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LTC 92-2003 CITY of MIAMI BEACH Office of the City Manager Letter to Commission No. TO: FROM: SUBJECT: Mayor David Dermer and Members of the City Commission Jorge M. Gonzalez ~ City Manager ~_~ !~'~"'~' FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES Date: April 10, 2003 The purpose of the LTC is to update the Mayor and City Commission on the City's efforts to secure Congressional earmarks in the Federal 2004 Appropriations legislation. Attached, please find testimony that was submitted this week to the various appropriations subcommittees in the House of Representatives. This testimony will also be submitted in the coming weeks to the Senate appropriations subcommittees. The attached testimony includes: · Beach Renourishment, Support of Miami-Dade County's Request (Energy and Water Subcommittee) Atlantic Corridor Greenway Network, $4 million (Transportation Subcommittee and VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies Subcommittee) · Stormwater Infrastructure Improvements, $9 million (VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies Subcommittee) · North Beach Cultural Facility, $5 million (VA, HUD, and Independent Agenies Subcommittee) · Art Deco District Restoration, $2 million (Interior and Related Agencies Subcommittee) · Cultural Arts Initiative, $2 million (Labor, health and Human Services Subcommittee) The Administration and the City's lobbyists will continue to work with the Representatives through the appropriations process. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me. c: Murray Dubbin, City Attorney Christina Cuervo, Assistant City Manager Mayra Diaz-Buttacavoli, Assistant City Manager Bob Middaugh, Assistant City Manager Kevin Crowder, Economic Development Division Director JMG/Ci~KC F:\DDH p~$ALL\KEVI N\Correspondence\LTCs~2004 testimony. DOC STATEMENT FOR THE HEARING RECORD Submitted By HONORABLE DAVID DERMER, MAYOR ~ CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA Submitted To ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 28, 2003 On behalf of the City of Miami Beach, I appreciate this opportunity to submit for the record testimony in support of the request by Miami-Dade County for beach renourishment funds. Support for Miami-Dade Construction Request The City of Miami Beach would first like to thank the members of the subcommittee for all their efforts in the past to provide support for the State of Florida's beaches and in particular, those of Miami Beach. Beaches are Florida's number one tourist "attraction." In 2002, beach tourism generated more than $16 billion dollars for Florida's economy and more tourists visited Miami Beach than visited the three largest national parks combined. In addition to their vital economic importance, beaches are the front line defense for mu~,ti-billion dollar coastal infrastructure during hurricanes and storms. When beaches are allowed to erode away,' the likelihood that the Federal government will be stuck with astronomical storm recovery costs is significantly increased. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection estimates that at least 276 miles (35%) of Florida's 787 miles of sandy beaches are currently at a critical state of erosion. This includes the entire six miles of Miami Beach. As a result of the continuing erosion process and more dramatically, recent intense storms which have caused tremendous damage to almost all of the dry beach and sand dune throughout the middle segment of Miami Beach. Three years ago, most of the Middle Beach dune cross-overs were declared safety hazards and closed, as the footings of the boardwalk itself were in immediate jeopardy of being undercut by the encroaching tides. If emergency measures, costing approximately $400,000 had not been taken by the City, there would have been considerable risk of coastal flooding west of the dune line in residential sections of Miami Beach. As you can see, this example points to the commitment we as a beach community have to our beaches, but federal assistance remains crucial. While we are thankful of the substantial commitment made by the subcommittee in the FY02 Energy and Water Conference Report, there is still much work to be done. Our beaches must be maintained not only to ensure that our residents and coastal properties are afforded the best storm protection possible, but also to ensure that beach tourism, our number one industry, is protected and nurtured. In 1987, the Army Corps of Engineers and Metropolitan Dade County entered into a fifty year agreement to jointly manage restore and maintain Dade County's sandy beaches. Since then, Metropolitan Dade County has been responsible for coordinating and funding the local share of the cost for the periodic re, nourishment of our beaches. In order to ensure that adequate funding will continue to be available, the City of Miami Beach supports and endorses the legislative priorities and appropriation requests of Metropolitan Dade County, as they relate to the restoration and maintenance of Dade County's sandy beaches. Specifically, the City respectfully adds their strong support for the efforts of Miami-Dade County and wholeheartedly supports their FY2003 request for beach renourishment funds. Your support would be appreciated, Mr. Chairman. The City of Miami Beach thanks you~ for the opportunity to present these views for your consideration Testimony Submitted to the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee Committee on Appropriations United States House of Representatives On behalf of the City of Miami Beach, Florida Honorable David Dermer, Mayor Miami Beach - Atlantic Corridor Greenway Network (An Important and Innovative Program that brings together Enhanced Tourist/Commuter Transportation, Alternative Transportation, Inter-modal Access, Social Justice, Urban Revitalization and Economic Redevelopment in a Linear Park or "Graenway Setting") The City of Miami Beach exists as an eight-mile long chain of barrier islands that is separated from the mainland of Miami-Dade County by the Biscayne Bay Marine Estuary. The historic and scenic Indian