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District 5 Little Haiti Job Creation Pilot Project
The District 5 Little Haiti Job Creation Pilot Project is a comprehensive approach to
improve and enhance the physical and economic framework specifically to businesses in
the Edison Little River/Little Haiti Community Revitalization District. The concept of
this special initiative is to provide financial assistance to property owners and merchants
to stabilize local businesses and create employment opportunities for residents of the
Edison Little River/Little Haiti Community Revitalization District City of Miami
residents.
The following guidelines establish minimum working parameters from which to evaluate
projects seeking assistance through the District 5 Little Haiti Job Creation Pilot Project:
a) All requests for funding from businesses in the Little Haiti Neighborhood
must be submitted to the City of Miami Department of Community
Development for preliminary eligibility screening,
b) Eligible proposals will then be forwarded to an engineering firm, selected
by the City of Miami from the approved list of firms of the City of Miami
or Miami Dade -County.
c) The engineering firm will be responsible for providing technical assistance
to applicants and determining the feasibility of proposals that have
satisfied the eligibility criteria through the screening process of the
Department of Community Development.
d) Applications determined to be feasible by the selected engineering firm
will then be forwarded for review and approval by the District 5 Little
Haiti Job Creation Pilot Project Advisory Board, a seven -member panel
comprised of individuals nominated by the City Manager and approved by
the City Commission.
e) The Advisory Board will make funding recommendations to the City
Commission, which will have the final determination in funding
approval/disapproval of Requests for Proposal forwarded by the Board.
f} The maximum allowable grant is $90,000.
g)
To be eligible, an area business must create a minimum of one new
fulltime job for each grant increment of $15,000 and must be able to
document the creation of each new job.
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h) All Applicants must create jobs for low to moderate -income residents of
the defined area identified in Section (a) above.
i) The applicant is responsible for all additional costs above the approved
project amount (maximum City of Miami contribution will not exceed
$90,000).
j) All properties must be located in the Little Haiti neighborhood of District
5 as defined below:
City Limits to the North
1-95 to the West
Railroad tracks to the East
District 5 Boundary Line to the South,
exclusive of the Design District, but
inclusive of Buena Vista
k) If CDBG-assisted properties are sold within five (5) years from the date of
receiving assistance, the Grantee must return to the City, on a prorated
basis, any grant funds provided on a declining percentage basis (e.g.
100%, 80%, 60%, 40%, and 20%).
l) Property owners and/or commercial/industrial leaseholders are eligible to
apply for a grant/loan.
m) An absent property owner must obtain tenant consent and be in good
standing (i.e. property taxes must be current).
n) Commercial/industrial leaseholders must receive approval from the
property owner.
o) The property owner or leaseholder must provide City of Miami
Department of Community Development financial statements, certified tax
return; and/or other financial information deemed necessary.
A project is defined as any commercial or industrial building located
within a tract or parcel of land. In cases where a building contains multiple
storefronts, the entire building is considered to be a single project.
Buildings that are legally subdivided with separate ownership may be
considered individual projects.
p)
q) Eligible project activities include:
Upgrade and expand facilities
Correct code violations on commercial
properties
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Improvements to meet ADA standards
Infrastructure Improvements (i.e. lighting,
draining, parking etc.)
Facade Improvements
r) The Applicant will enter into a contract with the City of Miami, which
retains the authority to revise the contract as required.
s) The Applicant must comply with applicable Davis -Bacon and Labor
Standards and all other regulatory requirements of the City of Miami and
federal government.
t) The City will disburse project funds upon a submittal of a certificate of
completion, certificate of occupancy and all other compliance information
required by CDBG guidelines.
u) The applicant is responsible for all fees and costs incurred prior to project
approval.
v) The City is not responsible for any cost overruns in excess of the approved
contract amount.
The goal of the program is to provide job creation opportunities for low and moderate -
income residents in the Little Haiti Community of District 5 through business expansion
and retention activities. The focus will include:
• Resolution of code compliance issues
• Infrastructure improvements
• Facade improvements
• ADA improvements
• Tourism destination initiatives
DESIGN STANDARDS
Design standards help to determine the nature and scope of exterior and interior
rehabilitation. The design concept for the commercial property to be rehabilitated must
meet the specific architectural style that reflects the character considered appropriate for
the building and the neighborhood. The design concept must be approved by the selected
engineering firm and appropriate government agencies. All permitting and zoning
requirements must be met, including conformance with specifications of the South
Florida Building Code.
Some areas have cohesive design themes that lend to the development of architectural
design standards and a unified approach. Other areas may not contain cohesive design
themes and the buildings are not always contiguous. The approach in the latter areas is to
undertake rehabilitation that enhances the building's individual architectural design
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elements. The comprehensive design of the program is intended not only to revitalize
individual buildings, but also to encourage pedestrian movement by introducing the use
of exterior pedestrian -oriented elements such as, landscaping, shading devices, and street
furniture.
Buildings that are fifty (50) years old or older will be subject to review by the City of
Miami Planning Department to determine if the facility is of historic or architectural
significance. Buildings that fit these criteria will be subject to the standards of the
Secretary of Interior and must contract an architect experienced in historic preservation
for the project. Commercial revitalization projects of historic structures may also be
eligible for historic preservation funding.
SELECTION OF A CONTRACTOR
The applicant shall select a qualified General Contractor to complete the project and the
selection process must conform to approved procurement requirements. The applicant
must obtain a minimum of three (3) proposals. The selected engineering firm will also
conduct a cost analysis of the project, which will not be made available to the applicant or
bidding contractors. The City will review' the proposals and the applicant may accept any
proposal that is within 10% of the City's estimate. The applicant is responsible for
reviewing the General Contractor's background, conducting a follow up on references
and entering a standard A.T.A. General Construction/Owner Agreement with the General
Contractor.
