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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: Kom/Ferry International, a •
Superintendent
firm hired r ett a replacement for Til—IE1NE" 7SM.AKIERTourism has
Superintendent Merrett Stierheim, gavethe Miami-Dade County Public School Boardlarge
the names of four candidates `Tuesday. Uep gains,for the job are Rudolph Crew, former New � •;� \
York City public schools chancellor; Pedro ,.. .,/jt./ ;`Fy
MIAMI Garcia,metropolitan Nashville public schools N ,- 1 report says
director; John Murphy, former Charlotte, lbw
NC, superintendent; and Eric Smith, Anne '' , 1{. ' I
~: AdF • %v.
:jt I
Arundel County, MD, superintendent. All ,, r' "� BY MARII YN BOWDCN
aching experience and each has been a superintendent for more ' rte• 1� f � t
decade. Mr. Stierheim is to leave the post in June. He has been k x ' ' j Y•' �1,{,t , ht Winter tourism isbouncingout
tendent since October 2001. �tll
a' r`i.Ott if�* of recession in Greater Miami
ED NORTH: Gov. Jeb Bush and state economic development ' ]til`at s l ' x N` with a strong domestic showing
terprise Florida are to lead a trade mission to Montreal and Ontario "l t r.' 01-j" ; . , and signs that the Latin Ameri-
f,
-30. The aim is to helpFlorida businesses benefit from 3.5% -' J gar' - "
l>i „ gd t�t . ; can market is reviving,according
expected thisyear in Canada's economy. Canada imported$2.4 ' �..y6 �
P P , e 41 f to theGreaterMiamiConvention
in goods from Florida last year, trading heavily in pharmaccuti- {f;p t &Visitors Bureau.
formation technology, telecommunications, agricultural equip- r C imi jy - «
d other products. Accordingto thegovernor's office,trade with ..-11 a - + Alt,, Forthefirsttimesince9/11,it
r . t:.,
. . .„..„,_
generates about 29,100 jobs for Floridians. Details: (305) 569- ■ rf ti v went very well,"said William D.
, . i ry, ,- t Talbert 111,president and CEO of
• { 7L '!1 '_ the bureau."We have record tour-
ROVE IN MIAMI: Developers of Metropolitan Miami need to move i ,, 1Y00 `. t ;
the project's residential towers about 8 feet to the south. The shift i' ' t'' 4 ist-tax collections and are close
,ssary"to accommodate the city's desire to realign Southeast Third i 1;1: ',. -s=- t} t t- to leading the nation in hotel oc-
"according to city documents.City commissioners are to consider .'•---' . cupancies,daily room rates and
Inge at a planning and zoning hearing today (4/22). MDM Devel- ra ' 111 .041 availability."
f Group's multiphase mix of 1,500 condos,office and retail space ` :,- Y� ...•
(3 II!" .,,opl I Tax revenue generated by Mi-
hovie theater is to rise across 6 acres along Biscayne Boulevard Way 1- ' .1)tl tam i-Dade hotels from October
st of the Brickell bridge. :,. I I1l1�' through February totaled nearly
IIONEY: City documents estimate cost of the Metropolitan Miami $18 million,he said—8.2%above
at $688 million. As many as 915 workers may be necessary for pre-9/11 figures in 2000-01.
Jction and, after completion, about 470 jobs are expected to be End of first-quarter statistics
The city may reap about$9.9 million annually from the downtown from Smith Travel Research
pment.
show a 10.6-percentage-point
LOPMENT ISSUE DELAYED: Bay Harbor Islands' town coun- surge in hotel occupancies in
hdrew a vote Monday on a proposed Gateway Zoning District. Photo by Marlene ouaroni Miami-Dade from the same pe-
I, the pending height-regulation issue that could affect a dozen riod last year.Hotel rooms were
i on East Island where Kane Concourse ente,s the community is to Tom Roth 81%filled in the quarter,the re-
ay 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
fez, assistant to the town manager. The profile is on Page 4 the county with an 83.3%occu-
, pancy rate,up 15.•1 points.
