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    #21
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    Miami boat-show site lawsuit heads to mediation
    Posted on March 6th, 2015

    Written by Reagan Haynes

    A lawsuit filed over plans to hold the Miami International Boat Show at Miami Marine Stadium in 2016 is being resolved and is in mediation.

    The town of Key Biscayne, Fla., filed suit in February against Miami over the city’s decision to redevelop the Miami Marine Stadium grounds to host the boat show.

    But now the town has “set the lawsuit aside to go into mediation,” National Marine Manufacturers Association president Thom Dammrich told Trade Only Today.

    “That will all get worked out,” Dammrich said. “In the meantime, we are just running full speed ahead on all the planning. It’s quite an undertaking, but it will be worth every bit of it in the end.”

    With the 2015 Progressive Miami International Boat Show in the rear-view mirror, Dammrich said exhibitors and attendees are excited about the prospects for moving the show as the Miami Beach Convention Center undergoes renovations.

    “People are very excited about the new venue,” Dammrich said. “They’re excited about the opportunity to have boats on land and in the water next to each other, and the ability to conduct sea trials. They no longer have to take a bus around town. They might take the water taxi to the sailboat show, but otherwise they can just spend the day at the park.”

    The show will feature “predominantly new boats,” Dammrich said, adding that “we will accept brokerage boats in some circumstances.” The show traditionally has been for new boats.

    The show has sent out Frequently Asked Questions to potential exhibitors to help give a clearer picture of what to expect next year, Dammrich said.

    There will be about 600,000 square feet of land exhibit space, which will include “large, cutting-edge temporary outdoor structures” — both air-conditioned and open-air — to accommodate boats, marine accessories, engines, nautical gifts, apparel, electronics and services, the website says. The boat show generates an estimated $600 million in annual economic impact.

    The show’s move to Miami Marine Stadium will be permanent, according to the website, although the NMMA will “continue to work with the city of Miami Beach and the [Miami Beach] Convention Center during their construction to create a space that can be used as an important venue of the Miami International Boat Show.”

    The Yacht & Brokerage Show in Miami Beach is a separate show that is produced and co-owned by Show Management. Show Management and Soundings Trade Only are owned by Active Interest Media.

    The Yacht & Brokerage Show will continue to operate at the Collins Avenue location that it has traditionally occupied.


    http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/2015/0...ads-mediation/
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    #22
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    I wonder how the 600,000 square feet compares to what they have total now?
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    #23
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    Miami International Boat Show cries poor, asks for state money



    @NewsbySmiley

    The company behind the Miami International Boat Show, touted as as a major economic generator for South Florida, is asking for more than $1 million in state money and saying it will bleed red for years due to the event's move from Miami Beach to Virginia Key.

    On Wednesday, David Dickerson, director of state government relations for show owner National Marine Manufacturers Association, appeared before a committee of lawmakers to request $1.25 million from the legislature. The House's Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development fielded dozens of brief presentations Wednesday for pork allocations.

    Dickerson told committee members that "our costs are going to quadruple" as they move their anchor show from the Miami Beach Convention Center to the Miami Marine Stadium. The show is moving due to plans to renovate the expo center.

    The city of Miami, which voted to borrow $16 million to accommodate the boat show and improve land outside the abandoned stadium, is expected to host the Boat Show over President's Day Weekend in 2016. (A city administrator on Wednesday asked the same committee for money for the stadium site.)

    The National Marine Manufacturers Association has signed an agreement in which it will pay the city at least $1.1 million a year. Dickerson said the event will generate $30 million in sales taxes, but no profit.

    "There is no way we're going to see black ink for years," he said.


    Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/naked...#storylink=cpy
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    #24
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    That's interesting.......
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    #25
    Ugh, I will miss the convention center. Nicest part of town by far and an easy walk to all the hotels and attractions of South Beach, Lincoln Rd, Ocean Dr. Big mistake IMHO.
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    #26
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    They have no choice with the tear down and rebuild of the convention center. I wonder if the hotels will be a lot cheaper though? There are none within walking distance like we always pay extra for, so they may be more reasonable.
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    #27
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    Key Biscayne, Miami meet, hoping to resolve Marine Stadium legal conflict

    Key Biscayne elected officials and staff met with city of Miami employees for their first conflict assessment meeting early this week.

