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Home My WebLink AboutSEOPW-CRA-2002-02-25-Discussion Item 3ITEM 2 January 18, 2002 VIA MAIL AND FAX: (212) 535-6186 Max Anderson Director Whitney Museum 945 Madison Avenue at 75"' Street N 1ew York, NY 10021 Re: Invitation to visit a - our the CRA Redevelopment _ ra , a Dear `ii'. Andes n; it was pleasure speaking with you on the Impact of Alt Museums on citizens and cO.:nl; ItIfMies Lit large. I am very interested in gninina niore insight on the poS,.tide impact, fiat an A--( NILISeum may hiive in the uriderserved. urban: areas of the City of \iiLimi. I am extendin` an invitation to you to visit and tour the CRA redevelopment .seas and to provide us. with your recommendation on the possibility of creating a world renowned Art Museum within the redevelopment areas. As background, the CRA boundaries encompass portions of Overtown. Omni and Park -west . One of the goals of the CRA is to create an Art/Science Museum overlay district within the redevelopmen area. At the CRA Board of Director's meeting scheduled for January 28, 2002, 1 have drafted legislation that would create a Jazz and Blue's overlay district within the redevelopment _treas. Cut;-endN- there are ,:,,vet -al entertainment districts and a media/motion picture distract. dt is the vISIon of the CRA that these special districts will have it profound impact on the redevelopment area by stimulating business that will create job opportunities and cause it resurgence in the declined, economy into a bustling tourist D�'stinatiora. All expenses From your visit will be puid by the CRA. Ms. Antranette Edwards of my office wili be contacting you to coordinate the flight and hotel reservatiops for }'our stay here in Miami. Should you have any iluestions. please don't hes-.tate to contact me or Nls. Karen t%1cG hhon 1.7 my office at (305) 250-5 90. �117 � C�- SEOPW / C -4646 .ion Ris(-avnP Roulevard Wav - SuitP 430 - Miami. Florida 33131 - Phone (305) 579-3324 - Fax (305) 372 Warmest personal regards. Faithfully, Arthur E. Teele, Jr. Chairman Cc: Annette E. Lewis, Acting Executive Director Rose Ann Lovell, Lovell Company (VIA FAX: (305) 364-9988) Dina Reis, Whitney Museum (VIA FAX: 212-838-8449) C /CRA swi?W / CRA 7 REAT PUBLIC SPACES DEFINE CITIES: Central Park in New York, Lincoln Park in Chicago, the squares of Savannah, the Riverwalk of San Antonio, even Lummus Park in South Beach. A great public space is a magnet, a source of pride, a gathering place, a spur to investment. Cities across North America are fast rediscovering the importance of a signature public place. Today, the City of Miami has been given a precious second chance: to reclaim Bicentennial Park as South Florida's premier public park. if the community follows through, the park will offer thoughtfully landscaped open space for residents and visitors to enjoy; dockage and marine facilities for boaters and visiting ships; cultural facilities for the arts and sciences; pedestrian connections to a renovated Biscayne Boulevard and reviving neighborhoods to the west, and a baywalk linking the park to the city's planned system of greenways and blueways. On Nov. 13, 2001, the people of Miami passed the $255 million Homeland Defense/Neighborhood Improvement Bond Issue. The proceeds — which will pay to enhance streets and parks throughout the City of Miami — include $10 million for Bicentennial Park, with the first distributions to come in 2003. When the first activities commence, residents will start to see dramatic improvements: fresh landscaping, better lighting, stepped -up law enforcement patrols, a repaired seawall, new docking facilities and other enhancements. Public support and the bond issue — while critical — only start the job. The work ahead is urgent. Bond issue money represents less than half anticipated construction costs for the park, which is why support from civic and political leadership is so critical. The Miami Museum of Science and the Miami Art Museum will launch major fund-raising campaigns in 2002, with the intention of opening in Bicentennial Park no later than 2008. The museums would leave most of the park open space for all the people to enjoy. Bicentennial Park is the last, best hope to create a signature gathering place on Downtown Miami's waterfront. To make that happen, we will %f► ?Aed support not only in Miami, but from Greater South Florida to Tallahassee to Washington. 