Miami International Boat Show moving to Marine Stadium in 2016, Updates

[Serious News]

Fed environmental review adds to Miami boat show move questions
By Jenny Staletovich - jstaletovich@MiamiHerald.com

Federal environmental regulators are raising red flags about plans to move the Miami International Boat Show to long-abandoned Miami Marine Stadium, saying it would put seagrass and other marine life at risk.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — in an initial review of plans to build floating docks and walkways big enough to cover more than four football fields — found that the project would cause “substantial” harm to Biscayne Bay bottom where fish and other marine life live. The docks would be left in place for up to three months, long enough to block sunlight vital to seagrass and affect other species in about 55.45 acres of the bay, the Corps said in a response to a request for a federal permit for the work.

The comments from the Corps come as the boat show, housed for decades at the Miami Beach Convention Center, wrestles to secure a new home in the historic stadium on Virginia Key — a location adjacent to a wildlife area so fragile that even kayaks are banned.

The Corps’ response seemed to mystify both critics and supporters, who said they only learned this week of the month-old document, which is a request for public comment before the agency issues a final decision. The comment period ends Friday. Corps officials were not available for comment.

“I’m not aware of what you’re talking about,” said Cathy Rick-Joule, vice president of the National Marine Manufacturer’s Association, which operates the show. “I’d like to put my eyes on whatever it is you’re talking about.”

The proposed move has already encountered rough waters after plans surfaced in the wake of a failed effort by a preservation group, Friends of Miami Marine Stadium, to use private money to cover a $30 million renovation of the funky bay-side stadium, where stars like Jimmy Buffett once performed. The group offered the boat show as an anchor tenant. When the deal collapsed, the city of Miami and boat show operators quickly struck a deal to host the show at the stadium.

But the new plan quickly drew fire from nearby Key Biscayne, which sued to stop the show and argued traffic would clog the only road leading on and off the island. Village lawyers also argue the stadium was supposed to be operated as a public park used for civic purposes, not commercial uses.

With this latest round, environmentalists have joined the chorus of critics. Virginia Key, an historic nesting ground for sea turtles, has long been been the subject of conservation efforts, with various groups working to restore and protect habitat around the island, including mangrove wetlands and hardwood hammocks onshore and seagrass meadows and reefs offshore. Before the boat show is allowed, more information is needed on the potential damage, they say.

“The documents don’t cover all the information we’d like to see about impacts,” said Miami Waterkeeper executive director Rachel Silverstein. “It’s always risky to be approving plans and permits without all the information.”

Despite concerns, Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado has said the old stadium is the best place to house the show.

“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,” he said in an statement last week.

Rick-Joule also said boat show operators, who have worked with regulators for 30 years, would comply with whatever the Corps requires.

“Its boaters who are our nation’s original conservationists as they have a vested interest in protecting our waterways for future generations,” she said in an email.

The Corps posted the permit request on April 17. According to the request, plans call for installing 268,400-square feet of temporary floating docks and walkways that would affect Biscayne Bay, where endangered Johnson’s seagrass is protected by law. The boat show asked to erect 833 temporary vessel slips and a temporary mooring field to hold 63 vessels. The slips and mooring field would require over a thousand pilings along with 63 temporary anchors.

According to a February survey, no Johnson’s seagrass was found in the boat basin, but divers did find five other types of seagrass that supply habitat for marine life. The basin also sits just south of a 700-acre Bill Sadowski Critical Wildlife Area, where tidal flats provide foraging grounds for manatees and disappearing sea birds.

Critics worry that in addition to the temporary structures, traffic in and out of the area would trample fragile areas used by seabirds and manatees moving from the Miami River to graze on seagrass and other vegetation around the island.

“The impacts gets bigger and bigger and there’s been so little transparency and open communication with residents,” said Key Biscayne Mayor Mayra Lindsay. “We are concerned that decisions are being made and we don’t have all the information we should have.”

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/loca...#storylink=cpy

[Serious News]

Miami International Boat Show unveils transportation plan for new home
National Marine Manufacturers Association
May 7, 2015

As the National Marine Manufacturers Association prepares for the 2016 Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show, and its much talked about move to Miami Marine Stadium Park & Basin, planning for transportation, parking and traffic are top priorities.

NMMA, in conjunction with the City of Miami, has constructed comprehensive parking and transportation plans spanning water taxis, shuttles, public transportation access, VIP and valet parking, and abundant public parking options, all strategically placed throughout Miami and on Virginia Key, to accommodate boat show attendees and exhibitors.

One of the more exciting and efficient elements of the boat show’s transportation efforts is the addition of water taxis. With its easily accessible on-water location at Miami Marine Stadium Park, the boat show’s water taxi plan makes it possible for the boat show to transport up to 25,000 people to the event each day by water.

What’s more, as part of the boat show’s transportation efforts, the City of Miami recently hired a third party consultant, Kimley Horn, to conduct a thorough traffic study to gain a better understanding of the most efficient and effective means of getting vehicles on and off Rickenbacker Causeway while keeping traffic flowing at all major intersections leading to the Causeway. Re-built in 1985 using taxpayer dollars, the Rickenbacker Causeway provides public access to Virginia Key and Key Biscayne for Miami Dade County residents to enjoy. The Causeway also acts as the primary thoroughfare that connects Miami with both Virginia Key and Key Biscayne, making it a critical traffic point and access area.

