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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBayfront Park Management TrustMILDRED AND CLAUDE PEPPER BAYFRONT PARK MANAGEMENT TRUST 301 N. BISCAYNE BOULEVARD, MIAMI, FL 33132 TELEPHONE: (305)358-7550 FAX: (305) 358-1211 January 29, 2019 Emilio T. Gonzalez City Manager City of Miami 3500 Pan American Drive Miami, Florida 33133 Dear Mr. Manager, Pursuant to City Code Section 2-890, attached please find a copy of the Bayfront Park Management Trust's annual report. This report was approved by the Trust at its January 29, 2019, board meeting. Please contact me if you have any questions. erely, ommissioner Joe Carollo Chairperson Cc: Jose Gell, Interim Executive Director Mr. Todd Hannon, City Clerk file Enc. Enclosure Governance The City Commission created the Trust in 1987 to operate, manage and maintain Bayfront Park with the goal of ensuring maximum community utilization. In 1994, Bicentennial Park (formerly Museum Park and recently renamed Maurice A Ferre Park) was added to the organization's portfolio. The Trust's governing board consists of nine (9) individuals, appointed by the City Commission. Bayfront Park is a 32-acre park located in the Miami Harbor District and immediately adjacent to the Central Business District. Built on filled bay -bottom in 1925 (2016 marks the Bayfront's 91st year), it has been a gathering place for Miami's residents and visitors since that time. Museum Park, located at 1075 Biscayne Boulevard in the heart of the Miami Harbor District, is a spectacular 21-acre waterfront site, adjacent to the cruise ship turning basin in Biscayne Bay. Maurice A Ferre re -opened to the public on June 14, 2014. The park is also home to the Perez Art Museum Miami, which opened in December 2013, and the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science, which opened in May 2017. During the spring of 2018, the Trust worked closely with the Office of Capital Improvements as the promenade project linking the pedestrian path linking the park to the Frost Museum of Science and the PAMM began, and was completed in late fall of 2018. With the reopening of Maurice A. Ferre Park, there are now 53 acres of public waterfront parkland under the Trust's management. In addition to "ensuring maximum community utilization," the founding legislation included a further directive: "The Trust shall, to the greatest extent it determines to be feasible, implement the exercise of its powers in a manner which utilizes and encourages the fullest and most active participation and cooperation of private enterprise." The Trust recognizes the balance it must strike between managing public parks and encouraging private enterprise. It uses its resources to create social value, whether through the hosting of major concerts and festivals or the management of excellent public parks. The Trust's governing board consists of nine (9) individuals, under the leadership of Commissioner Joe Carollo, who through their work on the Trust, have demonstrated their commitment to making our community a better place for residents and visitors. Staff Pursuant to City Code Section 38-105, the Trust shall appoint an executive director, subject to City Commission approval, who, "shall have general supervision over and be responsible for the management and operation of all trust facilities." The FY 2018/2019 budget contains 17 full-time and four part-time staff positions. Accomplishments The Bayfront Park Management Trust has been extremely successful in managing revenue against expenses. During Fiscal Years 2012 through 2017, the City of Miami's provided $0 to support Bayfront Park's operations while the Trust's Administrative and Maintenance expenses totaled $14,940,961. During that same period the City realized $6,510,000 in savings by not subsidizing the park's operation, which is and continues to be self-sustaining. During those six years, the Trust also paid $2,706,427 for fire services and $7,746,286 in police services, providing thousands of hours of overtime pay for our first responders. An estimated $15,157,083 was generated in parking revenue, translating to a $1,869,015 in parking surcharge to the City of BAYFRONT PARK MANAGEMENT TRUST 301 North Biscayne Boulevard Miami, FL 33132 (305) 358-7550 Miami. The Trust's success is the City's success. And, that success is a direct result of the social entrepreneurial model that has guided our operation -- our mission is to create social value. In the past five years the Trust has also demonstrated an ongoing commitment to facility improvements by investing in capital improvements. In FY 2015/2016 the Trust completed the Bayfront Park soil remediation project. Over $1.2 million has been spent to implement and complete the park's Corrective Action Plan, where a layer of contaminated soil from locations throughout the park was removed, the locations sealed with an impermeable fabric and covered with a foot of clean soil. Many parks throughout the city, and Miami Dade County, have been confronted with this issue, but the Trust