HomeMy WebLinkAboutExhibit ACITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA
INTER -OFFICE MEMORANDUM
TO:
Arthur Noriega V
City Manager
DS
FROM: Andrew Frey, Director AF
Department of Real Estate
& Asset Management ("DREAM")
DATE:
SUBJECT:
August 26, 2025
Olympia Theater Conveyance
File ID No. 18056
REFERENCES: September 11, 2025 City Commission
Meeting
ENCLOSURES:
Mr. Manager,
This is regarding agenda item File ID No. 18056 for a Resolution of the Miami City Commission, authorizing the City Manager to negotiate and
execute a purchase and sale agreement ("Agreement") between the City of Miami ("City") and Sports Leadership and Management, Inc., a
Florida Not -for -Profit Corporation ("SLAM"), pursuant to Section 29-B(c) of the charter of the City of Miami, Florida, as amended, by way of a
Quitclaim Deed, for the conveyance of City -owned property known as the Olympia Theater, located at 174 East Flagler Street Miami, Florida
("Olympia Theater" or "Property").
On July 24, 1975, the Maurice Gusman Cultural Center for the Performing Arts, Inc., a Florida not -for -profit corporation, conveyed, via Special
Warranty Deed, to the City of Miami ("City") the property known as the Olympia Theater, located at 174 East Flagler Street, Miami, Florida,
consisting of the theater and a contiguous ten -story building (the "Olympia Theater" or "Property"). The Olympia Theater is a unique landmark
building that opened in 1926 as a silent movie palace, later serving as a theater hosting many significant acts in Miami's history, and in 1984
was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Over the decades, the Olympia Theater has been an important part of the City's history
and one worth preserving, restoring, and returning to its original glory, but has fallen into disrepair. The City wishes to enter into the
Agreement to transfer the Property SLAM. SLAM is authorized pursuant to Section 1002.33, Florida Statutes to operate the charter school
known as "Sports Leadership Arts Management Charter High School. In early 2022, Miami Dade College, a public educational institution and
political subdivision of the State of Florida ("MDC") issued RFP 2022-RM-1-11 to establish a school centered around innovation in downtown
Miami, and entered into an agreement with Mater Academy, Inc., which is affiliated with SLAM, to accomplish this goal. Since opening as a
public charter school in August 2023, "Miami Tech at Mater Innovation Academy" has been successful and would benefit from additional
space to incorporate arts and technology into its curriculum, which will be accomplished through a cooperative between SLAM, Mater
Academy, Inc., and Somerset Academy, Inc. (the "Cooperative"). To ensure the restoration and long-term preservation of the Olympia Theater
as a historic property, the City wishes to convey its interest in the Property to SLAM to restore, manage, and operate the Property as a public
education facility. Therefore, as a condition of the conveyance of the Olympia Theater, SLAM will make the necessary improvements to the
Property to accommodate the number of students permitted by the Property's established occupant load in order to provide educational
programs of the public charter school, Miami Tech at Mater Innovation Academy, which will be renamed as the "Miami Innovation & Arts
Academy" ("Academy") through the Cooperative's efforts and shall make all necessary interior and exterior repairs to the Property in order
to bring it into recertification compliance and historic preservation standards as set forth under all applicable laws, including the Code of the
City of Miami, Florida, as amended, ("City Code"), which is estimated at fifty million dollars ($50,000,000.00), within five (5) years of
conveyance.
Section 18-179 of the City Code provides that competitive bidding requirements may be waived upon the City Manager's finding "that such
methods would be futile for the reason that only one possible bidder can be chosen" so long as the procedural requirements of Section 18-
182 are satisfied. Section 18-182(c) of the City Code provides in relevant part that "the city commission may declare an exemption from the
restrictions contained in subsection (a) above and declare them inapplicable by resolution provided that the city manager has made a written
finding that it is in the best interest of the city, which findings must be ratified by an affirmative vote of 2/3 of the commission after properly
advertised public hearing."
In light of the above, this memorandum serves to confirm your findings and recommendation to the City Commission that it is in the best
interest to consummate this conveyance to SLAM.
Please sign below to acknowledge your approval.
,—DocuSigned by:
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City Manager