Creek Waterway system snakes its way through the chain of islands. Miami Beach was settled in the late 1800's as a farming community. Just after the turn of the century, entrepreneurs recognized the area's potential and launched the development of a resort community. The result was a development boom, which reached its peak in the 1930's & 40's and established Miami Beach as the number one beach tourism destination in the world. At that time, an elaborate transit network effectively serviced the public's need and automobiles were of little use to Miami Beach visitors and business owners. As a result, very few parking facilities were developed Citywide. The post-war prosperity of the 1950's brought on a vast expansion in the development of single-family homes and lower density multifamily residential facilities to Miami Beach. By the time changes in world economic conditions brought new development in Miami Beach to a halt in the 1960's, the City of Miami Beach was a completely developed urban area. The area remained in economic doldrums until the mid-1980s when Art Deco revival and resurgence in beach tourism ignited a wave of redevelopment that has eclipsed any previous period of development in Miami Beach history. This resurgence in development has also broqght on major changes in both Miami Beach's population demographics and traffic patterns. From 1980 to 2000, the median age of Miami Beach residents has dropped from 65 to 39 years old. During that time, a large number of the City's hotel and apartment facilities that historically catered to the City's retiree and seasonal visitor populations were converted to condominiums occupied by permanent residents. Although Miami Beach is geographically small (7.1 square miles), it has one of the highest population and housing densities in the United States. Miami Beach ranks 29th in the nation for population density, behind multiple cities and boroughs of New York City Greater Los Angeles Greater Chicagot and the San Fransisco Metro area. This population density increases during the winter months, when seasonal residents occupy almost 10,000 housing units that function as second and third homes. Regarding housing unit density, Miami Beach is ranked second behind New York City. The development of alternative modes of transportation in such a dense, urban environment is necessary for sustainable economic growth. The number of vehicles owned by residents of Miami Beach has increased from approximately 20,000 cars in 1975 to more than 42,000 in 2000. According to the 2000 Census, only 58% of the Miami Beach labor force drove to work alone, and over 15% specified that they walked to work or used other means such as bicycles and roilerblades, indicating their acceptance of alternative modes of transportation. The Miami Beach Architectural District, better known as the Art Deco District, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. This designation, and the reinvestment that followed, led to an unprecedented revitalization effort that made Miami Beach and its South Beach neighborhood one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Miami Beach has become a regional resource, attracting over 70% of all tourists that visit Greater Miami. Unfortunately, research shows that the majority of these tourists rent cars while on their vacation, greatly contributing to congestion. In addition, residents of the surrounding region make over 8 million day-trips to Miami Beach each year. The City of Miami Beach is located east of Downtown Miami, across Biscayne Bay. Downtown Miami is the key employment hub for South Florida, and many of the roads in Miami Beach have become alternate routes for commuters from the communities to the north. The traffic congestion caused by daily commuters, residents and visitors trying to traverse the city and vying for the scarce few available parking spaces seriously impedes access to area businesses, cultural/entertainment centers, residential facilities, public parks and green space. This traffic gridlock has also had negative impacts on tourist/convention bookings, local business revenues and has limited future economic development through concurrency constraints on growth. Through the development of the Atlantic Corridor Greenway Network, the City of Miami Beach is creating a regional alternative transportation network which will interconnect key inter-modal centers, area business districts, cultural/tourism centers, residential neighborhoods, parking facilities, parks, schools and the beaches. The Network will be comprised of a citywide system of bicycle/pedestrian facilities, enhanced public transit facilities, expanded local circulator service and innovative regional parking improvement programs. This network in Miami Beach will link with the larger network of greenways and trails that is planned for Miami-Dade County and South Florida, and will be a key component of the State of Florida's outdoor recreational amenities. The system of bicycle/pedestrian trails will be created to provide continuous, multi-purpose public access corridors throughout the City. The access corridors will be developed as Greenways or linear parks which will snake their way along the City's beaches, waterways and natural ecosystems with connections to residential areas, resort areas, business districts, civic centers, transit sites and parking facilities. Rest areas, vista areas, waterway access facilities, and interpretive signage will be interspersed throughout the greenways to provide enhanced heritage and ecotourism amenities and recreational opportunities for trail users. By connecting the Greenway trails with improved transit sites in strategic residential areas, employment centers and regional parking facilities, the Network will encourage greater utilization of public and alternative modes of transportation for daily commut ng, owering transportation costs and freeing critically, needed parking in the business districts. Through the creation of innovative employee park & ride programs ~or local businesses, the Network will shift additional cars away from key business and tourist centers