On October 31, 2017, the Mayor and City Commission adopted Resolution No. 2017-30082, approving an Agreement with the Sabrina Cohen Foundation, Inc. (the “Foundation”), for the Foundation to raise funding and assume responsibility of all expenses related to the City’s design, development, and construction of an Adaptive Recreation Center (the “Center”), to be located within a portion of the City’s P72 surface parking lot at the 53rd Street and Collins Avenue.
The Agreement between the City and the Foundation was executed on November 2, 2017 (Exhibit “B”), and states that the City will be the owner of the Center, and the Center’s primary purpose will be to provide the general public and specifically, persons living with physical and cognitive disabilities, including seniors living with disabilities and able-bodied individuals with temporary injuries, with an accessible entry point to the beach and related beach programming.
Subsequently, on July 2, 2018, pursuant to the Agreement’s terms, the Mayor and City Commission adopted Resolution No. 2018-30377, and approved, in the City’s proprietary capacity, the Foundation’s proposed concept plan for the Center.
On January 16, 2019, the Mayor and City Commission adopted Resolution No. 2019-30671, approving Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement, thereby clarifying certain technical details consistent with the concept plan approved by the City and applicable provisions of the City Code (Exhibit “C”).
On January 16, 2019, the Mayor and City Commission authorized the issuance of Request for Qualifications (RFQ) 2019-085-KB for architectural and engineering design services for Sabrina Cohen Foundation Adaptive Recreation Center. The City Commission authorized the issuance of the RFQ while the Foundation continued to raise funds for the design, development, and construction of the center.
On July 31, 2019, the Mayor and City Commission adopted Resolution No. 2019-30922, approving Amendment No. 2 to the Agreement, thereby extending the fundraising schedule and deadlines in section 7.1.B by twelve (12) months, to provide the Foundation with additional time to raise donations for the design and construction of the Center (Exhibit “D”).
On April 29, 2021, the Mayor and City Commission adopted Resolution No. 2021-31683, accepting a grant allocation in the amount of $577,000 from Miami Dade County, Florida for the design and construction of public infrastructure improvements associated with the Sabrina Cohen Adaptive Recreation Center Project.
On June 23, 2021, the Mayor and City Commission adopted Resolution No. 2021-31751,
accepting the recommendation of the Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee, at its June 11, 2021 meeting, and authorizing the City to appropriate an amount not-to-exceed $2.5 million, for the City to match future donations made to the Sabrina Cohen Foundation, for the design and construction of the Sabrina Cohen Foundation Adaptive Fitness and Recreation Center to be located at 53rd Street and Collins Avenue, provided that the foundation raise the funds within a period of time to be determined by the Mayor and City Commission. On July 28, 2021, Administration will be taking a companion capital and operating budget amendment to the City Commission for the allocation of the $2.5 million.
On July 28, 2021, Administration will be recommending a Resolution accepting the recommendation of the City Manager to reject proposals received pursuant to request for qualifications (RFQ) 2019-085-KB for architectural and engineering design services for the Sabrina Cohen Foundation Adaptive Recreation Center. The RFQ was initiated in January 2019, staff will be working with the Sabrina Cohen Foundation on the best path forward for both the accessible park and the adaptive recreation center.