.206.4003 aross@miamirealestate.com www.miamirealestate.com

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Medica offers the Baptist Health network of services. Other providers are available in our network.

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Airport baggage handling improvements top $230 million By Jesse Scheckner

An additional $46.3 million will be spent to improve baggage handling systems at Miami International Airport, raising the project’s cost to $230.8 million, as Miami-Dade commissioners in July approved the added expenditure. With funding approved, previously deferred aspects will be restored to the Parsons-Odebrecht Joint Venture project, including inbound conveyor lines, baggage inspection machines, sorting piers and make-up devices. The project is currently 36% complete, Deputy Mayor Jack Osterholt wrote in a July 24 memo. The county’s Aviation Department hired a third-party firm to determine the cost of reintroducing the deferred portions to the project under a second contractor. Minus additional scheduling and coordinating expenses caused by having two contractors operate concurrently and in overlapping spaces, the firm determined it would cost about $50 million – $4.3 million more than if the funds were granted solely to Parsons-Odebrecht.

Completion of the baggage handling system’s improvements has been pushed back to Sept. 6, 2020.

Given this information and requests from airlines, the Aviation Department requested and was granted by commissioners: ■A dedicated allowance account of $37.4 million to reincorporate the deferred work. ■Fifty-two mobile inspec-

tion table stations valued at $4.6 million, requested by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), to be placed in the airport’s Checked Baggage Resolution Area. ■An $4.2 million increase in the Construction Phase Owner’s

Allowance Account “for unforeseeable changes to the work.” ■An additional $115,500 to the Inspector General Audit Account. ■Extension of the project’s completion by 178 days, from March 12 to Sept. 6, 2020. Funding for the project will

come from a TSA Other Transaction Agreement, Florida Department of Transportation Grants and Miami-Dade Aviation Department airport bonds. Miami-Dade commissioners in July 2016 approved by an 8-4 vote a contract for ParsonsOdebrecht, with almost $7.5 million for preconstruction and up to $177 million for construction. Audrey Edmonson, Rebeca Sosa, Daniella Levine Cava and Esteban Bovo Jr. voted No; Sally Heyman was absent. The bid came after a July 6, 2015, request for qualification was advertised for the project, which included replacing the in-line security screening portion of the South Terminal baggage handling system and installing an automated sorting system at the Central Terminal. Statements were received Aug. 14, 2015, and evaluated a month later, with presentations from respondent firms held at an Oct. 1, 2015, hearing. Mayor Carlos Giménez advised commissioners to approve awarding the contract to ParsonsOdebrecht, a 17-year collaboration between Odebrecht USA and Parsons Corp.

Photo by Frank C. Müller

Lime has spread its services widely throughout the county after opening here last year, signing dockless bike deals with Key Biscayne, Miami Shores and North Bay Village.

Dockless bike, scooter firms hunt last-mile transit solutions By Jesse Scheckner

As Miami-Dade commissioners consider regulating the dockless bike and scooter industry, whose vehicles are often left on public rights-of-way between uses, those businesses, as well as companies in related industries, are collaborating to better offer crucial last-mile solutions. In June, the same month commissioners forwarded three related items to a future full commission vote, Bird, a Santa Monicabased dockless electric scooter company founded by former Uber executive Travis VanderZanden, began a funding round valuing it at $2 billion. A month later, Uber invested sizably in Lime, a bike- and scooter-sharing provider that, along with competing companies Spin and Ofo, has spread throughout South Florida since mid-2017. Uber, which purchased electric bikesharing company Jump in January, has made known its goal in this endeavor: to become a broad digital marketplace for on-demand vehicles. “Just like Amazon sells third-party goods, we are going to also offer third-party transportation services; we want to kind of be the Amazon for transportation,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi announced at Recode’s annual Code Conference in May. Uber, he said, plans to incorporate buses

and other forms of public transit into the app in the near future to create seamless, all-encompassing mobility. “Let’s create a cheaper form of transportation from A to B, for you to come to Uber. We want you to be able to say, ‘Should I take the [rail]? Should I take a bike? Should I take an Uber?’All of it [in] real-time information, optimized for you and to be done with the push of a button.” Uber hopes to next bring Jump bikes to Miami while still including Lime on its mobile platform. “We’ve had conversations with both Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami to work with them in brining this product here in the coming months,” Uber spokesperson Javier Correoso told Miami Today. “We can work hand-in-hand with the county, with the cities, in helping fill those [transportation] gaps.” While some county and cities officials call for more order, several municipalities have struck deals with dockless vehicle companies. Between July and December 2017, Key Biscayne, Miami Shores and North Bay Village inked contracts with Lime. In November, Spin, a competitor offering comparable vehicles, entered into exclusive arrangements with Doral and Miami Lakes. That same month, the City of Miami welcomed Beijing-based company Ofo to the