    The village sued Miami in early February over the city’s plans to redevelop the Marine Stadium site. State law requires municipalities to undergo and exhaust a conflict resolution process before proceeding with litigation.

    Scott Silverman, a retired 11th circuit court judge, mediated the meeting.

    The village expressed concerns over $16 million worth of improvements Miami wants to make to the undeveloped grounds east of the Marine Stadium to host the boat show in February 2016. The village feels the large investment in the land, which the city wants to turhe large investment in the land, which the city wants to turn into a flex park, will bring multiple events a year to the island, worsening traffic and causing safety concerns.

    “The concern is with how the property can be monetized,” Key Biscayne Mayor Mayra Lindsay said.

    Miami City Manager Daniel Alfonso said the city has not entered into agreements for other events at the stadium site.

    “We don’t know how the development of the Marine Stadium is going to pan out,” Alfonso said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen on the park or Marine Stadium in the future.”

    Lindsay asked to see projections for use of the proposed flex park.

    “If you float a bond for $16 million, you have projections,” she said.

    Alfonso and Miami Deputy City Manager Alice Bravo said the conversation of future land use can take place, but that the threat of a lawsuit makes it difficult.

    “Let’s not hold the boat show hostage while we figure all this out,” Bravo said.

    The village and the city agreed to meet again on March 30.


    Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/loca...#storylink=cpy
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    #28
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    This is really interesting. The city owns the property, but a village can stop their use of their own property?
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    Key Biscayne lawsuit vs. Miami threatens to entangle the county as well

    Update: Key Biscayne Mayor Mayra Lindsay said that despite statements from County Commissioner Xavier Suarez, the village is not moving to include Miami-Dade County in the village's lawsuit against the city of Miami. Lindsay said she'd not seen Suarez's letter, but appreciated his efforts as a mediator with the city and village.

    "We have not discussed that. We have not contemplated that," she said. "It’s something that he may think is an appropriate strategy or he may be concerned about but it’s not something we’ve contemplated or discussed at all. We do feel that our lawsuit is squarely with the city."

    A lawsuit between the Village of Key Biscayne and the City of Miami over plans to renovate and redevelop the Miami Marine Stadium and surrounding land is now threatening to put the squeeze on Miami-Dade County.

    On Tuesday, in a letter to Miami Commission Chairman Wifredo "Willy" Gort, County Commissioner Xavier Suarez said Key Biscayne village officials are asking county commissioners to choose sides in the lawsuit. Meanwhile, Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado is asking the county for an extension on a deadline to come up with a plan to use a $3 million grant the county gave the city five years ago to help renovate the historic but run-down stadium.

    Key Biscayne village officials sued the city in February. They alleged that Miami's $16 million plan to create an outdoor exhibition space east of Marine Stadium would choke the only road in and out of Key Biscayne, and violate the city's zoning code and a county deed restriction on the property.

    Late last month, following a fruitless mediation session, village officials voted to seek an injunction stopping the city from moving forward with construction of the event space, which must be completed by December in order to host the Miami International Boat Show. Suarez says the village council also asked Miami-Dade commissioners to "take a position" on the city's plans," and "are preparing to include the county in the pending litigation with the City of Miami."

    To avoid that, Suarez asked Gort to allow him to appear at Miami's April 9 commission meeting and hash out a series of concessions requested by Key Biscayne. Gort said Wednesday morning that he hadn't seen the letter, but wasn't inclined to agree to a public mediation.

    "That's something we have to be careful about," he said.

