FYI Miami: October 17, 2013

BRIGHTER BEACON: The Beacon Council, the county’s official development organization, says it worked on 33 new company locations and expansions in the year ended Sept. 30 that are planned to create 2,474 new jobs, retain 215 existing jobs and lead to $535 million in capital investment. In the prior year, the council said in its annual report, it worked on 27 new locations and expansions totaling 1,877 jobs, helped retain 316 jobs and cited $111 million in capital investment.

BROWNFIELDS WAIT: Miami’s city commission last week deferred action on brownfields area designations that would help affordable housing developer the Richman Group of Florida build three multi-level affordable housing projects in Brickell. The deferral is the third since the items first went on the agenda for the July 11 meeting. It was also continued from the Sept. 12 meeting, but it comes as a request of the company. According to interim City Manager Danny Alfonso, Richman has asked to defer the issue until 5 p.m. Nov. 21. With the resolutions, the developer is asking the city to declare lots at 1026 SW Second Ave., 144 and 152 SW Eighth St., and 850 SW Second Ave. brownfield areas. The city defines brownfield sites as real properties where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse might be complicated by actual or perceived environmental contamination.

SCOTTY’S STAYS: The Coconut Grove waterfront master plan aim to turn the lot under the Coconut Grove Convention Center into a park won’t affect Scotty’s Landing, according to Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, who has been the main push behind the plan. The waterfront restaurant, he told fellow commissioners last week, will still be there to the delight of disgruntled residents, but will move to where hangar 42 is currently. And, he said, there is a letter agreement indicating it.

SWIRE CONNECTS: Miami commissioners last week granted temporary easements to Swire Properties that are to help connect the north and south part of the billion-dollar-plus Brickell CityCentre project. Developers received the three requested easements from the city for its five-square-block project that includes retail, residential, hotel and office uses along South Miami and Brickell avenues between Eighth and Sixth streets. The company was approved for a temporary construction easement, an aerial easement, and a subsurface and maintenance easement along Southeast Sixth Street between South Miami Avenue and Southeast First Avenue.