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LTC 261-2017 Municipal Parking Garages - Workforce HousingMIAMIBEACH OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER NO. LTC # 261-2017 LETTER TO COMMISSION TO: Mayor Philip Levine and Members ofjthe City !commission FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager DATE: May 15, 2017 SUBJECT: MUNICIPAL PARKING GARAGES — WORKFORCE HOUSING On February 8, 2017, the Mayor and Commission discussed Item No. R7F, entitled, "Set Public Hearing, Parking Garage at P16". The item was to set a public hearing to discuss certain waivers for height and setbacks for the construction of a garage at the site where Municipal Parking Lot No. P16 is located at the southwest corner of the intersection of 13th Street and Collins Avenue. The City Commission discussed a variety of concerns, these included: if additional parking inventory was necessary; appropriateness of exceeding height limits for a parking garage within the historic district; and if a waiver were to be granted, would it be feasible to accommodate workforce housing in lieu of parking spaces at the top level(s) of the garage. Background: On April 29, 2015, the Washington Avenue Blue Ribbon Panel presented various recommendations to the Mayor and City Commission regarding proposed enhancement to the entertainment district. One recommendation was to remove the existing on -street parking on Washington Avenue and expand the number of parking garages in the area as replacement parking to allow for more efficient and viable transportation options. To this end, the Mayor and City Commission gave direction to the Administration to explore any and all possibilities to develop parking garages in the vicinity of Washington Avenue. The following serves as a brief chronology of events/initiatives which have either taken place or are at varying levels of progress, pursuant to direction from the City Commission at the time: • A Request for Proposals for Development of Public Parking Garages (RFP No. 2016 -009 -ME) was issued on October 20, 2015. Two proposals were received, one of which was relevant to Washington Avenue from Washington Properties, LLC and RF 930 Washington, LLC (the "Developer"), proposing a joint development with the City consisting of Municipal Parking Lot No. P12, containing 24 parking spaces at 900 Washington Avenue, and their adjacent private property, located at 930 Washington Avenue. The City held one negotiation meeting with the Developer. After various attempts to hold a subsequent meeting, on February 16, 2017, the City received a response from the Developer's legal counsel, indicating that for reasons beyond direct discussions with the City, the developer had elected not to proceed with pursuing this project. Various factors may change their view in the future. However, for now, the Developer terminated negotiations with the City. Municipal Parking Garages - Workforce Housing Letter to Commission May 15, 2017 Page 2 • The CIP (Capital Improvement Projects) Department performed a preliminary analysis of several city owned parking facilities on Washington Avenue or within the immediate vicinity to either construct a parking garage on an existing surface lot or vertically expand existing garages, these were: o Municipal Parking Lot No. P13 (P13) located in the northwest corner of the intersection of 10th Street and Washington Avenue. o Expansion of Municipal Parking Garage No. 2 (G2), located adjacent to the Miami Beach Police Department on Washington Avenue and 12th Street. o Municipal Parking9 Lot No. P16 (P16), located at southwest corner of the intersection of 13t Street and Collins Avenue, which currently has 53 parking spaces. Garage construction/expansion only at either of the first two sites above results in a cost per space exceeding $78,000 and $92,000, respectively, due to either site constraints at the parking lot resulting in an inefficient garage design and investment in structural/foundation of the existing garage adjacent to the Police Department. The incorporation of workforce housing would add further to the cost. Inclusion of workforce housing in the Municipal Parking Lot No. P16 at 13th Street and Collins Avenue results in costs per space varying between $61,000 and $466,000, contingent upon the nature/components of the workforce housing incorporation and is being presented to the City Commission for consideration. • Potential garage development at 1234/1260 Washington Avenue comprised of land acquisition estimated at approximately $20 Million and construction cost per parking space of approximately $48,000 (including retail on the ground floor) for a total of $107,000 per space. Notwithstanding the aforementioned initiatives, the City Commission also discussed the potential incorporation of workforce housing at existing municipal parking garages. As a result, the Administration was directed to conduct this analysis. Analysis: The CIP Department completed a preliminary review to determine the feasibility of retrofitting the