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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBayfront Park Management Trust ReportGovernance The City Commission created the Trust in 1987 to operate, manage and maintain Bayfront Park with the goal of ensuring maximum community utilization. In 1994, Bicentennial Park (formerly Museum Park was renamed Maurice A. Ferre Park) and was added to the organization' s portfolio. The Trust's governing board consists of nine (9) individuals, appointed by the City Commission. Bayfront Park is a 32- acre park located in the Miami Harbor District and immediately adjacent to the Central Business District. Built on filled bay- bottom in 1925, it has been a gathering place for Miami' s residents and visitors for the last 98 years. Museum Park, located at 1075 Biscayne Boulevard in the heart of the Miami Harbor District, is a spectacular 21-acre waterfront site, adjacent to the cruise ship turning basin in Biscayne Bay. Maurice A. Ferre Park re -opened to the public on June 14, 2014. The park is also home to the Perez Art Museum Miami, which opened in December of 2013, and the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science, which opened in May of 2017. During the spring of 2018, the Trust worked closely with the Office of Capital Improvements as the promenade project linking to the pedestrian path through the park, connecting the Frost Museum of Science and PAMM, and completed in late fall of 2018. With the reopening of Maurice A. Ferre Park, there are now 53 acres of public waterfront parkland under the Trust' s management. In addition to "ensuring maximum community utilization", the founding legislation included a further directive: "The Trust shall, to the greatest extent it determines to be feasible, implement the exercise of its powers in a manner which utilizes and encourages the fullest and most active participation and cooperation of private enterprise." The Trust recognizes the balance it must strike between managing public parks and encouraging private enterprise. It uses its resources to create social value, whether through the hosting of major concerts and festivals or the management of excellent public parks. The Trust' s governing board consists of nine (9) individuals, who under the leadership of its Chairman, Commissioner Joe Carollo, have demonstrated their commitment to making our community a better place for residents and visitors. Staff Pursuant to City Code Section 38- 105, the Trust shall appoint an Executive Director subject to City Commission approval, who, "shall have general supervision over and be responsible for the management and operation of all Trust facilities." The FY 2022/23 budget contains 12 full-time and 3 part-time staff positions. Accomplishments The Bayfront Park Management Trust has been extremely successful in managing revenue against expenses. During Fiscal Years 2017 through 2022, the City of Miami provided $0 to support Bayfront Park' s operations. During that same period the City realized significant savings by not subsidizing the park' s operation, which is and continues to be self-sustaining. During those five years, the Trust also paid for fire services and police services during events, providing thousands of hours of overtime pay for our first responders. And, that success is a direct result of the social entrepreneurial model that has guided our operation for the past 18 years -- our mission is to create social value. The Trust continues to plan, promote and coordinate two of our community's largest celebrations, July 4th and Bayfront Park New Year's Eve Celebration. The Trust is committed to providing these free, community inclusive celebrations for Miami's residents and visitors. On December 31, 2022, before a live audience of approximately 180,000 and 1.0 million viewers on America CV Network, LLC Television, For New Year's Eve 2022, the Trust envisions an event that includes all of the previous years' elements, partnerships with Bayside Marketplace, DDA, City of Miami, food and drink available throughout the site, a fireworks spectacular at midnight, and a live broadcast, featuring. The event's goal is to challenge Time's Square's primacy as the home of New Year's Eve. Given our balmy weather, spectacular waterfront location, dynamic urban skyline and multi -cultural community — we recognize Miami as the premier location for New Year's Eve and on NYE 2022, and this was demonstrated to the rest of the world. The Trust is committed to continuing these safe and free celebrations in the future, as community inclusive events for all of Miami' s residents and visitors to enjoy. The 30-foot Holiday Tree that brightens Bayfront Park from Thanksgiving through New Year' s will