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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-26422 Reso RESOLUTION NO. 2006-26422 A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, CONCEPTUALLY APPROVING THE PLAN TO EXTEND LINCOLN ROAD MALL AS A PEDESTRIAN MALL, BETWEEN LENOX AVENUE AND ALTON ROAD, AS PROPOSED IN CONJUNTION WITH THE PROPOSED PARKING GARAGE PROJECT AT 1111 LINCOLN ROAD, AND WHICH PLAN ENTAILS THE CLOSURE OF SAID PORTION OF LINCOLN ROAD TO VECHICULAR TRAFFIC AND THE DESIGN DEVELOPMENT, AND CONSTRUCTION OF ADDITIONAL PUBLIC LANDSCAPE AND STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS IN SAID AREA. WHEREAS, the south side of Lincoln Road, between said Alton Road and Lenox Avenue, is comprised of active commercial uses; and WHEREAS, a parking lot and the adjacent SunTrust building, located at 1111 Lincoln Road, currently occupy the north side Lincoln Road; and WHEREAS, at its regular meeting on February 07, 2006, the Design Review Board approved the development of a new parking garage, with ground level accessory commercial uses, at the intersection of Lincoln Road and Alton Road, at 1111 Lincoln Road (the Project); and WHEREAS, the Board further requested that the developer of the aforestated Project, UIA Management, LLC (Developer), enter into discussions with the City, relative to exploring the possibility of closing this block of Lincoln Road to vehicular traffic, and extending the pedestrian mall all the way through, to Alton Road; and WHEREAS, the extension of the pedestrian mall will benefit this portion of Lincoln Road, and reinforce the pedestrian experience of Lincoln Road, from Washington Avenue through to Alton Road; and WHEREAS, the Developer has initially completed and presented to the City Administration a traffic impact analysis, which, in part, shows that the proposed closure of this portion of Lincoln Road to vehicular traffic, and turning it into an extension of the pedestrian mall, would have no significant traffic impact on the adjacent streets; specifically Alton Road and Lenox Avenues, from 16th to 1 yth street; and WHEREAS, at its regular meeting on November 30, 2006, the City's Finance and Citywide Projects Committee heard a presentation from the Developer with regard to the proposed closure, and recommended conceptual approval in moving forward with the plan; and WHEREAS, the City Administration recommends that the Mayor and City Commission hereby conceptually approve the proposed plan, and authorize the City Administration to enter into further negotiations with the Developer. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the Mayor and City Commission hereby conceptually approve the plan to extend Lincoln Road Mall as a pedestrian mall, between Lenox Avenue and Alton Road, as proposed in conjunction with the proposed parking garage project at 1111 Lincoln Road, and which plan entails the closure of said portion of Lincoln Road to vehicular traffic and the design development, and construction of additional public landscape and streetscape improvements in said area. PASSED AND ADOPTED this the 6th day of, December , 2006. I ~ ,I i~ ~YOR David Dermer ATTEST: ~d' PCU~ CITY CLERK Robert Parcher T:\AGENDA\2006\dec0606\Regular\Lincoln Road Street End - RESO.doc APPROVEDAS TO FORM & lANGUAGE & FOR EXECUTION ( COMMISSION ITEM SUMMARY Condensed Title: A Resolution of the Mayor and City Commission of the City of Miami Beach, Florida, approving a conceptual plan developed for the closure of Lincoln Road to vehicles between Lenox Avenue and Alton Road and construction of a edestrian mall to Alton Road as a Ci ro"ect. Ke Intended Outcome Su orted: Ensure well designed quality capital projects. Issue: Shall the City approve a conceptual plan for the closure of Lincoln Road to vehicles between Lenox Avenue and Alton Road and construction of a edestrian mall? Item Summa IRecommendation: The Lincoln Road pedestrian mall, between Washington Avenue and Lenox Avenue is the best known commercial corridor in the City which promotes economic development and quality of life in the South Beach area. When the Design Review Board approved the new parking garage with ground level accessory commercial uses at the intersection of Lincoln Road and Alton Road, the applicant was encouraged to enter into discussions with the City relative to exploring the possibility of closing this block of Lincoln Road to vehicular traffic and construction of a pedestrian mall all the way through to Alton Road. The administration believes the extension of the very successful pedestrian mall will benefit this portion of Lincoln Road and reinforce the pedestrian experience of Lincoln Road from Washington Avenue through to Alton Road. The Finance and Citywide Projects Committee approved the concept plan and recommended forwarding it to the City Commission for consideration and approval as a funded City Project. The Administration recommends ado tin the Resolution. ro osal on November 14,2006 Financial Information: Source of Amount Account Approved Funds: 1 D 2 3 4 OBPI Total Financial Impact Summary: Ci Clerk's Office Le islative Trackin Robert Halfhill 6833 - Fernando Vazquez Si n-Ofts: Department Director B nt City Manager RCM tD ~ MIAMI BEACH AGENDA ITEM DATE RiT 12.