HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem #06 - Discussion ItemPROM:
Members of the Miami City; Commission.
Joseph R. Grassie'
City Manager
JUN 19 1979
Garment:Center/Fashion District
Redevelopment ,P•roposal- Status
Report.
=NcL _c;iUFtrg;..
I.
The City. ;of Miami' Planning Department is
currently 'preparing the Garment Center/
Fashion District Redevelopment Plan, which
is scheduled for City Commission; Action
on June 25, 1979.
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Background
The Miami Garment Center/Fashion District Redevelopment Plan provides ,a
program for expansion and redevelopment of one of the major industrial
employment centers " within the City of Miami. During the last 2-1/2 years
the city planning Department has been working closely with representatives
of the fashion apparel industry to help improve theviability of, the area.
Funding for this, project has been made available through the Community
Development Block Grant Program.
II. Intent of Study
In order to initiate needed redevelopmentactivities it is necessary to
designate this area as a Community Redevelopment Area under the provisions
of the `Florida :;:Community"Redevelopment Act of 1976.This Act: specifies: that
in certain blighted areas where prevailing conditions of make imprac-
tical the reclamation of thearea by methods of rehabilitation and/or
conservation, the government al' entity may undertake a more extensive pur
lic' program "including " land acquisition for redevelopment. Before any
community'development Project can be planned or implemented with the.City,
a -Community Redevelopment Plan must be adopted for the area by both the
City of Miami and Dade County.
III. Location;.
The study area boundaries are NW 29th Street on the north, NW 21st,Terrace,`
NW 22nd Street, NW20th Street on the south, NW 2nd Avenue on the east, and
I-95`onthe west. The area comprises the existing concentration of garment
manufacturing and related wholesale and retail establishments and the
proposed redevelopment area located south of NVI 23rd Steeet.
IV. Framework for Redevelopment
A. Redevelopment Problems and Opportunities
The fashion apparel industry is Dade County's largest single industrial
Honorable Members of the Miami City Commission
Page 2
employer,. Asof 1976 there existed approximately .635;= firms in Dade
County, employing 26,000 workers, generating over 700 million do:ll.ars
in revenue and over 100'million dollars in local salaries. In addition
thousandsof workers are employed in related businesSes suchas button
and zipper manufacturing, wholesale apparel, retail apparel, banking,
trucking, .warehouseing,'etc; all heavily impacted by the local
apparel industry.
The largest concentration of garment manufacturing is located within
the City, of Miami and within the. City it is concentrated within the
GarmentCenter. There are 195"firms in theGarmentCenter, of which,
153 (78%) firms areinthe garment -related businesses.;' The composition
by economic activity of the 153 garment related businesses is the
following: 37% manufacturing, 35% in wholesale/retail, 3% in retail,
8% in wholesale, and 17% in related. business.
The Garment Center represents one of thelargestconcentration of
industrialemployment within the City, and provides a vita•
l employment
resource for low income and minority residents of the City. The reten-
tion of this industry in. Miami is the primaryobjective of this
proposed redevelopment` plan. The redevelopment strategy aims at the im-
provement of the physical infrastructure of the area between NW 23rd
and 29th Streets,; and providing additional land for industrial ex -
pansion south of NW 23rd Street.
The
, inability of garment manufacturers' to obtain. sufficient land at
reasonable cost forthe establishment of new businesses and the exion of existing firms, and the escalation of rents due to the
expansion of the 5th Avenue retail core have been major factors re-
sulting in exodus of manufacturing firms from the area.
Expansion of the 'Garment Center requires the acquisition and demolition,
of 329-`housing units:on 13°acres; of'land:for re -use as industrial pro- -:
perty..Some 68% of :these unitsin this area are in substandard,condi
tion. Many of these residential structures' are vacant and'in occupied
structures the vacancy :rates •are''high,.averaging over,25%•.; •Th•e poor
'condition,of this housing has both a negative imp"act. on the, Garment. Center
--commercial area, and -the new housing;located.to,:the.south-in"the Town
Park ;Urban Renewal Area.
Within the existing Garment Center (north of 23rd Street), there are
69 housing units interspersed among manufacturing firms. , Approximately
50%of the housing units in this area are in substandard condition,
slightly more than half, of these units are single family homes and
duplexes. The existence of these residential structures inhibits ex-
pansion of industrial firms within this area zoned for industrial uses.