continue to serve as downtown's mid -winter beacon. During the holidays, the park is also the host site for our Menorah Lighting, sponsored by the Shul of Downtown as well as the Tree Lighting Ceremony hosted by the Trust. A robust marketing plan is executed for both Bayfront and Maurice A. Ferre Parks. The newly renovated facility opened to the public on June 14, 2014. This 21 acre facility, with the longest continuous length of bay walk within the City of Miami, and two cultural institutions as neighbors brings renewed energy to the downtown waterfront. The budget also contemplates the facility's maintenance needs using outside contractors to handle the landscape maintenance in Maurice A. Ferre Park. The Trust is constantly striving to identify revenue streams that can help offset the operational, maintenance and future capital costs of the facility. The Trust recognized the need to support activities outside the Bayfront and Maurice A. Ferre Park boundaries and to help where most needed. Throughout the year Bayfront staff assisted in events held at Little Havana to City Hall. The Trust voted to create a Dogs and Cats Walkway and Sculpture Gardens at Maurice A. Ferre Park. On December 3, 2022, the Walkway was opened to the Public with hundreds of people visiting from all over the world. This outdoor art installation is permanent, and it will continue to be open and free of charge for the enjoyment of the community. It features 52 oversized aluminum sculptures of dogs and cats of various breeds and sizes, used as canvas by local artists. The Dogs and Cats Walkway and the Sculpture Gardens are part of an extensive renovation project that aims to revamp both, the Bayfront Park and the Maurice Ferre Park, to make them even more family friendly and enjoyable. Additionally in the past year the Trust: • Continued the partnership with Crown Castle. America' s largest provider of shared communications infrastructure, with more than 40,000 cell towers and approximately 70,000 route miles of fiber supporting small cells and fiber solutions across every major U. S. market. • Continued the Memorandum of Understanding with the Miami Parking Authority in an effort to increase the parking capacity at Bayfront Park. • Continued management of Maurice A. Ferre, which served as host site for and Superintendent 5K Walk, among other fundraising events. • Continued with the diversification of events hosted— ranging from film shoots to art installations to pop concerts, and community festivals. • Continued to host some of the community' s premier fundraising events such as the American Heart, Light the Night Walk, Special Olympics and DNA Halloween Movie Night, . • Continued care and maintenance of the statues and plaques throughout the park and at the Torch of Friendship. • Hosted Ultra Music Festival in Bayfront Park, - widening the event's already enormous economic impact for downtown Miami and surrounding areas. • The Trust continuous to host Costa Rican sculptor Jorge Jimenez Deredia Art Sculptures Exhibition. The Bayfront Park Management Trust board of directors and staff intend to build on these past accomplishments, pursuant to our mission of "ensuring maximum community utilization and enjoyment." Membership Requirements The membership of the Bayfront Park Management Trust was reconstituted in May of 1994. The streamlining of the Trust, decreasing its membership from 21 to nine, has made it a more effective decision making body. The nine members of the Bayfront Park Management Trust are representative of Miami's cultural and ethnic makeup. One member of the Trust is an elected official of the City of Miami and the eight remaining members represent Miami's business, professional and cultural communities and are appointed by the Miami City Commission. Membership in the Trust does not require any modifications. Cost Effectiveness of Trust The Bayfront Park Management Trust is an extremely cost-effective method for the City to operate and maintain Bayfront and Maurice A. Ferre Parks. Total Operating and Capital Improvements budget costs for both Parks in FY 2021/2022 is $4,286,780.00 with no funding from the City. Conclusion The Bayfront Park Management Trust has been extremely successful in bringing guidance and leadership to the development of Bayfront and Maurice A. Ferre Parks and serving as a catalyst for positive change in downtown Miami. It has fulfilled and surpassed the mandate of its charter, and intends to continue to do so into the future. The Trust board of directors and staff intend to build on these past accomplishments, pursuant to our mission of "ensuring maximum community utilization and enjoyment." Thank you for allowing us the opportunity and the privilege to continue our efforts.