to less utilized regional parking facilities. The alleviation of some of the traffic congestion and parking shortages along the Atlantic Corridor will encourage new economic development in Miami Beach by increasing capacity, therefore reducing the concurrency restrictions currently limiting new development and by increasing local business utilization by residents and visitors. As network usage increases, there will be a corresponding increase in the demand for services by the network users, which in turn will stimulate the growth of local tour/ism and service based businesses such as hotels, restaurants, rental facilities, retail shops, galleries and other small businesses. According to the State of Florida's Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) the two outdoor recreational activities, which are in the highest demand amongst both the State's residents and tourists are saltwater beach activities and bicycle riding. Together, these activities represent 61.1% of the total demand for resource-based outdoor recreation activities. The SCORP also identifies the development of new facilities to support saltwater beach and bicycle recreation within urban areas, as the two greatest un-met needs for outdoor recreational facilities within Florida. In addition to saltwater beach and bicycle recreation, the SCORP also identifies visiting archeologicai/historical sites and nature study as outdoor recreational activities that are in high demand by our residents and tourists, representing the 10th and 13th highest demanded activities respectively. The City's Atlantic Corridor Greenway Network will contribute significantly to meeting these demands for outdoor recreational opportunities. The Corridor project will enhance public recreational access along eight miles of saltwater beach and its serpentine trails will provide more than twenty-two miles of new urban bicycle/pedestrian facilities in a greenway setting. Interpretive signage along the trails will provide excellent opportunities for users to learn about the shoreline, dune and coastal hammock ecosystems indigenous to barrier islands like Miami Beach. Self-guided excursion maps will also allow trail users to study and enjoy the cultural and historical landmarks within the six registered historic districts, which lie adjacent to the network trails. In Ecology of Greenways, Daniel S. Smith says "Greenways can tie communities together by linking features such as parks, historic sites, residential areas, and shopping districts and by allowing people to travel from place to place w thout the qoise and rush of automobiles." The City's Atlantic Corridor Greenway Network will provide direct linkages between the community's residential neighborhoods, business districts, historic districts, civic centers, transit sites, parking facilities, parks, natural areas and the beaches. All of these linkages will be created within a traffic-free, heavily landscaped greenway setting with a completely urbanized area. The Atlantic Corridor Greenway Network will significantly enhance recreational facility access and provide an excellent alternative transportation network for persons with disabilities. All areas of the network, as well as, all of its connections to the existing streets, sidewalks, parks and parking facilities will all be developed in full compliance with the guidelines set forth by the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). The direct linkages that the network will provide between the residential neighborhoods, business districts, historic districts, civic centers, transit sites, parking facilities, parks, and the beaches will allow people with disabilities to utilize public and alternative modes of transportation, in conjunction with the traffic-free, landscaped! greenway for daily commuting, shopping and recreating. Local government has already made a substantial investment in the development of the Atlantic Corridor. To date, the City has obtained more than $13,200,000 in project funding, completed the design and permitting of more than 4.5 miles of the Network's trails, and will complete the construction of the first 3.5 miles of trail in FY- 03104. If approved, this $4,000,000 appropriation request will be matched with the $6,700,000 in Local, County and State funds and be used to complete the construction of the 3.5 mile North Beach Recreational Corridor segment of the overall project. Testimony Submitted to the VA, HUD and Independent Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee Committee on Appropriations United States House of Representatives On behalf of the City of Miami Beach, Florida Honorable David Dermer, Mayor Stormwater Infrastructure Improvements The City of Miami Beach is a small (7.1 square miles) city located on a series of barrier islands in Biscayne Bay. However, the City has one of the highest population and housing densities in the United States (29th in the nation for population density, 2nd in housing unit density). The recent tourism resurgence and economic revitalization has led to a new private sector investment, a significant shift in the population characteristics, as well as a significant number of tourists. This revitalization has created a significant financial challenge in the attempts to provide adequate potable water and stormwater treatment/protection to citizens and visitors. The City Commission has approved a local expenditure of $60,000,000 for the water and stormwater improvements, which has resulted in water and sewer rate increases to 126% of national averages in Fiscal Year 2000 with approved increases bringing rates to 144% by Fiscal Year 2006. Unfortunately, the estimated cost to complete construction of these water and stormwater improvements is $90,000,000. The City does not have the ability to fund this entire amount. We are here today to ask for supplemental funding of $9,000,000 from U.S. EPA's State and Tribal Assistance Grant Account. This figure represents 10% of the project cost. The funds will be spent in the most socio-economic disadvantaged neighborhoods in the City. The City is responsible for distribution of potable