1616-28 Miami Today - Miami charter school on Virginia Key r 1
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'HURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2004 0 20 .0! $2 WWW.MIAMITOD,
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WEEK OF THURSDAY,APRIL 22,2004 0 20 $2 WWW.MIAMITODAYNEWS.COM
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Entrepreneurs have flourished through ;SMALL. BUSINESS Small businesses losing out to
perseverance, diversification, corporate mentality, some say,
Pg. 13 pg. 15
ROLL CALL: Korn/Ferry rInternational,placetr Tourism has
recruiting firm hired to find a replacement for ��(
Superintendent Merrett Stierheim, °ave THE NEWSMAKER the Miami-Dade County Public School Board large
FYIthe names of four candidates Tuesday.Up - r.; jal g� gains,
1 I for the job are Rudolph Crew,former New , . •
1-N- York City public schools chancellor;Pedro „:-S,'''K �'}
M1AD+II Garcia,metropolitanNashville public schools �'&iI`. K"1-11,
repol 1. sa`is
director; John Murphy, former Charlotte y t r 'v �JNC,superintendent;and Eric Smith,Anne " 11‘. •60-. 2k-. ¢,�
Arundel County,MD, superintendent.All 5: t it e, •' `+ „,.,..0..
By MARILYN Bowoea
have teaching experience and each has been a superintendent for more ty '..,.1.1144,":,,, t�+ ,t
than a decade.Mr.Stierheim is to leave the post in June.He has been . ,j,- ° r t�" m '� Winter tourism is bouncing out
superintendent since October 2001. ,',,,, t
1%464, s of recession in Greater Miami
HEADED NORTH:Gov.Jeb Bush and state economic development i y 4 : r with a strong domestic showing
arm Enterprise Florida are to lead a trade mission to Montreal and Ontario ' i au tT/l$av n li and signs that the Latin Ameri
July 26-30.The aim is to help Florida businesses benefit from 3.5/ ” q' C `gL"L§ a �+ r r -
t yp �t�, r canmarketisreviving,according
growth expected this year in Canada's economy.Canada imported$2.4 "'a aR 6~ ,,;,
d..3 j[ !6 k_/ &the Visitors Bureau.
Convention
billion in goods from Florida last year,trading heavily in pharmaceutit i � -, "
cals,information technology,telecommunications,agricultural equip- l, r- IN, tv_ Bt.Visitors first time
-
L0l Forthe time since 9/11,it
ment and other products.According to the governor's office,trade with '��� ¢ + 'lx . '
Canada generates about 29,100 jobs for Floridians.Details:(305)569 �sQl f' Lip
° .tr1`&t went very well,"said William D.
2650. � " ' �`' Talbert III,president and CEO of
� �t `' :=;•••-,-' the bureau."We have record tour-
METMOVE IN MIAMI:Developers of Metropolitan Miami need to move 1.Y' -dz- Y-•- + jr�.• ist-tax collections and are close
one of the project's residential towers about 8 feet to the south.The shift ' ,r r-h ., Po
is necessary"to accommodate the city's desire to realign Southeast Third -� •s' .,, r to leading the nation in hotel oc-
Street,"according to city documents.City commissioners are to consider 4 ' cupancies,daily room rates and
the change at a planning and zoning hearing today(4/22).MOM Devel �^ 1 J1t.34I1 availability."
opment Group's multiphase mix of 1,500 condos,.office and retail space c't a .4-' ( Il•' tori, ! Tax revenue generated by Mi-
and a movie theater is to rise across 6 acres along Biscayne Boulevard Way 1 . 11 1 t' r ami-Dade hotels from October
just east of the Brickell bridge. '-1{lir through February totaled nearly
METMONEY:City documents estimate cost of the Metropolitan Miami - $18million,hesaid-8.2%above
project at$688 million.As many as 915 workers may be necessary for` - - - '-'pre-W14ftguresin 2000-01:
construction and,after completion,about 470 jobs are expected to be End of first-quarter statistics
added.The city may reap about$9.9 million annually from the downtown from Smith Travel Research
development. show a 10.6-percentage-point
DEVELOPMENT ISSUE DELAYED:Bay Harbor Islands`'town coun- surge in hotel occupancies in
cil withdrew a vote Monday on a proposed Gateway Zoning District. Photo by Marlene Mem, Miami-Dade from the same pe-
Instead,the pending height-regulation issue that could affect a dozen riod last year.Hotel rooms were
parcels on East Island where Kane Concourse enters the community is to Torn Roth 81%filled in the quarter,the re-
return May 10 after town officials meet with property owners,said J.C. Developing a new tower in downtown Coral Gables port says.South Miami-Dade led
Jimenez,assistant to the town manages The profile is on Page 4 the county with an 83.3%occu-
pancy rate,up 15:1 points.
