Loading...
Resolution 2023-32556RESOLUTION NO. 2023-32566 A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, APPROVING THE PLACEMENT OF A STATE OF FLORIDA HISTORICAL MARKER WITHIN THE COLLINS PARK NEIGHBORHOOD, IN HONOR OF THE LATE DESI ARNAZ, AND APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH TO ACCEPT THE DONATION FROM GARY MCKECHNIE, IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $800.00, FOR THE -PURCHASE- OF THE.MARKER, AND AUTHORIZING THE. CITY MANAGER, OR HER DESIGNEE, TO MAKE SUCH -EXPENDITURES CONSISTENT WITH THE AFORESTATED PURPOSE. WHEREAS, Desi Arnaz was an American actor, bandleader and film and television producer, and WHEREAS,. bom in Cuba on March 2, 1917, DesiArnaz emigrated to the United States at the age of 17 with his father, and settled in Miami; and WHEREAS, in 1937, Desi Arnaz performed at a nightclub located at 2V Street and. Park Avenue where-h& launched"The Conga Craze in America; and WHEREAS, on May 24, 2022, the State of Florida Historical Marker Review Council' met in Tallahassee and unanimously approved the nomination of a historic marker in honor of Desi Arnaz; and WHEREAS, on, November 30, 2022, the Public Safety/Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee recommended in favor of the installation of a State of Florida' Historical Marker in honor of Desi Arnaz within the Collins Park Neighborhood in the vicinity of 22"d-Street and Park Avenue; and WHEREAS, on January 12, 2023, recognizing Des! Arnaz's contributions to the City of Miami Beach, the Hispanic Affairs Committee recommended in favor of the installation of a historical: marker in honor of, Desi Arnaz and recommended the marker be placed near the south end of the Liberty Avenue. pedestrian. plaza as the -preferred location or within the northwest corner of Collins Park as,an alternate io. cation, subject to the approval of the State; and WHEREAS, the -estimated cost of the design, fabrication, and installation of the bronze marker is $2,400.00; and WHEREAS, Gary McKe.chnie generously offered to donate a total of'$800 00 to the City to assist with the purchase of the marker; and WHEREAS, the Planning Department will, be funding the balance of the cost of design, fabrication, and installation; and, the nominal future maintenance costs of the plaque will be assumed by the City; and WHEREAS, the City Administration .recommends that the City Commission approve and authorize the City's acceptance of the aforestated donation, and authorize the City Manager, or her designee; to make expenditures of the aforestated donation in furtherance of, and consistent with, the aforestated purpose. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DULY .RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION ,OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the Mayor and City Commission hereby approve the installation of.a State of Florida Historical Marker near the south end of the Liberty Avenue pedestrian plaza as the preferred location or within the northwest corner of Collins Park as an alternate. location, subject to the approval ofthe State, and accept a donation from Gary McKechnie, in the total amount of $800.00, toward the purchase of the marker; and authorize the City Manager, or her designee, to make expenditures consistent with the aforestated event and purpose. PASSED AND ADOPTED this 97 day of , 2023. ATTEST: Rafael E. ranado, City Clerk Dan Gelber, Mayor APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LANGUAGE & FOR EXECUTION 01_� 3 - -3 City Attorney Qk Date New Business and Commission Requests - R9 O MIAMIBEACH COMMISSION MEMORANDUM TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission FROM: Alina T. Hudak, City Manager DATE: March 27, 2023 SUBJECT: DISCUSSION ON PROPOSED PLACEMENT OF A STATE OF. FLORIDA. HISTORICAL MARKER HONORING DESI ARNAZ. RECOMMENDATION The Administration recommends that the City 'Commission discuss the item and schedule a public hearing pursuant to Section 82-504 of the City Code for the March 15, 2023 City Commission meeting. BACKGROUND/HISTORY On September 14, 2022, at the request of Commissioner Alex Fernandez, the City Commission referred the discussion item (C4 M) to the Public Safety and Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee (the "PSNQLC")). On October 19, 2022, the discussion was deferred to the November 30, 2022 meeting. At the November 30, 2022 PSNQLC meeting, this