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Week of August 9, 2001 |
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AVENTURA STORIES: The RK Aventura Beach Marina Apartments land, 17100 North Bay Road, has been sold by 17070 Collins Avenue Shopping Center Ltd. to Aventura Preserve Investors for $12 million. The property has 10 acres that can be developed and 700 feet of frontage on the Inter-Coastal Waterway, said Bard Brenner of Sam Brenner Inc., which represented the seller in the transaction. Aventura Preserve Investors, Mr. Brenner said, plans to build 500 rental units in two nine-story waterfront buildings on the west side of North Bay Road and two six-story buildings on the east side. RACE DEADLINE: Miami city commissioners are to decide today (8/9) whether a major car race is going to roar through the streets of downtown Miami April 5-7. A deal between the city, organizer Raceworks and the Bayfront Park Management Trust has been slightly altered, with Raceworks assuming responsibility for all street improvements instead of the city, which could have spent up to $950,000 according to terms of an earlier pact. The city reimburses Raceworks $75,000 for any other racing events that use the improvements. Also, the city gets a $1 ticket surcharge during the first five years of the race, a number that will grow by 25 cents every five years the races are held after that. The city also gets $50,000 in rent for each racing event annually adjustment to a cap of 4%. Raceworks would be liable for up to $300,000 in fire, police and sanitary services, but the city would cover any costs above that and provide $50,000 worth of equipment storage space. PARKWEST BALLPARK?: The Miami City Commission plans to propose a new site for a Florida Marlins baseball park, said Chip Iglesias, chief of staff in the city manager's office, in the Park West area between Southwest Eighth Street and Interstate 195. A Miami River site approved by commissioners in March is still a possibility, Mr. Iglesias said. He said Miami-Dade officials and team owner John Henry are working on a deal to help pay for what is now estimated to be $500 million stadium. Mr. Iglesias said an earlier proposal from the city called for a $375 million project. NEW PITCH: The newest deal would also require the City of Miami to pitch in some money. Mr. Iglesias said the city is willing to give $148 million, for which it would need to issue general obligation bonds. If the city is able to continue collecting a 20% parking surcharge, recently declared unconstitutional by appellate judges but now in the hands of the Florida Supreme Court, the city would also give $23 million in parking surcharge sales tax rebates to help pay for a stadium, Mr. Iglesias said. ARENA SHORTFALL: The Miami Arena is expected to end its fiscal year Sept. 30 with a deficit of $976,309, said Robert Franklin, vice president of SMG, which runs and operates the arena. Members of the Miami Sports & Exhibition Authority, which oversees the venue, face a renewal of SMG's contract at the end of September. Board members, with Miami City Commissioner Johnny Winton as vice chairman, asked James Jenkins, the authority's executive director - who is negotiating a new contract with SMG - to look into the possibility of changing firms or hiring a staff to run the arena. Mr. Jenkins said he is already exploring alternatives. The authority now pays SMG about $1 million yearly in salaries and $150,000 in management fees. The next sports authority meeting is at noon Sept. 11 in the arena. Details: (305) 350-7861. FLOWING NORTH: The Performing Arts Network, or PAN - which has been operating in Miami Beach for about seven years - announced plans to relocate to World Arts Village, 13120-52 W Dixie Hwy., North Miami, a three-building complex. Ilisa Rosal, founding artistic director of PAN and La Rosa Flamenco Theatre, said she expects both organizations to open in their new home this fall. "We are thrilled to be moving to this new community" or North Miami, Ms. Rosal said, "that is in such need of a program like ours. We are happy to be joining MoCA and M Ensemble in revitalizing and infusing the community with the arts." She said PAN members include 40 individual artists and 10 organizations involved in dance, music and theater. BEACH RAIL: The Miami Design Preservation League is playing host to a community presentation on light rail from 6-6:30 p.m. Monday. Miami Beach Mayor Neisen Kasdin is scheduled to speak. Details: (305) 672-2014. GERMAN SHOWCASE: The consulate general of the Federal Republic of Germany is holding a wine tasting and art exhibit preview from 6:30-8:30 p.m. today (8/9) in the Biltmore Hotel, 1200 Anastasia Ave., Coral Gables. Wines from the Rhineland-Palatinate region are in the spotlight along with a preview of "Farewell to the Age of Moderns," a look at 20 paintings due to open in Miami-Dade County's main library on Aug. 16. RSVP. Details: (305) 373-9581. LAKES CONDOS: More than $800,000 in sales were reported by Larkin Schmidt Commercial Real Estate Services for buildings in the Park West Professional Center Office Condominium in Miami Lakes. That, Larkin Schmidt reports, brings to more than $3 million the total sales at the project. Among recent buyers, says Larkin Schmidt, are Albert & Jodi Gonzalez, G.F. Investments Group, Gutierrez Real Estate and Max Development & Construction. Larkin Schmidt said only two units remain available in the third phase of the five-phase project. The last phase is scheduled to break ground in the fourth quarter this year. NATIONAL RANK: The real estate firm Oncor International ranked Miami No. 9 among the nation's 10 most expensive places to rent class A office space in its mid-year report 2001. Miami landlords are charging an average of $32.05 a square foot, Oncor says. That's still well below class A rates in the Silicon Valley, Boston, Manhattan and San Francisco, where Oncor reports offices go for $55 or more a square foot. Other cities with class A rates higher than Miami are Seattle, Chicago, DC and Toronto. Also, both West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale show up in a list of the markets with the highest vacancy rates in the US - West Palm Beach has a 14.9% vacancy, Oncor reports, the 6th highest in the nation, while Fort Lauderdale's 14.1% vacancy rate is the 9th highest. NONPROFIT TIPS: The Human Services Coalition of Dade County is offering a conference for nonprofits, "Attend the Nonprofit Depot: Tools for Building Capacity," from 7:45 a.m.-3 p.m. Aug. 17 in Room 3210 of the Chapman Center, M-DCC Wolfson, 300 NE Second Ave. Among speakers, M-DCC's dean of academic affairs, Juan Abascal, is to introduce M-DCC's new non-profit management program. Ruth Shack, director of the Dade Community Foundation, is keynote speaker. Cost is $30; $25 in advance. Organizers said several sessions would be in Spanish. Details: (305) 237-3848. REDISTRICTING: Miami-Dade County is holding four public meetings to get feedback from citizens on congressional redistricting. The meetings are run by the county elections department at locations that are not district-specific. The meetings are 7 p.m. Aug. 20 in the North Dade Regional Library, 2455 SW 183rd St.; Aug. 21 in the West Dade Regional Library, 9445 Coral Way; 7 p.m. Aug. 22 in Room 203 at the South Dade Government Center, 10710 SW 211th St., and 6 p.m. Aug. 23 in the North Miami Beach Library, 1601 NE 164 St. HOMESTEAD AIR FUTURE: A future non-aviation plan for 717 acres of surplus land adjacent to the Homestead Air Reserve Base is the topic of a meeting organized by the Beacon Council. The Air Force ruled in January that the land could not be used for aviation purposes, but Miami-Dade County is appealing the decision. The public meeting is 7 p.m. Aug. 13 in the South Dade Library Auditorium, 10750 SW 211th St. The Beacon Council, Miami-Dade's economic development agency, is acting on behalf of Miami-Dade County for the forum. "Given the recent decision by the Air Force, it is imperative that we fashion a non-aviation reuse for the former Homestead Air Force Base that is based upon the input and support of the community," said Frank Nero, president and CEO of the council. |
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