The industrial predominance iri turn contributes significantly to blight-
ing influences on the housing stock resulting in incompatible land use
relationship.
V.
Members of the Miami City Commission
Page 3
In addition to the location ofseriously deteriorated housing, the
industrial area itself contains many physical and =social deficiencies`.
that inhibit growth. Problems identified within the area include:`""
insufficient parking; inadequate loading facilities; poor access to
regional transportation system; inadequate street system; crime;.'
difficulty recruiting labor for manufacturing, etc.
Essential for the success of the redevelopment program will be the
keen interest shown by businesses in the area that have expressed
interest in expanding their operations in the Garment`Center A
survey conducted in January 1979.identified 43 firms that are currently
considering expansion of which 23firms 'are interested in the .acquisi-
tion o£- additional ""land within 'the "area. ' Approximately 1,000 ad-
ditional manufacturing jobs could be generated by these firms.
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ummary of Issues
Incompatible' land use relationships (residential/industrial).
Need for competitively priced land`. for industrial expansion.
Removal of substandard blighted residential structures.
Improved accessibilitY to the Garment District and within
the area.
Need for infrastructure improvements as increased parking,
signage,loading facilities and visualamenities..
Need for improved public services, as police protection,etc.
Need for employment training andjob recruitment assistance.
Redevelopment Objectives
Remove blighted substandard housing from the area through
public acquisition and the relocation of residents to standard
housing.
Retain existing. garment manufacturing firms within the Garment
Center.
Provide incentives for industrial, expansion and the attraction
of new industrial firms to the area.
Provide job opportunitiesfor low income and minori
ty residents
of-. the City of Miami:"
Support the growth of the retail -wholesaling components
the apparel industry.,
Increase the economic base of the City of Miami.
- Provide incentives forthe Garment Industryto effectively
adopt changes within the industry.
Redevelopment Proposal
The City of Miami will acquire 13 acres of vacant land and blighted residen-
tial properties located between NW 23rd Street and NW21st Terrace and NW
22nd Street from NW-:2nd"to; NW 6th Avenues. The residents will be relocated,
the land cleared, and the property resold for light industrial activity
associated with the fashion apparel industry.
B. The City of Miami will provide additional off-street parking facilities
for both visitors and employees.
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Page 4
C The existing street system will be improved and a landscaped buffer
be established adjacent': to the,.R-10 urban Renewal Area, -:located
directly south of the study area. A beautification program will
be undertaken along NW 5th Avenue.
D zoning modifications will be undertaken to allow industrial devel-
opment in the expansion area, to protect garment manufacturers
from other incompatible industrial uses and to centralize retail/
wholesale activities along the NW 5th Avenue corridor.
E. Improved access to the area is proposed. Through improved signage
to>I-95 and the establishment of ,an exit and entrance ramp in the
vicinity of the study area (proposal currently under study by
the State of Florida).
The City of Miami will assist industry representatives in the es-
tablishment of an exnployee training program through the utilization
of County, State and Federal programs.
VI. Anticipated Benefits
Implementation of this program can result in an increase of over 1,000
new manufacturing jobs within the expansion area An estimated 300-400
additional new jobs will be created within the existing industrial and
commercial area north of 23rd Street as a result of an overall improve-
ment in theeconornic viability of the area that is anticipated from thee.
implementation of this redevelopment program.
The City Miami Tax Base will be increased as a
industrial development..
result of increased
The housing conditions for the majority of those residentsdisplaced will
be greatly improved as a result of publicly assisted relocation into,
standard housing.
Cost Summery
Estimated cost of this project is approximately $7,500,000 ($4,500,000-"
land acquisition and relocation, $1,000,000'- street improvements and
$2,000,000 - parking improvements including a public garage). Due to the
extensive nature of this; project andthe limited funds available it is
recommended that this project be phased with initial development to include
land acquisition west ofNW 3rd Court and the implementation of public
improvements north of NW 23rd Street. Funding for this 1st phase will be
from the following sources: $1,850,000'in Community Development funds
which have been allocated (4th 7th year funding) for this project; the sale
of revenue bonds for the construction of a parking garage and additional
federal funding will be requested from the U.S. Department of Commerce Econo-
mic Development Administration for infrastructure improvements.
_GARMENT CENTER -FASHION_ DISTRICT
PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT
CITY OF MIAMI PLANNING
DEPARTMENT
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