Pacific 2.1 Entertainment, a division of 20th Century Fox Studios, is currently in production on season 2 of the Emmy-winning FX Network series “American Crime Story,” focusing this season on the true crime story of the 1997 Gianni Versace murder on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach, by the serial killer Andrew Cunanan, and the subsequent investigation and manhunt led by local Police. The production filmed several sequences on Ocean Drive in May, 2017, before moving to Los Angeles, California, for the majority of the production work, due to available film incentives not currently offered in the state of Florida. 

The production is returning to Miami Beach in November, to film additional scenes for the show, including the infamous conclusion that saw Cunanan take his life aboard a houseboat docked off of Collins Avenue and 52^nd Street, in Indian Creek. The production will recreate the houseboat on a barge docked in the original location and is requesting closure and reroute of the filming area to ensure period accuracy.  The specific request is to close southbound Collins Avenue from 52^nd Street to 53^rd Street, rerouting southbound traffic onto the single westernmost lane of northbound Collins Avenue, from 52^nd Street to 53^rd Street, per the attached Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) plan, as approved by the Transportation Department.

The closure would be in effect from Wednesday, November 15, 2017 at 10:00 am until Friday, November 17, 2017 at 7:00 am, not including restricted rush hour periods from 7:00 am to 10:00 am and 3:30 pm to 7:00 pm, during which time the production will remove the MOT and all lanes of Collins Avenue will flow openly.  The production has further requested a weather date if necessary, of Friday, November 17, 2017 at 10:00 am through Saturday, November 18, 2017 at 7:00 am, also not including rush hour restricted periods. The closure will be managed by Off-duty Miami Beach Police at all times. The production will install Variable Message Boards (VMS), alerting motorists of the coming disruption for a week prior to this impact.  The production will notice all buildings from 41^st Street to 63^rd Street, and obtain signature consent of the properties within the closure.

At the July 13, 2016 meeting of the Miami Beach Commission, Resolution 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. Although film production permitting is exempted from requiring Commission approval via the Resolution, the Administration is seeking direction regarding this impactful production.  

The Administration seeks direction from the Commission.