FYI Miami: October 29, 2015

Below are some of the FYIs in this week’s edition. The entire content of this week’s FYIs and Insider sections is available by subscription only. To subscribe click here.

HERITAGE OF HOUSING: County commissioners unanimously voted to have the county buy property at 413 NW Third St. at market value and convey it, along with the adjoining county-owned site at 401 NW Third St., to non-profit Dade Heritage Trust at no cost for construction of affordable housing and restoration of an historic wood-frame cottage built in 1925. The legislation asks the mayor’s office to include the properties on the county’s list of affordable housing, ensure proper signage on the sites, provide a status report on the acquisition within 120 days and use grant funds from Building Better Communities General Obligation Bond Program for the “preservation of affordable housing units and expansion of home ownership.” Dade Heritage Trust, with a mission to preserve architectural and cultural heritage through advocacy, education and restoration, is to partner with affordable housing developer Green Mills Group LLC to develop affordable rental housing for low-income elderly households and preserve the cottage at a cost of $250,000.

MONEY FOR POLICING OMNI: Miami commissioners, acting as the Omni Community Redevelopment Agency board, on Oct. 22 approved a $710,000 grant to the City of Miami for an expanded police program within the Omni redevelopment area. The police department sought the funding to continue the Omni CRA’s Police Services program, introduced in April 2008. The enhanced services include increased patrols, special operations, traffic details, criminal sweeps, prostitution details and undercover narcotics details.

TRADING SPACES: A land swap between the City of Miami and an affiliate of All Aboard Florida could one day lead to a new fire station downtown. That’s what city commissioners were told Oct. 22 when they approved an agreement with FDG Rail Holdings 25 LLC and AAF Miami TOD Holdings LLC. It involves a land exchange of two city-owned properties, about 0.18-acre and about 0.32-acre, for FDG-owned property, about 0.50-acre at 435 NW First Court. All Aboard Florida will also pay the city $500,000 and “shall be granted certain crossing rights to allow AAF to use that certain portion of NW 8th street including subsurface and air rights,” says the agreement. This will aid the company in construction of a new MiamiCentral train station and related development. The city manager said staff is working with AT&T to get more land nearby for a fire station to replace Station 1, at 144 NE Fifth St., the city’s oldest firehouse.