area with a city hall celebration. “We view ourselves as a very important contributor to the new mobility revolution we’re seeing,” Spin spokesperson Brian No said, adding that his company was working with the City of Coral Gables to bring scooters to the area. “We don’t launch anywhere without having some sort of permission. Whether that’s a new ordinance or simply a [memorandum of understanding] with the jurisdiction, that’s been our ethos.” Ofo declined to comment for this story. Last month, Lime, which in 13 months exploded into 70 US markets, was served a cease and desist order by the City of Miami for placing Lime-S electric scooters throughout the city without permission. The company complied, and the city is to consider reinstating Lime-S services Sept. 13. According to the company’s annual report, Lime customers recorded 6 million rides between June 2017 and July 2018, averaging about one mile per trip. Two months ago, Lime announced it had surpassed 3 million rides, indicating a massive recent uptick in use. “Overall, we’ve had great reception in all our operating markets,” Lime development director Todd O’Boyle wrote. “Collaborating with counties and cities has always been our north star. As such, Lime has had an open dialogue with Miami-Dade County.” While Citi Bike in Miami Beach, North

Miami Beach and areas in downtown uses solar-powered docking stations to rent and collect its bikes when not in use, dockless bike- and scooter-sharing companies eschew stationed docking and instead ask customers to leave vehicles on public property. Resolutions sponsored by county commissioners Jean Monestime and Joe Martinez aim to require designated parking areas for dockless vehicles, stricter enforcement of current rights-of-way ordinances and a study into whether further regulation is necessary. Mr. Correoso said Uber supports the idea of using fees collected from dockless vehicle companies to pay for designated parking areas. Mr. No and Mr. O’Boyle, conversely, said they were open to suggestions but stopped short of endorsing such a move. Both men said their companies would work with counties and municipalities in resolving regulatory differences, provided such resolutions were sensible and fair. One such solution, offered by Mr. No, would be to adhere to a time-tested maxim of tastefulness: less is more. “There are a few regulations, or rules of the road, we always like to encourage, including limiting the number of companies and devices each company can deploy in a specified area,” he said. “Such caps are the single most effective way to prevent an overproliferation of devices and helps mitigate negative impacts on the public right-of-way.”

WEEK OF THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 2018

TRANSPORTATION

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Tri-Rail targets third quarter 2019 runs to downtown Miami By Rebecca S an J uan

Mobility options are expected to widen for residents in MiamiDade, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach late next year. Tri-Rail trains are to arrive in downtown Miami by the third quarter of 2019, opening up a larger labor force to employers and more access to attractions and entertainment across South Florida. All Aboard Florida’s express passenger rail project Brightline and the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority’s TriRail then will both be rolling from the MiamiCentral station in the Government Center area to neighboring counties. Rail partners have invested $70 million to establish the TriRail Downtown Miami Link, funding 26 trains and nine miles of new rail infrastructure. The 450-person capacity of each train will provide a one-seat ride to and from downtown Miami. Construction of the Tri-Rail portion is to be finished by September, according to South Florida Regional Transportation Authority Executive Director Jack Stephens. But passenger service isn’t expected to start until next July, August or September due to federally required approv-

Each of 26 daily trips to downtown Miami could carry 450 passengers.

als. The examinations relate to Positive Train Control, a branch of control engineering. Trials will test control units at a variety of speed levels to avoid accidents such as collisions and separations. Mr. Stephens said he expects that testing phase to conclude by December. Afterward, Brightline needs to request for an expansion from the Florida Railroad Administration, allowing Tri-Rail to access the Miami Central Station. Tri-Rail then would step in to test and install equipment connected to its trains. Computer-simulated models

predict an outpouring of interest from new riders and regulars alike for the 26 daily Tri-Rail trips. About 2,000 riders from Fort-Lauderdale and West Palm Beach would be flocking to downtown Miami on day one alone, of whom 1,000 riders are expected to be first-time passengers, those models predict. The majority of travelers from the first day onward are likely to be part of the workforce, said Mr. Stephens, and it presents a long-term opportunity for employers. “Major companies that are looking for qualified labor candidates and employers have