Given the importance of the Rickenbacker Causeway to the entire Miami Dade County community, NMMA and the City of Miami used the traffic study as a foundation for developing a traffic plan that minimizes the boat show’s impact and ensures a smooth and enjoyable experience throughout the five-day event.

The traffic plan, coupled with the parking and transportation plans, creates one of the most efficient transportation efforts in the boat show’s 74-year history. As a result, the boat show is poised to deliver minimal interruption and little to no congestion, especially as it relates to getting on and off the Rickenbacker Causeway.

On March 30th, the traffic, transportation and parking plans, developed by NMMA in conjunction with the City of Miami Transportation Department, Miami Police Department, Metro Miami Dade County Police Department and the City of Miami Deputy City Manager, were presented by NMMA, alongside the City of Miami, to the Village of Key Biscayne. Attendees at the meeting included the Mayor of Key Biscayne, Mayra Peña Lindsay, the Village of Key Biscayne City Manager, John Gilbert, City of Miami Police Department, Special Event Division, Lt. Joel Gonzalez, and the Village of Key Biscayne Chief of Police, Chuck Press.

Highlights of the plans include:
10,000 parking spaces in downtown Miami, with shuttle and water taxi service directly to the show
Water taxi service to the show at locations in convenient points throughout Miami
An additional 3,800 pre-paid parking spaces on Virginia Key, adjacent to the show, to accommodate exhibitors and attendees (nearly double the public parking spaces available to the boat show when it was in Miami Beach)
VIP parking on Virginia Key with private car or shuttle service to the entrance and VIP valet parking within the show site
Easy access to public transportation for getting to-and-from the show
Freebee electric car service on call for shuttling to and from water taxi ports and hotels in Coconut Grove, Brickell and downtown areas
Guaranteed parking space inclusive of water taxi or shuttle for exhibitors and attendees when purchased in advance online

“Transportation is a critical component of building a successful new show as it ensures a smooth process for everything from parking and traffic to crowd flow,” stated Thom Dammrich, president of the NMMA. “We have hired the best team in the business to implement the plan, with extensive knowledge of Miami Dade traffic and residents’ transportation habits, who have thought of every conceivable transportation issue and opportunity. We are especially excited about how easy it will be to take a water taxi to and from the boat show from numerous locations all around Miami—what better way for boaters to get to a boat show. As a result, we have created one of the most efficient transportation plans ever undertaken by NMMA that will create a quick and seamless process for getting to and from the show’s new home on Virginia Key.”

“The parking, traffic and transportation plan created by the City of Miami and the NMMA, with their more than 74 years planning the Miami International Boat Show in our city, is one of the most traffic congestion-reducing plans we have seen,” stated Alice Bravo, Deputy City Manager for the City of Miami. “From extensive parking options to water taxis and shuttles, getting to the boat show will be easier and more hassle-free than it has been in the event’s history. What’s more, the traffic plan minimizes traffic throughout the city, especially the Rickenbacker Causeway, which in turn will make it an enjoyable event for boat show goers as well as Miami residents.”

NMMA will continue working with the City of Miami to evaluate and enhance transportation elements in the coming months. Information on traffic, parking and transportation will be shared online at www.miamiboatshow.com as it is available.

http://www.boatingindustry.com/news/...-for-new-home/

[Serious News]

NMMA responds to ‘misinformation’ on Miami show move

Organizers of the Miami International Boat Show are responding to “misinformation and misinterpretations” regarding the show’s move from the Miami Beach Convention Center to Miami Marine Stadium in 2016 as federal regulators review a permit request to install 268,400 square feet of floating docks for the upcoming show.

A flag sent up by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who say mitigation measures will be needed to offset the negative environmental effects of temporary docking in the basin for 90 days, grabbed headlines again as the politics and press around the boat show’s move to the stadium park continue to roil.

In a letter sent privately to exhibitors, which was obtained by Soundings Trade Only, NMMA president Thom Dammrich said the association sought to “correct the misinformation and misinterpretations that are being broadcast as a result of the high-profile and political nature of our move to the Miami Marine Stadium Park.”

“Not surprisingly, an endeavor of this magnitude, on a coveted piece of land in the heart of Miami, is creating significant political and media interest,” Dammrich wrote.

Boat show organizers say the most recent Corps of Engineers request is a typical component of every permitting process for boat shows.

“The proposal would impact approximately 55.45 acres of submerged aquatic bay bottom utilized by various life stages of marine species,” according to the Corps statement obtained by Trade Only Today. “Our initial determination is that the proposed action would have a substantial adverse impact on [essential fish habitat] or federal managed fisheries in the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve.”

“This is no different than any other permitting process,” NMMA spokeswoman Ellen Hopkins told Trade Only Today. “We always comply when an issue arises. This is a standard regulatory process and no different than any other permit we apply for.”

“When something is noted as harmful or not in the best interest of all parties, we do what the regulators will guide us as to their requirements and we will do what we need to do to comply, like we always do,” she said.

“This is … a result of Key Biscayne’s political agenda and we’re stuck in the middle,” Hopkins added.

