Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutM-78-0552Joseph R. Grassie City Manager (% ,V Richard Le Fosmoen`r Assistant City Manager SEP 5 1078 Purchase of Highland Park Elementary School (NW 7th Avenue & NW llth Street) '`'='City Commission Meeting 9-14-78 mho disposition of the Highland Park Elementary School by Dade County Public Schools provides the City of Miami with a unique opportunity to acquire a site to provide vitally needed commun- ity services (commercial, office, etc.) to the Highland Park and Culmer Park neighborhoods and to ensure that development around a future transit station is compatible and well -integrated with the surrounding communities. No other site in the Highland Park/Culmer Park area (bounded by I-95, 836, and the Miami River) is as accessible, visible or centrally located as this school property, and the provision of the Culmer Transit Station just north of the site further enhances its development potential. In the past few years, these neighborhoods have been the focus of extensive public efforts, which have greatly improved housing oppor- tunities and have stabilized these inner-city residential areas. Yet despite these efforts and despite the presence of a stable middle income area between the Seybold Canal and the Miami River and a vast increase in the number of low and moderate income house- holds in Highland Park/Culmer, these neighborhoods lack essential commercial and community -related services. These opportunities are so limited as to detract from the liveability and attractiveness of these neighborhoods and there are currently no private sector pro- posals to provide needed commercial activities. However, a recent study undertaken by professional economic consultants (July 1978) indicates that the residents of this area, in conjunction with the employees and visitors to the nearby Civic Center complex, can sup- port expanded commercial/retail activities. The Highland Park Elementary School, a 1.1 acre site, represents a unique opportunity to respond to community needs, to provide commer- cial business opportunities for many local entrepreneurs including those businesses displaced from the Culmer area, as well as to influ- ence the development of desirable land uses around a major rapid transit station. 3iseph R. GraSSie We strongly feel that it is in the best interest of the City of Miami to retain control over this key property located directly across the street from the future Culmer Transit Station, so as to ensure that its use will both respond to perceived community needs and integrate future transit -related development to the community in a mutually reinforcing fashion. The locational advantages bestowed by transit make this property well suited for a multitude of uses, both public and private, and clearly creates a viable opportunity for joint development. It is therefore recommended that the City of Miami purchase the Highland Park Elementary School for the amount of $100,000 to be allocated from 4th Year CD funds, with an additional $40,000 to be allocated from 4th Year funds for the demolition of the existing school buildings, which are in a state of serious disrepair and represent a threat to the health and safety of the community. The purchase of this property will allow the City of Miami to respond to important community needs and to reinforce the viability and attractiveness of downtown neighborhoods while promoting desir- able land uses in the vicinity of transit development. Attached is a resoltuion for consideration by the City Commission to authorize negotiation by the City Manager to purchase the High- land Park Elementary School property. Its approval is recommended. ;Attachments cc: Howard Gary, Director/Budget & Management Robert Clark, Law Department ''11'''11111/1141 111 fllll/ll l r RESOLUTION NO, A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO PURCHASE THE HIGHLAND PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROPERTY LOCATED AT N.W. 7TH AVENUE AND 11TH STREET FROM THE DADE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD AT A PRICE OF $100,000, ALLOCATED FROM FOURTH YEAR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FUNDS; FURTHER ALLOCATING $40,000 FOR THE COST OF DEMOLITION AND REMOVAL OF EXISTING SCHOOL BUILDINGS ON SAID PROPERTY. WHEREAS, the new Dade County Rapid Transit System Ve a station at the northwest corner of N,W. 7th ettUe and llth Street known as the "Culmer Station"; and WHEREAS, both Dade County and the City of Miami aye adopted policies that seek to promote major urban activity centers providing services and employment adjacent to rapid transit stations in general and the Culmer Transit Station in particular; and WHEREAS, the Highland Park Elementary School is 'vacant and will be sold by the Dade County School Board as • surplus property; and WHEREAS, the Highland Park Elementary School site is adjacent to the Culmer Transit Station site and represents the single largest, most visible, easily accessible property for realizing the expressed land use development policy objec- tives of the City Comprehensive Plan and the Rapid Transit System Development Program; and WHEREAS, the Highland Park/Culmer community has suffered a long term loss of commercial services and employment opportunities, a lack of redevelopment investments, and possesses limited prospects for private market development of urban activities called for by public policy; and WHEREAS, substantial public participation will be required in the acquisition, marketing and development of Aaleoted Properties to achieve public development policy ill, e Culmer community; and SE WHtiiEAS; faufth yeat City of Miai1i Community 1olif►ent fund ate available for City acquisition and/o gifeiifepatation costs of the aforesaid site; and WHEREAS, private market development of Highland l'ai?k school site in a manner inconsistent with transit and ihicipal policy objectives would effectively destroy the beat eitipottunity for accomplishing these objectives in the Culiner catitiunity; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSION OF E CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA: Section 1. The City Manager is hereby authorized to purchase the Highland Park Elementary School Property located at N.W. 7th Avenue and llth Street from the Dade County School Board at a price of $100,000 with funds hereby allocated from fourth year Community Development Funds. Section 2. The sum of $40,000 is hereby allocated from said funds for the cost of demolition and removal of the existing school buildings on said property. PASSED AND ADOPTED this day of September, 1978. ATTEST: RALPH G. ONGIE, CITY CLERK PREPARED AND APPROVED BY: J &ertir- ROBERT F. CLARK, ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY MAURICE A. FERRE, MAYO R APPRS TO FORM AND CORRECTNESS: GEORGE 4. KNOX, JR., RNEY