02 - .1 The stow of Bicedenflial Park, icentennial Park is the main jewel in a necklace of blueways and greenways along Biscayne Bay and the .f View of planned bayfront walkway and potential dockage from collapsed seawall Miami River. This string of waterfront parkland will connect parks from Virginia Key in the east to Curtis Park to the west, and from Alice Wainwright Park on the south to Margaret Pace Park to the north. BY2006—IF OUR VISION HOLDS and we stand firm — Bicentennial Park will reclaim its rightful position as Miami's Central Park, with the new Center for the Performing Arts immediately to the north, the Freedom Tower, American Airlines Arena and Bayside to the south, two museum buildings underway, and a thriving mixed -use, residential, urban neighborhood across a remodeled Biscayne Boulevard to the west. In addition, the park's improved dockage would include a substantial slip for visiting ships, and a more intimate mooring on the north portion of the east seawall for 20-25 yachts. This mooring, and two possible restaurant facilities near the water, would further activate the park by providing boat access and recurring revenue. THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION committed Airlines Arena and the planned Center for itselt to the park's revival on April 2, 2000, the performing Arts. when it passed a resolution to renew More than 350 people participated in the 2001 public park charrette. This one-time 'waterfront cafe illustrates both the park's decline and promise. Bicentennial Park as a "premier public park," reversing 25 years of neglect. More than 400 people participated in two public charrettes and proposed three plans for the park — one for pure open space, a second as a cultural park, with museums, and another including retail uses. The plan on the table today — the cultural park - blends museums, several restaurants, and public open space. Chicago, San Francisco, and St. Louis have proven such parks can thrive. The November 2001 bond issue gave Miami the tools to revive Bicentennial Park. IN AUGUST 2000, administrators for Miami Museum of Science and Miami Art Museum signed a joint resolution to work together as a team to relocate PARKLAND TIMELINE: A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE For nearly a century, the people of Miami have sought a public park in the heart of their city. While the dream has sometimes seemed elusive, it has never dropped far from sight. 1905: Florida Supreme Court rules in favor of Miami residents to give bayfront land to the people of Miami for public park use. I��I�IZ�Ie EARLY 1900s: 1920: City of Miami buys 1922: Land tha Bicentennial Park land that would later be- become Bayfror part of Miami's come Bicentennial Park. by the city from seaport, used for Site deve JJT" )for $1 million. industrial transport. Miamhsepnod q=A 4 DISCUSSED in the 29-acre park. Today, they --are preparing major fund- raising efforts. Commitments alone do not guarantee success. While Bicentennial Park is at last within sight of realizing its potential, follow-through is essential. With or without museums or other structures, the park will cost $20 to $26 million to redevelop, and $800,000 to $1.5 million a year to maintain, by all available C1 Bicentennial offers some of Miami's best waterfront vistas. estimates. For more than half a century, the present Bicentennial Park THIS INVESTMENT was used for port and industrial uses. PRODUCES RETURNS on greater effort, already well along. The City of Miami is committed to renew and restore its parks, clean the Miami River and Biscayne Bay, and link its natural treasures in a systematic way. Bicentennial Park could stand as a centerpiece in a system of blueways and greenways, rivaling or exceeding the successes of Baltimore harbor, Annapolis, Charleston, Portland and New York. Pressure from the public has made the difference, aided — with growing momentum — by city officials and commissioners, the 'f Urban Environment League, the Trust for Public Land, the Virginia Key Trust, the Collins Center for Public Policy, the American Institute of Architects, and many dedicated individuals. i� of MacArthur Causeway from park's former auto racetrack 1920-68: Belcher Oil occupies property just north of current park for bulk oil storage, with 27 tanks. TODAY, THE BICENTENNIAL PARK/ WATERFRONT The freedom schoonerAmistad's visit proves the park can attract visitors. RENEWAL COMMITTEE, led by Miami City Commissioner Johnny Winton, is guiding the park's renewal. Strengthened