The permit and statement indicated that the mitigation would be necessary to offset the docks’ “shading impact” over the maximum time frame of 90 days. The 90-day period is part of a move-in and move-out extension that Miami City Council members recently approved for one year only.

The public notice issued by the Corps of Engineers was “based on information furnished by the applicant,” or the NMMA. “This information has not been verified or evaluated to ensure compliance with laws and regulation governing the regulatory program.”

“These are boaters and boat manufacturers who depend on the health of the marine environment,” Hopkins said. “Nobody wants to protect that resource more than they do. It’s their livelihoods.”

Dammrich also responded to a lawsuit filed by the Village of Key Biscayne against the NMMA, “alleging that we violated Florida’s open government public records law by withholding documents from the city of Key Biscayne and Florida’s Government-in-the-Sunshine Law in relation to a licensing agreement with the city of Miami.”

“You should know that NMMA is responding to the claims in the lawsuit, which we believe are completely unfounded,” Dammrich wrote.

Key Biscayne Mayor Mayra Pena Lindsay has told local publications that she has concerns about the traffic that not only the boat show would bring, but also potential other big events the city might seek to hold at the venue.

“The city’s plans to bring money-making events to the Marine Stadium site are logistically impossible, financially irresponsible and simply incompatible with the property’s allowable use, so our goal is to materially change the scope of the proposal,” she recently told GlobeSt.

“The boat show is signed on as a major tenant, but making the financials of the development work will require many more events each year, and that will lead to an onslaught of traffic,” she said.

Miami city officials have not said they intend to bring additional events to the venue.

Regarding traffic concerns, NMMA released details of traffic mitigation efforts that it is taking.

“NMMA, in conjunction with the city of Miami, has constructed comprehensive parking and transportation plans spanning water taxis, shuttles, public transportation access, VIP and valet parking, and abundant public parking options, all strategically placed throughout Miami and on Virginia Key, to accommodate boat show attendees and exhibitors,” the statement read.

“We don’t want there to be traffic concerns, either,” Hopkins said. “That’s why we are making such an effort with the water taxis, which can bring 25,000 people to the boat show each day, not to mention we’ll actually have more parking on Virginia Key where the show will be than we did in Miami Beach.”

“The transportation study we did was during the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, when traffic is crazy, and we had timed the stoplights to the point that every car got through, so nobody was sitting at the light twice,” Hopkins said.

Dammrich told exhibitors in the letter that the NMMA is “committed to not letting political agendas threaten the 55,000 boating industry jobs that the boat show supports, the $600 million economic impact the boat show delivers for South Florida or the $32 million in sales tax revenue generated by sales at the Miami International Boat Show.”

The NMMA is planning a 45-minute conference call with exhibitors later this month to detail plans for the 2016 show and answer questions.

http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/2015/0...ami-show-move/

[Ratickle]

Miami International Boat Show unveils transportation plan for new home
National Marine Manufacturers Association May 7, 2015


“The parking, traffic and transportation plan created by the City of Miami and the NMMA, with their more than 74 years planning the Miami International Boat Show in our city, is one of the most traffic congestion-reducing plans we have seen,” stated Alice Bravo, Deputy City Manager for the City of Miami. “From extensive parking options to water taxis and shuttles, getting to the boat show will be easier and more hassle-free than it has been in the event’s history. What’s more, the traffic plan minimizes traffic throughout the city, especially the Rickenbacker Causeway, which in turn will make it an enjoyable event for boat show goers as well as Miami residents.”

Hmmmmmmmm. Think we can believe them?

[Wrinkleface]

Hmmmmmmmm. Think we can believe them?

no bet!!!

[Serious News]

Miami International Boat Show to host reassuring webinar for exhibitors

With their move to the Miami Marine Stadium grounds and basin sparking lawsuits and political tensions, the Miami International Boat Show's parent company wants to reassure their exhibitors that everything is going smoothly.

According to a Monday report by Trade Only Today, a daily publication for marine industry professionals, the National Marine Manufacturers Association is hosting an invite-only webinar for exhibitors on May 20. The webinar was announced in a letter by NMMA president Thom Dammrich, who wants to update participants on the progress of the move from the Miami Beach Convention Center to Marine Stadium in February, and address allegations raised in a lawsuit by the Village of Key Biscayne against the association.

Trade Only Today reported that it obtained the letter, in which Dammrich wrote that he wants to correct "misinformation and misinterpretations that are being broadcast as a result of the high-profile and political nature of our move to Miami Marine Stadium Park.”

Village officials have accused the Boat Show operators of breaking Florida's government in the sunshine law -- a criminal violation -- and have also sued the city to stop the project. They worry that the event will cause gridlock on the one road in and out of the island.

“You should know that NMMA is responding to the claims in the lawsuit, which we believe are completely unfounded,” Dammrich wrote in the letter obtained by Trade Only Today. "I've made statements in the press recently that we are confident that the show you trust us to produce will move forward as planned and that the Miami International Boat Show remains committed to being a good neighbor to Key Biscayne. I’ve made these statements because they are true.”

Miami administrators say they're moving forward with construction to prepare the stadium grounds for the boat show. Meanwhile, they expect to finally sign a license agreement with the association tomorrow.

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/naked...xhibitors.html

[Serious News]

Environmental groups challenge Miami International Boat Show plans

Environmental groups have joined Key Biscayne's fight to steer the annual Miami International Boat Show away from the Miami Marine Stadium.