water and providing stormwater conveyance, treatment and disposal to a diverse permanent population of 87,933 people, a seasonal population of approximately 120,000 people, and over seven (7) million annual tourists. During the mid to late 1990s, the City of Miami Beach commissioned the preparation of a Water Master Plan, Sewer Master Plan and Comprehensive Stormwater Management Master Plan. These planning efforts evaluated the existing infrastructure and recommended improvements to meet the needs created by changes in land use and aging infrastructure. These Master Plans led to the creation of the City of Miami Beach Neighborhood Right-of-Way Infrastructure Program ("Program"), the funded portions of which the City anticipates to complete in 2007. The City is reconstructing aged watermain and stormwater infrastructure in existing neighborhoods to maintain safe and reliable potable water service, improve water quality in the Biscayne Bay aquatic preserve and minimize stormwater flooding damage to public and private properly. Individual neighborhoods will benefit from infrastructure upgrade projects relating to watermain replacement, sanitary sewer rehabilitation, and stormwater collection, treatment and disposal facility improvements. The majority of existing watermains in the City were installed anywhere from 50 to 80 years ago, and have reached the end of their useful life. Planned enhancements will replace corroded galvanized pipes and pipes installed with lead joints and will improve safety issues related to potable water distribution. Some water mains have become almost "blocked" by a process called tuberculation, where deterioration of a pipe's interior wall lining has occurred as result of chemical reactions with potable water. Excessive tuberculation has significantly decreased the effective pipe diameter, thereby affecting public safety through inadequate fire flows and by decreasing water pressure at the household tap, or more drastically, causing pipe collapse or failure. The new or rehabilitated watermains will improve water pressure and provide appropriate internal pressure to safeguard against backflow contamination during fire flows or other peak use situations. With regard to the City's stormwater system, the Master Plan identified over 160 drainage basins throughout the City of Miami Beach. Approximately 34 basins were identified as a priority based upon pollutant loading, pollutant concentration, flooding potential, citizen complaints and City operational staff rankings. The City experiences various levels of flooding, depending on the extremity of the rain event. With many of the City's priority drainage basins barely above sea level, and the system not being capable of handling a 5-year storm event, flooding occurs in many of the basins dur nga regular rain event, with higher flooding levels occurring during high tide or a major storm. Due to high groundwater elevations, drainage is slow, requiring extensive periods of time to dissipate. Continuous excessive ponding over the long term causes the deterioration, and ultimately failure, of paved roads, and can lead to mosquito breeding areas. When the proposed improvements are completed, these priority basins will dispose of a 7.2-inch rainfall (5-year storm) event over a period of 24 hours. All of the City's stormwater runoff is drained into Biscayne Bay, a nationally recognized aquatic preserve. Biscayne Bay was identified as one of Florida's highest priority water bodies and was the subject of a specific plan developed to help protect and enhance it. This plan is referred to as the Biscayne Bay Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Plan. One of the main goals of the plan is to maintain and improve water quality to protect and restore natural ecosystems and compatible human uses of Biscayne Bay. The City's plan to construct and/or enhance existing systems for stormwater conveyance, treatment and disposal facilities helps achieve that goal. As a municipality within Miami-Dada County, the City is a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase I permittee, and is required to eliminate pollutants to the maximum extent practica, l: .T. he proposed stormwater improvements will enhance treatment of runoff prior to discharge, m~n~m~zmg pollutant loadings into the Bay and help the City fulfill its requirement. While the majority of the Program is currently locally funded, requesting Federal cost sharing is reasonable. The City is one of the few large Dade County communities to embark on such a program before regulatory pressures require it. Typically, municipalities have waited to make such improvements until either State or Federal officials used regulatory reform or enforcement actions to force the issue through a consent degree, administrative order or court judgments. In contrast, the City has already bonded $60,000,000 for these improvements from local resources, which represents two- thirds (2/3) of the total Program cost. The City is considered the top tourist destination in the County, and one of the most popular in the world. Regular flooding impedes the commercial uses of the City and detracts from the City's reputation as a tourist attraction. The City's system is not even capable of expelling stormwater at a 5-year storm level, whereas most places in the nation are able to expel stormwater at that level. The City has limited its Funding Request to four neighborhoods that co~prise the City's North Beach area. These neighborhoods, including Biscayne Point, NoAh Shore, Normandy Shores and Normandy Isle, have very Iow Median Household Incomes (MHI). The targeted neighborhoods' average MHI is approximately $18,000, or 70% of the State of Florida average. These neighborhoods include a variety of land uses, including highly urban commercial, residential, recreational and multi- family areas, with some pockets of single-family residential, and are eligible for such Federal funding as the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community De~/elopment Block Grant and Section 108 funds. As discussed earlier, the City seeks to have funding in the amount of $9,000,000 for this Program approved in the FY 2003 VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act's STAG Account by having the following language included: "A $9,000,000 grant to the City of Miami Beach, Florida for the watermain reconstruction and stormwater improvements in the neighborho(~ds of Biscayne Point, North Shore, Normandy Shores and Normandy Isle." The City is in a position to accept the traditional local match share requirement of 45% and will make the $7,000,000 in local funds available for these specific neighborhoods upon approval of the funding. However, without the approval of this funding request, grant portions of the Program will be in jeopardy of not being constructed due to a lack of local financing. To date, this Program appropriated $4,894,812,625 for "special needs" water related projects between FY 1992 and FY 2002 to similar projects in municipalities across the nation. During this same time frame, Florida has received $117,945,000 of the total monies granted. This is the City of Miami Beach's first request for funding from this source. This Program truly impacts the health and safety of City residents and visitors by replacing deteriorated watermains that will improve fire flows and prevent backflow contamination during peak use. In addition, enhanced storrnwater collection, treatment and disposal will provide residents and property with adequate storm protection, facilitate the dissipation of standing water, and remove pollutants from stormwater runoff flows prior to disposal to the Biscayne Bay, a nationally recognized aquatic preserve. Thank you for your attention and support of this funding request. Testimony Submitted to the VA, HUD and Independent Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee Committee on Appropriations United States House of Representatives On behalf of the City of Miami Beach, Florida Honorable David Definer, Mayor North Beach Cultural Center Cultural development has become the cornerstone for the revitalization strategy for the NoAh Beach area of Miami Beach. The creative environment that was created by organizations such as the Miami City Ballet, New World Symphony, Art Center South Florida, along with many independent artist studios, led to the revitalization of South Beach from a Iow income, crime- ridden neighborhood into one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. North Beach is a neighborhood that has not experienced the dramatic reinvestment and success of South Beach, and continues to have problems with crime, housing, and unemployment. Some of the largest concentrations of Iow and Iow-moderate income households are also located in this area. As part of the North ~each Strategic Plan, (which includes $124 million of public investment and over $500 million of private investment), the City purchased an abandoned movie theater in the central business district of this neighborhood, and is currently renovating it to re-open as the North Beach Cultural Center. This $8.2 million investment by the City will provide much needed office space for the City's umbrella arts organizations, as well as performance space for groups that have been gentrified and/or displaced from South Beach due to local economic conditions. This project provides the City with the opportunity to 1 ) help preserve viable arts organizations, and 2) provide NoAh Beach with a proven economic generator. The Byron Carlyle Theater was a 7-screen movie theater that was closed by Regal Cinemas in 1999, and was vacant until the City purchased it and leased a small portion to four local non- profits in late 2001. The redevelopment of vacant buildings such as the theater is 'crucial to the economic and business development components of the North Beach Strategic Plan. However, due to the unique layout and structural nature of older movie theaters such as this, redevelopment options are limited and expensive. There are two reasons that Miami Beach is transforming this building into the North Beach Cultural Center. First, the redevelopment of this theater is an integral component of the Strategic Plan for the economic revitalization of the North Beach area of Miami Beach. While other areas of Miami Beach have enjoyed tremendous economic success over the last ten years, the North Beach area has lagged in its growth and continues to evidence a concentration of Iow-income households and a lack of private sector investment. The emergence of cultural institutions during the beginnings of the economic revitalization of South Beach's Art Deco District directly contributed to the area's continued success. Secondly, the success that cultural organizations helped create in South Beach is also a reason for the creation of a cultural facility in North Beach. As South Beach boomed, local cultural institutions became self sufficient and successful, area market trends began to improve and property values appreciated significantly. In 1993, the primary cultural area in South Beach was on Lincoln Road, where rental rates averaged $12 per foot. In 2000, rental rates reached $75 per square foot, and many small businesses and cultural organizations were forced to either relocate or dissolve. Additionally, many cultural organizations currently housed in City-owned facilities have had to relocate as the City expands to meet the ever-increasing service levels expected by the citizens. A central facility that accomplishes both goals is critical to the economic revitalization of North Beach. To date, the City has completed the Phase I renovation of the former lobby area, and has leased this new offic~ space to three cultural organizations that were displaced from South Beach. ~ The development of the North Beach Cultural Center will also help transform the entire City of Miami Beach into a world-renowned center for the creation and consumption of culture. Miami Beach is home to many internationally acclaimed cultural organizations, such as the New World Symphony, the Miami City Ballet, and the Bass Museum. These organizations~ however, are located in a small concentrated area of South Beach. The City also has over 75 ~maller