    In his letter to Gort, Suarez said he will support the city's request for a deadline extension. Otherwise, the city would have to submit a plan to the county by Monday on how to use the money. Regalado says the city won't use the money to fund the creation of the outdoor event space.


    http://miamiherald.typepad.com/naked...y-as-well.html
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    Q&A: The Miami Marine Stadium's Architect on Its Past and Future
    Richard Morgan

    Among Miamians, few buildings strike a sentimental chord like the Miami Marine Stadium, the 1968 mod wonder that has been shuttered since Hurricane Andrew in 1993. Today, the impressive concrete structure has been almost completely covered by graffiti. Conservation attempts periodically mounted in the intervening decades have led to naught. Last summer, at a ceremony featuring Gloria Estefan and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, supporters of Miami Marine Stadium produced a glimmer of hope for the landmark's admirers, announcing a $121-million revitalization plan for the site. The project, which laid out provisional plans to bring the massive Miami International Boat Show onboard, was scrapped in November due to lack of funds. Caught in the middle was Hilario Candela, the stadium's 80-year-old Cuban-born designer, who in recent years has become entangled in various disputes over its revival.

    There is a saying that art is never finished, just abandoned for more art. But here was an unheard-of opportunity in redesign and renovation: To give an architect a chance—however slim of its realization—at picking up where he left off and trying those final tweaks that have nagged at him for decades. We spoke with Candela about the project's history and potential future.

    Richard Morgan: What do you remember about the making of it? Not the construction, but the original proposal.

    Hilario Candela: They thought it was very important for the tourist future of Miami. Florida was at the forefront of tourism. People wanted to do more things and expand how they did it. These were the days of Esther Williams.

    RM: So they wanted something novel?

    HC: No. They wanted steel, like any baseball stadium. But salty water, salty air, it would damage it too quickly and too badly. I was only five or six years out of school, and I was proposing concrete, with part of it hanging over the water.

    RM: What inspired you?

    HC: Eduardo Torroja's horsetrack, the Zarzuela Hippodrome in Madrid. Félix Candela's work with thin-shell concrete. Le Corbusier, of course, among others. I interned in Cuba for Max Borges, Jr. in Havana, who had made the Tropicana nightclub and had done lots of work with the Bacardi family.

    RM: What was it like? This first major work?

    HC: The opportunity was immense. The site was extraordinary. So I had to do something great. Not only unique in Miami but significantly unique in the United States. A concrete structure that was lived in, with a roof that took inspiration not only from the sailboats but from the surface of the water itself when it was touched by the breeze. And we came in under budget—around $960,000 on a million-dollar budget.

    RM: And then?

    HC: The community adopted it, then adapted it. Black Miss Universe used it. Interdenominational sunrise services, community colleges, Elvis, Nixon, Jimmy Buffett—everybody.

    RM: Was there anything you didn't like about it?

    HC: The ticket booth pavilion was put together in a hurry. I disliked it.

    RM: Then, almost 50 years later, you are invited to revive it, to redesign it as part of a new vital complex. What was that like?

    HC: The deed specifically limits the land's use to the stadium "and allied purposes." There are problems. There are no plumbing lines. We can change the furniture, the parts that aren't structural, like the concession stand. It needs to look like it did but operate like it should. I can be now more of a perfectionist.

    RM: And what does that look like for you?

    HC: Reflecting pools in front of the building instead of walls or railings or fences, interpolated by stairs.

    RM: How much of this is planning and how much is dreaming?

    That is the purpose. We can go back to the intention stage.

    Complete article with photos:
    http://www.metropolismag.com/Point-o...st-and-Future/
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    #31
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    Miami juggles lawsuit, deadlines in Marine Stadium efforts

    Facing a construction deadline and the potential loss of $3 million, Miami officials tried Thursday to preserve efforts to host the Miami International Boat Show on Virginia Key and restore the historic Marine Stadium without inflaming a legal spat with neighboring Key Biscayne.

    By a 4-0 vote, commissioners gave the boat show’s operators more time — about three months — to set up and break down on the stadium grounds, where the massive trade event will be held President’s Day weekend due to a move out of the Miami Beach Convention Center. They also accepted $1.6 million from boat show parent National Marine Manufacturers Association to cover costs for additional upgrades beyond the $16 million the city is already spending to create a paved, utility-lined outdoor event space that can facilitate the show’s main event.

