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Home My WebLink AboutCRA-R-25-0041 MemorandumOMNI Board of Commissioners Meeting July 24, 2025 OMNI REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY INTER -OFFICE MEMORANDUM Board Chair Damian Pardo and Members of the CRA Board /(dyuLA Isiaa Jones Executive Director Date: September 3, 2025 File: 17882 Subject: Contribution - Interstate 395/State Road 836 Heritage Trail/Signature Bridge Underdeck Project Enclosures: 17882 Backup_Cover Memo and Letter 17882 Backup_Budget Detail and Narrative BACKGROUND: The purpose of this memorandum is to recommend that the Board of Commissioners ("Board") of the Omni Redevelopment District Community Redevelopment Agency ("CRA") approve and adopt the attached Resolution. This Resolution authorizes a contribution to the City of Miami, not to exceed Three Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($3,500,000.00), to support the City of Miami's Interstate 395/State Road 836 Heritage Trail/Signature Bridge Underdeck Project located within the Omni CRA. JUSTIFICATION: The 1-395 Underdeck Project is a transformative 33-acre public open space designed to serve as a multi -purpose greenway. It will actively Zink the Omni area to the Downtown district, thereby enhancing community connectivity and providing a variety of outdoor amenities. This initiative aligns with the objectives outlined in the 2019 Omni Redevelopment Plan. Specifically, Section 4 ("Strategic Plan") on page 20 emphasizes the elimination of conditions contributing to blight as a redevelopment objective. Furthermore, Section 4 on page 41 of the same plan underscores the importance of collaboration with the City and FDOT to ensure that any open space developed is both attractive and functional. Additionally, Section 5 ("Implementation Plan") on page 55 of the 2019 CRA Redevelopment Plan highlights the CRA's commitment to funding and collaborating with the City of Miami and FDOT. This collaboration aims to ensure that the "Underdeck" open space is designed and constructed in a manner that is acceptable to the community and sustainable in its maintenance. The proposed Resolution is a critical step in fulfilling these strategic objectives. This Resolution carries out the objectives of the Omni Redevelopment Plan. FUNDING: $3,500,000.00 allocated from OMNI account code 10040.920501.891000.0000.00000. City of Miami Page 2 of 5 File ID: 17882 (Revision: A) Printed On: 9/8/2025 Omni C R A City of Miami Legislation OMNI CRA Resolution CRA-R-25-0041 OMNI CRA 1401 N. Miami Avenue Miami, FL 33136 www.miamicra.com File Number: 17882 Final Action Date:7/24/2025 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE OMNI REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ("OMNI CRA") AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF A GRANT IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED THREE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($3,500,000.00) ("FUNDS") TO THE CITY OF MIAMI ("CITY") FOR COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT AND COORDINATION OF OPEN SPACE RUNNING THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN AREA OF THE CITY RELATED TO THE INTERSTATE 395/STATE ROAD 836 HERITAGE TRAIL/SIGNATURE BRIDGE UNDERDECK PROJECT ("PROJECT") LOCATED WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE OMNI CRA REDEVELOPMENT AREA, WITH ALL WORK TO BE PERFORMED THROUGH AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND THE CITY; FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO APPOINT A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE OMNI CRA TO BE ADVISED ON ALL PLANS AND PROPOSALS FOR THE PROJECT; AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE ANY AND ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY FOR SAID PURPOSE, ALL IN A FORM ACCEPTABLE TO GENERAL COUNSEL; ALLOCATING FUNDS FROM OMNI CRA ACCOUNT CODE 10040.920501.891000.0000.00000 — INTERFUND TRANSFER AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, the Omni Redevelopment District Community Redevelopment Agency ("CRA") is tasked with reducing slum and blight within its boundaries; and WHEREAS, the CRA is responsible for carrying out community redevelopment activities and projects within its Redevelopment Area in accordance with its approved 2019 Redevelopment Plan ("Plan"); and WHEREAS, Section 4.4.D. at page 42 of the Plan lists the elimination of conditions which contribute to blight as a stated redevelopment objective; and WHEREAS, Section 4.4.A on page 41 of the Plan also states that the CRA should, "provide for greater connectivity by diminishing the impact of existing urban barriers to redevelopment and promoting regional transportation"; and WHEREAS, the Florida Department of Transportation ("FDOT") holds jurisdictional ownership over Interstate 395/State Road 836 ("1-395"), located between Northwest 3rd Avenue and Biscayne Bay, Miami, Florida ("Limits"); and WHEREAS, the Interstate 395 Underdeck Project is a transformative 33-acre public open space designed to serve as a multi -purpose greenway, will be an active Zink from the CRA area to the Downtown district and Biscayne Bay through the construction of the Reverend City of Miami Page 3 of 5 File ID: 17882 (Revision: A) Printed On: 9/8/2025 Edward T. Graham Heritage Trail, a mile -long, multimodal urban greenway, enhancing community connectivity and providing a multitude of outdoor amenities ("Project"); and WHEREAS, the Project represents a significant collaboration between FDOT and the City of Miami ("City"), embodying themes of activity, connection, authenticity, and greenery, and is set to include an amphitheater, event lawn, community plaza, children's play area, dog play area, multi -use court, and water feature, thereby fostering a diverse range of cultural activities; and WHEREAS, the Project, identified as the "1-395 "Underdeck"" on page 4-30 of the Plan, states, "the CRA should work closely with the City and FDOT, and any selected Operator to ensure any open space that is built is both attractive and functional;" and WHEREAS, the CRA recognizes the completion of the Project as a necessary redevelopment objective and capital improvement project within the Redevelopment Area; and WHEREAS, on June 13, 2019, the Board of Commissioners of the CRA adopted Resolution No. CRA-R-19-0014, which authorized the issuance of a grant in an amount not to exceed One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00) to the City for costs associated with the design and operational assessment of the open space running through the Project; and WHEREAS, in order to ensure the attractiveness and functionality of the Project, as indicated in the Plan, the Executive Director recommends that the CRA allocates an additional amount not to exceed Three Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($3,500,000.00) ("Funds") to the City for the Project; and WHEREAS, any unused Funds shall be returned to the CRA; and WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners wishes to authorize the funds for the Project and find that this furthers the goals of the CRA; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE OMNI REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA: Section 1. The recitals and findings contained in the Preamble to this Resolution are adopted by reference and incorporated herein as if fully set forth in this Section. Section 2. The issuance of a grant in an amount not to exceed Three Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($3,500,000.00) to the City to underwrite costs associated with the Project is approved. Any unused funds from this grant shall be returned to the CRA. Section 3. The Executive Director is authorized to negotiate and execute any and all documents necessary, all in a form acceptable to General Counsel, for the purpose stated herein. Section 4. Funds are to be allocated from CRA account code 10040.920501.891000.0000.00000. Section 5. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its adoption. APPROVED AS TO FORM AND CORRECTNESS: City of Miami Page 4 of 5 File ID: 17882 (Revision: A) Printed On: 9/8/2025 GEORGE K. WYSONG III, GENERAL COUNSEL City of Miami Page 5 of 5 File ID: 17882 (Revision: A) Printed On: 9/8/2025