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Week of April 12, 2001 |
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CZECH MATE MIAMI: The Czech Republic's Ministry of Commerce has opened a trade office in Miami to promote trade and expand export of its products to Latin America and the Caribbean, said Roman Matyas, director of the Czech Trade Promotion Agency. He said it's the first office for a Central or Eastern European nation in Miami. An opening ceremony from 5:30-7:30 p.m. April 26 in the Brass Menagerie Room at the Radisson Mart Plaza Hotel, 711 NW 72nd Ave., will include an exhibit of Czech products. Details: (305) 260-1006. MICROSOFT SPOT: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, making his first scheduled appearance in Miami, is to address participants at 9 a.m. April 17 as keynote speaker on the first day of a two-day Microsoft Enterprise Solutions 2001 conference in the Hotel Inter-Continental Miami. The conference, organizers say, focuses on technological developments for Latin American enterprise. PROCUREMENT NIX: Miami-Dade County commissioners Tuesday turned down a bid to give more authority to the county manager and Department of Procurement Management, included changing the dollar amount at which an advance OK from the commission is required to award qualifying contracts from $500,000 to $5 million. The legislation, drafted by Chair Gwen Margolis and Commissioner Jimmy Morales — and supported by Mayor Alex Penelas — failed 7-5. Objections included County Manager Steve Shiver being so new to the job. WATER MEASURE: County commissioners Tuesday passed a water conservation ordinance that restricts serving water to restaurant patrons except on request, prohibits the operation of outdoor decorative fountains and eliminates the pressure cleaning of impervious surfaces during water shortages. County spokesman David Perez said the ordnance "will be enforced in the same manner that other water restrictions are" — to date the county has issued 2,410 enforcement actions, he said. ENTERPRISE AWARD: Enterprise Florida seeks nominations for a Governor's Business Leadership award due to be given out during Florida's 18th annual observance of Industry Appreciation Week Sept. 17-21. Completed forms are due by May 14. Details: Marilyn Davenport, (407) 316-4623. SPRINGER STREET?: Over the protest of Commissioner Natacha Seijas, a resolution co-designating Northwest 112th Avenue from 30th to 112th street "Cristina's Way" — after the popular Spanish-language television host Cristina Saralegui — was passed by the county. "I'm pained that we find ourselves honoring a show that is an embarrassment. We might as well call the street Jerry Springer way," Ms. Seijas said. CITIGROUP POST: Citigroup Private Bank named Hunting F. Deutsch to manage and expand its Miami office. Mr. Deutsch, who has more than 25 years of experience in Florida, had been with SunTrust Bank for 20 years, most recently in Orlando. His past posts have included executive vice president, trust and investment services executive for SunTrust in Miami. He is past chairman of the United Arts of Central Florida and the Community Foundation of Central Florida and serves on the president's council for the University of Miami. ART TO THE SOUTH: Lincoln Road's ArtCenter/South Florida founder Ellie Schneiderman announced the grand opening at 4:30 p.m. April 14 of ArtSouth, 240 Krome Ave., Homestead, when Mayor Roscoe Warren and County Manager Steve Shiver are due to preside at an official ribbon-cutting ceremony. The new venue will feature a concert by the German Choir at 7 p.m. and an opening reception from 3-7 p.m. for an exhibit by Juanita May. Details: (305) 247-9406. B.P. LEASE: Larkin Schmidt Commercial Real Estate Services announced B.P. Amoco Oil signed to use an about 38,500-square-foot outparcel at Ives Dairy Crossing, Ives Dairy Road at US 441, North Miami, from Kimco Realty. The 10-year lease is valued at about $875,000. B.P. acquired the site, said Larkin Schmidt executives Jeremy S. Larkin and Eric C. Eisenberg, for "a state-of-the-art" gas station. CORDIS EXPANSION: Cordis Neurovascular renewed and expanded in Miami Lakes Business Park East, 14000 NW 57th Ave., said Ron Berger, vice president with Trammell Crow Co. The company added 29,775 square feet, bringing to 59,155 the square footage the medical products distribution company is using in the park, Mr. Berger said. TOO