a much larger area to draw from as a result of our service,” Mr. Stephens said. Time off the road is possibly time wisely invested elsewhere for many passengers. “We emphasize the personal freedom to do whatever you want to do as opposed to sitting there, paying attention when driving in traffic,” Mr. Stephens said. Train rides tend to take longer than driving but allow passengers to shift their attention elsewhere besides the road. Take the journey from Miami to West Palm Beach: depending on traffic, it will last two hours on Tri-Rail as opposed to about an hour’s drive, Mr. Stephens said. Regardless, he said, professionals tend to work from their laptops and students catch up on their homework or reading. Local attractions and businesses close to the downtown Miami station may benefit, too. Mr. Stephens recognizes the developments rising across Miami and sees how trains stopping at Tri-Rail’s several locations drop their passengers off steps away from a number of entertainment options. The expanding connectivity options strengthen the economy and interconnectivity across

‘We emphasize the personal freedom to do whatever you want to do as opposed to sitting there, paying attention when driving in traffic.’ Jack Stephens

the region, Mr. Stephens said: “Miami is still the economic major engine in South Florida. Everybody understands that, but it’s beginning to be challenged due to its own success. The more mobility options – and we’re one – that we can put at the hands of the residents of South Florida, the better off our community economics are for the state and for South Florida.”

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MiaMi Today,

By Alyssa Curtis

The Town of Miami Lakes is looking to add two more cars to its free on-demand ride service, Freebee, as well as expanding its hours. The service currently utilizes two vehicles and is in service from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. With the addition of vehicles and more hours, says Michelle Gonzalez, senior transportation manager for the Town of Miami Lakes, it will give residents more chances to utilize the service. The new hours will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Ms. Gonzalez said that with the new hours, residents will be able to use Freebee after getting home from work, which allows more people to take advantage of it. “We want to target morning hours and peak hours so everyone has the opportunity” to use Freebee,” Ms. Gonzalez said. The service currently has a few advertisers but is looking for more, Ms. Gonzalez said. “Freebee is really in control and taking the lead. We have two advertisers but are always looking for more,” she said. Once the community’s old Par 3 Golf Course is turned into a park-

and-ride, Freebee service will be able to use the lot to pick up and drop off users. The town also hopes to add two vehicles to the two that are already in service. The addition of vehicles is currently on hold as they await the funds through Citizens Independent Transportation Trust (CITT) funding, said Ms. Gonzalez. “The amendment to the CITT ordinance was voted on and passed in May but was placed on a sixmonth moratorium so Miami-Dade County could come up with the implementation process. One of the things we would need to do as part of the process is amend the inter-local agreement between the town and the county to allow for the on-demand to be an eligible PTP (People’s Transportation Plan) expense,” Ms. Gonzalez said. Freebee mirrors a service the town had prior, says Ms. Gonzalez, but functions in a better way. Before Freebee, the town had a service in which residents were able to reserve a 15-minute ride. Residents would have to reserve their ride the day before. Ms. Gonzalez said that because it is the same service but better, residents are happy with Freebee.

MiaMi Herald, August 4, 2018

Miami Lakes’ Freebee service aims to add cars, extend hours

August 2, 2018

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Apartments and retail will rise beside the Miami Parking Authority’s headquarters and flagship garage.

WEEK OF THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 2018

Photo by John Charles Robbins

Tree mitigation is in full swing at the forthcoming Grand Station site.

Site work on Grand Station takes root with tree mitigation By John Charles Robbins

Site work has begun on a high-profile parcel in the heart of downtown Miami that will bring one of the first new residential towers to an area anchored by many institutional buildings. “They are moving fast,” said Miami Parking Authority CEO Art Noriega regarding developer Grand Station Partners LLC. Construction fencing has been erected around the vacant corner lot next door to the parking agency’s flagship garage and headquarters, Courthouse Center Garage at 40 NW Third St. The authority calls the next door lot “Parcel B” – not to be confused with the county’s Parcel B on the bayfront. The undeveloped site at 240 N Miami Ave. has grass, sidewalks and small to medium

sized trees. A public-private partnership with Grand Station Partners LLC will see construction of multi-family apartments and retail development to the property, along with added parking levels, just a block or so from the MiamiCentral transportation hub with passenger rail service Brightline. At a meeting July 30, Mr. Noriega updated the Off-Street Parking Board on the progress of the Grand Station project. “They are knee deep in tree mitigation right now,” he said. Mr. Noriega mentioned the installation of the security fencing, and how it is adorned with the latest color renderings of the Grand Station project. The images are creating a positive stir, he reported. “People really like the architecture. There’s nothing like that in this part of