item was discussed and concluded, and sent to the City Commission for consideration. The Administration was directed to conduct outreach to the following organizations, and provide a recommendation to the City Commission on a location for the proposed historic marker in the Collins Park area: 1. Miami City Ballet t 2. Bass Museum 3. Hispanic Affairs Committee 4. Collins Park Neighborhood Association Desi Amaz was born Desiderio Alberto Amaz y de Acha on March 2, 1917, in Santiago, Cuba. His father was a prominent_ physician, a wealthy landowner, and a popular senator. Batista's Cuban Revolution forced Des!and his father to flee to Miami (his mother would arrive later) where the penniless 17-year-old arrived unable to speak, read, or understand English. Remarkably, despite their. reversal of fortune, neither he nor his father gave up hope. For Desi, that meant cleaning canary cages for 25 cents each, helping his dad lay tile in Miami Beach homes, and struggling to save money by sleeping on cots shoved in the back of a warehouse on SW Third Avenue. A family friend and fellow refugee helped Desi enroll at St. Patrick Catholic School. Over time, he improved his English, learned guitar and the conga drum, and assimilated Page 1210 of 1292 into his adopted home. In 1937, Amaz met Bobby Kelly, son of entrepreneurial restaurateur 'Mother'. Kelly, who was ,then opening a 200-seat nightclub as an addition to the Park Avenue Restaurant. Promising Kelly an orchestra, Desi was hired for a two -week engagement. At the nightclub's December 30, 1937 premiere, the 20-year-old had been so desperate for work he didn't reveal his orchestra was really just a handful of musicians who couldn't play the Latin rhythms Amaz had. promised. Remembering his childhood in Santiago where a hypnotic rhythm was played at city -ode parties that stretched from dusk to dawn, Amaz quickly taught the musicians to play a cadence of 'One- two -three -KICK!' Amaz beat his conga drum in time, shouted to the audience to follow hire and above this primal rhythm he proceeded to dance everyone around the bar, out the door„around the block and back into the nightclub. What Arnaz called his 'Dance of Desperation' launched 'The, Conga Craze' in America.. Even more significantly, the ensuing publicity raised his profile and led him first to Broadway and then to Hollywood where he met the love of his life, Lucille Ball with the two becoming the proud parents of Lucie Amaz and Desi Amaz, Jr., and later to his own orchestra, the production and ownership of 'I Love Lucy, and the couples' purchase of RKO Studios. ANALYSIS The proposal to introduce a State of Florida Historical Marker was spearheaded by Gary McKechnie, a resident of Mount Dora, Florida. Mr. McKechnie learned of the incredible accomplishments of Desi Amaz and submitted a nomination to the State of Florida for a historical marker honoring the entertainer. On May 24, 2022, the State of Florida Historical Marker Council met in Tallahassee and unanimously approved the nomination. While the location of Mr. Amaz's performances. was initially believed to be at the Park Central Hotel on Ocean Drive as referenced in Mr. Anaz's memoir, A Book, by Desi Arnaz, after further research it has been concluded that the actual location of the nightclub was at 339 22nd Street (the former Park Avenue Restaurant), the current site of the Miami City Ballet. A copy of the original building permit card for 339 22nd Street and a Miami Herald advertisement for the La Conga nightclub are attached, for informational purposes. Given the documentation identifying the- intersection of Park Avenue and 22 Street as the site of La Conga nightclub, the most -appropriate location for the marker would be somewhere in the Collins Park neighborhood near the Miami City Ballet building. The Administration has identified. two possible areas for the installation of the plaque, as - noted on the attached map, and summarized hereto: Option One — Collins Park Option one would be to introduce the marker within the green space at the northwest comer of Collins Park adjacent to the south side of 22 Street. This location is closest to the former La Conga nightclub and installation would not require the removal of any paved areas. Option Two — Liberty Avenue Plaza Option two is within the Liberty Avenue pedestrian plaza adjacent to the north side of 22 Street. This location will likely