    Together, those actions could be interpreted as a deeper commitment between the city and boat show, which is operating on a year-to-year agreement. But several commissioners also indicated Thursday that they’d be willing to walk away from the event after one year if it doesn’t work out, and demanded that the city convert the seven-acre asphalt-covered event space into turf-lined playing fields by mid-March.

    “I’m not going to commit beyond a year,” to the boat show, said Commissioner Francis Suarez.

    The juggling act at Miami City Hall Thursday was due in part to dueling pressures the city is facing to come up with a plan for stadium renovations, and to avoid potentially costly litigation with the Village of Key Biscayne. Village officials believe Miami is going to lure a host of high-grossing, causeway-clogging events to its new $16 million facility and filed a lawsuit in February seeking to stop the project.

    The village’s concerns and lawsuit were on commissioners’ minds as they voted Thursday, with Suarez questioning how they’d react to having three months of boat show set-up and break-down to go along with the event itself. Commissioners also agreed Thursday that a $3 million county grant for stadium renovations would be used only on the stadium. The city was supposed to come up with a plan to spend the grant by April 6, and area County Commissioner Xavier Suarez, father of Francis Suarez, said he’d support a four-month extension on the condition that the money not be used on the event space.

    Reached Wednesday, Key Biscayne Mayor Mayra Peńa Lindsay said the village supports renovations of the stadium, but the city’s inability to come up with a solid plan is a problem. She called the boat show deal a “bait and switch.”

    “My concern is this plan continues to morph. It is not what it seemed in the beginning,” she said.

    Just six months ago, it appeared that the boat show was coming to Virginia Key in order to be a long-term anchor tenant whose $1.1 million rent payments would help fund stadium renovations. But an overall stadium revitalization and renovation plan by the non-profit Friends of Miami Marine Stadium, which brokered the initial commitment from the boat show, fell apart amid scrutiny and the city scrambled to sign its own agreement to host the boating event.

    A broader, comprehensive plan to renovate the stadium should be presented to Miami commissioners May 14, according to Deputy City Manager Alice Bravo. She said the city is looking at some combination of bond financing, private investment and philanthropic donations. The hiring of a stadium operator should be part of that deal, she said.

    Don Worth, a preservationist who worked with the Friends group, told commissioners a comprehensive plan would likely ease some of their problems, particularly with Key Biscayne.

    “I just want to see this happen in my lifetime,” he said afterward.


    Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/loca...#storylink=cpy
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    New Miami show site faces obstacles after 2016
    Posted on April 15th, 2015

    Miami officials moved a step closer last week to bringing the Miami International Boat Show to the Marine Stadium next February, although some said they would consider walking away from the event in future years if the arrangement does not work out.

    Facing a construction deadline and the potential loss of $3 million, Miami officials tried Thursday to preserve efforts to host the boat show on Virginia Key and restore the historic stadium.

    By a 4-0 vote, commissioners gave boat show operator the National Marine Manufacturers Association about a three-month extension to set up and break down on the stadium grounds, where the massive trade event will be held during Presidents Day weekend in 2016 because of a move out of the Miami Beach Convention Center.

    They also accepted $1.6 million from the NMMA to cover the costs of upgrades beyond the $16 million the city is already spending to create a paved, utility-lined outdoor event space that can facilitate the show’s main event. Together, those actions could be interpreted as a deeper commitment between the city and boat show, which is operating on a year-to-year agreement.

    But several commissioners also indicated Thursday that they’d be willing to walk away from the event after one year if it doesn’t work out and demanded that the city convert the 7-acre, asphalt-covered event space into turf-lined playing fields by mid-March.

    “I’m not going to commit beyond a year” to the boat show, commissioner Francis Suarez told the Miami Herald.

    The juggling act at Miami City Hall on Thursday was attributable, in part, to dueling pressures the city is facing to come up with a plan for stadium renovations and avoid potentially costly litigation with the village of Key Biscayne. Village officials believe Miami is going to lure a host of high-grossing, causeway-clogging events to its new $16 million facility and they filed a lawsuit in February seeking to stop the project.