by broad public participation and the November 2001 Homeland Defense/Neighborhood Improvement Bond Issue, the committee is proceeding on the strong belief of residents that this last large tract of open space rightfully belongs to the public, for public use. While many opportunities have been squandered in the past, Miami and South Florida are poised as never before to summon the collective will and discipline to seize this chance to make the park ours. 1970: Miami is chosen by the National Bicentennial Commission as one of the sites for a multi -city celebration in 1976. uld latter 1%8: State of Florida acquires ,k purchased property for bridge construction FEC Railway for 1-395. Bicentennial site unused, except as staging area y'�strucypr4 , r 1976: Bicentennial Park opens. 1972: $15 million designated for new Bicentennial Park, as part of $39.89 million Parks for People Bond Issue. Warehouses on and next to the site demolished. 1976-80: crime wave, including murder, dampens enthusiasm for park. 1982: City and Miami Mo agree to allow the use of B Park for Miami Grand Prix. 1980: Miami Commission endorses a plan to build a maritime museum in Bicentennial Park. Nothing comes ofit. Ong to - +Z 01C DISCUSSED StatemeDt bv the Char, Johng Winton he City of Miami and its people are committed to public use for Bicentennial Park. We are committed to making this park a winner for everyone. Residents and visitors will safely enjoy waterfront access to and from Biscayne Bay. They will be able to walk with confidence through the park. IF THE MUSEUMS SUCCEED in their fundraising drives, museum -goers from the Americas and Europe will enjoy cultural offerings, just to the south of the new Performing Arts Center. Recent events such as the Cirque du Soleil visit and the January 2002 arrival of the freedom schooner Amistad prove that even a neglected Bicentennial Park remains a viable location that can attract visitors in the right circumstances. Biscayne Boulevard and the surrounding neighborhoods can only benefit from Bicentennial's improvement. This is not just a claim. As a real estate investor and downtown property owner, I know that successful use of park spaces along the waterfront contribute to rising land values and a stronger sense of community. We need only look at the overall success of Baltimore Harbor, Annapolis, and Charleston. BUT WINNING TAKES dedication and persistence. We don't have to look far to find the fruits of citizens' efforts right here in Miami. Scarcely a mile south of Bicentennial Park, activists worked for years to revive the Miami River with little notice or appreciation. Thanks to their sheer will and hard work, the Florida Legislature created the Miami River Commission in 1998. The City Commission, the County Commission, and the Florida The Cirque du Soleil has played at the park for two years -and is planning a premiere show there in 2003. Dow YOU dill partici pate Public participation is vital to making this effort work. We welcome your thoughts, talents, time, and financial contributions to help the public parks effort succeed. FOR INFORMATION, contact Bob Weinreb at Com- missioner Johnny Winton's office at 305-250-5333, Ext.5; fax: 305-579-3334. E-mail: rweinreb@bellsouth.net Save Our Park, Inc. 3138 Commodore Plaza, Suite 317, Miami, FI. 33133 Legislature rose to the occasion to take leadership on the Miami River. Now dredging is about to begin, a Greenways system is about to fall into place, and developers are finding the river attractive. Thanks to similar dedication, the Performing Arts Center is rising to the north, and a Children's Museum is going up across the way on Watson Island, for the benefit of the public. THE PUBLIC HAS DECLARED IT wants Bicentennial Park. Regular citizens have taken charge and participated in charrettes to make Bicentennial Park Miami's premier park. They have used the ballot box to state that the City of Miami is ready to produce a parks system worthy of a "world -class" city. In the months and years to come, we will need continuing leadership from the public, frorrr,, the business and civic community, and from politicians and lawmakers in South Florida, Tallahassee, and Washington, to help us create the park the public deserves. Our Bicentennial Park committees will be hard at work in the coming months, working not for monetary reward, but for the good of the community. Please seek them out and encourage them in their work. Our community will be richer for it. 