structure of ten (10) existing municipal parking garages to accommodate workforce housing units. • G1 — 7th Street Garage — 210 7th Street (7th Street and Collins Avenue) • G2 — 12th Street Garage — 512 12th Street (12th Street and Drexel Avenue) • G3 — 13th Street Garage — 1301 Collins Avenue (13th Street and Collins Avenue) • G4 — 16th Street "Anchor" Garage — 1557 Washington Avenue • G5 —17th Street Garage — 640 17th Street (17th Street and Convention Center Drive) • G6 — 42nd Street Garage — 400 W. 42nd Street • G7 — City Hall Garage — 1755 Meridian Avenue • G8 — 5th & Alton Garage — 550 Lenox Avenue • G9 — Pennsylvania Avenue Garage —1661 Pennsylvania Avenue (adjacent to New World Symphony) • G10 — Sunset Harbour Garage — 1900 Bay Road Municipal Parking Garages - Workforce Housing Letter to Commission May 15, 2017 Page 3 CIP's findings were based on field site visits, review of satellite images, research of the City of Miami Beach Code of Ordinances for any possible limitations, and overview of the layout of the existing garage structures at each of these locations. No "As -Built" drawings for any of these garages were obtained to complete this preliminary review. All findings were based on the aforementioned parameters and compared to the criteria described below. The comparison matrix below addresses the findings at each of the selected locations. The matrix contains four categories each with related criteria for all garages. Please note gray shaded sections represent a barrier for the addition of workforce housing. The findings are also highlighted in the narrative that follows the matrix: Criteria City of Miami Beach Municipal Parking Garages G1 (7th & Collins) G2 (12th & Drexel) G3 (13th & Collins • NE) G4 (16th & Wash- Collins) G5 (17th) G6 (42 btw Royal Palm & Sheridan) G7 (MMPF - 1755 Meridian) G8 (5th & Alton) G9 (1661 Penn) G10 (Sunset) Existing Garage Characteristic Number of Parking Spaces: 646 134 286 802 1,460 620 650 1,080 535 435 Utilization (Occupancy at Peak Hour): 100°% 100% 100% 100°% 100% 78% 100% 52% 100°% 63% Floor/Building Heights: 6'-8" / 60'-0" 1'-0" 38'-6" 6-8" / 50'-0" 8'-2" 73'-0" 7'-0" 48'-0" 1'-0" / 53'-6" 7'-0" 60'-0" 8'-2" / 73'-0" 1'-0" 61'-6" 8'-2" 73'-0" Joint Development - Amendment Required: No No No Yes No No No Yes No Yes Age of Structure: 21 yrs. 30 yrs. 28 yrs. 19 yrs. 41 yrs. 47 yrs. 8 yrs. 8 yrs. 7 yrs. 5 yrs. General Criteria for Workforce Housing Foundation Retrofit to Accommodate Housing Required: Ves Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Structural Analysis & Spalling Repairs to Existing Structure Required: No Yes Yes Yes Ves Yes Yes Yes Yes Ves Can Accommodate Dedicated Elevator Retrofit: Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Closure of Garage During Retrofit: Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Ves Footprint at Top Floor (Flat Surfaces): 28,900 SF 15,315 SF 17,300 SF 28,700 SF 73,400 SF 0 SF 38,000 SF 107,250 SF 24,625 SF 27,750 SF Addition of Workforce Housing within Existing Structure: Existing Flat Surfaces are Suitable to Accommodate Housing and Retroffiting*: Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Ves Can Accommodate Common Area: Yes Yes Yes Yes Ves Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Height Clearance (Interior Levels) Can Accommodate Housing: Ves Yes Fire Rating Retrofit/Sprinkler System Required: Additional Workforce Housing with Additional Levels: Height Variance for Additional Levels Required: Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Notes: Gray Shaded Areas Represent Barrier for Additional Workforce Housing ` Sloped Slabs Require Additional Treatment to Convert to Flat Surf ace & Common Slab Retrofits Include Addressing Vibration Issues. The workforce housing retrofit was evaluated both from the perspective of utilization of existing floor versus adding new floors. Additional details on each these criteria is attached. Municipal Parking Garages - Workforce Housing Letter to Commission May 15, 2017 Page 4 Conclusion: Based on the findings gathered in this preliminary analysis, the following municipal parking garages may be best suited to accommodate housing as they satisfy key elements of the criteria (see attached matrix), including: housing and common areas at the rooftop or interior levels and dedicated elevators. Given the high utilization rates of these garages, it is not recommended that the existing floors be converted to workforce housing, but rather that workforce housing be addressed through additional floors at this time. • Additional Floors at 12th Street and Drexel Avenue: The 12th Street and Drexel Avenue Garage is adjacent to the City's Police Department. The lion's share of the garage is used by the Police Department for their operations. The public portion of the parking garage which does not connect internally to the Police side has 134 parking spaces. As aforementioned, a preliminary analysis to add two more floors to increase parking spaces at this garage resulted in an estimated cost per space of $92,000. Therefore, parking space expansion was not recommended; however, further analysis is required to estimate cost (per square foot) to accommodate housing. The estimated construction costs to retrofit this garage and incorporate additional floors were costly due to the fact that extensive structural work is required to strengthen the structure to meet the criteria of the current construction Code. The anticipated work includes the expansion of a large number of the existing pile caps and addition of new piles. Additional strengthening of the structure requires the construction of a new reinforced concrete shearwall as well as new reinforced concrete beams and joists. • Additional Floors at 13th Street and Collins Avenue: The 13th Street and Collins Avenue Garage is located on the northeast corner of the intersection and it has 286 parking spaces. This garage supports the entertainment district with high utilization. A height variance from 50 to 75 ft. would be required to add additional floors for workforce housing. In addition, it is probable that strengthening of the existing structure will be required to accommodate additional floors and workforce housing to meet the criteria of the current construction Code. As such, it is recommended that an in-depth study be performed by an engineer to determine the extent of the structural repairs that may be required at this facility in order to accommodate housing. • 17th Street Garage: The 17th Street Garage has 1,460 parking spaces. Additional floors to accommodate workforce housing could be incorporated into this structure as the maximum height within the zoning district that this garage is located is 100'. Nonetheless, it probable that strengthening of the existing structure will be required to accommodate the additional floors and to meet the criteria of the current construction Code. As such, it is recommended that an in-depth study be performed by an engineer to determine the extent of the structural repairs that may be required at this facility in order to accommodate additional floors. Municipal Parking Garages - Workforce Housing Letter to Commission May 15, 2017 Page 5 The remaining garages are less suitable due to added constraints, including age of the structure, limitations for a dedicated elevator, and slab suitability to support housing units. Additionally, a factor beyond those included in the attached matrix is the potential need to renegotiate development agreements at applicable garages. c: Kathie Brooks, Assistant City Manager Mark Taxis, Assistant City Manager Susanne Torriente, Assistant City Manager Marcia Monserrat, Chief of Staff/City Manager's Office David Martinez, CIP Director Tom Mooney, Planning Director Maria Ruiz, Housing and Community Services Director Saul Frances, Parking Director JLM/KGB/DM/SF f:\ping\$all\saul\cmo\WorkforceHousingExistingGarages05152017.1tc.doc General Criteria for Workforce Housing • Foundation Retrofit to Accommodate Housing: It is possible that all of the parking garages encompassed in this analysis may require that the existing foundation be retrofitted in order to accommodate housing either on existing floor or if adding floors. It could be possible that the retrofitting will only be required in the sections where the housing units are going to be located and not throughout the entire structure. It is recommended that further in-depth studies be completed by an engineer to determine the feasibility of incorporating housing. It is also possible that some of the newer facilities could accommodate housing units without retrofitting the existing footings. • Structural Analysis and SpaII Repairs to Existing Structures: The parking garage structures that were analyzed varied in age. The 17th Street Garage and 42nd Street Garage are over 40 years old and as per Miami -Dade County requirements, these two structures need to undergo recertification. It is anticipated that some spall repairs to the structural elements of these garages may be necessary to address wear and tear. Renovations to the 7th Street Garage were recently completed by CIP. It is possible that some of these repairs may need to be completed in order to accommodate the proposed retrofitting of the structure. It is recommended that an in- depth study be performed by an engineer to determine the extent of the structural repairs that may be required at each of the structures in order to accommodate housing units. • Can Accommodate Dedicated Elevator Retrofit: In order to accommodate housing into these existing structures it is anticipated that dedicated access to the dwellings shall be provided. As such, the structure will need to be retrofitted to accommodate a separate lobby and access to the units. Review of the existing layout of these garages indicated that it is possible to accommodate separate access at the following garages: 12th Street and Drexel Avenue, 13th Street and Collins Avenue, 16th Street "Anchor", 17th Street, 42nd Street, and Pennsylvania Avenue. It is anticipated that the existing number of parking