have a much higher volume of pedestrian. activity, allowing for more public appreciation. However, it may require the removal or modification of paved areas. Page 1211 of 1292 The Administration's preferred location is Option Two which will afford a greater public benefit. As the final location is subject to the approval of the State, the Administration would recommend the Commission also endorse Option One as an alternate location in the event the State does not approve the marker to be placed within the Liberty Avenue plaza. Each marker will be made of cast aluminum with a black background and white lettering, as well as a white Florida Heritage emblem. The markers come with a 7'-0" concrete post and have a text area of 30" by 42". The verbiage previously approved by the State of Florida Historic Marker Council is as follows: Desiderio Alberto Amaz y de Acha was bom into wealth and privilege in Santiago, Cuba. After the Cuban Revolution of 1933 forced his family to flee to Miami, the teenage refugee lived in a pest -ridden warehouse and eamed spare change cleaning birdcages — not knowing he would one day transform American entertainment. A tuming point came at the Park Avenue nightclub in 1937 when the young bandleader realized the Latin music he knew was foreign to his pickup band. Amaz saved the show by beating out a tempo on his conga drum. When the band joined in, the mesmerized audience followed Amaz as he danced them outside and through these streets. What Amaz called his "Dance of Desperation" launched the "Conga Craze" in America. His endless talent and determination led him first to Broadway and then Hollywood where he met the love of his life, Lucille Ball. Married in 1940, they would have two children, create Desilu Productions, achieve stardom with I Love Lucy, and purchase RKO Studios. On a 1954 TV special honoring the couple, Amaz reflected "From cleaning canary cages to this night... I don't think there's any other country in the world that can give you that opportunity. 1 want to say thank you. Thank you, America.", The proposal also includes the above verbiage translated into Spanish for one side of the marker. At the direction of the PSNQLC, the Administration has reached out to several organizations to obtain feedback regarding the location of the historical marker within the Collins Park neighborhood. Below is a summary of this outreach to date: • Collins Park Neighborhood Association — The Association hasbeen contacted and has no objection to the placement of the plaque within the Collins Park neighborhood at either Liberty Avenue Plaza or Collins Park. • Miami City Ballet — The Miami City Ballet has advised the City that the collective opinion of the Ballet is consistent with the position of the Collins Park Neighborhood Association. • Bass Museum — the Bass Museum has suggested not locating the marker within Collins Park, as the museum prefers to keep the area of the park as open as possible for the future placement of contemporary art. • Hispanic Affairs Committee — The Committee discussed the placement of the marker at their January 12, 2023, meeting and passed a motion recommending in favor of placing the marker Page 1212 of 1292 within the Collins Park Neighborhood. Further, the Committee recommends that the marker be placed within the Liberty Avenue pedestrian plaza as the first preference, subject to the final review of the State of Florida, with the second preference being the northwest comer of Collins Park. The Committee also recommended that text of the marker be refined to include a more site -specific reference. The cost for the fabrication of the marker is approximately $2,400. While there has been a significant fundraising attempt by Mr. McKechnie, the Administration has been advised that the total amount raised is approximately $800, and that Mr. McKechnie would like to donate this amount. Should the City accept the donation, it is anticipated that the cost difference could be covered by funds allocated to the Planning Department for purpose of introducing historical markers throughout the City, which was approved by the City Commission per Resolution No. 2019-30921. The Administration has also confirmed with the Facilities and Fleet Department that the cost of installation will be nominal and not have any budget implications. Pursuant to Section 82-504 of the City Code concerning monuments and memorials, the