FYI Miami: February 15, 2024

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.

GABLES VOTES TO FIRE MANAGER: The Coral Gables City Commission voted Tuesday to terminate City Manager Peter Iglesias on a 3-2 vote. The only two who were opposed were Mayor Vince Lago and Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson. Commissioners decided to appoint Alberto Parjus interim city manager after a lengthy discussion. He was serving as assistant city manager and will take on his new role for the next three months until the city chooses among eligible candidates for the manager’s position, commissioners decided. Details were still being drafted and debated Tuesday evening.

10-YEAR BRIDGE REPLACEMENT: A contract to replace a bridge on North Miami Avenue over the Little River Canal that was issued six years ago is now being stretched to more than 10 years – plus any contingency time – with the unanimous approval last week of the Miami-Dade County Commission. In the third change order to the contract with Douglas N. Higgins Inc. to replace the existing bridge, including roadway approaches and design services, the original $2.9 million contract is being increased by nearly $658,000 “to address unforeseeable field conditions which were exposed upon removal of the existing bridge structure,” which are loose material in the canal bank under the bridge that differed from specifications, “requiring an unanticipated redesign and re-permitting” to improve the canal bank to prevent erosion. Higgins is not being paid for the extra workdays in the negotiated increase to county costs.

BROADER VISITOR MARKETING: County commissioners have unanimously and without discussion directed Mayor Daniella Levine Cava to work with the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau to develop a new marketing plan to leverage new businesses, developments, points of interest and tourism infrastructure “that further highlights the diverse culinary, artistic and cultural offerings of the entire county.” The legislation prepared by county Commission Chairman Oliver Gilbert III orders a full report from the mayor within four months. The report is to be placed on the full commission agenda without the normal committee review discussion.

GERMANY EYES MIAMI: Of international homesite searches in December that came from 137 nations on the Miami Association of Realtors website, almost one in eight came from Germany, the association says, the most of any nation. Colombia registered 11.6% of all searches. Third most was Argentina at 7.1%. When pinned down to specific cities, Bogotá recorded the most searches, followed by Frankfurt and Buenos Aires, the association said. Domestically, the top states searching the site were Georgia, followed by Virginia and then Ohio.