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

[Serious News]

As we've been following this we've been hesitant to post the possible move because when the move was first announced, the deal fell completely apart a short while later. Now, it looks as if they are for sure trying to make this a done deal. We will try to keep everyone up to date, but first some background to get everyone up to speed. This could be the last year for the Miami Boat Show to be at the Miami Convention Center.

Miami International Boat Show moving to Marine Stadium; renovations closer By David Smiley and Andres Viglucci -
dsmiley@MiamiHerald.com

Updated: 11/12/2014 7:38 AM

The Miami International Boat Show is taking its luxury yachts and crush of customers and setting sail from Miami Beach for a new home farther south on Biscayne Bay.

The new digs: hurricane-battered, graffiti-tagged Miami Marine Stadium.

Starting in 2016 and running through at least 2017, the Boat Show will be hosted outside the abandoned waterfront concrete hulk where speedboats once zoomed and pop superstars crooned. Boat Show representatives declined to answer questions Tuesday about its future beyond 2017, but sources with knowledge of the agreement say the event — one of South Florida’s largest tourist draws — could remain at the venue long-term and play a key role in the financing of a $30 million renovation of the dilapidated stadium.

“Calling Miami Marine Stadium a home in 2016 and 2017 unites two of the City’s most celebrated boating institutions and solidifies Miami’s place on the map as an international boating destination,” said Thom Dammrich, president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association, which runs the show.

Details of the arrangement are still in flux. But it’s close enough to fruition that stadium booster Gloria Estefan and Miami City officials plan to cruise over to the stadium Thursday morning on a yacht to officially announce the deal. Dammrich is also expected to release further details, as questions linger over whether the show will return to Miami Beach, where renovations to the city’s convention center all but forced the show’s relocation.

“We have not been told anything yet by the boat show about whether they’re leaving or they’re staying,” said Max Sklar, Miami Beach’s director of tourism and culture.

What seems more concrete for the time being is that come 2016, for the first time in more than 20 years, tourists will flock to the Marine Stadium for a major event. The boat-show announcement is a major boost to the long-running campaign to renovate and reopen the city-owned stadium, which, though closed after Hurricane Andrew in 1992, is now widely regarded as an architectural and engineering jewel with no match in the world.

Supporters say the deal confirms the project’s viability, and will help nail down a long-term operating contract with the city and rope in big donors who have been on the fence about committing.

“This is absolutely wonderful news,” said architect Jorge Hernandez, co-founder of Friends of Miami Marine Stadium, the nonprofit group running the restoration project. “Had we heard five years ago that the Miami International Boat Show show would be coming to this site, we would have thought, no, this is too much of a Disney ending. But it’s like the glass slipper. There is no better fit for the site.’’

Under an agreement with the city, the Friends organization has until January to show successful fundraising and a viable operating plan in order to secure a long-term lease. The group must persuade city officials that the stadium, a perennial money-loser when open, can be managed without public subsidies.

City Manager Daniel Alfonso said his staff is still reviewing the group’s finances, and there remain some issues with “cash flow.” But Hernandez and architect Hilario Candela, the stadium’s designer, say Friends of Miami Marine Stadium has fulfilled conditions and they’re asking the city to approve the lease as soon Nov. 20.

The Friends group, which estimates the stadium renovation will cost around $30 million, has secured $15 million in commitments, including a $1 million State of Florida grant and $3 million from a longstanding historic-preservation commitment from a Miami-Dade County bond program.

A third of that $15 million will come from the sale of historic-preservation tax credits to people who use them to offset federal tax liabilities, Hernandez said. Estefan, who performed at the stadium with Miami Sound Machine and is serving as the face of the campaign, has pledged $500,000.

The boat show will also bring in significant money, but the precise amount has not been determined, and Hernandez and Candela said they were not ready to provide a figure on Tuesday. Sklar said the show netted the Miami Beach Convention Center $680,000 last year.

The boat show would mostly use the area now occupied by the stadium’s vast asphalt parking lots, which under a 2010 master plan approved by the city commission are to be converted into a tree-lined park equipped to stage special events, Hernandez said. Like most of the shows run by the National Marine Manufacturers Association, it would take place in tents and other temporary structures similar to those erected for Miami Art Week, Hernandez said.

Some boat-show exhibits would occupy a minimal portion of the water basin in front of the stadium property, but Candela and Hernandez stressed those would be positioned so as not to interfere with public use of the water, popular with rowers and paddlers.

Once a lease with the city is signed, they said, the money already in hand is enough to start ripping out the asphalt, installing utilities and planting grass and trees. The park would be ready for the 2016 boat show, the first scheduled for the marine stadium property, but the stadium renovation would not be finished by then, they said.

“The master plan was about keeping Virginia Key as green and open as possible, and everything that we’re doing is according to that plan,’’ Candela said.

The master plan also makes space for a modest marine-exhibition building, but that would come in a future phase.

The Miami Commission will need to approve a new lease. But the new deal has the support of Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado, who has made stadium renovations a priority under his tenure.

“They’ve done a monumental task by raising that kind of money and having that kind of support,” said Regalado. “It looked like a dream four years ago but I think it’s becoming a reality.”

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

[Serious News]

[Serious News]

Boat show breathes new life into abandoned Miami seaside stadium
By Zachary Fagenson November 13, 2014 12:57 PM

MIAMI (Reuters) - Preservationists seeking to restore an iconic, graffiti-covered marine stadium received a boost on Thursday with the announcement that one of the world's largest boat shows is moving to the venue, which fell out of use after it was damaged by Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

"In exploring the Miami Marine Stadium we realized found the ideal location. It has the potential to add a whole new level of excitement," Thom Dammrich, president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association, which runs the Miami International Boat Show, said at a news conference at the stadium on Thursday.

