HomeMy WebLinkAboutCRA-R-05-0010 Backup DocumentationCITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
MEMORANDUM
TO: Frank K. Rollason
FROM: James H. Villacorta, Assistant City Attorney
DATE: September 11, 2003
RE: St. John's CDC
Transcript of Executive Session of 11/19/02
CONFIDENTIAL: THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT SUBJECT TO
DISCLOSURE AS A PUBLIC RECORD UNTIL SO
NOTIFIED TO THE CONTRARY BY THE CITY
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. This documents was prepared by the
Miami City Attorney to reflect mental impressions, conclusions,
and litigation strategy in anticipated litigation involving The
City of Miami. This document is exempt from Public Records
disclosure as either an attorney work -product or a claims file
maintained by a risk management program until such time as
all litigation relating to said parties has been concluded or all
claims arising out of the same incident have been settled.
[Section 119.07(3)(1) & 768.28(15)(b), Fla. Stat. (2001)].
Per your request, attached is the transcript of the November 19, 2002 Executive Session.
Mr. Bloom: Some additional considerations. It was two years ago that the CRA passed a
resolution, where we were going to spend up to $250,000 to build a fence around the St. John's
Baptist Church.
Chairman Teele: The problem there has been, it's a historical -- that church is, architecturally,.
one of the most beautiful churches in all of Miami, and it's a historic church. It was designed by
the most famous black architects out of North Carolina in the '30s, and it qualifies as historical.
The fence around it has to be redone and all of that. And it has taken two years to get through
Historic Preservation Board to get approval. In addition, as an accommodation on the Overtown
Youth Center, which architecturally planning is right next to the church, the land use on there
was horrible. It would not have happened in anybody's district, but my district, and I take full
responsibility. You were right on a lot of the stuff you fight about, because nobody would allow
for somebody to put a building like that -- it literally destroys the architects of that church right
next to it.
Vice Chairman Winton: I blew it right along with you. I mean, I wasn't paying attention to that.
Chairman Teele: That was a Carollo thing. But I'm telling you, if you look at that church, if you
look at the painting that we have on that church and you look at it now, it's destroyed.
Vice Chairman Winton: That's the new building right beside --
Chairman Teele: It is totally destroyed.
Vice Chairman Winton: It's a dump.
Chairman Teele: You cannot, architecturally, see that building. The CRA has a resolution work
plan and a budget of about $250,000, including the fencing that has been approved now, and the
sand blasting and cleaning of the church. And rather than the CRA doing it as a contract here,
the one thing that they're interested in doing is having projects to do, and what better project for
them to fix up what is, in effect, an architecturally and historically important building. So, one
of the considerations would be to take these three items and give it to them as a grant, in the
settlement agreement, conditioned t hat t hey d o these things. 0 therwise, we're going to do - -
we've already bid it out. We've not awarded a contract, but we've bid it out. And it just makes
more sense to convert that, and give them a project that they can take some pride in and do.
Vice Chairman Winton: I have no problem with it.
Mr. Bloom: The last item is, 1 guess, paying for the settlement. You know, the majority of the
settlement d ollars are d ollars t hat h ave to b e p aid upfront. And m y understanding from M s.
16 November 19, 2002