    The village’s concerns and lawsuit were on commissioners’ minds as they voted Thursday, with Suarez questioning how they’d react to having three months of boat show set-up and break-down to go along with the event itself. Commissioners also agreed Thursday that a $3 million county grant for stadium renovations would be used only on the stadium. The city was supposed to come up with a plan to spend the grant by April 6, and area County Commissioner Xavier Suarez, the father of Francis Suarez, said he’d support a four-month extension on the condition that the money not be used on the event space.

    Reached Wednesday, Key Biscayne Mayor Mayra Peńa Lindsay said the village supports renovations of the stadium, but the city’s inability to come up with a solid plan is a problem.

    A broader, comprehensive plan to renovate the stadium should be presented to Miami commissioners May 14, according to Deputy City Manager Alice Bravo. She said the city is looking at some combination of bond financing, private investment and philanthropic donations. The hiring of a stadium operator should be part of that deal, she said.


    http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/2015/0...bstacles-2016/
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    #33
    The real story is what scam lead to the rebuilding of the convention center? What politicians buddy got that un-needed probably $2B contract.
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    #34
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    Miami to seek Marine Stadium operator

    Miami administrators are working on a request for proposals to attract an operator to handle a restored and reopened Miami Marine Stadium.

    City commissioners could be asked to vote on an operations plan May 14.

    Meanwhile, plans are moving ahead to breathe new life into the iconic concrete waterfront stadium on Virginia Key, idled and deteriorating since Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

    At the commission’s meeting April 9, Don Worth, a long-time advocate for restoration of the stadium, said he was pleased to hear that the city manager’s office is working to secure an operator for the venue.

    “The sooner you get a [request for proposals] out for an operator, things will be a lot simpler and other funding opportunities will open up,” Mr. Worth told commissioners.

    Deputy City Manager Alice Bravo told commissioners that on May 14 the administration will have “a very good [request for proposals] in hand,” and a proposed governing structure for all of Marine Stadium Park.

    The city is working to build a flex park adjacent to the stadium to host the Miami International Boat Show and other activities.

    The nature and extent of those other activities have been the subject of debate, and led to a lawsuit against the city by the Village of Key Biscayne. Village leaders fear over-use of the stadium and grounds, leading to a crippling addition of traffic on Rickenbacker Causeway, the only road in and out of Key Biscayne.

    Even city commissioners have argued about the extent of development on Virginia Key, while all strongly support restoring marine stadium.

    Earlier this year, City Manager Daniel Alfonso said the city always planned to develop Marine Stadium Park, “and now we have a partner to help.”

    The partner he refers to is the National Marine Manufacturers Association, the group that puts on the popular boat show each February.

    On Jan. 8, city commissioners approved a license with the association to host the boat show on land and water surrounding marine stadium. Commissioners also approved spending up to $16 million to improve the site, to be paid for by a bond sale, although it directed the city manager to explore other funding sources and report back.

    In exchange, the association is to pay the city $1.1 million a year and 50% of food and beverage sales income at the show. Renovation of the stadium is not part of those improvements. There is a separate program to renovate the stadium.

    The license is not for a fixed term, and may be terminated or revoked by the city at-will. Although there is no binding long-term agreement between the city and the association, the city can review the license after five years.

    In 2007, city officials began a years-long process of writing, amending and finally adopting a master plan for the development of Virginia Key in 2010.

    By securing the boat show, the master plan for the Key is back in play.

    This has led to officials and commissioners talking about other uses for the property that surrounds the abandoned stadium, including soccer fields for youth and adult leagues.

    The latest plans and renderings show the large aging parking lot southeast of the stadium replaced by a wide-open green area, covered with artificial turf.

    Plans for the area around the stadium include improved water and sewer structures, drainage and lighting, and strengthening the surface areas as green space able to stage activities and special events.

    The boat show would use temporary event structures – large tents – with elaborate layouts, wood floors, air conditioning and more. The plan also calls for temporary docks in the basin.

    Mr. Worth said April 9 he thinks getting an operator for the stadium would “ease tensions” between the city and Key Biscayne officials.