Officials plan to have the boat show at the renovated facility in 2016.

The 6,500-seat arena designed by Cuban-born architect Hilario Candela was built in 1963 on an island just off downtown Miami that was once a segregated beach. In the next two decades the stadium, originally designed for speedboat racing, hosted acts like Jimmy Buffett, Ray Charles and the Beach Boys, who played from stages on barges that bobbed in the water.

Yet when Hurricane Andrew blew through Miami in the summer of 1992, flattening large parts of the county, the city of Miami declared the stadium was irreparably damaged and requested money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to demolish it.

Friends of Miami Marine Stadium, the non-profit seeking to revitalize the venue, formed in 2008. A year later the National Trust for Historic Preservation added the stadium to its list of America's 11 most endangered historic places.

Earlier this year the Miami Sound Machine’s Gloria Estefan, who also performed at the stadium, pledged $500,000 to the restoration effort earlier this year and became the voice of the restoration campaign.

"I've traveled the world and there's nothing like this anywhere. It would be foolhardy of us to give it up," Estefan said at the news conference.

The Getty Foundation is donating $180,000 to save some of the graffiti covering the stadium, Estefan said. "Art kept it beautiful despite going through times," she said.

The Miami boat show is one of south Florida's top tourist draws and it attracts 100,000 visitors each February. The show had been looking to move from Miami Beach due to plans to upgrade the city's convention center, which has been the site of the event for several years.

The stadium friends still face an uphill battle to restore the stadium to its former glory. The group estimates renovating it will cost upward of $30 million, and said it has secured about half that money.

http://news.yahoo.com/boat-show-brea...0314--spt.html

[Serious News]

NMMA addresses concerns about new Miami show site

Posted on December 17th, 2014

Written by Reagan Haynes

Miami International Boat Show organizers say several concerns raised by the Village of Key Biscayne regarding a plan to bring the show to Miami Marine Stadium in 2016 are already being addressed.

“I won’t disagree that with any event we produce, there’s always challenges, and even more so when we’re working with properties on the water,” show manager Cathy Rick-Joule told Trade Only Today. “There are a whole different level of approvals needed.”

The project has the National Marine Manufacturers Association, which owns and produces the Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show, working with city, county and village officials while hashing out plans to move the show to the stadium, which has languished since Hurricane Andrew destroyed it more than 20 years ago.

The stadium is on 82-acre Virginia Key, which is within city limits. The property belongs to the city of Miami and is maintained by the Miami Parks and Recreation Department, but the responsibility is shared in part with the Virginia Key Beach Trust, which manages the historic portion of the beach front and oversees the preservation and future development of Virginia Key Beach, according to the city’s parks and recreation website. It is located in Biscayne Bay, north of Key Biscayne, which has several preserves and environmental protections in place.

Several issues raised in a report by the Key Biscayne Islander News have been addressed as plans are being hashed out, Rick-Joule said. For example, the show agreed to walk away from a piece of land that had some environmental impact from the county’s perspective, Rick-Joule said.

The city has ordered a traffic study during the 2015 show to “be proactive in trying to understand the impact,” she said. “We are working together on how to minimize that.”

Key Biscayne has asked that most of the heavy-equipment traffic happen during overnight or off-peak hours. “That’s something we do already,” Rick-Joule said.

“We have also met with all the tenants of Virginia Key … on that campus and they have all 100 percent agreed they want to work with us and be part of the footprint,” she said. We believe we can be good neighbors.”

Parking was another concern raised by the article, which appeared in print earlier this month, but Rick-Joule said the parking situation is a positive in moving the show to the marine stadium.

“There’s plentiful parking between Virginia Key and Key Biscayne,” she said, adding that organizers have approached the county with a proposal to use Cramden Park lots. “I think we’re going to get a favorable response there.”

The endeavor has been at the center of regional news since November, when the NMMA announced plans with the Friends of Miami Marine Stadium to restore the structure and bring the show there in 2016 and 2017 as the Miami Beach Convention Center undergoes renovations. Pop icon Gloria Estefan, who has served as the voice of the nonprofit group, was at a press event announcing an agreement for the city to turn the property over to the group.

That deal crumbled shortly afterward as details of the $121 million plan came under scrutiny.

A team of private partners included a financier who had just filed for personal bankruptcy. Civic groups and the village of Key Biscayne had raised concerns about a proposed commercial complex with a 125,000-square-foot expo center and a 280-slip dry-dock storage facility.

Just weeks after lending her name to the group’s effort, Estefan blasted the original plan for a lack of transparency.

NMMA president Thom Dammrich told Trade Only Today at the time that the botched plan won’t change the boat show’s arrival at the venue in 2016 and 2017; it only means that the NMMA will have a different landlord.

Rick-Joule still isn’t sure how the stadium renovations will be funded.

“How the city of Miami is going to fund the renovations to provide a rentable space as a tenant, that’s up to the city,” Rick-Joule said. “We know what we expect and they understand what we need. I would imagine they’re going to do some of the infrastructure internally.”

Organizers are surveying show exhibitors to learn how they would like to see the site unfold — whether they’d like more land or in-water displays, covered tents or open-air sites, air conditioning and how they’d like to see products grouped, Rick-Joule said.

Meanwhile, they will continue to work with the city and other affected entities.