1992: Miami Herald dubs Bicentennial Park "a 2001: Second big public failure from the outset." U.S. District Judge Clyde charrette spurs action by city. Adkins orders city to set aside part of Bicentennial 1998-2001: Florida Marlins seek Second major bond issue passes, ial Park as a place the homeless could sleep and stay. ballpark on Bicentennial site, to be paid allocates $10 million to improve Decline accelerates. largely with public funds, but efforts stall. Bicentennial Park. '-Ifff-'M 1987: Exploration Plaza at 1994: Bayfront 19%: Miami Heat 1997: Port of Miami 2000: Urban Environment League leads Walk for Bicentennial Park planned Park Trust takes announces basketball attempts to take over Renewal of Park, gathers support for public use, hosts by businessmen, but never control of park's arena just to the south. Bicentennial Park for first design��r Trust votes materializes. maintenance. American Airlines Arena port expansion but to redesign y passes 1` - opens in 1999. fails. resolution to J' Qjrk a r public park." OM W/CRA A public awareness campaign on the park's r,)tential is essential in the next eNturecampaigns.year, including greater linkages to park events, plantings, and clean-up 2002: • Designate two museum sites. Museums launch capital drives • Complete park landscaping and civil engineering plans, as per charrette design • Pursue grant and funding sources • Issue construction contracts to remove all walls and berms and open sight lines to the bay • Install coconut palm plantation to represent future museum building 2003: Issue construction contracts for seawall, park pavement, lighting, and other infrastructure 2004: Complete seawall, baywalk and landscape installation 2006: Museum groundbreaking 2008: Museums open • The following data on the acreage and estimated costs of the Bicentennial Park Ina��es is culled from two sources: The City of Miami Planning Department's May 2001 "Economic Analysis and Evaluation of the Alternative Reuse of Bicentennial Park," prepared with ZHA, Inc.; and the May 2001 City of Miami report, "Bicentennial Park: Becoming Miami's Premier Park," prepared by Dover, Kohl & Partners Urban Design. MUSEUM PARK: Public open space: 20 acres Museum sites: 5 acres (projected) Miami -Dade transportation and utilities: 4 acres Seawall available for marine activities: 2100 linear feet Total area: 29 acres TOTAL CAPITAL COST ESTIMATES FOR CULTURAL PARK PLAN: $20.2 million- $24.3 million IMMEDIATE COST ESTIMATES: Biscayne Baywalk and FEC Slip Walkway: $2.09 million-$2.45 million (includingJighting, landscape, pedestrian furnishings for 2,600 linear feet) LANDSCAPING, IRRIGATION: $4.69 million-$5.077 million (includes planting 220 oak and coconut trees, and on -site parking for 300 spaces) 330-FOOT MOVEABLE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE ACROSS FEC SLIP (OPTIONAL) $856,400-$915,800 REBUILD 330-FOOT BULKHEAD FRONTAGE: $1.4 million-$1.9 million SOURCES: DOVER, KOHL & PARTNERS AND ZHA, INC. This document was funded by the Collins Center for Public Policy, Inc., with generous support from the Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation. Coordinated by Mark Sell Communications, Inc. ■ Designed by Toni Kirkland Creative & Digital Prepress Services DEGN D PROGRAM the Dicp*ud W llakhut RenewalkmmiM Masi amen" Martinez ■ Ras el SOoMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS: is divided into the following subcommittees: BAYWALK SUBCOMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS: Lavinia Freeman ■ Steve Reoch CHAIR: FINANCE SUBCOMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS: Miami Commissioner Johnny Winton James Murley ■ Benjamin Starrett VICE -CHAIRS: COMMUNITY LINKAGE SUBCO �WIR: Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk ■ Gregory Bush Bernice Butler DISCUSSED The site plan CURTIS"Q,o PARK ayP Miami's Necklace 01.i1aliks w BICENTENNIAL CULTURAL PARK AS PROPOSED 40 BICENTFEN LUMMUS PARK LOSE MARTI PARK �"�✓'' ALICE WAINWRIG LUMMUS PARK ;.r 1. Residential/commercial development 2. Redesigned boulevard 3. Maritime activities 4. New seawall 5. Central open space 6. Museums 7. Public overlook 8. Bayside esplanade MARGARET �PACE PARK �\J C--7 0 WATSON ISLAND ` L PARK" AYFR T PARK ' / MIAMI CIRCLE/ BRICKELL PARK BISCAYNE BAY The City of Miami Bicentennial Park /Waterfront Renewal Committee Save Our Park Inc., 3138 Commodore Plaza, Suite 317, Miami, Fl. 33133 LUMMUS PARK SOUTH "* POINTE PAl; /'VIRGINIA KEY p`SDUSSED &MM/CRA