The groups have challenged an application submitted by the National Marine Manufacturer's Association (NMMA) for a 5-year permit to construct temporary docking facilities in the Miami Marine Stadium basin.

The application, which was submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Jacksonville Office on April 17, remained open for public comment until last week.

On May 8, nine environmental organizations submitted a joint letter saying the permit needs to be amended. Groups in the letter include the Tropical Audubon Society, Environmental Coalition of Miami Beach, Friends of Biscayne Bay, Friends of Virginia Key, the Florida Keys Chapter of Izaak Walton League of America, the Cypress Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America, Sierra Club Miami, Urban Environment League of Greater Miami and Urban Paradise Guild.

The letter lists many concerns but mainly argues that Virginia Key and the basin should not be used for a major development like the boat show. They also say the temporary docks will natively impact endangered wildlife such as manatees. They have requested a public hearing before the application can be approved or denied.

Nakeir Nobles, a representative from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the agency is still compiling all of the comments they received about the NMMA's application and cannot issue the permit until consulting national agencies including the U.S. Fishing and Wildlife Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and others.

"We consider all comments before making a decision," he said in an email exchange.

Michael De Filippi, a member of the Miami Beach Sustainability Committee, is concerned that the show will use temporary docks that are reinforced with styrofoam, which erodes quickly and breaks off in the water. He saw the effects of the styrofoam docks at last year's Miami Yacht and Brokerage Show and said the eroding platforms can be harmful to wildlife, which can mistake the small pieces of material for food.

"The birds, migratory fish confuse it for food because it's so small. It can be alarming when it gets into the mangrove habitat," he said.

According to the application, the NMMA will use polystyrene — known as styrofoam — to build more than 200,000 square feet of temporary floating docks. The application acknowledges that there could be potential impacts to manatees, sea turtles and smalltooth sawfish.

De Filippi suggested if the NMMA would host any large commercial event on Virginia Key and its basin, it should use plastic-floating docks.

This is not the first controversy surrounding the boat show. In April, Key Biscayne filed a lawsuit against the NMMA for what they said was a violation of Florida's open government records law. The village has also filed an injunction against the city of Miami for allegedly violating zoning rules, which designates show's future site as a public park and not a commercial event area, the complaint said.

"We will explore every single legal option we have," said Key Biscayne Mayor Mayra Peña Lindsay told the South Florida Business Journal. "We are committed to pursuing this until the boat show is moved."

In a prepared statement, Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado stressed the economic importance of the show to the local economy.

“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 city of Miami is invested in the boat show and its future at Miami Marine Stadium Park ... There is no better location for the boat show.

In their most recent response, the NMMA supported Regalado's statements, saying the Miami Marine Stadium is the only location that can accommodate the show's estimated 100,000 attendees.

The NMMA announced at last year's Miami International Boat Show that the 2016 and 2017 events would be held at the Miami Marine Stadium instead of the Miami Beach Convention Center, which will be under construction during that time.

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflor...rnational.html

[Ratickle]

Damn, one challenge after another.

[Serious News]

Plan for boat show at Miami Marine Stadium advances

Despite strong objections from environmentalists and Key Biscayne residents, Miami commissioners held fast Thursday and rejected an appeal challenging plans to build an $18 million park and event space on the grounds of Miami Marine Stadium.

The decision allows the city’s administration to move forward with construction of the outdoor facility, which includes paving over the grounds east of the stadium and installing utilities to facilitate a move to the site by the Miami International Boat Show. But the show’s parent company, the National Marine Manufacturers Association, must still navigate some choppy waters.

The association is fighting a lawsuit filed by the village of Key Biscayne, and seeking a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to build floating docks and walkways in the basin big enough to cover four football fields. There’s also a pending lawsuit between Key Biscayne and Miami, which necessitates a joint meeting by the municipalities’ elected officials to try to work things out before heading to court.

With the boat show seemingly growing along with the time the show will occupy the site, Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, who represents Virginia Key, said he’s growing wary of the project. The association wants to run the boat show during President’s Day weekend next year. Organizers had said they would need the site for three weeks, now they’re talking about three months.

“There’s going to come a time when I get off this boat,” he said.

Sarnoff joined the commission in unanimously rejecting the village’s appeal of the project, which was approved last month by Miami’s Historic Environmental and Preservation Board. The board reviewed the project because the stadium and the basin are a historic site, and the park and event space are adjacent to the stadium.

Key Biscayne Mayor Mayra Peña Lindsay argued that the board and the commission were reviewing incomplete plans that failed to show the portion of the boat show that extends into the basin. She also said the city plans to pave over a circle that originally functioned as a fountain, and that the village hasn’t signed its agreement with the boat show.

“Things are not being done in a transparent manner,” she said.

However, Key Biscayne will get a seat at the table when it comes to planning out the future of the site. Commissioners voted late Thursday to convene a 15-member advisory committee, including two members from Key Biscayne.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/loca...#storylink=cpy

[Serious News]

Key Biscayne Not Backing Off Fight Against Marine Stadium Plans

Already the plaintiff in two lawsuits trying to halt redevelopment plans for the former Miami Marine Stadium, the village of Key Biscayne is opening up a new front in its battle with the city of Miami over the future of that site. Thursday evening, Key Biscayne was handed an expected administrative defeat, when Miami City Commissioners unanimously voted to deny the village's objections plans for the stadium's former parking lots. That turn sets the stage for a possible third lawsuit, Key Biscayne's outside litigator John Shubin told the Daily Business Review, noting that "pending direction from our client, we'll explore all legal options."

