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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBackground MaterialDistrict 5 Commissioner Michelle Spence -Jones BLUE PAGES 03.13.08 Background Material Discussion Item Discussion regarding an update on the Oshun Village Project along 54th through 58th Street, along 7th Avenue. Motion A motion (Resolution 05-01040) was made by Jeffery L. Allen, seconded by Johnny L. Winton, that this matter be ADOPTED WITH MODIFICATIONS. A motion was made by Commissioner Winton, seconded by Commissioner Allen, and was passed unanimously, to modify proposed resolution on item PH.3 by requiring participating property owners to reimburse the City of its allocation to the business owner, if the property is sold before three (3) full years of ownership since the allocation was made, at a declining rate as follows: - 100% reimbursement to the City if sold after three years of ownership - 75% reimbursement to the City if sold after four years of ownership - 50% reimbursement to the City if sold after five years of ownership - 25% reimbursement to the City if sold after six years of ownership - 10% reimbursement to the City if sold after seven years of ownership - full grant after eight years of ownership. Background Transcript Excerpts Barbara Gomez -Rodriguez (Director, Community Development): PH.3, we're requesting approval to fund Neighbors and Neighbors $500,000 to do a rehab of buildings, the facade along 54th through 58th Street, along 7th Avenue. It's going to be called the Osun Village project, and the money is coming from contracts that are closed and contracts where agency have advised us that they will no longer need the dollars, and that those contracts are Department of Capital Improvement project on the Town Park building; City of Miami Department of Off -Street Parking, $250,000 that was used to do parking along 54th Street; Downtown Miami Partnership, a closed contract for 12,466.71; Super Kids Christian Day Care, Inc., 84,973.75; Edgewater Economic Development Corporation, which closed, $1,280; Kidco Childcare, 6,178.54, and CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency), on the Grand Promenade, $20,101. Leroy Jones: Leroy Jones, Executive Director, Neighbors and Neighbors, 180 Northwest 62nd Street. Commissioners, today we seeking your -- this body support for the Osun Village project. As you see, it details a little more just regular facade. We talking about commercial revitalization, so we talking about really changing the whole outside appearance of the structure of the building, where the entrance lead into the 54th Street to 58th Street corridor at 7th Avenue. NANA (Neighbors and Neighbors Association), it would be the administrator of the program. We have successfully done 34 commercial rehab projects. My agency is the only agency in Dade County that have ever done D5 BLUEPAGES 03.13.08 Background Material 1 commercial rehab. I mean, extent -- farther than just regular facade, where we did interior and exterior renovations, but this project is only for exterior renovations because we want to show more of the physical appearance of the building, and that corridor really needs some changes, so it needs to go beyond just the regular facade. It -- we really need to change the physical appearance of that, and if you look at it, it has some two-story buildings already on that avenue, so just to sperse up the rehab of it, we sure will make it a tourist attraction in the Model City/Liberty City area, so with that, I'd like to call up Mr. Nathaniel Styles to respond on the project, if you may, and Mr. Holland. They are the architects of this project. In the package that we submitted you all, we jointly worked with the Burger King project on 54th Street and 7th Avenue, and that Burger King gross more money than any Burger King in the southern part of Florida. It's the only Burger King that has an outside patio where people come in now and have meetings at that Burger King because of the way the physical appearance has changed on it, so Mr. Mr. Styles: Nathaniel Styles, KDI Architecture, 5601 Northwest 7th Avenue, Miami, 33127. The objective of the Osun's Village project is to create a cultural tourism destination in Liberty City. Osun, as many people know, is the Yoruba deity of art, love, diplomacy, culture, and the concept is to create it as an international point whereas all the cultures celebrate the arts and the diversity of Miami's multiethnic origin. Mr. Woodard: Harlan Woodard, and what you see here are sample renderings of showing what the buildings would look like once we've done -- once we've completed the renovations. Shantel's Lounge, which is located on the corner of 54th and 7th Avenue, which is directly across the street from Burger King, we just bought a sample rendering of the before and after image of what that look like, bringing in some New Orleans -style architecture and something very unique to the area, with two-story covered areas; just organizing some of the activities of outdoor cooking that's already there. With Afro -In Books and Things, we're looking to build that out closer to the street, and you can see the forms and unique architectural features that are located there. We are -- we have more glazing, more volume to show, more transparency, more activity of commerce within the particular area so we can stimulate further commercial development, further commercial patronage within that particular area, so it's just a matter of cost-effectively organizing what's already there, enhancing it, and making it appealing to tourists and local patrons. Ms. Gomez -Rodriguez: I do want to say the City of Miami is only going to be paying for construction costs; there is no administration fees. Two, the City -- Miami -Dade County will be funding $200,000 for the project, so basically, we would be paying for the actual construction that it will take place. Chairman Sanchez: All right. All right. This is a public hearing. Is there anyone from the public wishing to address this item, please step forward and be recognized. Commissioner Winton: A number of things. One, I think this is a bold vision, and it's time for bold visions and bold actions, and this clearly represents that. I think it looks outstanding, and I really hope that the $700,000 can get it done. Y'all haven't -- what is the budget for doing precisely what y' all are calling for here? It doesn't seem to me -- it D5 BLUE PAGES 03.13.08 Background Material 2 doesn't feel like $700,000 to me. Mr. Styles: Yeah, the comprehensive project is $3.5 million. Commissioner Winton: Ahh. Mr. Styles: We've identified about eight buildings that will be targeted in the initial phase; Burger King was the first, and they did it with private corporate dollars. We have a gallery called Gallery Blue that's owned by a police officer, who's