is the only park agency covering the remediation cost. The Trust continues to plan, promote and coordinate two of our community's largest celebrations, America's Birthday Bash on July 4th and Bayfront Park's New Year's Eve Celebration. The Trust is committed to providing these free, community inclusive celebrations for Miami's residents and visitors. Armando Perez, AKA Pitbull, AKA Mr. 305, closed the 2014 inaugural New Year's Eve Revolution with the statement, "Tonight we made history. Next year we'll make tradition" and Pitbull proved to be a man of his word. Downtown Miami's 2018 New Year's Eve celebration stretched from Bayside Marketplace to the InterContinental Hotel with Bayfront Park anchoring the largest free NYE event in South Florida. Beginning at 5:45 p.m., Bayfront Park was the center of Miami's New Year's celebration replete with music, vendors and revelry. Portions of the event were live streamed on Univision and thrusted Bayfront Park into the national and international spotlight. The star-studded lineup included local and international artists such as: Amaury Gutierrez, Lena and Malena Burke, Carlos Manuel, Los 3 de la Habana, Luis Bufil, DJ I Am Chino, DJ Laz and Pitbull. Pitbull's Worldwide VIP Food & Wine Party took place on December 31 in Bayfront Park. The ticketed portion of the event which was produced by SWARM (creators of Grovetoberfest, Wynwood Art Walk Block Party, Sprung! and other events) and featured an assortment of delectable food options and signature cocktails from Miami's top bartender Teddy Collins. The evening was capped with the ascension of the big Orange and an incredible fireworks display over Biscayne Bay at midnight. The show concluded at 12:30 a.m. For New Year's Eve 2019, the Trust envisions an event that includes all of the previous years' elements, partnerships with Bayside Marketplace, the Greater Miami Host Committee, food and drink available throughout the site, a fireworks spectacular at midnight, and a live broadcast event, featuring Mr. 305 — Pitbull, and A level talent, whose identities have yet to be released. The event's goal is to challenge Time's Square's primacy as the home of New Year's Eve. Given our balmy weather, spectacular waterfront location, dynamic urban skyline and multi -cultural community — we recognize Miami as the premier location for New Year's Eve and on NYE 2019, we will demonstrate that fact to the rest of the world. Our free, thrice weekly yoga classes continue their popularity with over 167,000 residents and visitors having participated in the classes since they began in September 2005. The classes have been featured by NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, The Wall Street Journal, Fox Sports Network, CNN, Delta Sky Magazine, Celebrated Living (in-flight magazine for American Airlines), Vues d'Ailleurs (in-flight magazine for French airline Corsairfly), and numerous local outlets. Two separate sponsorship agreements helped the park offset the expense of this BAYFRONT PARK MANAGEMENT TRUST 301 North Biscayne Boulevard Miami, FL 33132 (305) 358-7550 extremely popular and oft copied program. In 2016, through various partnerships and permits, the Trust added yoga classes and exercise classes in Maurice A. Ferro Park. The 50 foot Holiday Tree that brightens Bayfront Park from Thanksgiving through New Year's will continue to serve as downtown's mid -winter beacon. During the holidays, the park is also the host site for our Menorah Lighting, sponsored by the Shul of Downtown, and the Miami Outboard Motor Club's Holiday Boat Parade. The newly renovated Maurice A. Ferro Park opened to the public on June 14, 2014. This 21 acre facility, with the longest continuous length of bay walk within the City of Miami, and two cultural institutions as neighbors brings renewed energy to the downtown waterfront. The 2018/2019 Trust budget includes $550,000 to meet the needs of the restored facility. The budget also contemplates the facility's maintenance needs using outside contractors to handle the landscape maintenance in Maurice A. Ferro Park. The Trust is constantly striving to identify revenue streams that can help offset the operational, maintenance and future capital costs of the facility. A robust marketing plan is executed for both Bayfront and Maurice A. Ferro Parks, including exposure on Bayfront Park's website (which engages an average of 14,000 monthly visitors), Bayfront Park's marquee sign (the marquee sign is located on Biscayne Boulevard, with 65,000 passing vehicles each day and is adjacent to Bayside Marketplace, one of South Florida's most visited tourist destinations, with a reported 23 million annual visitors), social media campaigns on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (which have a combined reach of about 19,800 followers), and press releases distributed to over 400 contacts (including the Downtown Development Authority, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, Downtown Miami, Miami Travel Attractions, Biscayne Times, Social Miami, The Miami Herald and Miami New Times among