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File ID: #18450
Resolution
Sponsored by: Commissioner Damian Pardo, Commissioner Ralph Rosado
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENT(S),
APPROVING AND RECOMMENDING THE BAY 2- ENHANCED CONNECTOR AS
THE PREFERRED DESIGN FOR PHASE 1 DESIGN OF THE "1-395 BAYWALK
PEDESTRIAN AND BIKEWAY BRIDGE" ("PROJECT"); AUTHORIZING THE CITY
MANAGER TO TAKE ANY AND ALL STEPS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THE
PROJECT DESIGN AS DEPICTED IN EXHIBIT "A," ATTACHED AND
INCORPORATED; FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE
AND EXECUTE ANY AND ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THE
PROJECT, ALL IN FORMS ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, FOR THE
PURPOSES STATED HEREIN.
City of Miami
Legislation
Resolution
Enactment Number: R-26-0114
City Hall
3500 Pan American Drive
Miami, FL 33133
www.miamigov.com
File Number: 18450 Final Action Date:3/12/2026
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION, WITH ATTACHMENT(S),
APPROVING AND RECOMMENDING THE BAY 2- ENHANCED CONNECTOR AS
THE PREFERRED DESIGN FOR PHASE 1 DESIGN OF THE "1-395 BAYWALK
PEDESTRIAN AND BIKEWAY BRIDGE" ("PROJECT"); AUTHORIZING THE CITY
MANAGER TO TAKE ANY AND ALL STEPS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THE
PROJECT DESIGN AS DEPICTED IN EXHIBIT "A," ATTACHED AND
INCORPORATED; FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE
AND EXECUTE ANY AND ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THE
PROJECT, ALL IN FORMS ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, FOR THE
PURPOSES STATED HEREIN.
WHEREAS, the Downtown Development Authority of the City of Miami, Florida ("Miami
DDA") is an agency of the City of Miami ("City") within the City's downtown; and
WHEREAS, one of the Miami DDA's 2025 Downtown Miami Master Plan's goals is to
"Leverage our beautiful and iconic tropical waterfront;" and
WHEREAS, a specific objective within the 2025 Downtown Miami Master Plan is to
"Complete the Baywalk & Riverwalk;" and
WHEREAS, after forty-six (46) years of incremental development, the Miami Baywalk is
nearing completion, with the most difficult barrier to connect occurring underneath the Interstate
395 ("I-395")/MacArthur Causeway, which would connect Maurice A. Ferre Park in the south to
the Resorts World/Genting site to the north ("Project"); and
WHEREAS, the Project would take the form of an over -the -water, approximately six
hundred (600) foot long pedestrian and bicycle bridge; and
WHEREAS, in 2019, the Miami DDA hired Lambert Advisory, L.C. ("Lambert") to analyze
if the completion of the Baywalk through the Project would generate significant benefits in terms
of increased property values and ad valorem tax revenue to the City which could exceed the
cost of the Project in a few short years; and
WHEREAS, the Lambert study estimated the increase in tax revenues generated as a
result of the completion of the Project will be between $1.46 million and $1.95 million per year;
and
WHEREAS, in 2019, the Miami DDA and the City applied for and were granted a twenty-
five (25) year lease agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation solely for the
purpose of constructing and maintaining the Project; and
WHEREAS, in 2019, the Miami DDA and the City applied for and were awarded a
Miami -Dade Transportation Planning Organization Transportation Alternatives Program grant
for construction of the Project in the amount of One Million and 00/100 Dollars ($1,000,000.00);
and
WHEREAS, in 2019, the organizers of the Miami Yacht Show, International Yacht
Brokers Association, Inc., donated "seed money" for design of the Project in the amount of One
Hundred Fifty Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($150,000.00); and
WHEREAS, in 2019, the Miami DDA and the City applied for and were awarded a
Florida Inland Navigation District grant for design of the Project in the amount of Two Hundred
Seventy -Five Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($275,000.00); and
WHEREAS, in 2019, the City Commission passed Resolution No. R-19-0374,
authorizing the utilization of Downtown Development Regional Impact fees for design of the
Project in the amount of Two Hundred Twenty -Five Thousand and 00/100 Dollars
($225,000.00); and
WHEREAS, on December 16, 2020, the City hosted an Evaluation Selection Committee
("Committee") meeting for Request for Qualifications No. 19-20-031, Professional Engineering
Services for 1-395 Pedestrian Baywalk and Bikeway Bridge Project, and at the meeting, the
Committee chose a winning team of consultants led by EXP Engineering and Inform Studio; and
WHEREAS, at the April 23, 2021, Board meeting, the Board of Directors of the Miami
