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20160829 MinutesMayor’s Ad Hoc Blue Ribbon Steering Committee Page 1 of 4 on the Convention Center Hotel 2016/08/29 Meeting Minutes Mayor’s Ad Hoc Blue Ribbon Steering Committee on the Convention Center Hotel 6:30 p.m., Monday, August 29, 2016 City Commission Chambers, City Hall 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach MEETING MINUTES In attendance: Commissioner Ricky Arriola, Chair Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez, Vice Chair Member Paul Freeman Member Saul Gross Member Debra Leibowitz Member Leslie Tobin (left at 7:50pm) Jeff Oris, Administration Liaison Also in attendance: Maria Ilchevia, Ph.D. from FIU Metropolitan Center Dario Moreno from FIU Metropolitan Center from FIU Metropolitan Center Maria Hernandez, Convention Center District Project Director Roland Aedo, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President, GMCVB Ricky Arriola opened the meeting at 6:42 p.m. and welcomed all in attendance. 1. ROLL CALL 2. APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES: a. June 6, 2016 Paul Freeman made the following motion: MOTION: TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR JUNE 6TH MEETING MINUTES Motion was seconded by: Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez Motion was adopted by unanimous voice vote. b. June 20, 2016 Paul Freeman made the following motion: Mayor’s Ad Hoc Blue Ribbon Steering Committee Page 2 of 4 on the Convention Center Hotel 2016/08/29 Meeting Minutes MOTION: TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR JUNE 20TH MEETING MINUTES Motion was seconded by: Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez Motion was adopted by unanimous voice vote. 3. PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION: RESIDENT SURVEY RESULTS: Maria Ilchevia, Ph.D. FIU Metropolitan Center Maria Ilchevia stated the survey results showed that the residents are deeply divided on the issue of the development of the Convention Center Hotel. The difference from the March referendum to now is that support is not increasing, it is actually decreasing. The major finding with the results is that traffic is the biggest issue of concern for residents regardless of ethnicity, race, age, and party affiliation. Dario Moreno expressed that based on similar surveys he has done for Coral Gables, Doral, City of Miami and county-wide the issue of traffic and development are clearly linked. Moreno believes that as the economy drops so does the traffic and as the economy improves there is more traffic. Over the past 4 years, traffic is replacing the economy and crime as the main issue. This is universal across Miami-Dade County. Maria Ilchevia stated that the survey results also showed that a properly designed project that mitigates the impact on traffic may have a chance. A comprehensive plan that alleviates traffics seems to be the lever that can change voter’s perception. Through FIU’s efforts, 600 registered voters were surveyed from August 2 to August 14, 2016. The survey is broken down by race and ethnicity, gender, language, party affiliation and area. The survey showed that 46% of those surveyed still support the original referendum that failed to get a super majority in March 2015. Men, older residents (65+) and Hispanics are more likely to support the original referendum while women, residents under 65, and white, non-Hispanics are not. 31.5% would not vote in favor of the hotel and 21.3% said they would support it because it will help bring quality conventions and jobs (20.7%). Moreno stated the main factor for the hard no’s was the traffic; about two-thirds of everyone surveyed mentioned they had issues with the traffic. The survey showed that 31.7% are less likely to support a hotel that incorporated a new Fillmore/Jackie Gleason Theater into the hotel, 21.8% are less likely to support the hotel if the size was reduced from 800 room to 600 rooms and 40.3% are less likely to support a hotel built on the parking lot across from, the Convention Center that is currently planned to be a public park. About two-thirds of respondents (64%) said they would support the hotel development if it were to include a comprehensive plan to mitigate traffic. This includes the 46% that were already supporting the hotel. Mayor’s Ad Hoc Blue Ribbon Steering Committee Page 3 of 4 on the Convention Center Hotel 2016/08/29 Meeting Minutes Voters are more likely to support a hotel if the height was reduced (49.5%), if there were a reduction in the number of rooms (38%), and if it were designed by a world class architect (38.0%). Changing the location to the parking lot across from the Convention will significantly increase opposition to the hotel. Using the Jackie Gleason had some support (44%) however by itself it would not be enough to pass the project. Discussion continued on the different conditions in which voters would more likely support the hotel in terms of hotel development and changes. Moreno stated that a November election would be better than a special election because there is a bigger voter turnout at major elections. An opportunity would be November 2018 (Governor’s race) and November 2020 (presidential race). Chair Arriola stated he would like to see what super voters would have to say regarding how different areas would be affected by the hotel. Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez believes the question regarding moving the site to the park was tainted because it basically says to get rid of a park and replace it with a big cement building. If the questioned was phrased differently there would have been a different response. Chair Arriola expressed his concern regarding the reaction to the replacing the park was stronger than taking down the Jackie Gleason Theater. Maria Ilchevia stated that people are typically against taking away park space and believes mentioning the park changes the perceptive. Member Saul Gross expressed one of the main reasons he supporst the Gleason site is because he thinks it necessary to achieve traffic mitigation measures by adding more land and it would lower the hotel height. Member Gross stated he would like to hear from experts or the Planning Department on how they would suggest mitigating traffic. He further stated that one of the purposes of light rail is to get people to the Convention Center but he would like to know how that would be designed and where the light rail stop for the convention center and for the hotel would be placed. Chair Ricky Arriola stated that the direction of the placement of the light rail seems to be lean toward Dade Blvd. Maria Hernandez stated that a majority of the public traffic is now designed to be on Convention Center Drive. There is a pedestrian entrance at on Washington Ave and the parking, which is now is on the roof, will be accessed through one helix t to a parking deck on the west side and another helix to a parking deck on the north side. Member Gross asked what the pedestrian access looked like on the east side. Ms. Hernandez replied the eastern pedestrian access has overhangs and will be nice butit no longer a car or bus drop off and the curb cut is going to be gone. People staying in the hotels like the W and others on Collins Avenue can walk in through the west side and people can walk all around the convention centerIn response to Member Gross’ question about where the nearest entrance would be for Mayor’s Ad Hoc Blue Ribbon Steering Committee Page 4 of 4 on the Convention Center Hotel 2016/08/29 Meeting Minutes someone taking the streetcar Ms. Hernandez stated that the nearest entrance would be on 19th Street. She further stated the main entrances to the hall will be on the west side but that one could access on the east and walk around the building on the second floor Chair Ricky Arriola stated a direction needs to be decided. An RFP needs to be prepared to include a development being built on the Jackie Gleason site for example, that takes into account the traffic and the recommendation to look at the entrance on 18th street. Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez believes the only problem will be the comprehensive traffic mitigation and that unless it can be shown that traffic will be mitigated people will not be in favor of the hotel. Discussion continued on traffic mitigation. Dario Moreno noticed based on their research that the area that gets the project is the most supportive because of the economic opportunities. That can be a way to sell it to young people and thus he further recommended an economic impact study. Older people are supportive because they are more concerned with their taxes. Going forward, effort should be made in building public confidence. He further stated we tend to oversell things in Miami this is not good, it’s better to be practical. Chair Ricky Arriola suggested working with a consultant to guide us on a way to address the traffic impacts to the area. Member Gross indicated he felt there was more of a planning component in this. Maria Hernandez suggested bringing in the Planning Department and the Transportation Department as they assisted with the traffic study. She further suggested doing some massing work to determine impacts of using different areas. Member Debra Leibowitz believes it is important to do a traffic mitigation plan as opposed to a traffic study. She indicated reducing this to a one page list of ways traffic would be mitigated would help with the public. Additional discussion regarding traffic mitigation and design ensued. Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez thinks orientating the hotel to the Washington Ave is a huge change because with the new development the street will be swamped and doesn’t believe it will pass. She was also concerned about the groups that oppose using the Gleason. The Committee discussed inviting the Planning Department and Transportation Department to the next meeting to discuss light rail and how it would interact and to discuss how the Gleason site may work in this project. 4. ADJOURN The meeting was adjourned at 8:06 pm.