also an artist; he's done that with private funds. He's about 90 percent completed, so it's something that the residents, stakeholders in the community themselves are, as well, investing funds, so it's a comprehensive plan for community and economic development. Commissioner Winton: Outstanding. A couple more things, and maybe you can -- you might have answered this question. I was curious because I thought that all the projects you were listing here were going to be covered under this $700,000 grant, and you're just giving examples of each individual building, some of which are being done with private dollars, some are being done with public dollars. Because I notice the mosque here and I didn't understand how we could spend taxpayer dollars on a religious institution, so I'm assuming they're doing this one themselves? Commissioner Winton: OK, and there's -- and that -- the last part of my comments relates to the business deal itself, some background information. Participating property owners will be required to reimburse the City if the property is sold before five years at a declining rate as follows: First year, hundred percent; second, 75, blah, blah, and this is consistent, just from an approach standpoint, of the way we've handled a lot of these things in the last few years that I think is very appropriate because it allows us -- if somebody really has a bump in property values, then the money can get recaptured; it can go into a pool, and you can grow that pool -- Ms. Gomez -Rodriguez: Right. Commissioner Winton: -- if everybody watches government to make sure it doesn't go somewhere else, you know what I mean, but that said, I'm less comfortable with the schedule itself, because it seems to me that when you do this, particularly in a county where values now are escalating, this is going to push our property values up. That's the idea; you want property values to go up because it creates wealth, but you also don't want them to grab the money and run right away, and you're giving them, in this model, the opportunity to run too quickly, and if I were doing this, I would make them stay for at least three years and then the declining balance starts, and so that at the end of eight, or nine, or whatever that math works out to, then you could -- you know, the whole thing becomes a grant and is forgiven, but I think the property owner ought to stay for three full years as the owner, if we're putting this money in there, and then the declining balance begins to work, because that's an incentive for them not to grab and run, and you don't want them to grab and run; you want them committed to staying and working and fighting, and we've got real dollars now for the first time to help make that happen, and I D5BLUE PAGES 03.13.08Background Material 3 don't think they ought to be able to go, so I would be much more supportive of this resolution if we changed that particular piece of the agreement to allow for no refund for the first three years, and then the declining balance works -- Ms. Gomez -Rodriguez: OK. Commissioner Winton: -- for each consecutive year, beginning in year four. Chairman Sanchez: That would be an amendment that you could put on the floor right now. Commissioner Allen: Right. If I may, before -- Chairman Sanchez: Hold on, hold on, hold on. Are you willing to make that amendment? Commissioner Winton: Yes, and I want to make that as an amendment, but -- Chairman Sanchez: Commissioner Allen, hold on just a minute, OK. The -- so, you're -- Commissioner Winton: I think the architect here wants to make a comment back, and I'm Chairman Sanchez: All right. Commissioner Winton: -- interested -- Commissioner Allen: Right. What's -- Commissioner Winton: -- in hearing. Mr. Styles: All right. I'd just like to say that one unusual thing about this corridor is about 95 percent -- not only are the business people property owners, but they're also resident businesses within the corridor, and most of them have been there at least ten years. Commissioner Winton: And see -- and that's all the more reason. Because they've stayed this long, you don't want -- Mr. Styles: Right. Commissioner Winton: -- them to cut and run. We need them -- Mr. Styles: Exactly. Commissioner Winton: -- and so, if we're going to put the investment in, let's give them an incentive to stay a little long. Dr5BLUE PAGES 03.13.08Background Material 4 Mr. Styles: Exactly. Commissioner Winton: That's all I'm saying. Commissioner Allen: If I may, Mr. Chairman. What's the original proposal relative to the terms that Commissioner Winton is addressing? Chairman Sanchez: We would need a motion for the amendment. Commissioner Allen: Your amendment, Commissioner Winton, is to change it to three years, you said; that -- Commissioner Winton: That for the first three years -- Commissioner Winton: But beginning in year four, that it's 75 percent; year five, 50 percent; year six, 25 percent; and year seven, 10 percent; year 8, it's a full grant. Commissioner Allen: Right. OK, that -- Chairman Sanchez: All right. Commissioner Allen: -- sounds like a reasonable motion. I'll second that motion. Just -- Chairman Sanchez: All right. Commissioner Allen: -- a quick comment. Chairman Sanchez: For the record, for the record, the resolution has been amended, and for the record, there is an amendment made by Commissioner Winton and second by Commissioner Allen. Discussion on the amendment. Hearing no discussion on the amendment, all in favor, say "aye." The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Chairman Sanchez: Anyone in opposition, having the same right, say "nay." The amendment has been passed, so therefore, it is an amendment now to the resolution. Ms. Gomez -Rodriguez: Right. Chairman Sanchez: All right. We still need to pass the resolution. Commissioner Allen: Exactly. Chairman Sanchez: All right. D5 BLUE PAGES 03.13.08 Background Material 5 Chairman Sanchez: -- concludes the public hearing, all right, so your presentation is completed. Now, we come back to the Commission. There is a resolution, as amended, on the floor. We need a motion to approve the resolution, as amended. Commissioner Allen: I'll make a mo -- Commissioner Winton: So move, or second. Commissioner Allen: Second. Chairman Sanchez: The motion is made by Commissioner Alien. It is second by Commissioner Winton. The item is under discussion. Hearing no discussion on the resolution, all in favor, say "aye." The Commission (Collectively): Aye. Chairman Sanchez: Anyone in opposition, having the same right, say "nay." The motion is approved. Congratulations. Commissioner Allen: Congratulations. Commissioner Winton: Good work. Chairman Sanchez: OK. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 5 - Angel Gonzalez, Johnny L. Winton, Joe Sanchez, Tomas Regalado and Jeffery L. Allen D5 BLUE PAGES 03.13.08 Background Material 6