“We’re working as best we can to minimize any negativity on them. That’s how we roll,” Rick-Joule said “That’s always how we do things when we look at any venue or city for a boat show.”

http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/2014/1...ami-show-site/

[Serious News]

City floats boat show deal for Virginia Key

www.miamitodaynews.com
Written by John Charles Robbins on January 7, 2015

Miami commissioners are today (1/8) to weigh a plan to bring the Miami International Boat Show to the city starting next year.

Since November, City Manager Daniel Alfonso has been negotiating with the National Marine Manufacturers Association to host the 2016 show at city-owned Marine Stadium Park on Virginia Key.

On the commission’s agenda is a proposal to license the association to present the show on areas surrounding the stadium.

In exchange, the association would pay the city $1.1 million a year and 50% of food and beverage sales income at the show, according to a 56-page draft deal. The city would spend up to $16 million to improve the site, the draft says.

In December, when commissioners discussed creating a trust to maintain and run the stadium, Mr. Alfonso suggested the city “get the boat show going” first, which would involve much work, including getting green space around the stadium in shape before 2016.

The decaying concrete stadium has been vacant more than 20 years. In a separate move, the commission last month accepted a $1 million state grant for stadium restoration.

A diagram included in the draft deal shows the stadium fenced off for the 2016 show and notes a 10-foot-high fence displaying a rendering of future stadium enhancements printed on mesh screen.

The boat show for years has been held each February at the Miami Beach Convention Center, which is being rebuilt and can’t handle the show next year.

In November, the non-profit Friends of Miami Marine Stadium handed the city an elaborate $121 million stadium redevelopment plan.

Commissioners rejected the plan and instead kept it simple, directing Mr. Alfonso to get the boat show for 2016 and maybe longer and create a proposal to fund stadium restoration.

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/2015/0...-virginia-key/

[Serious News]

Miami Marine Stadium

Gallery, Video http://www.abandonedfl.com/miami-marine-stadium/

Designed by architect Hilario Candela, a 28-year-old recent immigrant from Cuba, the stadium was built on Virginia Key as the United States’ first stadium purposely-built for powerboat racing on land donated to the City of Miami by the Matheson Family. Dedicated as the Ralph Munroe Marine Stadium, it was completed at a cost of around $2 million and opened in 1963.

Utilizing a floating stage in front of the grandstand, the stadium hosted many world class powerboat events including Unlimited Hydroplane, Inboard, Outboard, Performance Craft, Stock, Modified, and Grand National divisions as well as other special event races. The stadium would become the site of a number of nationally televised events including the Bill Muncey Invitational and the ESPN All American Challenge Series and in later years, would become host to different events ranging from boxing matches to classical concerts to Sunday services.

The stadium was also the site of the famous hug given to President Richard Nixon by Sammy Davis Jr. during a rally for his Presidential re-election.

Going into the 1980s, the stadium saw a decline in events due to a number of issues including new restrictions, political pressure from the City of Miami, and a lack for promoting such events. Along with the issues mentioned, the stadium was also facing growing competition from newer venues such as the James L. Knight Center and the Miami Arena.

The last major race at the stadium was the 1987 Inboard Hydroplane national Championship and by the 1990s, powerboat racing at the stadium was nothing but a memory.

In 1992, Hurricane Andrew struck South Florida, causing billions of dollars worth in damages. After the storm, engineers for the city condemned the stadium due to cracks found in the foundation. In later years, independent engineers would declare the structure sound although needing refurbishing, estimating repairs to be around $2 million.

On February 20, 2008, Friends of Miami Marine Stadium was formed, a group supporting the restoration of the stadium and since then, much progress has been made, including the designation of the stadium and basin as a historic place by Miami’s Historic Preservation and Environmental Board in 2008. It has also been recognized as an architectural masterpiece by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and World Monuments Fund.

On April 6, 2010, Miami-Dade County Commissioners passed a resolution to allocate $3-million to the stadium to start its historical preservation and return it as a venue for water sports and major concerts. It was only in March when an engineering study by the firm of Simpson Gumpertz found that renovating the stadium would cost between $5.5 and $8.5 million, which is substantially less than the $15 million the city of Miami initially said it would take to renovate the facility.

The stadium remains to be an eyesore to this day, attracting taggers, vagrants and other vandals to it’s grounds. Here’s hoping to the preservation and future of this marvelous piece of history.

[Ratickle]

I know Rich, and some of the others, have raced there. Maybe they could put on an exhibition during the show next year?

[Serious News]

The city of Miami will spend up to $16 million over the next year to upgrade the grounds outside historic Miami Marine Stadium and host the Miami International Boat Show on Virginia Key in early 2016.

Commissioners voted Thursday to authorize a bond issue to pay for improvements to a 15-acre area outside the waterfront stadium, including seven undeveloped acres to the east of the shuttered venue that will be paved, lined with utilities and covered with artificial turf. Shortly after, they approved a license agreement with the not-for-profit that owns the boat show, which will pay the city $1.1 million per year in rent plus half of net concessions and parking sales from the five-day event.

Commissioners voted unanimously on both the boat show deal and the stadium-grounds upgrades despite criticism from the village of Key Biscayne that the boat show agreement was “rushed.” Commissioner Frank Carollo also said that the deal negotiated with the National Marine Manufacturers Association has no length and could potentially leave the city to finance a $16 million facility without an anchor tenant.

“At this point, I’m willing to take the risk,” Commissioner Francis Suarez said of the financial implications.

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

[Serious News]

$600 million impact propelled boat show deal

By securing the Miami International Boat Show for the City of Miami for 2016, city commissioners have ensured an infusion of money and jobs into the local economy.