:iami maybuild charter school on Virginia KeyNatioepresede, a 62.5. ocentpancy represented a 5.8-point
climb.
rt
IA\Si,�iiirr A charterschool opened by Miami's Down- mentoring programs and the mayor has said •Moreimportanels commtly, .Talbee
— town Development Authority in 2002 is flour- he wants to expand an Adopt-a-Classroom satd,Miami sttrates i the some
coun-
City of Miami wants to open a charter ishing.The tuition-free Downtown Miami program into every school in the city. of the highest rates in the t and is eyeing its property near a Charter School was intended in part to ac- During his State of the City Address last try. Smith Travel said the
iia Key magnet school. commodate the children of commuters month,Mayor Diaz said the city would target county's average rateowas
y officials said the site at 3979 throughout South Florida and according to medicine,hospitalitymanagement,bankingand $132.32 in March,up 5.2/o from
lnbacker Causeway is one of many school officials,at least 65% of its pupils financeandtravelandtourismthroughachar- March 2003. o
considered for a school.It would help have a parent who works downtown. ter or magnet school.Another charter school Rates nationwide jumpedsaid. /o
to expected influx ofchildren arriving That school,which operates as part ofthe he said,could use Miami's consular corps to to Miami$87.43,
Smith andTrBal said.
Harbour
surge in residential development,they county's public school system, is at its ca- create a school for international studies. shBeachBalaverage
aci of625 pupils kindergarten h "Obviously,it's a criticaltoacit ' hotels had the highest 66er6ga
pacity P p g g y' piecey rates in the county—$166.96,a
;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 fromlast year.Down-
arthe Maritime and Science Technol- year,principal Alicia Rodriguez Bower said. senior adviser for economic development town Miami showed the highest
:hoot,or MAST Academy.Commis- "We are receiving interest from people Mayor Diaz. °
Johnpy Winton told aroom full oflocal moving in Neo Lofts now,"Ms.Bower said He said the city is working with the county increase,b $118.18.
.ss people about the city's interest in - Monday."The demand will be there." school district to try to build more schools in Mr.Talbert s said dommesti c tour-
.ss
schools near the downtown area at a The city has also launched a flurry of the city. ism accounted for much of the
;rMiami ChamberofCommerceevent educational programs. In 2003,it started a "They are aware of the volume of devel- season's traffic but foreign busi-
ness
usi-
nes
eek at Miami City Club. summer reading program through 26 parks, opment coming online," he said Monday. We're starting to see the re-
tools are on our agenda,"said Com- reaching more than 2,000 children and em- "Under no event would we run[the schools]." turn of Europeans because ofthe
)neer Winton. "How can we do any ploying 41 teachers. A year ago the city considered taking over weak dollar,"he said,"and Latin
he said in reference to the Miami- Computer labs and programs are also be- a school system program as a pilot project to American tourism is strengthen-
County school system. Ing established and Mayor Manny Diaz has reduce the size of school districts,but legis- Ing•„
Winton said a school on Virginia Key said he will work with Sylvan Learning Cen- lation for the proposal failed.This year,Mr.
serve students from Key Biscayne, ters to create a partnership for year-round Boudet-Murias said, "it's not an item we ■Visitors bureau to continue
[own Miami and Coconut Grove. instruction at the parks. The city supports pushed.” marketing 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 k
NEEDIVIEWPOIN
GEND TRAFFIC DOWN THIS Y AR AT MIAMI IN INTERNATIONAL... 8 OFFICE TENANTS IGNORE,ABANDON CLASS C SPACE... 17 21O
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COUNTY HOPES TO IRON OUT KINKS IN BUS SERVICE... 9 UPSCALE HOTEL CHAIN HAS EYE ON DUPONT SITE... 22