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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-00675 10-29-2007 Submittal SPI District Development ProgramSUBMITTED INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD FOR ITEMm ON/D-&9q'. District Development Program SPi The SPi District Development Program has been developed to identify and overcome obstacles that the private sector does not have the ability nor the authority to resolve. Once these issues of Security, Parking and identity are resolved the private sector will find investing in these districts more feasible and inviting. Miami Destinations Calle Ocho Coconut Grove Design District Little Haiti Media & Entertainment District Park West Club District Jazz Blues & Gospel District Security Security Securing the districts and creating connectivity between them (PAC -Media & Entertainment District -Park West Club District -Jazz Blues & Gospel District) is vital to the survival and development of this area. Currently all the venues are securing themselves at great expense and yet the neighborhood continues to be unsecured and uninviting. A private public joint venture security program designed not only to secure the neighborhood but also to promote and market it is the most efficient and effective way to go. This in the long run will stimulate business growth and enhance the quality of life for our residents and assure are visitors a safe and pleasant experience. Parking Parking The Creation of parking needs to be stimulated and this can only be achieved by making the economics of parking more realistic. The city's current surcharge plus sales tax takes 22% of the gross income of commercial parking lots, add to that the cost of land the real estate taxes, the city's design requirements, which reduce achievable parking spaces by 30%, and finally the construction and running of the lots and you end up with numbers that don't work. An overlay district waiving the surcharge fees and relaxing the design requirements could help trigger surface parking lot development which then would trigger more business's to open and buildings to be improved. Without additional parking these districts will remain as they are! Basically ghettos! The city also exposes itself to legal issues by overly restricting the private sector by imposing a tax that makes opening new business impossible. In order to get an occupational license business need to meet certain parking requirements and due to the unavailability of parking because of its unfeasibility makes opening new business impossible. This situation can and will trigger the use of the Bert J. Harris Act which defines that "inordinately burdened" as an action of government that restricts or limits property owners in attaining a "reasonable, investment -backed expectation" for real-estate. There is plenty of land to create parking its just the conditions do not exist that make it economically viable to do so. Once these districts are fully developed and have daily on going business this issue will fade and the tax will no longer be a deterrent but currently that is not the case. identity • ldentity The formation and maintenance of our Districts identities can be achieved by the use of overlay districts. Through the Planning and Zoning Department we can create standards that would help mold the identity of these areas. We can help maintain these areas standards by the use of our code compliance officers and the NET offices. Some of the tools to achieve a specific identity could be as follows: Paint Colors..... example: little Haiti bright color pallet....Calle 0cho mediterranian color pallet Architectural Sytle....example: .0vertowns Jazz Blues and Gospel District....1920's and 30's architectural style for all new construction and renovations. Mural Ads....example: Park West Club District no set back no graphic restrictions, vibrant and exciting visuals, life style ads Media District 300 foot set back with strict copy restriction 15% of visual more elegant! Fashion and Beauty Ads. Store front signage size and style....example: Park West Club District no restrictions..Media District storefront signage only 10% of store front surface. Street signage .... In some cases multilanguage ie: Little Haiti-Engish and French Creole and Calle Ocho-English and Spanish. Street surfaces....In historical areas with 1920's architecture install cobblestone. Sidewalk finishes to work with design of streets. Street Lighting.... fixtures to match architectural style of area. Style of garbage cans and public seating also to match architectural style of area. Landscaping or lack of landscaping as well... areas with cafe seating and historical storefronts that are also used a lot for filming should have no landscaping. Areas without these conditions could have landscaping but preferable palm trees which would not cover the business storefronts and architecture. • ldentity Examples of city's reinforcing their special districts identities: New York's Meat Packing District reinstal l ing original cobblestone. London's Covent Gardens also reinstalling original cobblestone. \G V EA PAC DISTRICT \VQR C /K ) 3 0 COV • LO\ CARD