That’s part of the assessment made by city officials who worked to negotiate the boat show anchoring on city property for next year’s event, and perhaps for many years thereafter.

According to the boat show organizers – who will celebrate their 75th anniversary in 2016 – the boat show fills hotel rooms, creates thousands of jobs and sinks more than $600 million into the South Florida economy each year.

All of these economic benefits were mentioned in a resolution adopted Jan. 8 by city commissioners approving a license with the National Marine Manufacturers Association to host the 2016 show at city-owned Marine Stadium Park on Virginia Key.

The association represents more than 1,400 companies involved in various productions used by recreational boaters.

The boat show is the premiere gathering place for more than 100,000 boaters, 50% of whom travel to the show from outside Florida, and 10% who travel from outside of the US, the resolution states.

An estimated 45,000 workers prepare the boat show each year, the show accounts for the equivalent of about 200,000 hotel room nights, and the show provides the equivalent of 6,500 full-time jobs, the resolution says.

More than 1,500 businesses that call Miami home depend on the boat show, and Florida businesses sell more than $300 million worth of products at the show, according to the association.

Cathy Rick-Joule, manager of the boat show, told commissioners of the large economic impact the event has on the area. She said the boat show’s influence is global.

Commissioner Frank Carollo said she didn’t need to sell the commission on the value of having the popular event in Miami.

“We want the boat show back in Miami – where it belongs,” he said.

Since November, City Manager Daniel Alfonso has been negotiating with the association to host the 2016 show on Virginia Key.

The boat show for years has been held each February at the Miami Beach Convention Center, which is being rebuilt and can’t handle the show next year.

The license approved Jan. 8 allows the association to host the boat show on land and water surrounding Miami Marine Stadium. Commissioners also approved spending up to $16 million on improvements to the site, to be paid for by a bond sale.

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 save the iconic concrete stadium, closed since Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

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 5 years.

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

That plan has been sitting on a shelf literally gathering dust for more than four years – until last week.

With the possibility of securing the Miami International Boat Show on the city-owned barrier island, suddenly the master plan for the key is back in play.

Now city officials and commissioners are talking about other uses for the property that surrounds the abandoned stadium, including perhaps soccer fields for youth and adult leagues.

Mr. Alfonso said the city always planned to develop Marine Stadium Park, “and now we have a partner to help.”

He stressed the need to get moving on improvements to the key property, as the 2016 boat show is just 13 months away.

“We need to get this moving to get all of the infrastructure in place,” Mr. Alfonso said.

Alice Bravo, deputy city manager, showed plans for the area around the stadium with improved water and sewer, drainage and lighting, and strengthening the surface areas as green space able to stage activities and special events. The plans show possible use of temporary event structures – looking like large tents – with elaborate layouts, wood floors, air conditioning, and some two stories high.

While there was plenty of support for a flex park next to the stadium, some objected to potential side effects.

Village of Key Biscayne Mayor Mayra Peña Lindsay told commissioners that although the village was promised a voice in deciding the fate of Virginia Key, village officials had had “no meaningful input” in the last several weeks, and she repeated her earlier warning to the city not to rush a decision.

She earlier voiced serious concerns with the impact of major development on the key, reminding city leaders that the Rickenbacker Causeway is the only access to Virginia Key and Key Biscayne.

Ms. Peña Lindsay spoke of potential gridlock on the causeway during the week of the boat show, imploring city commissioners to consider that they might be severing access for thousands to the public beaches on Key Biscayne.

City officials and Ms. Rick-Joule told commissioners the auto traffic generated by the show will be dealt with by use of off-site parking facilities and shuttles and water taxis, explaining that the show’s producers have years of experience operating on constrained sites.

“We are looking forward to being good neighbors,” said Ms. Rick-Joule.

While discussing whether to approve the license for the boat show, Commissioner Francis Suarez said, “We should look at this as phase one.”

Phase one is securing the boat show for 2016, he said. Phase two will be to consider long-term plans and tenants for Marine Stadium Park. Phase three will be the restoration of the stadium itself, Mr. Suarez said.

He suggested that his fellow commissioners make sure phase two is done right in order to pay for long-term expenses.

Commissioner Marc Sarnoff favored restoring the stadium and making improvements to the park but repeated an earlier point: what will the park look like the remainder of the year after the boat show has come and gone?

“Imagine a full-fledged soccer community out there,” he said.

“As we grow and push outward,” Mr. Sarnoff said of the city, consider what other uses or tenants could be welcomed at Marine Stadium Park. Perhaps Art Miami might one day be interested, he suggested.

The decaying concrete stadium has been vacant more than 20 years. In a separate move, the commission last month accepted a $1 million state grant for stadium restoration.

The license approved Jan. 8 includes a diagram showing the stadium fenced off for the 2016 boat show and notes a 10-foot-high fence displaying a rendering of future stadium enhancements printed on mesh screen.

In November, the non-profit Friends of Miami Marine Stadium handed the city an elaborate $121 million plan to renovate the stadium and develop the surrounding area into a maritime complex, with commercial space, a 125,000-square-foot expo center, a new marina and a 280-slip dry-dock storage facility.

Commissioners rejected the plan and instead kept it simple, directing Mr. Alfonso to get the boat show for 2016 and maybe longer and create a proposal to fund stadium restoration.

Commissioners last week directed Mr. Alfonso and staff to come back within two months with all funding options for the improvements to Virginia Key, not limited to bonding for the money.

Mr. Carollo said he was reluctant to approve the $16 million bond proposal without having a long-term commitment or revenue stream.