The City of Miami has the right to terminate and/or refuse to receive construction
services from any entity. Any contractor that breaches the terms of this contract will be
automatically debarred from future government contracts. The Owner/Contractor
agreement shall contain all applicable federal requirements, including compliance with
Davis Bacon Act provisions, Affirmative Action mandates and use of lead-free and
mercury -free paints.
The City of Miami will monitor the project and disburse eligible payments to contractors
(less a 1 0% retainage that will be held until final certificates of completion are obtained).
The disbursement of funds to a contractor requires approval from the architect and the
applicant. The City of Miami must approve all work completed outside the contracted
scope of work (as per Owner/Contractor agreement and will not honor payment requests
for said activities without prior approval, even if the request has come from the applicant.
Any general contractor selected for a commercial revitalization project must be licensed,
insured, and bonded. The City of Miami reserves the right to revise the contract between
the General Contractor and the Applicant, as it deems necessary
APPLICATION REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS
The City of Miami Department of Community Development will review all responses to
the Requests for Proposal and screen them for completeness and eligibility under program
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and federal guidelines. Following the Staff review, eligible proposals will be forwarded to
the District 5 Little Haiti Job Creation Pilot Project Advisory Board for approval and then
forwarded to the City Commission for final approval. Funds will be awarded on a first
come, first served basis until identified funding for the program has been depleted. The
following criteria will be implemented during the review process:
a) Applications that are incomplete or illegible will not be given funding
consideration. Only applications that clearly meet program guidelines will be
recommended for further evaluation.
h) Eligible applications will be reviewed and evaluated based on property location,
need for rehabilitation, visual impact, and cost.
c) Applicants will be notified in writing whether the proposed project has been
approved or rejected.
d) A federal wage determination for the project will be requested.
e) Engineer will hold a pre -bid meeting with contractors and staff at the construction
site to review scope of work and answer questions.
f) The City of Miami will conduct a pre -construction conference with the applicant
and applicant -selected contractor. The City of Miami will explain applicable
Local, State and Federal regulations (including the Davis -Bacon Act) and the
process to disburse funds.
g)
A Notice to Proceed and Notice of Commencement for the project will be
prepared.
h) Inspections to monitor for compliance with Davis -Bacon and other regulations, as
well as construction progress, will be conducted periodically.
i) Invoices will be reviewed and verified for completed work against requests for
payment. Releases of liens and paid receipts for material must accompany
invoices for payment. Applicant and Architect signatures will be required before
payment is released. Applicant and Architect must ensure that all pertinent
compliance forms are attached to the request for payment prior to approving the
request.
GRANT PAYMENT
The applicant will submit a request for payment to the City of Miami Department of
Community Development with all pertinent information and support documentation. The
request must be accompanied by all Davis Bacon Information reports and invoices
detailing portions of the job completed as specified in the approved schedule of values.
The applicant and architect must sign the request.
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The following types of payment will be processed:
a) Progress payment - A payment may be issued to the contractor for ninety percent
(90%) of the completed work or materials that have been ordered and paid. The
applicant and the architect must approve the request for payment. The City of
Miami will confirm that the work has been completed.
b) The retainage of ten percent (10%) of the contract amount shall be paid upon
compliance by the contractor of the following:
• Completion of all rehabilitation work and receipt submitted to the City of
a final Certificate of Completion; and
• Approval and acceptance of the rehabilitation work by all the
governmental agencies and authorities having jurisdiction over the project,
including the issuance of a Certificate of Completion or Certificate of
Occupancy, as applicable; and
• Receipt and approval by the City of Miami of all documentation for
compliance with Federal Labor Standards; and
• Receipt and approval by the City of Miami of a Contractor's Affidavit
representing a certified statement showing that the property is free and
clear of mechanics, material men's or any other type of lien or obligation
relating to the construction of the project.
c) A lump sum for the grant total may be issued to the applicant upon completion of
all the rehabilitation work and compliance with the requirements for release of the
retainage set forth above. In this instance, the lump sum amount disbursed will
constitute a "reimbursement to the applicant (rather than a payment to the
contractor); for eligible rehabilitation costs incurred and already paid.
ADVISORY BOARD
The District 5 Little Haiti Job Creation Pilot Project Advisory Board will be comprised of
a seven -member panel nominated by the City Manager and approved by a majority vote
of the City Commission. The Advisory Board Representation will include:
Two (2) Representatives from the Little Haiti Business Community
One (1) Resident of the Little Haiti Community
One (1) Representative from the City of Miami Planning Department
One (1) Representative from the City of Miami Department of
Community Development
One (1) Representative from the City of Miami NET Office
One (1) Representative -from the City of Miami Department of Real
Estate and Economic Development.
The Advisory Board will be responsible for reviewing all responses to the RFP
determined tip be eligible by the Department of Community Development and satisfied
the feasibility review of the selected engineering firm. The Advisory Board will then
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forward a funding recommendation to the City Commission for final funding
consideration.
Engineering Firm
The City of Miami will engage an engineering firm from the approved list of firms of the
City of Miami or Miami Dade -County. The engineering firm will be responsible for
providing technical assistance and determining the feasibility of proposals that have been
determined eligible by the Department of Community Development, including design
standards to determine the nature and scope of exterior and interior rehabilitation.
The City of Miami will set aside 10% of approved allocations for the District 5 Little
Haiti Job Creation Pilot Project to cover the cost of the selected engineering firm.
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