Commissioner Xavier Suarez presented several projects that he said will generate employment opportunities and economic growth in the community, most were in his District and "were shovel ready". Commissioner Bruno Barreiro was there to watch. I did see Souto and Edmonson, don't think they stayed. Mayor Regalado was there the whole time. The County Mayor sent an Aide to take notes. Oddly there were no questions after the presentation.
As usual I didn't listen very well. The event was well attended. I liked some of the plans presented. Here is the official list of projects:
1) Thelma Gibson Memorial Housing
2) US1 37th Avenue Transit Oriented Development
3) Helen B Bentley Health Center
4) Virrick Park Pool
5) Virginia Key / Marine Stadium / Landfill
6) Midtown/Overtown/ Downtown Trolley
7) SW 8th Street WEST Alternative Orientation
8) Coconut Grove Playhouse
9) Ponce De Leon (Hartnett Park) Circle
10) Miami's Millennium Park
One of the 10 projects was to make one-way-West Calle Ocho, on the Eastern End, two-way traffic for a couple of blocks or change it to one-way East. I like that idea a lot. He also proposed a gateway at the beginning of the Street. Among his plans, he included Virginia Key's former land fill and Marine Stadium, Coral Gables and the Downtown area. The Commissioner had an Architect do drawings of some of the projects and I have included 3 of the concept drawings. Suarez has a vision...lets see if he can get funding for any of the projects in this tight economy. The Coral Gables ambitious plan for an almost 3 acre public circle on Ponce De Leon with a pedestrian walkway around it and the road being moved below the walkway, is already in the planning stage in the city. Commissioner Suarez supports linking Parcel B, the American Airlines Arena, Bicentennial Park and the Arsht Center's Cultural District (linking also underway - in the City of Miami). Look at the Casino the architect put in to replace the Miami Herald building (picture below -- cute). I think this conglomerate of waterfront spaces is what he is calling Miami's Millennium Park, paying homage to Chicago's Park.
15 comments:
Regarding landfill on Virginia key - the community has been waiting decades for the city of miami to complete the cleanup which will cost millions - are they finally ready to take responsibility?
I love ALL of these ideas ...he does have a vision. I like the concept of putting people to work by beautifying Miami.
Francis is extremely good looking, and extremely un-photogenic.
As usual, everything seems over the top. Especially that Calle Ocho entranceway. Vision is good, but I would settle for fresh paint and some street trees to get started with beautification efforts. How about some code enforcement and sign ordinances in the City of Miami?
Building an archway is not that expensive. I think it brings a big bang for the bucks-- look at the small photo on how it looks now. I love the Chinatown Arch in Washington. Not a bad idea to start to refurbish the area.
What is going on in Parcel B, where is the park?
The over the top entrances to the FEC slip block the views of the water.
These are concept drawings...they are not engraved in stone. Rest assured the casino is not going to look like a stylized Pagoda.
The archway over Calle Ocho would cost the private sector $250,000 and the Public sector $1 mil.
Using the FEC Corridor is brilliant. A convertible bus. Rail and rubber wheels.
Dust off proposed projects from the time Suarez was the Mayor of the City of Miami. Hopefully, Suarez can get some of these projects complete now.
Should we be working on infrastructure of the cities. Beautification is great but lets improve sidewalks, roads, underground water lines, sewerage disposal, bridges need to be safe to travel across etc. All beauty and the infrastructure of the city is collapsing is not good.
monies have already been allocated for the maintenance and improvement of what we already have. I love the Arch concept, and believe it will not only bring the locals but the tourists.
The design for Hartnett Park, sometimes known as Ponce de Leon Circle, is especially disturbing and shows a gross insensitivity to our ecology. This park contains the only remaining urban grove of pinus elliottii var. densa (dade Co. slash pine in the world. Yes, on planet earth. There is no other place where this keystone species, part of the globally imperiled pine rockland, exists in an urban plaza. Yet, he would propose to demolish an endemic precious native natural community with a giant fountain, and lawn, and some clumpy shade trees in the rendering, presumably an invasive exotic like the other ones being planted in downtown Coral Gables.
Also, the gateway on Calle Ocho makes me want to weep. Has anybody ever seen an abuse of the classical architecture tradition? What about quiet and tasetful proportions? Why the baroque scrolls and the bombastic, clumsy stucco megaterranean architecture? If we want to celebrate the culture of Cuba, let's draw our inspiration from the great, stately, classical buildings of Havana, which don't have the clumsy, amateurish design of this gateway. Notice that the artist or architect couldn't even draw it symmetrically. Everything is askew, and lilting to the side.
Why don't you call Xavier Suarez's office and also the Coral Gables commissioners. I am sure they would address your concerns. Silence is not an option.
Also these are concept plans from an architect's imagination---they are NOT accurate depictions.
I have already alerted the mayor and all of the Gables comissioners about his and other prominent leaders' proposals to ruin this park with grandiose and exotic planting schemes.
The fact that these are concept plans from an architect's imagination is no excuse for terrible drawing/design. There should at least be a minimum of pride and sensitivity to architectural precedent (or the physics of structures) when doing a sketch. Even minimally talented designers are capable of this.
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