“My concern is, in two or three years the boat show leaves and we are left with that debt service,” he said.

“I’d prefer to have some longer agreement,” said Mr. Carollo.

Mr. Alfonso was also directed to quickly return with a potential long-term proposal for the boat show.

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/2015/0...oat-show-deal/

[Serious News]

[Serious News]

Key Biscayne plans to sue city of Miami over Marine Stadium plans

By Alexi C. Cardona -
acardona@MiamiHerald.com
01/30/2015 5:25 PM

Key Biscayne plans to file a lawsuit against the city of Miami early next week over the Marine Stadium and flex park development plans.

The village won’t move forward with the lawsuit until it goes through the dispute resolution process provided for under state law, according to village attorney Stephen J. Helfman.

Chapter 164 of the Florida Statutes says if one governmental body files suit against another, the suit needs to be stayed until all other conflict resolution efforts are exhausted.

Alice Bravo, Miami’s deputy city manager, attended Tuesday night’s village council meeting to explain the Marine Stadium redevelopment deal, which includes development of a 16 million-dollar flex park, and to answer the council’s questions.

Bravo got some heat from the council over concerns that the investment in the park will turn it into an event venue and bring more traffic and safety issues on the Rickenbacker Causeway.

“I know there are folks concerned about the level of investment the city is putting in here is because we plan to run this as an event venue, and that’s not the case,” Bravo said.

But the council wasn’t buying it.

“We don’t trust this,” Vice Mayor Franklin Caplan said.

With the Marine Stadium redevelopment comes the Miami International Boat Show in 2016. Council member Michael Kelly was concerned about the approximately 100,000 people the boat show attracts over a five-day period. The boat show would coincide with the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, making entering and exiting the causeway more difficult.

“It’s gonna be utter gridlock. We’re not idiots. We can see this coming a mile away,” Kelly said. “It’s not just the inconvenience, this is a safety issue. What happens if one of our elderly people have a heart attack? How are they going to get off the island when there’s utter gridlock on that causeway?”

In other business:

▪ The council approved a conditional use application filed by Winn-Dixie that will bring a liquor store to 624 Crandon Blvd.

▪ The council approved on first reading an ordinance that prohibits the operation of boats within the Mashta Flats.

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

[Ratickle]

Hmmm, just when you thought things were making sense, along comes a lawsuit......

[Serious News]

[Serious News]

Key Biscayne has filed a lawsuit against the city of Miami over the city’s decision to redevelop the Miami Marine Stadium grounds in order to host one of South Florida’s biggest tourist events.

The Miami City Commission voted in early January to enter into a license agreement with the National Marine Manufacturers Association to bring the Miami International Boat Show to Virginia Key. Under the agreement, the city will make up to $16 million worth of improvements to the undeveloped land east of the stadium to host the boat show during President’s Day weekend starting in February 2016.

Miami officials have publicly stated that they don’t know how else that property will be used during most the year when the boat show is not in town. But Key Biscayne leaders worry that the city’s large investment in the planned outdoor event space means it will hold multiple events a year and worsen traffic and safety issues on the Rickenbacker Causeway.

As expected, the village voted to file the lawsuit two weeks ago after officials said their requests to discuss the redevelopment plans and the village’s concerns were ignored.

Key Biscayne plans to sue city of Miami over Marine Stadium plans

“For two months, we were diligent in communicating with Miami,” Key Biscayne Mayor Mayra Lindsay said. “We tried to be good neighbors and facilitate our being involved. Unfortunately, that did not get us far.”

The village plans to halt the proceedings and enter into mediation. Monday morning, the council agreed to start the conflict resolution process.

“We are putting the city of Miami on notice that this is moving forward,” Lindsay said.

According to John Shubin, a land-use attorney hired to represent the village, the order to stay the proceedings has not been entered because a judge has not been assigned to the case yet. The complaint was filed Friday afternoon.

According to the complaint, turning the surrounding area of the Marine Stadium into an event and exhibition space violates the city of Miami’s Comprehensive Neighborhood Plan, the Miami 21 Zoning Code and the 1963 Marine Stadium Deed.

A city’s comprehensive plan sets goals for community development. Miami’s Future Land Use Map, which is part of the comprehensive plan, designates the Marine Stadium as public parks and recreation. The comprehensive plan defines public parks and recreation spaces as having “passive and active recreational and cultural uses.” According to the complaint, using the property as a commercial event venue violates the comprehensive plan because the property won’t be used for recreational or cultural purposes.

The city’s zoning code categorized the Marine Stadium as a civic space. The zoning code defines civic space as “a zone with mainly outdoor area dedicated for functioning for community purposes.” According to the complaint, commercial use of the property is not permitted under the civic space classification.

In March 1963, Miami-Dade County deeded the city of Miami a 61-acre portion of Virginia Key to “be perpetually used and maintained for the operation of a Marine Stadium and allied purposes only.”

The definition of “allied purposes” is up for debate, but the complaint states commercializing the property is not an allied purpose and violates deed restrictions.

“We are confident to be able to resolve this matter in our favor as the uses for this property are compatible with the land use regulations. It is unfortunate the City of Key Biscayne wishes to sue the City of Miami,” Miami City Attorney Victoria Mendez said in an email Monday evening.

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

[Serious News]

Key Biscayne seeks to immediately stop construction on Miami Marine Stadium

The Miami International Boat Show is expected to open at the Miami Marine Stadium from Feb. 11-15 in 2016 with 700 boats on display, but may face friction with the pending lawsuits against Miami.