cultural groups that are the true cultural heart of Miami Beach. Organizations such as the Concert Association of Florida, Ballet Flamenco La Rosa, and the Performing Arts Network continue to struggle for their economic survival. The ability to provide a facility that allows these groups to remain in Miami Beach will provide a venue where many emerging small organizations can continue to grow and prosper and at the same time provide a catalytic cultural component to the revitalization effort in North Beach. Recent studies of the Miami Beach economy have shown that for each dollar invested, the economic impact of culture and performing arts activities is higher than any other sector, giving the City more "bang for the buck." Unfortunately, the total dollar value, while significant, does not approach the investments made in tourism, real estate & development, entertainment, and retail trade. Increasing and leveraging the City's already high level of cultural investment will pay dividends for many years to come. The challenge for cities such as Miami Beach, however, is, providing the level of Cultural Arts investment that is required to generate this "biggest bang for the buck." I In addition to the North Beach Cultural Facility, the City of Miami Beach's commitment to cultural development is far above that done by most cities, as demonstrated in the City's Cultural Arts Initiative, which has an investment in culture that on a per capita basis is probably one of the highest in the nation. In addition to the $40 million private sector commitment from the New World Symphony, the City is in the midst of a cultural development capital program of almost $100 million to renovate, expand, or upgrade facilities in the City. Some of these facilities are large, such as the Jackie Gleason Theater, the Bass Museum and the Miami City Ballet, while some are small venues that support the smaller not-for-profits, such as the Colony Theater, the 10th Street Auditorium (home of the Miami Design Preservation League). The City of Miami Beach purchased the facility for $1.7 million, and spent an additional $500,000 on the Phase I renovations. Phases II and III are much more extensive and costly, and projected costs are approximately $6 million. These phases will include renovation of two of the former movie theater spaces into a single use space capable of accommodating 250 people. The City has applied to the State of Florida for a $460,000 grant for this project, and the North Beach Development Corporation, the Miami Beach Community Development Corporation, and Miami- Dade County have committed a total of $750,000 to the Phase II renovations. The City has also identified funding sources that will be committed to the annual operation of the facility once it opens. When completed, the Facility will interact with the nearby North Beach Youth Center, a $6 million project that is currently under development one block away. The City of Miami Beach requests an appropriation of $6 million for the North Beach Cultural Center in the 2003 VA, HUD and Independent Agencies Appropriations Bill. Testimony Submitted to the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee Committee on Appropriations United States House of Representatives On behalf of the City of Miami Beach, Florida Honorable David Dermer, Mayor April 3, 2003 On behalf of the City of Miami Beach, Florida, I appreciate the opportunity to submit this written testimony to you today on an extremely important initiative, currently underway within our city. We respectfully request your consideration of this project for funding from your FY2004 appropriations legislation. Miami Beach Art Deco District Restoration Initiative: The City of Miami Beach is requesting assistance in the amount of $2 million from Save America's Treasures Program to continue the City's efforts to rehabilitate structures within the historic Art Deco District. The Miami Belch Architectural District, better known as the "Art Deco District," was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, the first 20th Century district to be so recognized. Built between 1933 and 1945, the whimsical, futuristic architectural style provided a temporary escape for middle-class Americans during the Great Depression. The collection includes over 800 historic properties, including such public facilities as Old City Hall, the 10th Street Auditorium & Beach Patrol Headquarters, the Colony Theater, the Sixth Street Community Center, the Bass Museum of Art, 555 17th Street and the Rotunda. The Art Deco District played a key role in Florida's contribution to the war ~ffort during World War I1. From 1941-1945, Miami Beach was not a vacation hotspot, but rather one of the largest training bases for the US Military. Approximately 1/4 of officers and 1/5 of enlisted trained in Miami Beach, using hotels and apartment buildings as barracks, and the beach, polo fields and golf courses as parade and training grounds. While their training was hard, Miami Beach and the Art Deco District provided the last stop with some fun and enjoyment before shipping off to war and an uncertain future. Many soldiers saw movies at the Colony Theater, and many last minute weddings took place at Old City Hall. Indeed, each December 7th, Wodd War II veterans descend on Miami Beach for the "Sand in your Boots" reunion, where they retrace those final days before the loss of innocence that was to come. The City of Miami Beach also plans to work with the Miami Design Preservation League to include the public facilities with privately owned buildings on a World War II historic walking tour. Unfortunately, the Art Deco District of 2003 faces a dire predicament. Years of exposure to a beach environment, combined with Depression-era building materials and methods, have left many of its buildings close to condemnation. As the historical significance of the district is it's collection of buildings, rather than any single structure, reducing the decay and preventing structure loss is of utmost importance. Preserving the public facilities that are part of this collection is also more expensive, with significant