DDA passed Resolution 20/2021, authorizing the CEO/Executive Director to allocate Two
Hundred Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($200,000.00) from its 2019-2020 Approved Budget to
the City of Miami for Project No. B193623, phase 1 Design of the 1-395 Baywalk Pedestrian and
Bikeway Bridge; and
WHEREAS, on June 16, 2022, the City of Miami Office of Capital Improvements held a
public outreach meeting at City Hall, with their team of consultants, led by EXP Engineering,
Cummins & Cederberg, and Inform Studio, and presented the 1-395 Baywalk Pedestrian and
Bikeway Bridge and acquired feedback from attendees; and
WHEREAS, on October 17, 2022, EXP Engineering and Inform Studio submitted to the
City of Miami their complete Feasibility Study for the 1-395 Baywalk Pedestrian & Bikeway
Bridge. Included in the Feasibility Study were three (3) design alternatives: the "Connector," the
"Enhanced Connector," and the "Iconic Destination," and associated cost estimates for each
design alternative; and
WHEREAS, at the July 8, 2024, Miami DDA Urbanism Committee, the Miami DDA
Director of Urban Planning, Neal Schafers ("Mr. Schafers"), presented the 1-395 Baywalk
Pedestrian & Bikeway Bridge, background, context, constraints, relevant property owners, and
the three design alternatives; and
WHEREAS, at the July 12, 2024, Miami DDA Board of Directors Meeting, Mr. Schafers,
presented the 1-395 Baywalk Pedestrian & Bikeway Bridge project again and the Miami DDA
Board directed staff to discuss with the City of Miami to see if they would re-engage with the
design team to redesign Options #2 and #3, so that the renderings show the alignment to travel
underneath the 2nd bay of support columns underneath the MacArthur Causeway; and
WHEREAS, in January 2025, the Miami DDA contracted with Inform Studio to update
two of the design alternatives, the "Enhanced Connector" and the "Iconic Destination," and to
route them through the second bay of support columns underneath the MacArthur Causeway;
and
WHEREAS, on March 6, 2025, the Miami DDA hosted an event at The Phillip and
Patricia Frost Science Museum Planetarium and Ocean Gallery and Inform Studio
Partner/Principal presented the 1-395 Baywalk Pedestrian & Bikeway Bridge to the attendees,
and detailed the two design alternatives that the Miami DDA is considering, the "Enhanced
Connector" and the "Iconic Destination"; and
WHEREAS, at the June 6, 2025, Miami DDA Urbanism Committee, Mr. Schafers,
presented the updated alternatives for the 1-395 Baywalk Pedestrian and Bikeway Bridge and
the Urbanism Committee members recommended design alternative Option #2, the "Enhanced
Connector"; and
WHEREAS, on February 20, 2026, the Board of Directors reviewed and considered the
multiple design alternatives for the Baywalk Pedestrian and Bikeway Bridge and determined that
Bay 2- Enhanced Connector, also referred to as "Enhanced Connector," depicted in Exhibit "A,"
attached and incorporated, is the best design for 1-395 Baywalk Pedestrian and Bikeway Bridge
and is in the best interests of the City of Miami, its residents, and visitors; and
WHEREAS, upon review of the proposed Baywalk Pedestrian and Bikeway Bridge Bay
2- Enhanced Connector design, the City Commission finds it in the best interest of the City to
implement the Bay 2- Enhanced Connector; and
WHEREAS, several sources of funding initially granted for the Project have since
expired, thus, the City Commission desires for the City administration to begin identifying any
and all eligible sources of funding to implement the Project;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSION 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 City Commission hereby approves Bay 2- Enhanced Connector as the
preferred design alternative for Project No. 40-6193623, also known as Phase 1 Design of the I-
395 Baywalk Pedestrian and Bikeway Bridge, as depicted in Exhibit "A," attached and
incorporated.
Section 3. The City Manager is hereby authorized' to take any and all action necessary
to begin implementing the Bay 2- Enhanced Connector Project design.
Section 4. The City Manager is authorized' to negotiate and execute any and all
documents necessary, including but not limited to applying for any and all sources of funding,
appropriating and allocating funding, applications, and permits to implement the Bay 2-
Enhanced Connector design as depicted in Exhibit "A," attached and incorporated.
Section 5. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its adoption.
1 The herein authorization is further subject to compliance with all legal requirements that may be
imposed, including but not limited to, those prescribed by applicable City Charter and City Code
provisions.
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND CORRECTNESS:
g III, C yE[ttorey / 3/3/2026