South Florida Business Journal

The Village of Key Biscayne is seeking an emergency injunction to immediately halt construction at the Miami Marine Stadium.

The injunction, which was formally filed last week, follows a Feb. 6 complaint from the Key Biscayne Village Council against Miami to halt $16 million in improvements to the stadium property.

The council says the Miami Marine Stadium is zoned as park space, not commercial event space, and the traffic from the boat show and dozens of other commercial events planned annually for Miami Marine Stadium may choke off vital roads to Key Biscayne.

Construction began Feb. 10 before the conflict resolution was initiated, according to the most recent complaint. Key Biscayne says the actions of the city are illegal.

The city of Miami declined to comment about how the council's complaint may affect the Miami International Boat Show, which is expected to be hosted at the Miami Marine Stadium in 2016 and 2017.

"We love the boat show and we could even live with the boat show for one weekend a year if the facility wasn't going to be used 70 other times," said Key Biscayne Village Council member Mike Kelly in a previous interview with the South Florida Business Journal.

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflor...tely-stop.html

[Serious News]

3 details about next year's Miami International Boat Show

The Miami International Boat Show will open at the Miami Marine Stadium from Feb. 11-15 in 2016 with 700 boats on display on the water.

The 75th annual Miami International Boat Show will move to the Miami Marine Stadium after the historic landmark gets a facelift. Here's what you should know about the 2016 event:

Miami Marine Stadium will accommodate 1,200 boats. For the first time since 1969, another event site will host the main attractions of the Miami International Boat Show. A marina will be built at the Miami Marine Stadium with space for more than 700 boats on the water for boat and engine manufacturers. The rest can be displayed on land in about 600,000 square feet of indoor tent space.

New water taxi will link major hotels to the show. Water transportation is expected to alleviate parking needs for next year. Guests can park at any of the mainland water ports, like the ones that will be at the major hotels, and float across Biscayne Bay to the stadium. Transient mooring with launch service can also be provided for visitors traveling by boat.

The City of Miami will spend $16 million to renovate the stadium. The Miami International Boat Show is slated to take place at the stadium through 2017. The show will not likely return to Miami Beach, said Cathy Rick-Joule, vice president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association Boat Shows.

The 2016 Miami International Boat Show will be at the Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin and Miamarina at Bayside Marketplace Feb. 11-15, 2016. The Miami Marine Stadium is at 3501 Rickenbacker Causway in Miami.

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

[jdoss]

2016 Miami Boat Show FAQ -- Start Planning Your Experience [1]
[2] [3]

WHAT: The 2016 Progressive(R) Insurance Miami International Boat
Show(R) is moving from the Miami Beach Convention Center to Miami Marine
Stadium Park & Basin

WHEN: President's Day Weekend, February 11-15, 2016

WHERE: 3501 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149
_Located on Virginia Key just minutes from downtown Miami _

-------------------------
Frequently Asked Questions

[4]

[5]

* Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin Overview
* Exhibit Space
* The Miami International Boat Show's Other Locations
* Accommodations, Dining and Entertainment
* Parking, Traffic & Transportation
* Load In/Move Out
* City of Miami-Key Biscayne Lawsuit
* Sales Team

-------------------------
Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin Overview

Q: WHY MIAMI MARINE STADIUM PARK & BASIN?
A: The Miami Beach Convention Center will be undergoing construction
beginning in December of 2015 and will not be able to accommodate the
needs of the boat show. We found an ideal new venue that will
accommodate the 100,000 visitors, 45,000 workers and 2,000 exhibitors
who attend the show each year.

_WE CAN WORK TO BUILD THE BOAT SHOW YOU WANT!_

The new location provides the show with an expansive deep water basin to
accommodate large boats of all sizes, plentiful water access for the
show to expand its on-water offerings, availability and ease of parking,
transient dockage, and free water taxis near numerous Miami hotels and
is just across from downtown Miami. The Park's vast open areas on land
will create an ideal space for 600,000 square feet of special
high-performance temporary structures that can accommodate indoor
exhibitors.

Q: WHEN DOES THE CITY OF MIAMI PLAN TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION ON MIAMI
MARINE STADIUM PARK?
A: The City of Miami is investing $16 million to rejuvenate Miami
Marine Stadium Park. Work is already underway and will be completed well
in advance of the start of the 2016 show.

Q: HOW IS THE $16 MILLION BEING USED BY THE CITY OF MIAMI TO REJUVENATE
THE PARK?
A: The money is being used on infrastructure development of the Miami
Marine Stadium Park's 15 acres of land including utilities such as
water, electric and drainage and in creating a Flex Park. The NMMA is
investing in building the onsite experience which will include building
large, custom docks and state-of-the-art temporary clear span structures
on land.

Q: WILL THE STADIUM ITSELF BE A PART OF THE SHOW?
A: For 2016, no. The extensive renovations needed to revive the
historic Miami Marine Stadium will require years of work. The stadium
will be cordoned off, and the show will be built around it with access
points to the in-water portion of the show on both sides of the stadium
and multiple access points throughout the Park to enter the show.
-------------------------
Exhibit Space

Q: WHAT IS THE SPACE CAPACITY AT MIAMI MARINE STADIUM PARK AND BASIN?
A: There will be approximately 600,000 net 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. NMMA will build customized docks in the Basin for exhibitors
with options for tented or hard walled reception rooms and closing
rooms. The vast area of water, 170 acres -- _larger than the Washington
Mall!_ -- can accommodate more than 700 boats, including large boats in
the deep water basin and slips for sea trials. We will also provide a
mooring field and tender service for people wishing to arrive to the
show on their private boat.