others). The Trust recognized the need to support activities outside the Bayfront and Maurice A. Ferro Park boundaries and to help where most needed. Throughout the year Bayfront staff lent their expertise to events held around the city. Every Tuesday, the Trust sponsors a free yoga class at Jose Marti Park. From April 2014 through the present, these free yoga classes have attracted over 168,217 participants, contributing to a healthier Miami. Additionally in the past year the Trust: • Renewed the Management Agreement with Live Nation Worldwide, Inc., to operate and manage the Bayfront Park Amphitheater for an additional five years — through December 31, 2023. • Created new revenue generating partnerships with Crown Castle, working to bring, in the near future, better cellular connectivity of Bayfront and Maurice A. Ferro Parks and Cara Bella II, LLC bringing a floating restaurant to Bayfront's Park south dock (effective January 15, 2019). • Continued to host some of the community's premier fundraising events such as the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Light the Night Walk, American Heart Association's Heart Walk and the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation Walk. • Hosted the 2018 Ultra Music Festival in Bayfront Park — potentially the final Ultra event at Bayfront Park. B AY F R O N T PARK MANAGEMENT TRUST 301 North Biscayne Boulevard Miami, FL 33132 (305) 358-7550 • Served as the hosting site for the world-renowned Formula One Fan Fest in Bayfront Park as well as the television filming location for American Ninja Warrior in Bayfront Park. • Continued programming of Maurice A. Ferre Park, which served as host site for various art installations, fund-raising walks and runs. • Continued with the diversification of events hosted — ranging from film shoots to art installations to pop concerts, and community festivals. • Lent staff expertise to City departments and partner organizations through participation in committees, workshops and focus groups to help improve our community. • Continued care and maintenance of the statues and plaques throughout the park and at the Torch of Friendship. • Continued to work with the community for alternative transportation opportunities with Bayfront Park serving as a designated drop off/pick up location for the Miami Trolley, an expanded Big Bus Tour operation, which includes boat tours and a water taxi operation. In FY 2015/2016, the Trust committed $250,000 to help bring Tri-Rail to Downtown Miami, and continues to fulfill that financial commitment. • Continued correcting damages suffered as a result of Hurricane Irma on September 9 and 10, 2017. In FY 2016/17 hurricane damage expenses incurred were $317,767.99 and in FY 2017/18, the Trust expended funds totaling $705,481.88. The total amount spent by the Trust thus far is $1,023,249.87. • And, in October 2018, the Trust contributed $3,000,000 to the City of Miami General Fund. As demonstrated by the above list, the Trust has accomplished much in the past. It does not appear that there is any other board, either public or private, that would better serve the public's interest. Membership Requirements The membership of the Bayfront Park Management Trust was reconstituted in May of 1994. The streamlining of the Trust, decreasing its membership from 21 to nine, has made it a more effective decision making body. The nine members of the Bayfront Park Management Trust are representative of Miami's cultural and ethnic makeup. One member of the Trust is an elected official of the City of Miami; the eight remaining members represent Miami's business, professional and cultural communities and are appointed by the Miami City Commission. The Trust currently oversees the 32 acres of Bayfront Park and the approximately 21 acres of Maurice A. Ferre Park. Membership in the Trust does not need to be modified. Cost Effectiveness of Trust The Bayfront Park Management Trust is an extremely cost effective method for the City to operate and maintain Bayfront and Maurice A. Ferre Parks. Total Operating and Capital Improvements budget costs for both Parks in FY 2018/2019 totals $11,712,728.00 with no funding from the City. The 2018/19 BPMT Budget also includes a one-time $3,000,000 contribution to the City of Miami General Fund. B AY F R O N T PARK MANAGEMENT TRUST 301 North Biscayne Boulevard Miami, FL 33132 (305) 358-7550 Conclusion The Bayfront Park Management Trust has been extremely successful in bringing guidance and leadership to the development of Bayfront and Maurice A. Ferro Parks and serving as a catalyst for positive change in downtown Miami. It has fulfilled and surpassed the mandate of its charter, and intends to continue to do so into the future. The Trust board of directors and staff intend to build on these past accomplishments, pursuant to our mission of "ensuring maximum community utilization and enjoyment." Thank you for allowing us the opportunity and the privilege to continue our efforts. B AY F R O N T PARK MANAGEMENT TRUST 301 North Biscayne Boulevard Miami, FL 33132 (305) 358-7550