LTC 225-2019 PUBLIC WORKS TOOK MEASURES TO SAFEGUARD AGAINST HOSPITAL IMPLOSION'S POSSIBLE DISRUPTION TO COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENT MIAMI BEACH
City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive,Miami Beach,Florida 33139,www.miamibeachfl.gov
Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
Tel:305-673-7010,Fax:305-673-7782 225-2019
NO. LTC# LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO: Mayor Dan Gelber and Members of the C'ty Commission
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
DATE: April 18, 2019
SUBJECT: PUBLIC WORKS TOOK MEASURES TO SAFEGUARD AGAINST HOSPITAL IMPLOSION'S
POSSIBLE DISRUPTION TO COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENT
The purpose of this Letter to Commission is to provide an update on a recent implosion that took place
at 630 Alton Rd, formerly the South Shore Hospital.
On April 16, 2019, the South Shore Hospital was successfully demolished. The property, which stood
gutted and abandoned for over a decade on the visible intersection of Alton Road and 6th Street, will be
reborn as a multi-story residential building with retail space and a highly anticipated three-acre public
park. The implosion marks a momentous occasion, one that is the beginning of a new entrance to our
vibrant city.
City staff worked closely with the demolition crew to ensure that adequate safety measures were
implemented, and proper procedures were followed. The City's Public Works Department collaborated
with Police, Fire, Building, and Transportation colleagues during the implosion planning process to ensure
that the event had minimal impact to the community and the site was reopened for traffic in under two
hours.
In its commitment to environmentally-sound practices, Public Works also took additional steps to
safeguard against possible debris and sediments from being discharged into the bay via the stormwater
system. The department's certified crews conducted a final site inspection that very morning and
enhanced the contractor's pollution control efforts by installing protective filters in stormwater catch
basins. As an additional precaution to protect the environment, the Public Works team also shut down
the two adjacent neighborhood stormwater pump stations to avoid the possible introduction of
contaminants into waterways. These pump stations were subsequently inspected and cleaned.
More than 25 Public Works staff were on site to quickly embark upon the feat of cleaning the affected
area. Two crane trucks were present to remove any large debris from the roads; three large mobile
sweeping machines promptly began to relieve the streets from debris; a crew of 15 workers swept the
area simultaneously; and the process was completed by four pressure washing units that cleaned
sidewalks and bus benches within the implosion perimeter.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Roy Coley, Public Works Director
at extension 7080.
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JM/ETC/- /NPJ/LBM