ANALYSIS:
On June 8, 2016, the City Commission, pursuant to Request for Qualifications (RFQ) No. 2016-124-KB, adopted Resolution No. 2016-29425 accepting the recommendation of the City Manager and awarded Desman, Inc. (Desman) a contract for Architectural and Engineering Design Criteria Professional Services For Mixed-Use Parking Garages.
On October 21, 2016, the Neighborhoods and Community Affairs Committee (NCAC) heard a presentation exploring the construction of an all-wheels park at one of three locations in the North Shore area. The Committee selected the 72nd street parking lot (P-92) as the preferred location and requested additional information regarding parking and other uses. The site is located between 72nd and 73rd Streets, and between Collins and Harding Avenues. The item was discussed at the following committee meetings, November 18, December 9, 2016 and January 27, February 17 and March 17, 2017.
On February 8, 2017, the City Commission referred a discussion item of a skate park at the 72nd Street parking lot (P-92) to the Finance and Citywide Projects Committee (FCWPC) and on March 31, 2017 FCWPC directed staff to work with Commissioner Aleman in developing possible footprints, volumetric analysis, area available for other uses and number of parking spaces.
On April 26, 2017, the City Commission adopted Resolution No. 2017-29843 directing the City Administration to proceed with a consultant service order engaging Desman to prepare a feasibility study for a parking garage structure, and a new recreational park with a skate park and community use space, at the 72nd Street municipal parking lot (P-92). The Commission further directed the City Administration to prepare a budget item request for consideration of the project in the City’s Capital Budget fiscal year 2017-2018. At that time, the Commission referred the feasibility study for this project to the FCWPC.
On May 17, 2017, the City Commission approved a Capital Budget Amendment to the fiscal year 2016/2017, to prepare the initial feasibility study and preparation of renderings of the 72nd Street Park and Parking Structure.
As the first step in developing the Design Criteria Package (DCP), Desman was engaged to commence the feasibility study and design options, and began meeting with the City’s Parking, Parks and Recreation, Public Works, Office of Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) and Planning departments. Discussions with the various departments established project programming, planning/code constraints and other requirements.
On January 19, 2018, subsequent to referral by City Commission on January 17, 2018, FCWPC directed staff to meet with Commissioner Aleman and Desman to explore lower scale, larger footprint options and bring them back with other options. On January 22, 2018, Commissioner Aleman met with CIP and Desman to review the options and discuss other possibilities.
On February 14, 2018, the City Commission referred the project to the FCWPC to discuss including a competition-sized swimming pool in the project and on February 23, 2018, the FCWPC discussed and recommended adding the pool, with support facilities, to the feasibility study.
On March 7, 2018 the City Commission accepted the recommendation of the FCWPC to include a competition-sized pool (aquatic center) in the feasibility study for the proposed 72nd Street mixed-use project.
On March 8, 2018, the Parks and Recreational Facilities Advisory Board, as described in Letter to Commission (LTC) 132-2018, made a motion for the City to prioritize building an aquatic center in the City of Miami Beach. On May 3, 2018, as described in LTC 249-2018, the Parks and Recreational Facilities Advisory Board passed a motion identifying potential sites for the aquatic center as the 72nd Street parking lot (P-92), Flamingo Park or the Scott Rakow Youth Center, and asked that money be set aside in the 2018 General Obligation Bond and for that money to be portable to accommodate a location once identified.
On April 20, 2018, the FCWPC deferred discussion and review of this project to the June committee meeting, pending completion of the feasibility study.
On June 8, 2018 the FCWPC heard a presentation of four (4) conceptual options, developed by Desman, for the proposed 72nd Street Mixed-Use Project. All four options addressed planning requirements and took the North Beach Master Plan into consideration. The variations reflected options in orientation, circulation and arrangement and included the following programming elements:
• Parking garage that can be converted to some other use in the future, having a maximum of 500 spaces
• Structure and “Active Liner” arranged to reinforce commercial corridor at southwest corner of site
• All-wheels park up to 20,000 SF in size
• 5,000-10,000 SF Library/Media Center
• Roof-top Community Pool measuring 50m x 25m, including all support facilities, with movable bulkheads and movable floor (high school competition model)
• Roof-top community meeting room up to 5,000 SF, potentially part of the Library
• Approximately 20,000 SF of civic/commercial space
• Adult focused, upscale fitness gym with running track
• Passive Park measuring approximately 56,000 SF
The FCWPC recommended the following items to the proposed 72nd Street mixed-use project:
• Delete the all-wheels skate park and relocate to the West Lots
• Library component is mandatory
• Locate running track on grade
• Incorporate resilient and sustainable elements
• Provide an active park in lieu of passive park
The FCWPC directed staff to meet and coordinate with the Parks and Recreational Facilities Advisory Board, Corradino Group working on the Ocean Terrace Neighborhood Master Plan and the developers of the Mixed Use Project on the south side of 72nd Street.
On June 8th, 2018, immediately following the FCWPC meeting, City staff met with the developer of the property to the south. Additional conversations were had on June 20th, 2018 and it was agreed that City staff would continue to review the project and coordinate with the developer.
On June 29, 2018, CIP and Tourism, Culture and Economic Development (TCED) met with the Corradino Group and Garcia Pons + Associates. The meeting was an effort to exchange information in preparation of the final Ocean Terrace Neighborhood Urban Design Plan.
On July 11, 2018 CIP and TCED heard a presentation on the Ocean Terrace Neighborhood Urban Design Plan by Garcia Pons + Associates. The report indicated agreement with the conceptual options prepared by Desman and made the following recommendations:
• Relocate the library use to the 72nd street project
• New mixed-use parking structure with +/- 450 spaces and public uses (i.e. Library, Fitness Center, Pool/Aquatic Center, etc)
• Proposed all-wheels track relocated to West lots
• New civic plaza with retail uses (i.e. Kiosks, Outdoor Dining, etc) at Collins and 72nd street intersection
• New multi-purpose field along 73rd Street
On July 11, 2018 the Parks and Recreation Facilities Advisory Board heard a presentation of the proposed 72nd Street mixed-use project. The Board passed a motion with the following project scope recommendations:
• Strongly supporting the scope addition of a 25 meter warm up pool.
• Fitness center to remain.
• Project to include multi-use active park with sports lights and resiliency and sustainability efforts.
• Orientation of the grandstands at the pool to face the beach.
• All-wheels skate park be relocated as long as it finds a new funded home in the West lots.
• Track should be at ground level for the purpose of maximizing space.
• Raising or shifting electrical transmission lines should be explored.
• Connectivity between the North Shore Youth Center, Band Shell and 72nd Street Project should be considered.
On July 25, 2018 the City Commission discussed the scope and cost of the 72nd Street Park, Library and Aquatic Center to be included in the 2018 General Obligation Bond. The scope of work was noted to include a parking garage with a maximum of 500 parking spaces, Civic and Commercial space at the Ground Level, a new recreational Park, roof-top Competition Pool, warm-up pool and Support Facilities, a new 5,000-10,000 Library/Media Center and a 7,500sf upscale Fitness Gym with a running track. Resiliency strategies that may be implemented in this project include resilient storm water retention and re-use system, solar electric power, energy efficient lighting and an activated roof level with green roofing system.
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