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Home My WebLink AboutR-26-0114City of Miami Resolution R-26-0114 Legislation 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. SPONSOR(S): Commissioner Damian Pardo, Commissioner Ralph "Rafael" Rosado 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 City of Miami Page 1 of 4 File ID: 18450 (Revision:) Printed On: 3/30/2026 File ID: 18450 Enactment Number: R-26-0114 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 City of Miami Page 2 of 4 File ID: 18450 (Revision:) Printed on: 3/30/2026 File ID: 18450 Enactment Number: R-26-0114 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. 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. City of Miami Page 3 of 4 File ID: 18450 (Revision:) Printed on: 3/30/2026 File ID: 18450 Enactment Number: R-26-0114 Section 5. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its adoption. APPROVED AS TO FORM AND CORRECTNESS: ge Wy ng III, C y tor -y 3/3/2026 City of Miami Page 4 of 4 File ID: 18450 (Revision:) Printed on: 3/30/2026