Besides the ammunition for yet another legal action against Miami, Key Biscayne got a somewhat unexpected strategic gift in its intra-municipal battle Thursday. Even as he voted against Key Biscayne's objections, Miami city commissioner Marc Sarnoff said he was growing increasingly disappointed in the way plans for the Miami International Boat Show, expected to be the anchor tenant of a restored marine stadium, were being handled.

"I'm not sure that I can continue on" supporting plans for the show, Sarnoff said, noting he was particularly peeved plans that called for ceding the stadium site to the boat show organizer for less than a month had ballooned to over three months. "Every time it's brought up, there's another issue."

A showdown between Key Biscayne and Miami has been in the cards since November of last year, when a nonprofit group that had been working behind the scenes on plans to renovate the 1963 amphitheater on Biscayne Bay attempted to rush an ill-fated plan through the city of Miami's bureaucracy. While Friends of Miami Marine Stadium held a glitzy event announcing a stadium renovation was in the works even before plans were made public, Key Biscayne politicians were not consulted in the process. That prompted outrage from village leaders who fear a large development on the Miami Marine Stadium site could choke traffic on the Rickenbacker Causeway, which serves as the only access road to both the marine stadium their island-village.

The village held back from further action after the Friends plan was nixed, but filed a complaint in district court in February after Miami independently pushed plans to redevelop the Marine Stadium site. Key Biscayne then filed a motion for an emergency injunction when Miami began preliminary site work there in spite of the lawsuit. On April 22, a second lawsuit was filed, this time against the operator of the boat show.

The tussle between Key Biscayne and Miami has intensified over the past few weeks after a mediation attempt by Miami-Dade County Commissioner Xavier Suarez failed to find common ground between the municipalities. (Suarez, whose district includes both Key Biscayne and parts of Miami, told the DBR he retreated from an attempt to broker a compromise after getting commitments that county funds would not be used for anything other than restoring the historic stadium.)

"It's very evident to us that Virginia Key is under assault with this plan," Key Biscayne Mayor Mayra Peña Lindsay told the DBR, referring to the small island on which the marine stadium site sits. "It's a plan that has morphed and evolved, and the scope has become massive."

Besides claims made since the beginning that restoring the marine stadium to host a large boat show could create a traffic disaster on the Rickenbacker, Lindsay added environmental concerns, claiming the plan being pursued by the city would ignore the historic nature of the marine stadium. Lindsay also said the planning for a boat show in a restored site has been pursued in a way that hasn't included Key Biscayne, has not been transparent and is not well-thought-out.

Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado says claims by his counterpart across the bay that her village is not being included in the process are "absolutely not true." Regalado noted the city of Miami's police department met with the homologous agency in Key Biscayne to develop a transportation plan for the boat show unveiled last week "and they came up with a plan that both said was agreeable."

Lindsay holds the participation afforded her village in the process has been token while "the plan continues to grow behind closed doors every week."

She also said Key Biscayne wasn't the only stakeholder being stonewalled and steamrolled by the city, noting the city of Miami was pushing a take-it-or-take-it deal on the Rickenbacker Marina and other private businesses on Virginia Key that would be temporarily closed by the boat show.

Aabad Melwani, owner of Rickenbacker Marina Inc., said, "We're negotiating that right now." Melwani and the city of Miami have long-running legal disputes as part of the marinas lease on public land.

Thursday at Miami's City Hall, Lindsay specifically brought forth the argument that a planned revamp of the marine stadium's former parking lots into an events-focused "flex park" would destroy the historic nature of the site. One point that seemed to have some sway with Miami city commissioners was the fact the plan would pave over a structure that had been a centerpiece fountain in front of the stadium structure.

Although she was repeatedly upbraided by Miami commissioners—once for perceived "sarcasm" and once for not having documents to prove an important factual point immediately available—an outside counsel for the village set out a litany of points as to why the city's initial redevelopment proposal was half-baked and needed to be reconsidered by the municipal historic preservation board.

Amy Huber, a land-use litigation attorney with ShubinBass in Miami, said the plan "should have never been presented to the board, never mind submitted to a vote."

Stuck in the middle between warring municipalities, and admittedly in a unique situation, the organizers of the boat show say they're moving forward.

Cathy Rick-Joule, vice president of boat shows with the National Marine Manufacturers Association, told the DBR that critics in Key Biscayne were blowing normal planning challenges out of proportion for political ends. Recent feedback from the Army Corps of Engineers found some environmental issues needed to be remediated before the Valentine's Day weekend show. Key Biscayne publicists trumpeted as Army Corps' feedback as proof the show is not being properly planned.

"We are the largest producer of boat shows in the world, and we say that not with arrogance but with fact," Rick-Joule said. Agreeing with her detractors in Key Biscayne about one thing, she noted the planned event "is not a small show. It's a show that's grandiose in scope."