Miami may build charter school on Virginia Key plancbytonwiderepresented a 5.8-point
Bs'Susas STAOLE1 A charter school openedbyMiami's Down- mentoring programs and the mayor has said Moreim hotels omniay,Mr.Talbert
saithe hig ihotelscommandsome
town DevelopmentAuthority in 2002 is flour- he wants to expand an Adopt-a-Classroom of the highest rates in the coun-
The City ofMiami Wants to open a charter ishing.The tuition-free Downtown Miami program into every school in the city. try. Smith Travel said the
school and is eyeing its property near a Charter School was intended in part to ac- During his State of the City Address last county's average rate was
Virginia Key magnet school. commodate the children of commuters month,Mayor Diaz said the city would target
$132.32 in March,up 5.2%from
City officials said the site at 3979 throughout South Florida and according to medicine,hospitalitymanagement,bankingand March 2003.
Rickenbacker Causeway is one of many school officials,at least 65%of its pupils finance andtravel and tourism through achar-
Ratesnationwidejumped4.l%
being considered for a school.It would help have a parent who works downtown. terormagnet school.Another charter school, to$87.43.Smith Travel said.
serve an expected influx of children arriving That school,which operates as part of the he said,could use Miami's consular corps to MiamiBeach and Bal Harbour
with a surge in residential development,they county's public school system,is at its ca- create a school for international studies. hotels had the highest average
say. pacity of 625 pupils for kindergarten though "Obviously,it's a critical piece to a city' rates in the county-$166.96,a
The property is already owned by the city sixth grade and has a waiting list for next economic health,"said Otto Boudet-Muri 6.4%jump from lastyear.Down-
and near the Maritime and Science Technol- year,principal Alicia RodriguezBower said. senior adviser for economic development town Miami showed the highest
ow School,or MAST Academy.Commis- "We are receiving interest from people Mayor Diaz. increase,9.1%to$118.18.
sionerJohnnyWinton told aroom full oflocal moving in Neo Lofts now,"Ms.Bower said He said the city is working with the county
Mr.Taibertsasddomestictour
business people about the city's interest in -Monday."The demand will be there." school districtto try to build more schools in ism accounted for much of the
adding schools near the downtown area at a The city has also launched a flurry of the city.
season's traffic but foreign busi-
Greater Miami Chamberof Commerce event educational programs.In 2003,it started a "They are aware of the volume of devel-
ness is showing promise.
lastweekatMiami City Club. _ summer reading program through 26 parks, opment coming online,"he said Monday. We're starting to see the re-
"Schools are on our agenda,"said Corn- reaching more than 2,000 children and em- "Underno eventwould we run[the schoolsj."
turn of Europeans because of the
missioner Winton."How can we do any ploying4l teachers. Ayear ago the city considered takingover weak dollar,"he said,"and Latin
worse?"he said in reference to the Miami- Computer labs and programs are also be- a school system program as apilot project to American tourism is strengthen-
Dade County school system. ing established and Mayor Manny Diaz has reduce the size of school districts,but legis-
Mr.Winton said a school on Virginia Key said he will work with Sylvan Learning Cen- lation for the proposal failed.This year,Mr. ut'
could serve students from Key Biscayne, ters to create a partnership for year-round Boudet-Murias said,"it's not an item weUVisitors bureau to continue
downtown Miami and Coconut Grove. instruction at the parks.The city supports pushed." Imarketing campaign,pg.12
CONTROVERSIAL MIAMI RIVER PROJECT ON CITY'S AGENDA... 2 PEOPLE:JOB CHANGES,PROMOTIONS,HIRES,AWARDS... 10-11
LET'S LEAVE ENOUGH FOR THINGS WE
6
INTERNATIONAL ROUNDTABLE:FTAA AND
RIBBEAN...
-20
AGENDA TRAFFIC DOWN THIS YEAR AT MIAMI INTERNATIONAL 8 OFFICE TENANTS IGNORE,ABANDON CLASS ACSPACE_. 1721
COUNTY HOPES TO IRON OUT KINKS IN BUS SERVICE... 9 UPSCALE HOTEL CHAIN HAS EYE ON DUPONT SITE_. 22