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Week of July 20, 2006 |
School board, parking authority complete deal on spaces for arts center By Deserae del CampoAs opening night of the Miami Performing Arts Center draws closer, parking for patrons is at final stages with the Miami Parking Authority board's approval last week of a parking agreement with the Miami-Dade County School Board to manage 770 parking spaces. As a part of the interim parking solution for the center, the authority has offered to manage parking spaces for patrons on a deal that is to begin Aug. 1. The school board will receive 40% of revenues. The authority will set parking rates. Prepaid rates have been set at $15 per vehicle, but event-day fees have not been set. The school board lots will be under the parking authority's control for up to four years. The agreement is for two years with two possible one-year extensions. The board unanimously approved the agreement, which is pending final review from both parties' attorneys. The Miami Parking Authority will manage all 770 spaces in four school-board lots. "Negotiations have progressed well and have been vetted at all levels," said Fred Bredemeyer, deputy executive director of operations for the authority. "And given the importance of parking to the overall success of the Miami Performing Arts Center, we believe, based on our experience and expertise, that every detail is in place." The contract states the authority will have use of the parking lots from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. weekdays and "at all times on weekends." "The school-board lots are maintained and utilized by school-board employees each day of the week," said Mr. Bredemeyer. "The authority will ensure that all facilities meet parking authority standards for convenience and lighting, and all of the lots will be staffed with trained and uniformed authority personnel." Officials of the arts center approached authority officials in March to seek help managing parking for the center. That was shortly after a memorandum of understanding was issued. Two weeks ago, the center officials announced they had secured 2,500 valet and self-parking spaces. |
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