-b-O~ & MIAMI BEACH City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139, www.miamibeachfl.gov COMMISSION MEMORANDUM FROM: Mayor Da~id Dermer and Members O..fth~.C C~itY mmission Jorge M. Gonzalez, City Manager (\.~ December 6, 2006 Q TO: DATE: SUBJECT: A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, APPROVING THE CONCEPTUAL PLAN DEVELOPED FOR THE CLOSURE OF LINCOLN ROAD TO VEHICLES BETWEEN LENOX AVENUE AND ALTON ROAD AND CONSTRUCTION OF A PEDESTRIAN MALL AS A CITY PROJECT; FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE DEVELOPER OF 1111 LINCOLN ROAD FOR AN AGREEMENT TO DESIGN AND BUILD THE PROJECT. ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDATION Adopt the Resolution. BACKGROUND Lincoln Road has been Miami Beach's best known commercial corridor since the city was first developed. It was primarily the product of Carl Fisher, who named the street after Abraham Lincoln. Early developments on Lincoln Road included Carl Fisher's residence, the Lincoln Hotel (Fisher's first hotel) located at Lincoln Road and Washington Avenue, the Community Church located on land donated by Carl Fisher at Lincoln Road and Drexel Avenue, and the Carl Fisher office building (now Van Dyke's) at Lincoln Road and Jefferson Avenue. Frequently referred to as Miami Beach's Fifth Avenue, Lincoln Road contained many of South Florida's and America's most prominent retailers, including Bonwit Teller, Saks Fifth Avenue, Elizabeth Arden, Doubleday, and others. The quality and variety of merchandise available on Lincoln Road figured prominently in Miami Beach promotional literature and was a significant factor in the development of Miami Beach as a visitor and residential destination. In an effort to compete with the development of suburban shopping centers, eight blocks of Lincoln Road were closed to vehicular traffic in 1959. A pedestrian mall with fountains, flower beds, and shade/display structures was designed by architect Morris Lapidus. Lapidus, one of the most famous of the local architects of the time was also the architect of the Fontainebleau Hotel, Eden Roc Hotel, and the Miami Beach Convention Center. The design of the mall and the motorized tram system were considered very progressive and were expected to re-establish Lincoln Road's primacy among local commercial districts. It was during this time that many historic buildings and storefronts were "updated" with the addition of false facades and modern surfaces. City Commission Memorandum December 6, 2006 Lincoln Road Closure Page 2 of 3 During the 1960's and 1970's, Lincoln Road experienced a decline due to a variety of reasons, including reduced tourism, increased competition from Bal Harbour and other suburban shopping centers, as well as the lessening income of surrounding residents. In 1994 a substantial renovation and rehabilitation of the original Lapidus design of Lincoln Road was completed. As part of this renovation, the vehicular access from Alton Road to Lenox Avenue was redesigned, and incorporated a large landscaped median. The overall design concept of this median, in conjunction with the pedestrian sidewalks and parking space has proven to be disjointed, cumbersome and generally unsuccessful. In order to address this shortcoming, as well as provide a more gracious pedestrian experience, the developer of the recently approved parking garage project 1111 Lincoln Road has developed a plan that eliminates the vehicular access between Alton Road and Lenox Avenue and replaces it with a new pedestrian plaza, extending the pedestrian portion of Lincoln Road west to Alton Road. The new plaza design will be organic in nature, characterized by groupings of mature cypress trees. ANAL YSIS The south side of Lincoln Road between Alton Road and Lenox Avenue is comprised of active commercial uses, and a parking lot and the adjacent fortress-like SunTrust building currently occupy the north side of Lincoln Road. The current conditions of the Alton and Lincoln Road site have a blighting impact on the surrounding area, and the vacuous nature of the corner parking lot has, for many