Posts Tagged: ‘Miami Beach Convention Center’

State Rep. David Richardson’s remarks on the MBCC

December 18, 2013 Posted by Frank M

State Rep. David Richardson addressed the City Commission on Dec. 11, the following are his remarks on the Miami Beach Convention Center:

The convention center, over the last year I’ve been very quiet about that because I am very very respectful that I am a state representative and I was not elected to be a commissioner or a mayor. I’ve sent my staff to keep me informed. I was not endorsing or supporting either project that was before this project that was before this body.
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SunPost: Millions at stake says MBCCAB

October 17, 2013 Posted by Frank M

From wikimedia commons

By Frank Maradiaga From Miami SunPost

Advisory Board Warns Miami Beach It Will Lose $390 Million if Miami Beach Convention Center Plan is Scrapped.

The Miami Beach Convention Center Advisory Board announced this week that Miami Beach stands to lose $390 million dollars if the current renovation plans for the center are scrapped.

Chairman of the Board Stu Blumberg said the city has on the books tentative agreements that represent real tangible money, and warned it would go up in smoke if the city moved away from developing the 52-acre lot.

The meeting was called a day before the city’s October Commission Meeting, and in response to the commission asking the administration to look into ‘alternatives’ after the project hit a detour in the courts.

“We are a little bit frustrated about the lack of information regarding this center,” said Blumberg, “and more so the misinformation.”

With the ballot question struck from this November’s election because it did not include a finished agreement between the city and the developer, the project gets delayed and opponents get more time to poke at the aging center. None of the most vocal opponents to the project were present at the meeting.

“Our biggest critics are not in the room. That speaks volumes,” said Blumberg.

Commissioner Jonah Wolfson, backed with money from the Fontainebleau -themselves a failed bidder of the MBCC project-, has lead a campaign against the project. He even successfully put a question on this year’s ballot that would raise a potentially raise the passing of a referendum on public land from a simple majority to 60% of the vote.

If it passes it adds another difficult hurdle for the project. This lead the advisory board to rhetorically ask the commission, as none were present when the question was asked, does the city want to be in the convention center business?

“It’s not complicated, because if the city doesn’t wish to be in the business…then don’t talk about a renovation and don’t talk about a hotel,” said the chairman.

Read the rest at Miami SunPost

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SunPost: MBCC Public Amenities Push

June 27, 2013 Posted by Frank M

By: Frank Maradiaga

A day after opening their model showcase room on Lincoln Lane, the principals of Portman CMC stalked around another model reservoir two floors beneath the commission’s chamber. The first floor conference room took the appearance of a bunker- stockpiled with toy-like renditions of the Miami Beach Convention Center District, and oversized posters depicting the new life both teams hope to bring to the 52 acres. In between monitoring the commission meeting above, the principles were eager to speak about their plan’s public amenities and happy to share a 50-page glossy booklet they produced that listed the top reasons to choose their plan.

While the genesis and ultimate reason for the development project is the MBCC and its’ improved economical bearings, the teams engage in a complicated juggling act where they must please many interests, and ultimately the general public.

“Ours is a better plan, not just in a financial point of view, but it will work better,” said

Jack Portman, the name sake figurehead of Portman CMC. “And more importantly it will create a more dynamic urban experience for the residents of Miami Beach.”

Portman CMC recently spoke with the SunPost about their attempts to “educate” the public on what they offer culturally. South Beach ACE was invited to a similar talk, but scheduling problems have prevented it so far.

The Portman group is banking on a town square and is eager to show off the differences between the two finalist’s master plans.

“The town square becomes the community’s living room,” says Portman.

In early June they rented a store front on Lincoln Lane to house various models, and welcome an interested public. Members of the PR team have boasted to the SunPost over the foot traffic the storefront sometimes get. The opening did attract a capacity crowd.

Simultaneously they also published a chunky glossy booklet entitled “Top reasons to choose Portman CMC.” It features flattering charts and bar graphs that illustrate the differences in both plans, always with the advantage going to the home team. As an example in one bar graph the cost of the public is depicted; the scale starts at $580 million and increases in $20 million increments all the way to $700 million, the cost of South Beach ACE’s MBCC plan to the public. Graphically Portman CMC’s price-tag bar is tiny compared to ACE’s which takes up the entire chart, $624 million has never looked so small.

Read more at the Miami SunPost

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SunPost:Jack Portman Weighs in on Beach Convention Center Plans

April 11, 2013 Posted by Frank M

By Frank Maradiaga

Just a preview of full Q and A for the SunPost.

In the February meeting you mentioned the cost would be around 300-500 million depending how far the city wants to go: Is there a scenario where the remodeling of the convention center can just equal a superficial facelift? What’s involved in the extra 200 million?

I don’t think that’s the problem. The Convention Center needs to be upgraded to be competitive in it’s Market niche. The cost is like a house you want to remodel. You have a certain amount of income. You might want to do ten things but you can only do eight thoroughly. You have to match the cost with how much money you spend. That is the evaluation that is taking place. I don’t have an answer for that. It’s our objective to match revenue with cost.

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Have you experienced any resistance because of the Jackie Gleason Theater?

Of course, it’s not the first time we’ve been to this movie. This is the way we analyze it: is it functional ? What does it contribute to the area? Is the facility historic? Is the legacy of Jackie Gleason historically significant?

Having a theater in the development is important. We should and have a theater in the development.

Is it historically significant? The answer to that is an emphatic no. The building is not in the least bit worthy of any architectural preservation. Modified a 100 times, and in the beginning it was an auditorium.

Is the Jackie Gleason legacy worthy? Yes, and we are going to preserve it in a variety of ways.

Note: since the interview the public backlash has changed the way Portman CMC will view this. Portman says they are reevaluating what to do with the theater.

“It’s a very passionate subject for a lot of people. From our perspective, we didn’t think it was worthy of the passion that has been shown. Given that it is being shown, we need to reevaluate how we look at it. From an urban planning point of view , from a convention center destination point of view. What we are proposing is the right solution. But if politically proposing what we are proposing doesn’t allow us to further participate, then we have to take a hard look at it.

…

Read the Full Q and A on Miami SunPost

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Tweet from Frank Maradiaga (@writerfrank)

March 26, 2013 Posted by Frank M

Frank Maradiaga (@writerfrank) tweeted at 6:52 PM on Tue, Mar 26, 2013: The view from the end of the line at the Bjarke Ingels presentation. #MiamiBeach #bjarkeingels http://t.co/fYHh3AXtg1 (https://twitter.com/writerfrank/status/316683996547383296)

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