SMALL?: Although he envisions the most expensive building ever built in Miami and condos ranging from $1,115,000 to more than $4.45 million, Millennium Partners' Christopher Jeffries said he expects some buyers of his Four Seasons condos on Brickell Avenue to combine several into a single living space. He plans 186 units, he told real estate brokers last week, but to just 150 to 160 buyers. WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN: While the Four Seasons rises in a full city block between 14th Lane and 14th Terrace on Brickell, we're only seeing the tip of the tower, so to speak. Mr. Jeffries says construction of the 800-foot tower is still in the office space phase. Then comes the Four Seasons Hotel, followed by condos. He said he expects construction to be done in two years with the hotel open earlier, for Christmas 2002. NO DOWN-ZONING: Millennium Partners are giving special thanks to Miami for the 800-foot tower, tallest of their projects — 12 now finished or under construction. "People love heights in their apartments," said Mr. Jeffries. "This is the first city I've been in with no height limits in zoning. That got me salivating." The original height of 900-plus feet was cut because the Federal Aviation Administration worried about danger to planes heading to and from the airport. TRADE AREA HERE?: The outlook for the Free Trade Area of the Americas will be the topic of the next session of the International Roundtable, presented by Miami Today and the Beacon Council. A focus will be the possibility of locating the secretariat for the free trade area in Miami-Dade County. The 5 p.m. April 19 meeting will be at the Hyatt Regency Coral Gables, 50 Alhambra Plaza. Reservations required. Details: Techy Fernandez, (305) 358-2663. PORT DESIGNS: The national Interior Design Guild Foundation named Paula Hesch designer of the year in the category of "general office or public facility" for the interiors of terminals 3-5 at the Port of Miami, a job she did for Royal Caribbean International. Ms. Hesch is owner of Paul Hesch Designs in Miami and an adjunct professor in the interior design department at Florida International University's School of Architecture. She lists among her ongoing projects offices for Kane Hoffman & Danner on Brickell Avenue and the Dade County Aviation Department auditorium and interim command center. HOMELESS POST: The Dade Community Partnership for the Homeless named H. Daniel Vincent executive director, effective May 14. Mr. Vincent served as area commander of the Salvation Army in Miami-Dade since 1997 and worked for the Salvation Army in such outposts as Knoxville, Nashville and Hopkinsville, KY, before that. Alfredo Brown remains the nonprofit's acting executive director through May 13. ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS: The 3rd annual Student Industry Conference will draw about 500 students to M-DCC Wolfson's Chapman Center April 27 for "From the Classroom to the Boardroom," a session organizers say is designed to "expose high school students to the business environment." Scheduled speakers are James Carr, senior vice president for the Fannie Mae Foundation in Washington, DC, and Calixto Garcia-Velez, president of Citibank Florida. Details: (305) 237-3130. STATE TEAMS: Florida Commissioner of Education Charlie Crist named Elaine Liftin to two state task forces — the K-20 Partnership Committee to research alternative teacher certification and the School Community Professional Development Task Force to explore educational policies and issues. Dr. Liftin is executive director of the South Florida Annenberg Challenge, based in Miami. NET SERVE: Johnson & Wales University, best known as a training ground for the food service industry, is cooking up a new major at its North Miami campus: e-commerce. A new school of technology will offer an associate's degree in website development and a bachelor's degree in web management and Internet commerce, Florida Campus President Donald McGregor announced. The university's three colleges are business, culinary arts and hospitality. ROYAL-TIE: The directors of year-old Royal Celebrity Tours have elected Jack Williams, president of Miami-based Royal Caribbean International, its first chairman. Royal Celebrity offers land tours of Alaska for passengers on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises trips. |
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