Q: WILL THE SHOW’S NEW LOCATION BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE EVERYONE FROM
THE CONVENTION CENTER?
A: We expect to be able to accommodate most exhibitors from the
Convention Center at the new venue, just in different ways. With so much
in-water space, some bulk exhibitors will take space on land and
in-water to fulfill space needs. There is ample room for a large display
of accessory and booth exhibitors.

Q: WHEN CAN I START MAKING PLANS FOR SPACE?
A: Contracts for 2016 will be sent out on April 1 and will be due back
with deposits on May 1. Exhibitor relationship managers will be in touch
to schedule a meeting prior to April 1 to consult with you on space
needs and your 2016 show plans. In the meantime, please feel free to
call your Exhibit Relationship Manager any time with questions and to
discuss your plans.

Q: WHEN ARE CONTRACTS DUE? WHAT TYPE OF PRIORITY WILL THE SHOW/NMMA BE
USING TO ALLOCATE SPACE TO EXHIBITORS?
A: Contracts are due MAY 1ST. You are highly encouraged to have your
contracts and space deposit returned by May 1st. The show is an open
floorplan, and space will be allocated to those whose contracts and
deposits are received by May 1 based on seniority points. Companies with
contracts received after May 1 will be allocated space on a first-come,
first-served basis. Many exhibitors are seeking additional space, and we
expect the space on land to sell out quickly.

Q: HOW WILL BOOTH/BULK PRICES CHANGE FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER TO PARK
LAND SPACE? WHAT ARE THE RATES FOR IN-WATER SPACE?
A: We expect rates on land to be consistent with Convention Center
pricing and in-water space pricing less expensive than Miami's other
in-water show locations. Our sales team will be in touch with you on
space rates prior to contracts going out on April 1.
-------------------------
The Miami International Boat Show's Other Locations

Q: WHAT ARE PLANS FOR THE SHOW’S CURRENT LOCATIONS OUTSIDE OF THE
CONVENTION CENTER BEYOND 2015?
A: The Miami International Boat Show has always been a multi-venue
event and will continue to be a multi-venue event. For 2016, plans
include continuing to host the annual Strictly Sail portion of the show
at Miamarina at Bayside Marketplace.

Q: WHAT ABOUT SEA ISLE?
A: Sea Isle has been a fantastic location for the show. Given the
multi-venue nature of the show, we are still working to determine how we
might utilize this space.

Q: WILL THE BOAT SHOW MOVE BACK TO THE MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER
AFTER CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETED?
A: The show is moving permanently to Miami Marine Stadium Park and
Basin. We continue to work with the City of Miami Beach and the
Convention Center during their construction to create a space that can
be used as an important venue of the Miami International Boat Show.
-------------------------
Accommodations, Dining and Entertainment

Q: I’VE STAYED AT THE SAME HOTEL IN MIAMI BEACH FOR YEARS. WILL THE
NEW BOAT SHOW ACCOMMODATIONS BE CONVENIENT AND FUN FOR OUR COMPANY AND
CUSTOMERS WHO WANT TO EXPERIENCE THE MIAMI LIFESTYLE?
A: YES. Our official housing partner, OnPeak, has reserved room blocks
at some of the premier hotels in downtown Miami, just across from Miami
Marine Stadium Park and Basin and blocks away from nightlife in downtown
Miami and Mary Brickell.

Access a full list of participating hotels here [6]. More hotels will
be added to the official room block in the coming weeks.

_Free water taxi service will be offered at participating hotels within
the show's room block, plus at numerous ports throughout Miami. In
addition, free shuttle bus service will be offered from hotels within
the show's room block and conveniently located parking locations._

Q: HOW CAN I BOOK MY ROOM BLOCK AND WHAT IS THE CUTOFF?
A: PLAN TODAY! Get the best room rates through the show's only official
housing partner, OnPeak. Do not be scammed booking through another
"official room block!" Book as soon as possible through OnPeak to ensure
you get the hotel you want and best possible room rates.

Book through our official housing partner, OnPeak [7], here:
https://compass.onpeak.com/e/42MBS16/1 [8]

Q: WHAT ARE THE DINING AND ENTERTAINMENT OPTIONS AT THE SHOW?
A: Plans are underway for customized food, beverage and entertainment
experiences -- everything from VIP food and beverage tents to a
children's area and variety of entertainment-oriented food stations.

There are also restaurants on Virginia Key that will be within the
footprint of the show experience: Rusty Pelican [9], Atlantica Seafood
Restaurant & Market [10], and Whiskey Joe's [11].

And, first-class catering will be available onsite for exhibitor parties
and events.

Q: WHERE WILL WE BE ABLE TO HOST PRESS EVENTS, PRIVATE MEETINGS AND VIP
GATHERINGS FOR OUR CUSTOMERS? WILL THERE BE MEETING SPACE AVAILABLE
ONSITE?
A: Many press events are held in exhibitors' displays and you will be
able to continue to do this. You will also have the capability to do VIP
events on the docks or in your display. We will make arrangements for
some other press events and private meetings on show site and work with
the hotel block and neighboring restaurants on offsite meetings and VIP
accommodations.

A concierge service will be available onsite for restaurant
reservations, and we will provide a local travel and tourism partner to
assist exhibitors in advance with local information and site selection
for events.