P Neighborhood Fuel names director Neighborhood Fuel has named Julio Piti director of strategic initiatives. Mr. Piti had been a program coordinator at CareerSource South Florida and earlier an executive at the Beacon Council. He hold a bachelor’s degree from Florida Julio Piti International University. Terranova Corp. promotes three Terranova corporation has promoted Mindy McIlroy to president, Josh Gelfman to vice president of development and Ozzie Dominguez to vice president of property management. Ms. McIlroy had been executive vice president at the firm. Mr. Gelfman had been deputy director of the county’s Department of Economic and Regulatory Resources and earlier was senior vice president at the New York City Economic Development Corp. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Brown University, a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a second master’s degree from Columbia Business School. Mr. Dominguez had been a general manager at the firm. He holds a bachelor’s degree

Mindy McIlroy

town, which is so institutional,” he said. Opened in 2010, Courthouse Center Garage is a public parking facility with upper and lower office space and some ground-floor retail. The largest office user is the parking agency itself, in about 10,000 square feet on the top floor. Grand Station is rising next door and will include an 8-story pedestal of new parking with about 376 spaces, tied into the existing 11-story garage. The main portion of the project is a 31-story residential tower with about 300 apartments. The new building will also have about 5,000 square feet of ground floor retail uses. At the parking board’s July 11 meeting, Mr. Noriega spoke of the Grand Station project in light of the other major construction in the downtown area, including the realignment of a street west of the

Courthouse Center Garage. “You know, we have obviously a pending significant project, which is the street realignment, the avenue realignment to our west. [They’re] going to realign that whole street. That’s going to have an impact as well, obviously… accessibility to the project and to our garage. And so, you know, [we’re] kind of working through that. It’s going to be uncomfortable the next probably 18 months in the immediate area, but we will sort of work through it,” said Mr. Noriega. The parking agency staff and city officials have been working on a plan to help ease traffic congestion once the Grand Station project begins in earnest. In March, Mr. Noriega said the parking authority was working on measures to ease anticipated traffic congestion around its flagship garage.

e o p l e

Josh Gelfman

from Florida International University.

To Submit Information

Berger Singerman adds three associates Berger Singerman has added Joseph Sultan, Eliott Rimon and Bryan Appel as associates. Mr. Sultan had been a real estate associate in the New York office of Greenberg Traurig. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston University and a JD from New York University. Mr. Rimon had been an associate at Greenberg Traurig. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and a JD from Yeshiva University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Mr. Appel had been an associate at Alvarez and Marsal. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University, a master of laws degree from the University of Florida and

Miami Today welcomes news of job changes, promotions, hiring and awards. Please send your submissions to Katya Maruri at People@Miamitodaynews.com or mail them to Miami Today, 2000 S. Dixie Hwy, Suite 100, Miami FL 33133. Be sure to include contact information. We will select submissions for publication.

a JD from Nova Southeastern University.

Shapiro, Blasi names partners Shapiro, Blasi, Wasserman & Hermann has named Sean Sullivan and Matthew Kish partners. Mr. Sullivan will focus on public entities, private companies and individuals in contracts, negotiations, litigation, alternative dispute resolution and administrative proceedings. He holds a JD from Nova Southeastern University.

Joseph Sultan

Eliott Rimon

Bryan Appel

Mr. Kish had been an attorney versity of South Carolina Upstate. at Lubliner Kish. He holds a JD from California Western School Arts Business Council adds new member of Law. The Arts & Business Council of Miami has added Jean BlackFiduciary Trust adds senior manager well Font as a new member to Fiduciary Trust Company In- its team. Ms. Font is the senior ternational has added Edgardo manager of marketing and phiGonzalez as a managing director lanthropy at The Betsy Hotel. and senior portfolio manager in its She holds an associate’s degree Coral Gables office. Mr. Gonzalez from Miami Dade College. had been a portfolio manager in the global wealth and invest- Cuban collection ment management division at appoints chair The Cuban Heritage CollecU.S. Trust. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University. tion has appointed Elizabeth Cerejido as the Esperanza Bravo de Varona chair. Ms. Cerejido Miami MLS Club adds sporting director had been a museum curator The Miami MLS Club has ap- at Florida International Unipointed Paul McDonough as its versity’s Phillip and Patricia first sporting director. Mr. Mc- Frost Art Museum. She holds a Donough had been vice president bachelor’s degree from Florida of soccer operations at east coast International University and a club, Atlanta United. He holds a master’s degree from the Unibachelor’s degree from the Uni- versity of Miami.

WEEK OF THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 2018

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