In spite of the lawsuits and stunted mediation, Rick-Joule said she expects promises made by politicians to bring the show to town.

"We were strongly encouraged by Mayor Regalado to be here. Mayor Gimenez suggested this [Miami Marine Stadium site] very strongly as well as other locations," Rick-Joule said "Opposition will be what it is and we will have to combat it in any way that we can, but we fully expect the city of Miami and Miami-Dade County will come to our assistance, and they have in the past."

"Miami breathes the marine industry," she added. "There's no better match."


Read more: http://www.dailybusinessreview.com/i...#ixzz3aMRNTc3Y

[Serious News]

Boat Show committed to protecting environment

The Miami International Boat Show closed another successful show in February that attracted almost 100,000 visitors from all over the world and delivered an economic impact of $600 million to Miami-Dade County. Next year’s event will be our 75th annual show, and we are delighted to celebrate this tradition at our new home, Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin.

Miami Marine Stadium Park is one of South Florida’s most historic and beloved boating destinations. We are working with the city of Miami on enhancements that will allow different generations from throughout the community who haven’t been able to enjoy the park for more than 20 years to come back and experience it again. We will build on the legacy of Miami Marine Stadium and are excited that construction is already under way for customized docks and an open area park that will accommodate land exhibitors.

The May 7 article Federal review adds to Miami boat show debate focused on a report from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding the environmental impact of the work that will be done at Marine Stadium Park and Basin. This type of report is a routine part of the permitting process for any projects in our waterways — a process we have gone through for boat shows throughout the country.

The National Marine Manufacturers Association has worked with the Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies like it for years to ensure that we comply with any requirements or concerns surrounding our events. Our efforts at Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin are no different.

As an organization centered on advocating for the marine industry, we’re acutely aware of the importance of protecting waterways. We represent and work with marine manufacturers and their boating customers who depend on the health of the marine environment for their livelihood and leisure. We actively take measures to help ensure clean marine engines and emissions. We also support the Sportfish Restoration Trust Fund, for which an estimated $300 million is collected annually from taxes boaters pay and that goes toward marine conservation, boater access and safety.

The boat show is a significant part of the Florida economy, supporting 55,000 middle-class jobs and generating approximately $32 million in tax revenue for the state from sales conducted at the show.

We are committed to working with the Army Corps of Engineers and the Miami-Dade community to ensure the Miami International Boat Show can continue to deliver the economic benefits and recreational enjoyment South Florida has become accustomed to throughout our 74-year history — while respecting the environment that surrounds our new home at Virginia Key.

We look forward to joining the South Florida community this coming February in welcoming back Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin and celebrating a new beginning.

Thomas Dammrich, president, National Marine Manufacturers Association, Chicago, IL

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/l...#storylink=cpy

[Serious News]

Miami officials vote down boat-show site objection

Written by Reagan Haynes

Miami city commissioners voted unanimously on Thursday to reject an appeal by the village of Key Biscayne contesting a plan to develop the Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin to host the Miami International Boat Show in 2016.

That furthered the National Marine Manufacturers Association’s plan to relocate the show to the Marine Stadium Park next year from the Miami Beach Convention Center as the facility undergoes major renovations.

“I think the vote just confirms the city of Miami’s commitment to construct a flex park at Miami Marine Stadium and to host the Miami International Boat Show there,” NMMA president Thom Dammrich told Trade Only Today in an email.

The plans have been met with resistance from Key Biscayne commissioners, who say traffic will make the event’s relocation untenable. Environmental groups also have raised concerns about the initial permit application, although show organizers say they will amend their plan to ensure they meet the requirements to keep the area environmentally intact.

“We are pleased with the city of Miami Commission’s decision to continue with plans to restore Miami Marine Stadium and revitalize the surrounding area,” NMMA vice president of boat shows Cathy Rick-Joule said in an email Friday.

“We look forward to continuing our 74-year history in Miami and delivering the $600 million annual economic contribution to the community with the 2016 Miami International Boat Show at Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin.”

Key Biscayne has also filed suit against the NMMA to stop the show from coming to the Marine Stadium Park and Basin. Key Biscayne officials initially filed suit against Miami, but later entered into mediation talks.

http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/2015/0...ite-objection/

[Wrinkleface]

What a FK'n cluster!!!

[Serious News]

Miami rejects appeal, moves forward on boat show
Jonathan Sweet May 18, 2015

Miami will continue planning for the new Miami International Boat Show at Miami Marine Stadium despite objections by other local groups.

Miami city commissioners voted Thursday to reject the village the Key Biscayne’s appeal of the plans and move forward on its plans to spend $18 million to facilitate the move, the Miami Herald reported.

The show has to move from its traditional home at the Miami Beach Convention Center due to a multi-year renovation there.

The village has raised concerns about increased traffic near the site, and has filed lawsuits against both the city and the National Marine Manufacturers Association.The city, though, did vote on Thursday to create a 15-member advisory committee for the site, which will include two seats for Key Biscayne.

A coalition of nine environmental groups have also filed an appeal of the show’s plans to construct temporary docks at the location.

http://www.boatingindustry.com/news/...-on-boat-show/

[TubeCarz]

Imagine ... all that Bull$hiz over a show . Just think of all the lies that will spew from their mouth's if they ever tried to hold another race there.... Sad

Grass beds , sea life .. What they runnin out of grass in Miami ..
Schools of fish gonna move out of town ...
I see they are holdin their ace tight ... Wait , that's commin ... "Murderers of the sacred cow" They want to speed on "MY" water .. and murder "MY" cow ... !
Those moron's will have every waterway an idle zone within the next decade ....

