Loading...
089-2001 LTC CI i Y 0 F M lAM I BEACH CITY HALL 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA 33139 http:\\ci.miamj..beach.fl.us L.T.C.No.?1-;J.oo I LETTER TO COMMISSION May 9, 2001 TO: Mayor Neisen O. Kasdin and Members of the City Commission FROM: SUBJECT: Jorge M. Gonzalez ,.1/ City Manager ~ 0 COLLINS AVENUE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT At a recent Collins Avenue Task Force Meeting several issues were raised by the business community relative to the impact of construction on their businesses. Three principal issues were addressed at the meeting including time of completion of the segment of Collins A venue from Lincoln Road to 17th Street, signing to direct pedestrians to the businesses and the rate for parking meters in the immediate vicinity of the construction activities. In addressing the concerns raised, the following actions have been taken: 1. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has worked with the merchants and hoteliers to identify appropriate signing needs and is in the process of having the signing prepared. The City will follow-up with FDOT by May 11, 2001, to ensure that the signs are installed as antic- ipated and that the merchants and hoteliers needs are properly addressed. 2. Given the extraordinary scope and magnitude ofthe project, the City has determined that some limited and targeted meter reductions would be appropriate. Under my authority, I have made arrangements to have the meters bagged in target areas during the normal daylight business hours to offer some minor assistance to the merchants as a result of construction impacts. Parking in these areas would be free for a two hour period and will commence on May 14, 2001. 3. The City has a very limited ability to affect the five week time of completion of the construction within the immediately affected block from Lincoln Road to 17th Street. The contract that FDOT has with the construction firm on the Collins A venue Project provides a window of allowable operating hours from 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p,m. The hours of operation are permissive not manadatory. This specific time period was negotiated with the merchants and hoteliers and agreed upon by the Commission in advance of the start of construction on Collins Avenue. -..-.,'" An important part of the contract, was also to require the construction firm to be completed with the entire project by December 14,2001. To meet the December 14 completion date, this section of the roadway has to be completed in a five week period. The five week schedule is part of the expedited construction schedule to address and to mitigate negative impacts on affected hoteliers and merchants in the immediate vicinity. At the present time, the contractor is operating within the allowable hours and is operating on a schedule that will satisfy the five week construction period specified in the construction contract. In the event that the contractor's completion time is jeopardized, it would be our expectation that added hours would be worked. Merchants in the immediate vicinity have been extremely frustrated that the contractor is not working the full 12 hour time period that is available for construction thereby expediting construction and completing the segment in less than five weeks. Unfortunately for the affected merchants and hoteliers, the construction company is working within the contract parameters and it is not within the ability ofFDOT or the City to compel them to work additional hours to complete the project in a more expedient fashion. From the contractor's perspective the project was bid with a specific timetable in mind and the contractor's costs of completing the work within the designated time period were built into the bid that was subsequently awarded by FDOT for the project. If the contractor alters the method of construction or adds more resources to further expedite the construction, the contractor will incur unintended and unplanned expenses. My staff is working closely with the Collins Avenue Task Force and has both solidified and strengthened communication channels so as to rapidly identify issues and to implement mitigation measures where possible in the construction corridor. JM~ ~sam F:\CM~1i1:~~\COLINLTC.WPD , J. CITY OF MIAMI BEACH OFFICE OF THE MAYOR & COMMISSION MEMORANDUM TO: JORGE M. GONZALE CITY MANAGER \,. ,I FROM: LUIS R. GARCIA JR. VICE-MAYOR DATE: MAY 3, 2001 RE: COLLINS A VENUE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT At today's Business Advisory Committee meeting the fol1owing issues were discussed which require immediate attention: D The agreement hammered out after many meetings with the affected hoteliers, merchants, FDOT representatives, contractor of the project, City administrators and myself that the contractor's working hours would be from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 V.m. The reasoning is that the longer hours the crews work daily, the sooner the job will be completed and the adverse economic impact lessened. However, the work crews are working ONLY until 6:00 p.m. The reason offered by the contractor was financial. This is unacceptable. This project is deeply affecting the economy of the area and endangering the livelihood of our hoteliers and merchants. The anticipated adverse impact was estimated to be over 50 million dol1ars in the next two years. Since the City Administration was so forceful in lobbying for this project to proceed, it is your responsibility to insure that it is done correctly and expeditiously. D Furthermore, I am requesting that an amendment to the ordinance be placed to reduce the cost of the parking meters to reflect 30 minutes for .25 Please advise. LRG/ept 381.::1:10 '2 iP!:'J'r!tWI.}) 11" "",-," ,,>; \., J C: Mayor and Commissioners &~ :~ Wd &- ~VW 10 l::"J .;:.L .. ,....; , ""0 -""."