City Commission is required to hold a public hearing prior to final approval of the historical marker. The proposal for a commemorative plaque must be transmitted to the City Commission with an accompanying written analysis, prepared by the City Administration. At the close of the City Commission public hearing, the approval of the proposal requires a 5/7 vote. Unless expressly provided otherwise in the City Commission Resolution approving the historical marker, the approval shall establish the presumption that the City shall assume the costs associated with the ongoing maintenance of the approved marker. Absent additional feedback to the contrary, at this point the Administration would recommend option two for the location of the proposed marker, within the Liberty Avenue pedestrian plaza. SUPPORTING SURVEY DATA Not Applicable FINANCIAL INFORMATION It is anticipated that fabrication of the plaque will cost the City approximately $1,600 after the $800 donation by Mr. McKechnie. Installation will be handled through the Facilities and Fleet Department. The fabrication and installation costs will not require .a new funding appropriation. CONCLUSION The Administration recommends the following: 1. The City Commission approve Option Two as the preferred location for the proposed marker, within the Liberty Avenue pedestrian plaza and approve Option One as an alternate location in the event the State does not approve the Option Two location. 2. The City Commission schedule a public hearing pursuant to Section 82-504 of the City Code for the March 15, 2023, City Commission meeting, for the approval of the marker and installation authorization. (NOTE: approval by the City Commission will be subject to final approval from the State as to the proposed location). Page 1213 of 1292 Applicable Area South Beach Is this a "Residents Right to Know" item, pursuant to City Code Section 2-14? Yes Does this item utilize G.O. Bond Funds? No Strategic Connection Prosperity - Market and promote Miami. Beach as a world class arts, culture, and quality entertainment destination. Legislative Tracking Planning Sponsor Commissioner Alex Fernandez ATTACHMENTS: Description o Location MAP o Building CARD o Miami Herald Ad - La Conga Club Page 1214 of 1292 1 } .P -r / VV _ e r - j ` f . a Ow-nejr==W 3 JM%r-k to-...,-Alddress 4'500 Permit No 3242 - 89 2 Cost � � 7,500 Lot' 8 & 10 Block 1 Subdivision M:B.Impr.Co. Address 339 Twenty-second Street See Belo General Contractor Miami Beach Ocean Front. Construction Corp : Bond No.806 Architect Geo. Pfeiffer William Rosenfeld: M 0 L I T I O H Engineer DEMOLITION Albert Anima - LA CONGA- Zoning Regulations: Use BA Area 19 Lot Size 100 x 125 Size: Front 441-70a 50'-40 Depth Height Stories'Buildin 20D t Cerificate of Occupancy No. Use RESTAURANT; ADDITION, dining rm & kitchen Frame & ucco Reinforced concrete Sept.11,1929 Type of Construction C o n e re t e jj u Foundation Roof Comp : DateO t - c co . 26 ®7[ 93 Plumbing Contractor #4299 Mears Sewer Connection 1, Date Sept.12.;1929 w. t #4866 Mears - 6 Fixtures - Temporary Closet ' Plumbing Contractor December 27 1929 : 7ON 10P 3/62 CODU1.4GIL AMPT D RE ON #16826 Water Closets Bath Tubs Floor Drains AUTHOMING FWD ELION OF AG E'. i'T FOR Lavatories PMCHJV13t OF THIS P.O 'cTY FOR: OFF REE PARKING Showers I T I 0 11 Grease Traps 4 EL D�O Urinals Sinks Drinking Fountains ' nick Cra*°ord : E0609 Gas Stoves 1 & 15 Fixtures: Gas Heater 1, NOV. 19 ,1936 Rough Approved Gas Radiators Gas Turn On Approved Septic Tank Contractor' Tank Size Date Oil Burner Contractor #275 o6 -- Belcher Oil, Company Tank Size 275 gallmns Date Nov. 18, 194 Sprinkler System Electrical Contractor - #708 Lyon Electric Company Address 33-- Fixtures Date Sept.19,1929 '77®3 - LaVigne Switch 38'. 11/27.. f 36 Range Motors Fans Temporary Service #7574--11 f 16✓193E OUTLETS Light 5, HEATERS Water Lyon Electric ' Co Receptacles Space Centers of Distribution Refrigerators Irons Sign Outlets No. FIXTURES 15---------- Electrical 3Contractor #120 Newland Date -------------------- Dec, 23;1929 FINAL APPROVED BY Date of Service ':: .. :....., .. ... ...-. .•-... A=.T ::T7�T1- ]1::T71.\i\�Cl-l1T. 71'TT-A.Z71.C1. Miami Herald The Miami Herald (Miami, Florida) • 30 Jan 1938, Sun • Page 58 Downloaded on Oct 27, 2022 1938 Clipped By: debbiejtackett Thu, Oct 27, 2022 Copyright © 2022 Newspapers.com. All Rights Reserved. NeWSpcapers- Page 1217 of 1292