I am very grateful to have grown up in the So. Miami area . Lum's , The Serpentarium , WQAM , Flipper , The Orange Bowl , Big Daddy's , Masters field , The Blimp Base , Miami Hollywood Speedway , The Saturday Night Ride , Hialeah Speedway , Fla City Speedway , The Pit on Virginia Key and yes Miami Marine Stadium.

As far as local racers , No one owned that place more than Duff Daily , except for maybe his dad in "Ohh Mona"
I feel fortunate to have watched Bernie Little stomp his feet at a loss as well as be witness to Dean Chenoweth's dominating win in Miami a few week's before his demise.
Pete Scalzo ran some dirt track races in the parking lot for bikes and quad's . He helped open County Line raceway a few years ago ... But I hear it's also gone just like everything else mentioned above ...

A group of friends and I wanted to take our boats out of Homestead Bayfront and go for a swim off Elliot Key before having lunch at Gilberts and then take a quick blast to Islamorada and back . We paid $15 to get in the park . At the dock , I was asked in broken English by a member of the US Coast Guard if I wanted to be inspected . I told him not really , but it looks like I don't really have a choice . He looked , put a sticker on the boat and said , I would not be boarded again that day .
We were followed out to 1000' past the last marker ( very-very small sign at the end stating how far to idle out ) by Coast Guard , FWC and Metro Police boat's by heavily strapped officer's . Somehow , I remember feeling much safer as a 14 year old kid in a Jon boat and a 9.9 as I did that day .

When I get home sick for Dade county , I watch old footage on Youtube ... cuz all of it is gone. And I dont care how many millions they waste on the property , it will never again be what it was donated to the people of Mi-hami to be used for. The trusted servant's of government will see to that ..

[Ratickle]

[Serious News]

Webinar addresses Miami show site plans and concerns
Written by Reagan Haynes

The Miami International Boat Show will cover 600,000 square feet of land at the Marine Stadium Park and Basin with open-air and air-conditioned structures and will use 20 to 25 percent of the basin in 2016 to accommodate more than 700 boats, including large boats, in the area where sea trials will be available.

That’s according to boat show organizers and city officials, who held an informational webinar for exhibitors, followed by an extensive Q&A session, to answer questions from parking to signage to seniority to transportation.

Organizers also said they responded Monday to the lawsuit filed by the village of Key Biscayne that seeks to stop plans to move the show to the stadium park and basin for 2016 and filed a motion to speed up the hearing.

“Our counsel advised us that that is the extent we are able to comment on the lawsuit, but be assured we remain committed to producing a quality Miami [International] Boat Show,” National Marine Manufacturers Association president Thom Dammrich said.

“We’re very comfortable that our defense will be successful, [and] as a result we’re moving forward” with show plans, Dammrich said later in response to a question about why plans are progressing amid the legal battle.

“The city of Miami is committed to holding the boat show at the stadium park and basin,” city manager Alice Bravo said.

Dammrich, NMMA vice president of boat shows Cathy Rick-Joule and Bravo also unveiled more details around parking, saying there will be seven times more spots available than there were on Miami Beach, with 10,000 spots in downtown Miami and 3,800 on Virginia Key. Water-taxi service will transport as many as 25,000 visitors to the show daily. VIP parking will be available for exhibitors’ special clients.

There will be no direct transportation between the Miami International Boat Show and the Yacht & Brokerage Show in Miami Beach, which runs concurrently each year along a mile stretch of Collins Avenue.

“They are too far apart, and it’s our opinion that visitors will visit the shows on different days,” Dammrich said.

The Yacht & Brokerage Show, which is co-owned by the Florida Yacht Brokers Association and Show Management, will remain at its traditional location along the strip of Indian Creek Waterway from 41st to 52nd streets and is unaffected by the NMMA show’s relocation. (Show Management and Trade Only Today are part of the Active Interest Media Marine Group.)

“We don’t expect to lose any traffic; in fact, we believe traffic will increase,” Rick-Joule said. “As Thom said before, we’re unveiling the basin to South Floridians who have not been able to access it for 20 years, and we think there will be a lot of excitement.”

“If people want to attend the Yacht & Brokerage Show, they could do both in one day if they have a very focused agenda,” Dammrich said. “If they want to be leisurely, they will probably have to do the shows on separate days.”

One of the attributes of the new venue is that with the exception of Strictly Sail at Bayside, attendees will be able to experience the venue all in one location without busing between them, Dammrich said.

The show’s Sea Isle location, where the NMMA used to put boats in the water, is in question now that the basin will host that portion of the show, Rick-Joule said.

Although organizers believed at the time of the webinar that work being done on the Venetian Causeway could affect marine traffic to the location, they later learned that will not be the case.

The bridge closest to Sea Isle – the West Venetian Bridge – will be fixed in the up position while construction is in progress. That means there will be clear access for all marine traffic to and from Sea Isle Marina and Miami Marine Stadium.