    “Key Biscayne could be a partner in the recreational fields,” he suggested.

    The latest issue raised about the work on Virginia Key was the amount of time needed or allotted to the boat show, and it caused Commissioner Marc Sarnoff to threaten to pull his support of the flex park plan.

    On April 9, when an amended license was presented showing 160 days were sought for use of the city’s property for the boat show, Mr. Sarnoff objected.

    “This is where I’m getting off the bus,” he told fellow commissioners.

    Holding up a rendering showing the area next to the stadium as four green soccer fields, Mr. Sarnoff said, “This park was attractive to me.” However, with a prolonged period of use of the land for the set-up and take-down of the boat show and the event itself, he was not happy with the proposed schedule.

    The flex park was going to be a great opportunity for kids and adults, he said, “and I no longer think that’s the true intent of the administration.”

    Ms. Bravo said the reason for longer use for boat show activity is that 2016 will be the first time the city hosts the show on Virginia Key, and much of how it will play out has yet to be seen.

    Ms. Bravo also pointed out that no artificial turf now exists there. The turf surface will not get its first rolling out until after the 2016 boat show, she said.

    Mr. Sarnoff said he was concerned that the boat show’s presence would keep others from using the flex park for months.

    Mr. Sarnoff said the boat show organizers ought to be able to dismantle the site in 30 days.

    “It can be done,” said Commissioner Francis Suarez.

    Ms. Bravo said they preferred 73 days to set up the area for the 2016 boat show, saying that would be ample time to “work out the kinks.”

    “In the second year, we’ll probably need less time,” said Ms. Bravo.

    “This lets us learn the timeline, and gives us experience for the second year of the show,” she said.

    “I understand… This year, she has a point,” Mr. Sarnoff said.

    He suggested he could support the boat show use if all boat show property and equipment is removed within 30 days of the end of the show.

    “I implore you, keep a very tonight leash on this show,” Mr. Sarnoff told administrators.

    The commission approved a modified license with the association, which spells out an arrangement for the addition of electric utilities to the property estimated at $3,306,000, to be equally funded by association and the city.

    A condition of the vote was a requirement that the association be clear of the property within 30 days of the close of the boat show.

    Ms. Bravo promised commissioners that the new soccer fields will be in place within 31 days of the close of the boat show.

    At the April 9 meeting, commissioners also reviewed other funding options to come up with the $16 million for improvements to Marine Stadium Park.

    Mr. Alfonso’s staff prepared a memo showing other possible ways to finance the improvements.

    “These are a few alternatives – none particularly palatable,” said Chris Rose, budget director.

    Labeled Alternative 2, “Reprogram Parks Impact Fees,” it reads: Of the $34.8 million of Parks Impact Fees that were budgeted in the current year, $1.2 million is currently under contract. The remaining $33.6 million could be reprogrammed away from their current projects and toward the Marine Stadium [Park]. Staff has run projections of impact fees in the current year and does not anticipate that there will be additional impact fees above the amounts budgeted in the current year. For clarity, this would mean that certain parks projects would be delayed into future years rather than started in the current year.

    Labeled Alternative 3, “Last Year Fund Balance,” it reads: The city has ended FY 2013-14 with an estimated fund balance higher than the threshold of $103.6 million required by the city’s financial integrity principles. We could recognize approximately $5 million in the current year and program these funds toward the Marine Stadium [Park]. These funds were to be used to maintain a fund balance in future years above the principles. If these funds are used for the [flex park] and not maintained in the fund balance, then it is likely that the city will be required to budget more than $5 million of reserves just to remain in compliance with the principles.

    Labeled Alternative 4, “New Revenues in the Current Year,” it reads: There are two revenues that were not budgeted in the current year, but have been received since October 1, 2014. There is $1.4 million from a settlement with a waste hauler as presented to the commission during the December 11, 2014, City Commission Meeting. Also, as part of the Skyrise/Bayside agreement, the city was to receive $3.75 million when Bayside refinanced its current debt obligations. This occurred in December 2014. The city received the funds on December 23, 2014, and deposited thereafter. These two funds were anticipated to be recommended for additional services such as additional fire apparatus purchases in the mid-year budget amendment.