structural work being required for confo[mance to 21st Century building standards. The Art Deco District remains a vital part of the City's, as well as South Florida's tourist economy, as seventy percent of the ten million tourists that stay in Greater Miami visit the Art Deco District each year, and an additional 8.5 million day-trips are made to it by residents of the surrounding region, making it the top tourist attraction in South Florida and the second in Florida following Walt Disney World. The City of Miami Beach has implemented a 6-year, $400 million Capital Improvement Program to rejuvenate and improve stormwater, water and sewer, parks! streets, and public facilities, many of which are contributing structures in the National Register district. As neighborhood needs evolve and grow, however, funds to complete all phases of these public facilities improvements are becoming increasingly scarce. The Art Deco District Restoration includes the following public facilities: · Old City Hall, which contains city departments and Miami-Dade County Courts; · 10th Street Auditorium/Beach Patrol HQ, which also houses the Miami Design Preservation League; · the restored Victory Garden, which will be completed in 2003 at a cost of approximately $100,000; · the Colony Theater, which was identified by Congress in 2000 as an American Treasure with an $837,000 appropriation that has been leveraged into a fully-funded $6.5 million restoration; · the Rotunda, which is located on the grounds of the Miami Beach Cultural Campus, where world famous architects Arquitectonica, Robert A.M. Stern Associates, and Arata Isozaki have designed, respectively, the new Miami City Ballet, the Miami Beach Regional Library, and the new expansion of the Bass Museum of ,Art; · South Shore Community Center, which houses local not-for-profit providers that serve the elderly and Iow-income community; · Bass Museum of Art, a city owned museum located in the historic Miarhi Beach Library; · 555 17th Street, which now houses the offices of the City's Cultural Services Department. To date, local funding of over $17.5 million has been committed to this effort, and the City is seeking a $2 million Federal commitment from the Save America's Treasures program toward the effort to preserve this "collection within a collection." Federal assistance will not only reinfome the commitment of cities, states and the nation to the preservation of America's Historical Treasures, but also help anchor the Art Deco District as a regional tourist attraction in the future. Miami Beach remains committed to renovating these public facilities, in order to maintain a high standard of rehabilitation & preservation, and ensure the continued success and economic viability of one of Florida's most important economic assets. Thank you for your attention to this request. Testimony Submitted to the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee 1 Committee on Appropriations United States House of Representatives On behalf of the City of Miami Beach, Florida Honorable David Dermer, Mayor April 3, 2003 On behalf of the City of Miami Beach, Flodda, I appreciate the o~)portunity to submit this written testimony to you today on an extremely important initiative, currently underway within our city. We respectfully request your consideration of this project for funding from your FY2004 appropriations legislation. Cultural Arts Initiative: The City of Miami Beach is requesting assistance in the amount of $2 million from the Institute for Museum and Library Services to support programming and training oppertunities for performing and visual arts organizations in Miami Beach. The City of Miami Beach has over 70 artistic and cultural organizations. Some of these groups are small, fledgling non-profits, while a few others are world-class performers that anchor the cultural community. Among the anchors are museums, a historical society, ballet and orchestra, and visual arts. The Bass Museum of Art is a city-owned facility that recently underwent an $8 million expansion. The Wolfsonian-FIU showcases examples of decorative and propaganda art, and the Jewish Museum of Florida. The Art Center South Florida provides Iow-cost exhibitions and studio space to over 50 local artists. The Miami City Ballet and the New World Symphony are world renown performing organizations. With the help of the City of Miami Beach, the New World Symphony is embarking on a $40 million state-of-the-art expansion, which will anchor the $140 million redevelopment plan for Miami Beach's civic/convention/cultural center. The plan includes a new facility designed by Architect Frank Gehry. Miami Beach is not only the tourism capital of South Florida; it is the cultural capital as well. As stated above, eight regional anchors belong to the Miami Beach cultural community. Of these, the New World Symphony, the iMiami City Ballet, and the Concert Association of Florida will also be three of the five resident groups at the new Performing Arts Center of Greater Miami, located on Biscayne Boulevard in downtown Miami. Although each of the City's cultural organizations is important to the local and regional economies, it is the cultural collection that makes this a d~ase where the sum is greater than each of its parts. The ability to develop, program, and market this package of cultural amenities will have significant economic impact on Miami Beach, Miami-Dade County, and the State of Florida. Recent studies of the Miami Beach economy have shown that for each dollar invested, the economic impact of culture and performing arts activities is higher than any other sector, giving the City more "bang for the buck." Unfortunately, the total dollar value, while significant, does not approach the investments made in tourism, real estate & development, entertainment, and retail trade. Increasing and leveraging the City's already high level of cultural investment will pay dividends for many years to come. The City of Miami Beach's commitment to cultural development is far above that done by most cities, as demonstrated in the City's Cultural Arts Initiative, which has an investment