The architectural drawing for the "new" waterfront design for Coconut Grove stirs the mistrust engendered by the Arquitectonica's initial rendering for the Genting mega-casino in downtown Miami. City commissioner Marc Sarnoff ought to have the common sense for a fully transparent process, given the other past precedent that has Coconut Grove residents are permanent edge: the botched condo plan by Jorge Perez on property owned by Mercy Hospital.
The loss the waterfront to private developers, from Perez and the Miami River hideousness, to earlier mistakes -- Bayside Marketplace -- and the Miami Heat arena lies (ie. Parcel B, the "park"): it is not simply bitchiness or disrespect from elected officials that riles citizens.
When it comes to waterfront development, the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County does nothing right. This is not a trivial point to the millions of south Floridians whose quality of life is substantially based on proximity to Biscayne Bay and its attractions.
The loss the waterfront to private developers, from Perez and the Miami River hideousness, to earlier mistakes -- Bayside Marketplace -- and the Miami Heat arena lies (ie. Parcel B, the "park"): it is not simply bitchiness or disrespect from elected officials that riles citizens.
When it comes to waterfront development, the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County does nothing right. This is not a trivial point to the millions of south Floridians whose quality of life is substantially based on proximity to Biscayne Bay and its attractions.
8 comments:
It's not just waterfront parkland. It's any public asset- be it land or funds paid by taxpayers. That's what the new public-private partnerships are all about. Using public assets for private profits.
Same plans of mega parking garages, dry dock warehouses and Bayside type "Maritime Center" planned by the private group that wants to lease into perpetuity the Miami Marine Stadium waterfront public lands. With City of Miami Commissioners blessing, of course. By the time anyone figures this out, the public waterfront parkland is paved over.
Same thing Gov. Scott is diong with "excess public lands". Corrupt and crooked don't describe half of it.
talking about waterfront have you heard the beaches have ran out of sand reserves, it was on TV last night that the cities of Ft. Lauderdale and possibly Miami Beach are looking to use crushed recycled glass to renourish sand erosion
Some Grovites don’t want Scotty’s Landing to change. Some want all of Scotty’s, Charthouse and Boat Storage areas demolished and made into a park. Some would like a Tropical Design. Some don’t want a parking garage. Some don’t think a 650 space parking garage will be sufficient. Nothing will satisfy everyone. The Sasaki Master Plan has been in the works since 2008. Why haven’t more Grovites been involved before now? The ship may have sailed and there seems to be a few unhappy folks at the dock, on “Latino Time”. Last year there were 4-5 RFP participants for the first round. This year, for the second round the City Manager bundled all three properties and only had 2 RFP participants. After considerable review, Grove Harbour was the only one that met and even exceeded the RFP requirements. Perhaps concerned Grovites should have met with Sasaki, Waterfront Board and City Manager long before now. Perhaps concerned Grovite architects and developers should have offered their expert advice to Sasaki, Waterfront Board, City Manager, RFP Selection Committee, as well as with the participating RFP Proposal Partners. Or perhaps some passionate Grovites should have organized a their very own RFP Proposal and Investor Group. Why was there not more concern about Monty’s Lease, Rusty Pelican Lease, demolition of Dinner Key Expo Center which has been a successful accidental Film Studio and the Peacock Park Glass House? Why was there no outcry when St. Stephens negotiated an exclusive deal to lease Peacock Park? If the Grove Waterfront is so important, than why is there not an effort to move City Hall to the MRC and return the Historic Pan Am Terminal to the Grove? Grove Harbour will be included in Novembers Public Referendum. Doesn’t get more Democratic than that. Except there are many more registered votes in Miami than in the Grove. And I suspect that most registered voters will cast their vote for anything that brings more money into the General Fund, so that their property taxes will not be raised. The folks that are unhappy with the way Miami is behaving towards the Grove should take this opportunity to organize efforts to be independent and form a Coconut Grove Municipality. Grovites may sign petitions and vent all they want via e-mails, Facebook, Instagram and Texting. Since this is Waterfront property, all of us in Miami will have the Democratic opportunity to vote in November. We were not offered the opportunity to vote on the Marlin Stadium subsidy, illegal spot zoning of Mercy Hospital, Home Depot, St. Stephens exclusive lease of Peacock Park or the demolition of Dinner Key Expo Center. But all Miami registered voters will have the opportunity to express their wishes of who will occupy the Mayor’s office and this Waterfront project in the November election.
PROPOSED NOVEMBER REFERENUM:
"SHALL THE CITY BE AUTHORIZED TO LEASE APPROXIMATELY 7 ACRES OF WATERFRONT AND SUBMERGED LANDS IN COCONUT GROVE TO GROVE BAY INVESTMENT GROUP, LLC, PROVIDING FOR 1) A MINIMUM OF $1.4 MILLION IN GUARANTEED ANNUAL RENT AND 2) APPROXIMATELY $17.9 MILLION OF PRIVATELY FUNDED IMPROVEMENTS TO REDEVELOP AN EXISTING MARINA AND PUBLIC BAYWALK, CONSTRUCT RESTAURANTS AND, PARTIALLY FUND A PUBLIC PARKING GARAGE, FOR A 50 YEAR TERM WITH TWO 15 YEAR RENEWAL OPTIONS."
It is my understanding that the Grove Harbour RFP is the best one of all those presented over the past year. I plan to vote YES, for improving our Grove Waterfront with the enormous efforts, time and expense that has been designated by the Sasaki Master Plan and all those that helped in its years of research, dialog and development.
Who is that last anon that is so enthusiastic about paving over the waterfront with commercial developments and giant parking garages on public waterfront land? Reveal yourself so your Groovy Grovite neighbors can discuss this with you personally. It takes a Village.
The Sasaki Master Plan envisioned a public parking garage with liner retail. The public parking garage is described by Sasaki as consolidating "existing surface lots that absorb valuable waterfront land and … screened by the retail uses and a green roof." Even without the additional retail in the parking garage, it will be necessary to find parking and replace the acres of asphalt being removed as part of the development of the park. Without this public parking garage, there would have no place to meet commitments to the marina visitors, existing restaurant patrons, and the future park users.
In order to make the new public park a place people will want to gather, there is a real need for appropriate retail along the edges of the park. It is strongly believe that the new public park will lead to a net new demand for additional retail uses, but those retail uses should be outside the park boundaries. These retail uses will consist of bike shops, running stores, convenience stores, coffee shop, and specialty health shops.
In order to have a vibrant commercial district, Coconut Grove needs to have a sufficient retail critical mass. The more appropriate retail we have in and around Coconut Grove, the better it is for the businesses and the community. In addition, as the new high rise buildings come on-line along South Bayshore, the demand for retail will only increase. The question remains whether these new office workers and residents will need to get in their cars and leave Coconut Grove to satisfy their retail needs.
Instead of adding additional retail, as existing retail converts to offices, we have experienced a net loss in potential retail within Coconut Grove. The most recent study commissioned by the Coconut Grove BID (November 2012) found that "up to 85 new stores and restaurants, totaling 148,700 sf is presently supportable in the Coconut Grove study area."
Based on the most recent study and the impact of the public park, it is determined that additional retail within a parking garage will result in the overall benefit to the area.
Marlins Stadium will cost the taxpayers over $3 Billion when the debt service costs are included. Grove commissioner Marc Sarnoff voted Yes to send the scam on to the County where it got a rubber stamp approval. Then he voted Yes on the financing scheme using high interest rate bonds. No wonder people don't trust him.
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