    After reviewing these alternatives, Mr. Rose said it was the administration’s recommendation to continue with the plan as presented in January. Funding would come from special obligation bonds with a repayment schedule of 15 to 20 years, and with funds pledged from available non-ad valorem revenues in the General Fund.

    Mr. Alfonso pointed out the $16 million is for the flex park improvements and does not include money for restoration of the stadium itself.

    Also related to the stadium, Mayor Tomás Regalado succeeded in gaining a promise from Miami-Dade County to allow the city to retain about $3 million to be used only for restoration of the stadium. An extension was sought of a 2010 county allocation. It was clarified and stressed at the April 9 commission meeting that none of the county finds would go toward the flex park.


    http://www.miamitodaynews.com/2015/0...dium-operator/
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    #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pismo10 View Post
    The real story is what scam lead to the rebuilding of the convention center? What politicians buddy got that un-needed probably $2B contract.
    I haven't been able to find out much about that. Have they actually awarded the final contract? I thought I read it was down to two companies.
    Getting bad advice is unfortunate, taking bad advice is a Serious matter!!
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    #37
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    Boat show not sweating after Key Biscayne files new lawsuit

    Tensions between the Village of Key Biscayne and the city of Miami over plans to host the Miami International Boat Show next year at historic Marine Stadium ratcheted up last week when the village filed suit against the boat show alleging criminal violations of Florida’s open government laws.

    The suit — filed as the city of Miami is rushing to create an expensive outdoor park and event space to host the massive boating event — seeks to void a contract between the city and the National Marine Manufacturers Association. It also comes as city and village officials are in mediation, ostensibly trying to avoid litigating a lawsuit previously filed by the Key Biscayne council to block the $18-million park project.

    If talks fall apart, they’ll head to court, raising the potential that the project won’t be completed on time — if at all.

    For their part, the NMMA doesn’t seem concerned.

    “We are moving forward with planning the boat show and are confident it will be held at Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin in 2016 and beyond,” NMMA president Thomas Dammrich said in a statement.

    But even as Miami officials say they’re confident they’ll be able to work out their differences with neighboring Key Biscayne, village officials say they believe the city and boat show are hiding information and acting in bad faith. Mayor Mayra Lindsay said the village is prepared to pursue both lawsuits, even if it means killing the boat show.

    “I’m committed to seeing this litigation through and acting accordingly for as long as needed,’’ she said.

    Key Biscayne first filed suit against the city of Miami in February, seeking an injunction to stop construction on the “flex park” space where the boat show will set up its main event. Village officials believe the boat show — planned along the only road into the island — will cause the kind of traffic chaos that forces emergency rescue patients to be helicoptered off the island.

    That lawsuit has been stayed in order for the city and village to come to terms without ending up in court.

    But on April 22, Key Biscayne filed its new lawsuit, sending signals that a resolution by mediation is unlikely.

    The new complaint alleges that the National Marine Manufacturers Association illegally negotiated its contract in private, because the association was acting as an agent of the city and should have held open meetings. The suit also states that the association denied the village’s request for public records pertaining to land use, funding, profit-sharing and correspondence between the boat show parent and the city of Miami.

    Miami City Manager Daniel Alfonso said in an interview earlier this month that the design and construction of the $18-million flex park will likely run all the way up until the end of November, when the boat show is scheduled to begin the 100-day process of setting up shop. Any delay in that process, Alfonso said, would be a complication.

    “Clearly there’s a time crunch. We’re now moving forward with construction of this space. If the courts were to stop us, that would be a problem,” he said.

    That would be bad news for the boat show, which has already stated that it is incurring an additional $6 million in costs in moving from its long-time home at the Miami Beach Convention Center to Virginia Key. The event is one of South Florida’s largest trade shows and tourist draws, boasting 100,000 visitors over President’s Day weekend each year and a $600 million economic impact.