in culture that on a per capita basis is probably one of the highest in the nation. In addition to the $40 million private sector commitment from the New World Symphony, the City is in the midst of a cultural development capital program of almost $100 million to renovate, expand, or upgrade facilities in the City. Some of these facilities are large, such as the Jackie Gleason Theater, the Bass Museum and the Miami City Ballet, while some are small venues that support the smaller not-for-profits, such as the Colony Theater, the 10th Street Auditorium (home of the Miami Design Preservation League) and the North Beach Cultural Center. Cultural groups in Miami Beach and all of Miami-Dade County m~ay apply for funding from the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. In addition to this funding source, in 1998 the City of Miami Beach created the Cultural Arts Council and Arts Trust to increase the City's own investment in the creation and consumption of culture. The City has funded grants ranging from approximately $400,000 to $1 million annually since then to over 50 organizations per year. The City is also contributing $176,000 toward the expansion of the Wolfsonian Museum. Cultural development has also become the cornerstone for the revitalization strategy for the North Beach area of Miami Beach. The creative environment that was created by organizations such as the Miami City Ballet, New World Symphony, lArt Center South Florida, along with many independent artist studios, led to the' revitalization of South Beach from a Iow income, crime-ridden neighborhood into one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. North Beach is a neighborhood that has not experienced the dramatic reinvestment and success of South Beach, and continues to have problems with crime, housing, and unemployment. Some of the largest concentrations of Iow and Iow- moderate income households are also located in this area. In 2000, as part of the North Beach Strategic Plan, (which includes $120 million of public investment and $500 million of private investment), the City purchased an old movie theater in this neighborhood, and is currently renovating it to re-open as the North Beach Cultural Center. This $6 million investment by the City will provide much needed office space for the City's umbrella arts organizations, as well as performance space for groups that have been gentrified and/or displaced from South Beach due to local economic conditions. This project provides the City with the opportunity to 1) help preserve viable arts organizations, and 2)Iprovide North Beach with a proven economic generator. In 2001, 59 cultural organizations iR received financial support from the City of Miami Beach in the amount of $461,000. This amount is normally much higher; however, full funding is not currently in place since the source of these funds are tourist taxes, which have not yet fully recovered to their prior levels. Nonetheless, the City has continued its commitment to this initiative and the City's investment of $461,000 was in 2001 was leveraged into geP, erat~ approximately $18 million of direct spending in the local economy, with audiences and attendance of over 530,000 and over 600 performances. This is currently being achieved without a concentrated, focused effort to develop, program and market this regional attraction. Cultural development provides the City with the opportunity to help diversify the local economy, which is primarily tourism based. It also provides an opportunity to diversify the tourism industry itself, with additional aggressive development of a cultural tourism destination. This diversification will help insulate local and regional economies that are subject to significant shifts due to events that are out of local control. Investment in a single-source database for the cultural and performing arts community in Miami Beach is the number one priority of the City of Miami Beach in the tourism and cultural arena. As Miami Beach is the cultural leader of the area, as it develops, this database could potentially be expanded to include all of Miami-Dade County, for use by the industry and organizations such as the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau. It could also be used as a model for the cultural attractions throughout the State of Florida. The project would include components to reach all stakeholders - peer to peer, consumer to producer, government to the industry, as well as residential groups and educators. ~'his effort will consolidate all information in one place, and use that information' to better program and cross-utilize Miami Beach's cultural assets. It will help develop an additional attraction for South Florida, and greatly increase the economic impact of culture and the performing arts. Miami Beach with its famed South Beach is one of the most popular and high profile destinations in the world. Over 7 million tourists and 8 million South Florida residents visit annually. An possible future application/expansion of the Cultural Arts Initiative and the single-source database is use in the (~ity's Major Events Plan to know at any given time and be able to plan for, the'number of events taking place, the profile of the event(s), and the number of people attending each event. Support of this request will allow the City of Miami Beach to grow and expand this untapped regional resource without focusing on one single producer to the detriment of the others and the whole. It will leverage and capitalize on the City and private sector's significant capital and operating investment and provide for the development of a single source database of cultural tourism events, allowing for better cross-utilization and development of the cultural collection of South Flodda. The implementation of this Cultural Arts Initiative and !ts c!ng!~ ccurc~ database will greatly increase the economic benefits to the area through greater employment, additional consumers, and more consumer spending, with the added benefit of increasing the information base for the City's~ 3ublic safety agencies' planning and homeland security efforts.