A DISCUSSION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, TO CONSIDER ACCEPTING THE APPLICATION FOR  A SPECIAL EVENT ROAD AND LANE CLOSURE OF COLLINS AVENUE FROM 29 TO 36 STREETS ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27 FROM 8:00 AM TO 7:00 PM FOR FAENA HOTEL AND ARTS DISTRICT OPENING PROCESSION.

The Administration acknowledges that, while the event will take place on a Sunday as opposed to a weekday, the requested date is the Sunday of the Thanksgiving Weekend, one of the busiest travel days of the year. Further, when adding the expected high volume of traffic related to the beginning of Art Basel in Miami Beach week, other special event activations occurring that day and the mid-day time frame of the request, the requested closure will undoubtedly cause a major traffic impact to a significant portion of the City. Reasonable alternatives were provided to the event producer by the Administration, including relocating the procession to the beach and/ or beachwalk, but were not deemed acceptable by the event producer. Miami-Dade Transit has rejected the proposal as submitted because it cannot provide a reasonable alternative bus option to transit users.

At the July 13, 2016 meeting of the Miami Beach Commission, Resolution No. 2016-29506 was adopted, henceforth requiring any new special event applicant seeking to close a road or lane of a major thoroughfare in the City of Miami Beach to seek approval from the Miami Beach Commission.  The Faena Hotel and Arts District, located on the east and west sides of Collins Avenue between 32 and 35 Streets, is the first such special event applicant seeking approval to close a major thoroughfare.

Faena will hold their official grand opening at the onset of Art Basel in Miami Beach week. As part of the grand opening celebrations, the property wishes to host an Arts Procession along Collins Avenue from 29 Street to 36 Street, as well as block parties in the 100 and 200 blocks from 32 Street to 35 Street on Sunday, November 27, 2016.  The time of the procession will be from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM, during which time, the event producer is requesting to close all three lanes of northbound Collins Avenue from 29 Street to 36 Street for event use only.  Collins Avenue from 23 to 29 Streets and from 36 to 41 Streets would be accessible to local traffic only during this time.  Indian Creek Drive motorists would continue to travel southbound, but be restricted from turning east into in the closure area of 29 to 36 Streets.  In order to properly set up, stage and demobilize the procession, the event producers are also requesting for Collins Avenue to be reduced to one northbound lane of travel only from 23 to 41 Streets on November 27 from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM and from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM.  

The closure will have a significant traffic and access impact on all residents, visitors, hotels and businesses within the Middle Beach area of Collins Avenue from 23 to 41 Street. Miami Dade Transit has expressed great concern, as there is no reasonable way to shift the route of busses, with the nearest northbound route on Pine Tree Drive, across from the Indian Creek waterway.  FDOT is willing to consider the request, if the City of Miami Beach approves.  As part of the Special Event permit process, the event producer is required to solicit signature approval from all directly impacted properties within the closure and notify all generally impacted properties affected by the closure.  The event producer wishes to invite the entire community, including those most affected, to be a part of the festivities.  The requested date is the last day of the Thanksgiving Weekend, typically one of the busiest travel days, overlaps with White Party's Muscle Beach event, held on the beachfront at 12 Street, and is concurrent with the finishing touches and last load ins for Art Basel related activations throughout Miami, some of which open on Monday, November 28.  

The event producer has provided an overview of the procession, maps of the closure areas and a Management of Traffic plan (see attached).  

The Administration is seeking direction from the City Commission.