Q: WHAT TYPES OF VIP EXPERIENCES WILL BE PROVIDED FOR OUR CUSTOMERS?
A: NMMA will provide exhibitors a variety of hassle-free custom VIP
experiences, allowing them the opportunity to attract and engage
customers in a new way. These will be designed with you and include
ability for you to bring visitors in your own boats, reserved parking at
the show site, valet parking, a VIP entrance to the show and more.
-------------------------
Parking, Traffic & Transportation

Q: Will there be exhibitor parking at the Park?
A: There will be limited exhibitor parking on Virginia Key adjacent to
the show site. There will be ample transportation options to and from
the new location for both exhibitors and attendees. This will include
free water taxis from some of our hotel partners and ample parking
locations in downtown Miami as well as free shuttle bus service from all
hotels in the show's room block and conveniently located parking
locations.

There will also be a special mooring area in the Basin where exhibitors
can travel to and from the show using their own watercraft. Information
on this mooring area will be available soon. Maps showing the water taxi
ports and the parking lots and shuttle routes will also be available
soon.

Q: WHAT TRANSPORTATION IS PROVIDED FOR EXHIBITORS AND ATTENDEES?
A: There are 12,000 parking spaces available throughout downtown Miami
and within five miles of the show, in addition to 2,000 parking spaces
at the show site dedicated for exhibitors and VIP parking -- _SEVEN
TIMES MORE AVAILABLE PARKING SPOTS THAN IN OUR PREVIOUS LOCATION ON
MIAMI BEACH!_ -- with continuous, free water taxi service and shuttle
bus service directly to and from the show, making it easy and accessible
for all attending.

Water taxis will also be stationed at numerous ports and hotels
throughout Miami to take attendees to and from the show quickly and
efficiently -- approx. a 15-30 minute ride depending on departing
location; plus free water taxi service to and from the Strictly Sail
location at Miamarina at Bayside.

The show will also offer mooring in the Basin and launch service for
people arriving at the show in private boats.

Q: HOW MANY PARKING SPACES ARE ON VIRGINIA KEY?
A: There is one existing parking lot featuring 2,000 spots. This lot
will be pre-paid parking for exhibitors and VIP parking.

Q: ARE THERE PLANS FOR WATER TAXIS OR SHUTTLE SERVICE TO AND FROM MIAMI
BEACH AND/OR THE YACHT & BROKERAGE SHOW?
A: NMMA currently has no plans to have transportation to and from Miami
Beach or the Yacht & Brokerage Show.

Q: WILL THE WATER TAXI FLEET BE LARGE ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE DEMAND TO
AND FROM THE SHOW?
A: We are currently working with several transportation partners and
will have a variety of water taxis and larger vessels to accommodate the
people coming to and from downtown Miami, plus a fleet of shuttle buses
to and from the show. Travel to the show will be easier as the hour or
more shuttle bus rides between previous Miami Boat Show locations will
be eliminated. Once you are at the show you won't have to leave! Shuttle
and water taxi service will provide a stress-free experience.

Q: HOW LONG WILL THE RIDE ON THE SHUTTLE BUS TAKE FROM DOWNTOWN MIAMI?
A: It takes 15-30 minutes across the Rickenbacker Causeway from
downtown Miami, about half the distance it takes during the show from
the Convention Center to Sea Isle Marina and Bayside.

Q: HOW WILL THE SHOW MANAGE TRAFFIC TO AND FROM THE PARK?
A: We are working with the City of Miami's police administration to put
a comprehensive transportation plan in place and are in the process of
conducting studies on traffic patterns to and from Virginia Key. The
City has experience managing traffic for major events on Virginia Key
and throughout Miami. We are committed to ensuring a significantly
improved transportation experience for attendees and exhibitors.

Q: WHAT ABOUT THE TOLL BOOTHS ON THE RICKENBACKER CAUSEWAY?
A: The toll booths are no longer used and have been converted to open
road tolling. SunPass and Toll by Plate have been implemented on the
Rickenbacker Causeway, and there are two lanes in each direction moving
at 45 mph.
-------------------------
Load In/Move Out

Q: How will load in and move out be handled for 2016?
A: There will be a large marshalling area onsite to accommodate all
exhibitor needs, both on land and in-water. Details on timing and
logistics will be shared in the coming months.
-------------------------
City of Miami-Key Biscayne Lawsuit

Q: HOW DOES THE RECENT LAWSUIT BETWEEN THE CITY OF MIAMI AND KEY
BISCAYNE AFFECT THE SHOW?
A: The Key Biscayne City Council agreed to start the conflict
resolution process and is now in mediation with the City of Miami.

With construction underway, we will be working with the City of Miami
and our new neighbors on Virginia Key and Key Biscayne to ease any
concerns. The boat show generates an estimated $600 million in annual
economic impact. We are dedicated to continuing to uphold our reputation
as good neighbors--one that we have worked to build over the past 74
years--and to ensure that we are a positive representation of the
thousands of boaters and boating businesses that depend on us.
-------------------------
Sales Team

[Ratickle]

It looks as if it's coming together. Cool.

[Madpoodle]

Key Biscayne will lose the lawsuit based on their allowing the Lipton or whatever it is called tennis tournament.to take place for two weeks every year despite it trashing traffic on the key and the complaints of the residents. This years MIBS was a practice run for next years if you didn't notice with all the air conditioned tents they setup. Management is thrilled with the reception the new setup got, and plans for next year are moving forward. Be interesting to see whats in our exhibitor package in a few weeks

[jdoss]

in the long run I think this is a great venue, in water and land combined. This year was a total dry run for nxt year. It gonna be a lot of huge tents.
traffic is gonna suck, use to walking to the show each day and then to eat after show.