The bridge closest to Miami Beach will remain down and will not be open for marine traffic. Motorists will have to use the I-395 or I-95 causeways to go to Miami Beach from the mainland.

Because the basin will accommodate the in-water portion of the show, the closure will have little effect on the show, Rick-Joule said. The basin is deep enough for even large boats to access.

“I don’t see that there’s any restriction on the size of vessel that would be allowed into the show at this point,” she said.



http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/2015/0...lans-concerns/

[Ratickle]

It will be interesting to see the shuttle and water taxi schedules from each area. Every 10 minutes or ?

[Serious News]

VIDEO: Key Biscayne plans PR blitz against Miami show
Written by Reagan Haynes

The village of Key Biscayne hired a public relations firm in March to help “shape public opinion” about the Miami International Boat Show’s plan to relocate to the Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin — the same firm that also handled public relations to secure the newly named Miami Tennis Open, a 14-day event that draws more than 300,000 spectators to Key Biscayne each year — more than three times the visitors to last year’s boat show.

Key Biscayne council members voted unanimously at a special meeting on March 19 to retain Miami-based Schwartz Media Strategies, according to public government documents.

At the meeting, Schwartz Media Strategies partner Aaron Gordon discussed how the group would shape public opinion about the show, according to a Miami Herald article.

“The campaign plans to strengthen the village’s brand as a desirable place to live and shape public opinion about some of the issues confronting the village, including the lawsuit and bicycle safety,” stated the Miami Herald article, which is behind a paywall.

The firm launched an aggressive media campaign in 2012 to rally village support for keeping the tennis tournament, then newly renamed as Sony Open Tennis, in its Key Biscayne location on a long-term basis by touting the economic benefits, the global appeal and its role in “shaping Miami’s global brand.”

“We are storytellers,” Schwartz Media Strategies says on its website, “brand creators, conversation starters and people connectors.”

The firm’s fee for the village is $8,000 a month, renewable on a quarterly basis, according to minutes from the meeting obtained by Trade Only.

Traffic has been a major concern reiterated by opponents to the boat show, though the tennis event, scheduled for March 21-April 3 in 2016, draws more than 300,000 visitors to Crandon Park Tennis Center on Key Biscayne, according to the South Florida Business Journal. This year the Miami International Boat Show drew just over 96,000 attendees.

The 2016 boat show is slated for Feb. 11-15, overlapping with the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, set for Feb. 13-15. However, the two events combined attract almost a third fewer visitors total than the tennis tournament, with the art festival drawing an estimated 120,000 guests.

There is no option for water taxi transport to the tennis tournament listed on the Open’s website, nor was it listed as an option in a notice by Key Biscayne warning residents of increased traffic during the tournament’s two-week duration.

The National Marine Manufacturers Association, the group that owns and operates the Miami boat show, says it will be able to accommodate as many as 25,000 visitors each day of the five-day boat show — which is more people than attend, on average, per day — with free water taxis for attendees. Visitors will also be able to arrive via personal boat, dock at the show and take a dedicated service to the venue.

Schwartz Media Strategies details on its website how it was able to galvanize support for a ballot measure that secured the tennis event on a long-term basis to the Key Biscayne venue, saying it played up the $386 million economic impact of the tennis tournament.

Boat show organizers estimate the economic impact of the boat show to be nearly twice that at $600 million, supporting nearly 55,000 jobs and generating $32 million in sales tax revenue.

“Convincing two-thirds of the voting public to agree on anything is no easy task,” says Schwartz Media’s website. “Doing so in a diverse, multilingual community like Miami — one where only a fraction of residents actually attend the [tennis] tournament each year — is even more of a challenge.”

The group said it drove the conversation surrounding the vote with “targeted storylines focused on the tournament’s economic impact, its role in shaping Miami’s global brand, and its popularity in countries outside the U.S.”

“The campaign utilized favorable op-eds and letters to the editor from community leaders, hitting every major consumer daily multiple times,” it says.

Plans to move the boat show to the defunct Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin on the Virginia Key in 2016 have been tinged with controversy. The stadium itself — considered an architectural landmark — has been vacant since Hurricane Andrew tore through it in 1992, when it was declared unsafe. The boat show would not rehab the stadium itself, but the city of Miami, which has jurisdiction over the area, has committed $16 million to rejuvenate the park and prepare it for the 2016 show.

The Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin are on Virginia Key, which is situated between the mainland and Key Biscayne. The Rickenbacker Causeway connects the three.

Key Biscayne Mayor Mayra Lindsay has not yet responded to Trade Only’s email request for comment, which was sent Tuesday.

The NMMA has continued letting exhibitors know that plans to hold the boat show at the marine park and basin are moving forward, despite reports about Key Biscayne filing lawsuits to stop the show move.

In a letter sent privately to exhibitors this month, NMMA president Thom Dammrich said he wanted to “correct the misinformation and misinterpretations that are being broadcast as a result of the high-profile and political nature of our move to the Miami Marine Stadium Park.”

Dammrich was joined by NMMA members and Miami officials on May 21 during a conference call, followed by an extensive Q&A session, to answer questions in an effort to remain transparent to exhibitors, according to the association. The NMMA also said it was available to answer any questions that arise from stakeholders along the way.

http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/2015/0...tz-miami-show/

[Ratickle]

Damn, this is getting nuts!!