    Lindsay says the city should consider moving the boat show to Marlins Stadium. But Miami officials are moving forward with the project on Virginia Key.

    To build the space, the city needs to remove the old parking lot that remains on site before building the park and installing utility upgrades. Some $1.6 million of the electrical work is being paid for by National Marine Manufacturers Association in order to run power to its grid of temporary piers in the basin.

    Alice Bravo, Miami's deputy manager and the city's point person on the redesign of the stadium property, said the litigation filed over the city's plans shouldn't create any worries about the death of the boat show.

    “That area right now is paved. We have a huge parking lot," she said. “The boat show could happen there tomorrow.”


    Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/loca...#storylink=cpy
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    #38
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    NMMA committed to new Miami boat-show site
    Posted on May 1st, 2015
    Written by Reagan Haynes

    Miami city officials and Miami International Boat Show organizers say a recent lawsuit will not upset plans to move the boat show to Miami Marine Stadium in 2016.

    Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado issued a statement on Thursday reiterating the city’s intention to hold the boat show at the stadium park despite a lawsuit that Key Biscayne officials filed last week.

    “The city of Miami is invested in the boat show and its future at Miami Marine Stadium Park, and I am confident that together we will not allow any distractions to deter us from building a world-class boat show that will make our residents proud,” Regalado said.

    Echoing Regalado’s remarks, National Marine Manufacturers Association president Thom Dammrich said Thursday that the NMMA chose Miami Marine Stadium Park because it is the best and only viable location to accommodate Miami residents, boaters and marine businesses who expect to attend the greatest boat show in the world each year.

    “The boat show is devoted to revitalizing Miami Marine Stadium Park, bringing one of the state’s most cherished boating destinations back to Miami residents to enjoy for generations to come,” Dammrich said in a statement following the mayor’s.

    “There is no better location for the boat show than Miami Marine Stadium Park and no better partner for our city than NMMA to ensuring a smooth and successful boat show for the Miami community,” Regalado said.

    “Whether it’s the $600 million annual economic impact, the more than 55,000 jobs or the fact that Miami residents live and breathe boating, the boat show’s contribution to our city is significant,” he said.

    The NMMA has not yet responded in court to a complaint filed in Miami-Dade’s Circuit Court last week that said the group has failed to share public plans and records with Key Biscayne.

    The complaint is asking the court to void an agreement between the city of Miami and the NMMA to hold the upcoming boat show at the venue.

    “The village has requested that NMMA produce public records related to the license agreement, but NMMA has expressly refused to do so,” the complaint read.

    The NMMA issued a statement saying it plans to respond to the lawsuit and that it remains committed to bringing the show to Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin in 2016 and beyond.

    The path to moving the event has been fraught with complications and detours, with the original deal crumbling in November following a public announcement with Friends of Miami Marine Stadium spokeswoman Gloria Estafan.

    After a separate deal was reached, Key Biscayne officials threatened to sue the city of Miami over the plan in February — apparently over fears that the city will attempt to bring a slew of large events to the stadium, in addition to the boat show — but entered into mediation talks in March.

    Plans continued to move forward at a recent meeting, with commissioners unanimously approving a three-month extension for the NMMA to move in and out of the venue and the NMMA agreeing to contribute $1.6 million to infrastructure improvements.

    “The city is committed to hosting the show at the venue on a long-term basis, beyond 2016,” Dammrich told Trade Only before last week’s lawsuit was filed. “Are things changing week to week? Of course, and things are going to keep changing until it’s done. We knew that from the outset.”


    http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/2015/0...oat-show-site/
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    #39
    Founding Member Wrinkleface's Avatar
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    I have been 2 the show 4 like 23 years now!! Enjoy being able to walk everywhere or take a short cab ride!! We don't rent a car!! Right now from what I am C'n & hear'n, not look'n 2 good that I will go next year!! I owe my wife a cruise anyway!!
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    #40
    Founding Member / Super Moderator Ratickle's Avatar
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    I'm not sure what's gonna happen next year. So far I'm thinking of going.
    Getting bad advice is unfortunate, taking bad advice is a Serious matter!!
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