years, been contrary to the more ordered urban form of the City, particularly at a significant intersection such as this. Because of FAR limitations, the only type of building that can be placed on the site of the parking lot is a parking structure with limited accessory commercial and residential space. When the Design Review Board approved the new parking garage with ground level accessory commercial uses at the intersection of Lincoln Road and Alton Road, the applicant was encouraged to enter into discussions with the City relative to exploring the possibility of closing this block of Lincoln Road to vehicular traffic and extending the pedestrian mall all the way through to Alton Road. The administration believes the extension of the very successful pedestrian mall will benefit this portion of Lincoln Road and reinforce the pedestrian experience of Lincoln Road from Washington Avenue through to Alton Road. Although planning staff encouraged the applicant to investigate the original design proposed for this block of Lincoln Road by Morris Lapidus, the administration believes the latest proposal is appropriate, considering the scale and design of the modern architecture that will frame the western gateway to Lincoln Road, including the Cinema building and the iconic parking garage approved. The Historic Preservation Board endorsed the proposal on November 14, 2006, and the Visitor and Convention Authority Committee issued a resolution in support of this project. The applicant developed a traffic impact analysis to address concerns related to added congestion in the area resulting from the street closure. This analysis showed that the closure of Lincoln Road and subsequent traffic conditions will have a minor impact on adjacent streets, specifically along Alton Road and Lenox Avenue, from 16th Street to 1 ih Street. The analysis established that the aforementioned streets have sufficient capacity to carry over the diverted traffic. The busiest intersection, 1 ih Street and Alton City Commission Memorandum December 6, 2006 Lincoln Road Closure Page 3 of 3 Road is already in compromised levels of service, and the closure will have minimum impact the intersection. Operational analysis conducted for future conditions at other adjacent intersections (Alton Road and Lincoln Road; Alton Road and 16th Street; Lenox Avenue and 1 yth Street; Lenox Avenue at Lincoln road; Lenox Avenue at 16th Street) suggests that these intersections will continue to operate at current levels of service with no added deterioration in level of service. The elimination of the westbound movement also reduces conflicts with vehicles on Alton Road allowing a better operation at 17th Street and Alton Road intersections. The Traffic Flow Modifications/Street Closure procedures developed by Miami Dade County Public Works require the City to provide the following information: . Approval from the City Commission. . Traffic study indicating the benefits of this recommendation. The study must also evaluate the impact on County or State Roads and on nearby streets. . Coordination with agencies that are potentially affected by the traffic flow modification (Fire and Police Department). The developer will provide all the data needed for the application. This process will take approximately 8 months. The closure of the 1100 block of Lincoln Road and the proposed improvements to create a pedestrian only block can be designed, permitted and built by the 1111 Lincoln Road parking garage developer through a Development Agreement at a cost ranging from five million to six million dollars. The Finance and Citywide Project Committee approved the concept plan and recommended forwarding it to the City Commission for consideration and approval as a funded City project. The Committee recommended that the design of the drop-off area at the West end of Lincoln Road be further evaluated. It was also recommended that a similar hardscape and landscape improvements be considered for the East end of Lincoln Road (West of Washington Avenue). If approved by the City Commission, the final outcome would be an agreement with the Developer to design and build the proposed improvements for the City and funded by the City, but at his cost without mark- up. This negotiated agreement, the form of which still needs to be determined, would come back before the City Commission early next calendar year. FISCAL IMPACT The proposed closure and the proposed improvements to the 1100 block of Lincoln Road would require City funding through the City Center RDA at a cost ranging from five million to six million dollars. JMG/TH/RCM/FHB/vm T:\AGENDA\2006ldec0606lRegularlLincoln Road Street End. MEMO.doc