spaces will be reduced in order to accommodate a dedicated elevator access. The remaining four garages (7th Street and Collins Avenue, City Hall, 5th & Alton, and Sunset Harbour may not be able to accommodate a dedicated access to the housing units considering that loading, service, and/or retail areas are currently located within the ground footprint. It could be possible to provide a dedicated elevator and lobby access outside the garage footprint; however, this will require variances to the existing setbacks. It should be noted that construction of a dedicated access at any of these facilities will lead to substantial retrofitting of the structures to accommodate access. A dedicated access to the housing levels could also be provided by retrofitting one of the existing elevator areas in the garages and assign it as dedicated access to the housing units; however, this option will need to be further evaluated as it could affect the existing means of egress requirements of the garages. It is recommended that an in-depth engineering study be completed to determine the possible locations for dedicated access to the housing units at each of the garages. • Closure of Garages during Retrofit: It is anticipated that closure of the parking garage facilities may be the viable solution to allow for the construction of the housing units. It should be noted that maintaining a garage operational during construction will impact the proposed construction schedule and completion of the work. It is recommended that an in-depth engineering study be completed to determine the phasing of the retrofit efforts at each of the garages. Addition of Workforce Housing within Existing Structure: • Existing Flat Surfaces Suitability to Accommodate Housing and Retrofitting: It is anticipated that the residential units are going to be located within the flat sections of the slabs and the garage structure will be retrofitted accordingly. Almost all of the garages in this analysis, with the exception of the 42nd Street , have flat areas within the footprint that can be allocated for housing, however, the design and construction of parking garage structures is different from the residential design concept and as such, structural elements such as the existing slabs, beams, and columns may need to be retrofitted to resist, for example, movement or vibrations caused by vehicular traffic. This retrofit may also require the inclusion of additional structural elements such reinforced concrete beams and columns. It is recommended that an in-depth engineering study be performed to determine the extent of the structural modifications that are needed at each of the garages to accommodate housing units. • Can Accommodate Common Areas: As stated above, design and construction of parking garage structures is different from the residential design concept. The Florida Building Code (FBC) requires that gathering areas, such as corridors, courtyards, occupiable roof spaces, etc. be designed under more stringent guidelines, such as designing these spaces to a sustain a force of 100 pounds per square foot (PSF) Parking garages are designed to resist a force of 40 PSF. Thus, it is anticipated that extensive retrofitting of the existing structures will be required in order to accommodate common areas within the housing levels. It is recommended that an in-depth engineering study be completed to determine the extent of the retrofitting and location of the common areas at each of these garages. • Height Clearance (Interior Levels) Can Accommodate Housing: The structures were also analyzed to determine if there was sufficient clearance between slabs to incorporate housing units. The Florida Building Code (FBC), which dictates construction guidelines, and standard construction practices require, as a minimum, a 7'-6" clearance between slabs for habitable spaces. Almost all of the garage structures analyzed have a clearance lower than 7'-6", with the exception of the 16th Street "Anchor" Garage, 5th & Alton Garage , and Sunset Harbour Garage , and as such, with the exception of these three garages, the remaining garages reviewed can only accommodate housing at the top/roof levels. • Fire Rating & Sprinkler Systems Required: Fire protection and sprinkler systems shall be provided to service the dwellings. It is recommended that an in-depth study be performed by an engineer to determine the scope of the retrofit that will be require to provide fire proofing and a sprinkler system to the housing areas and to determine if the existing systems could be retrofitted to service the dwellings. Additional Workforce Housing with Additional Levels: • Height variances for additional levels for housing will likely be required as most of the existing garages meet the maximum height requirements stipulated under the City's Code of Ordinances within the zoning districts where these are located, which is 55'. It is possible that height variances may not be required at the 17th Street Garage, 5th & Alton Garage, and Pennsylvania Avenue Garage.