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REF, VIRRICK GYM YOUTH RECREATION CENTER June "22, 1998
To The Honorable Mayor & the City of Miami Commissioners,
and the City Manager Donald Warsaw, C i.(rk � m ! rQ rylla
Would you Please, out of a sense of fairness and consideration to the children & youth
of Miami Please bring up, as a pocket item, the following attached Resolution regarding The
Virrick Gym Youth Recreational Community and Watersports Center, at the June 23, 1998
after 5:00 P.M. City of Miami Commission Meeting........ So that the 100 + children made up
local Boys & Girl Scouts, Sailors, Soccer, Basketball, Hockey Youth Paticipants and their
parents will NOT lose faith in the City of Miami Leaders.
BACKGROUND: The City Commission passed a Mid -May resolution on the Virrick Gym
limiting the Size of the New Recreational Center and a Commission Directive to the Director
of the Parks Dept. to see if the City could Demolish the attached Pink office Parks Building and
to report back to the City Commission "No Later than the June 23, 1998 City Meeting" as to his
Plan of what Programs and which groups would be at the Virrick Gym Recreational Center site.
Over one thousand flyers have gone out to the Youth Sports Groups, Teams, Coaches, Boys &
Girl Scout Troops, Elementary School Parents and their children to attend this June 23`d , 1998
City Commission Meeting.
The `GENIE is out of the Bottle" and there is No Way to contact all of these parents and
children, who are coming to "speak on their wishes" and to see WHAT the City Commission is
going to let them have at their Community Recreational Center and WHEN you are going to
move forward with this project so they can start playing there. Many of these children &
families will be on vacation during the July 141h Commission Meeting, so we are hoping that
you might allow a few of the children & parents to be allowed to speak on their desires for this
Recreational Center?
OTHER FACTORS;
The Time Clock on the Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond Funds of $3.8 millon is ticking and
The S.N.P. OVERSITE COMMITTEE group is wondering when the City Commission is
Going to move forward with this Project.
2. The Federal Dept. Of Interior, Parks Dept.'s Bi- Annual Report of Utilization at this Virrick
Gym Park is Due!
3. Out of Fairness to the Taxpayers who voted in a Special Referendum for an additional $3.8
million in Capital Improvements for this Virrick Gym Park's Community Youth Recrea-
tion and Water Sports Center; also the additional $800,000.00 in Insurance Proceeds from
Hurricane Andrew sustained damages and the $400,000.00 Grant form the State of Floridds
Historical & Preservation Board. So..... considering. the $5 Million of Improvements in
this Park's Recreational Center and the "high end" Maintenance Expenses of keeping up
a facility so close to the ocean with the "salt spray & air".
4. The extra specialized training for the staff that facilitates the programs serving the disabled
5. That a "Wellness Center that also serves families and adult recreational needs also be an
Integral part of this facility, which should include community meeting and workshop'room
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for Scouts, sport team's trophy / award presentations, locker rooms; hockey & basketball
Equipment storage rooms; jazzercise / aerobics / dance / karate room;storage rooms for all
the boating equipment; fenced in rolling racks for the kayaks & smaller boats; space for
Day Care and after school programs and classrooms. Docks for the 15 + Shake A Leg
Boats and City of Miami's Park's Dept. Youth Sailing Programs and their 10 + boats and
their equipment storage needs. That some of the City of Miami' Police Athletic Leagues;» e eds
of space and time be considered. That because of the Overburdened Seminole Boat Ramp
or t
and Parking area, it is paramount that Virrick Gym Public Boat b4e repaired and re -opened
with it's original parking spots be restored in the final plans to be approved by the Dept.
of Interior's review. This can "SAFELY' be accomplished by having a "controlled access
" of a locked gate and monitored IN & OUT by Shake A Leg or the Park's Dept. staff.
We wish to THANK YOU for taking the time to read this long and very important list of
some of the Communities Youth and Recreational needs and appreciate that you might con-
sider allowing a 15 to 20 minutes for comments from some of the children and parents after
5:00 P.M. at June 23, 1998 City of Miami's Commisssion Meeting..
Sincerely yours THE CONCERNED CITIZEN'S, PARENTS, &
CHILDREN OF MIAMI AND
On July22, 1998
Date Hand delivered to offices of:
Mayor Joe Carollo
Comm. Thomas Regalado
Comm. Wilfredo "Willy" Gort
Comm. J.L. Plummer
Comm. Art Teele
Comm. Joe Sanchez
City Manager Donald Warshaw
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