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2007-26635 ResoRESOLUTION NO. 2007-26635 A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, RECOGNIZING HIALEAH PARK RACE TRACK AS A VALUABLE LOCAL AND NATIONAL HISTORIC RESOURCE OF GREAT IMPORTANCE AND URGING THE OWNER JOHN BRUNETTI, AND RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES SUCH AS THE CITY OF HIALEAH AND THE SOUTH FLORIDA REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCIL, TO TAKE SUCH STEPS AS ARE NECESSARY AND APPROPRIATE TO PRESERVE TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE THIS NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK. WHEREAS, since 1925, Hialeah Park Race Track has been recognized as a gorgeous racetrack, which some call the world's most beautiful race course; and WHEREAS, its majestic Mediterranean Revival architecture has brought recognition from many historic organizations, including in 1979, being entered in the National Register of Historic Places, and in 1988, being declared eligible for National Historic Landmark designation by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior Donald P. Hodel. WHEREAS, Hialeah Park was also home to a flock of American Flamingos, which resulted in its being designated a sanctuary by the Audubon Society; and WHEREAS, horse racing was held at Hialeah Park until 2001, when the Florida Legislature deregulated the racing dates for the various horse tracks, and Hialeah could not compete for viable racing dates; and WHERAS, the buildings at Hialeah Park have since suffered and deteriorated, with Hurricane Wilma causing such damage in 2005 that the owner requested the City of Hialeah to remove its historic certification on the stables, which the owner thereafter demolished; and WHERAS, Bal Bay Realty, Ltd., has filed an application for development approval with the South Florida Regional Planning Council, for a development of regional impact to permit the development of 3,760 residential units, 960,000 sq. ft. of retail space, 200,000 sq. ft. of office space, and 75,000 sq. ft. of museum space at Hialeah Park; and WHEREAS, the museum space contemplated is the restoration of the historic Hialeah Park Clubhouse, on approximately 1.9 acres of the 202 acres of which Hialeah Park is comprised; and WHEREAS, on June 14, 2007, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Hialeah Park to its 2007 list of American's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places; and WHEREAS, the organization Citizens of South Florida for the Preservation of the Hialeah Race Track is a group of activists seeking alternatives to the residential and commercial development of the site; and WHEREAS, it appears that more desirable alternatives to the development proposal exist that maximize the restoration of the historic character of the site, including providing more public space surrounding the historic clubhouse, such as a substantial park area including the clubhouse, gardens and statues; and WHEREAS, City of Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina is reported to have proposed a town center concept for this larger public space, to consist of approximately 50 acres, which would allow the restoration of some of the majesty of the clubhouse in relation to its surroundings; and WHEREAS, the City of Miami Beach recognizes that this is a decision of the City of Hialeah, which has jurisdiction, and the concerns expressed in this resolution, with respect, are merely intended to support the City of Hialeah's efforts in addressing the future of this valuable historic resource; and WHEREAS, the Mayor and Commission of the City of Miami Beach urge those involved in the process reviewing the proposal for the next phase of this historic site make every effort to preserve that which Hialeah Park was, and what it brought to the City of Hialeah and South Florida - a majestic and celebrated center of vibrant activity that was and hopefully will again be a beauty to behold. 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 recognize Hialeah Park Race Track as a valuable local and national historic resource of great importance and urge the owner John Brunetti, and responsible governmental agencies such as the City of Hialeah and the South Florida Regional Planning Council, to take such steps as are necessary and appropriate to preserve to the greatest extent possible this National Historic Landmark. PASSED AND ADOPTED this 5th d2 ATTEST: C~c. CITY CLERK Approved as to form and language and for execution ~.~` ~ ~` S G'7 I RNEY ated T:\AGENDA\2007\sep0507\Regular\Hialeah Park preservation reso rev.doc 2 ~ ~ ~i~/~. m MIAMIBEACH OFFICE OF THE MAYOR AND COMMISSION /TO: Jorge M. Gonzalez, City Manag CC: Jose Smith, City Attorney FROM: Commissioner Matti H. Bower DATE: August 21, 2007 MEMORANDUM SUBJECT: Agenda Item -Friendly Resolution to Support the Preservation of the Hialeah Park Race Track Please place on September 5, 2007 Commission Agenda, a friendly resolution to support the preservation of the Hialeah Park Race Track. I have attached the facts sheet and newspaper articles provided to us by Mr. Alex Fuentes, from Citizens to Save Hialeah Park. I thank you in advance for your cooperation. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me or my Aide, Yvonne at extension 6091. M H B/yws -~ `_ ' ,..:~ ~~`~ w.. F n.. .' r. y ~ t'+.- Agenda Item ~ 9G- _ _ .,~~ ,,r ~ , ~ ; :., Date 9-S y 7 SAVE THE HIALEAH PARK RACE TRACK Our Mission The historic preservation of the Hialeah Park Race Track and all of its elements. The Citizens of South Florida for the Preservation the Hialeah Race Track is a group of community residents working cooperatively to attain local, state, and federal support necessary for the Hialeah Park's acquisition, restoration and preservation. Why Save the Park? The 220 acre Hialeah Park Race Track (1925) is our very own "Central Park." A quick peak on "Google Earth" will demonstrate its proud distinction from the surrounding elements and its, smaller scale, resemblance to New York City's prized possession. The Hialeah Park is also Southern Florida's historical connection to the rest of the Nation, thus contributing greatly to South Florida's development as a popular tourist destination. A simple keyword search for Hialeah Race Track on the "e-bay" auction web site will make evident the Park's nationwide impact on horse racing. The Hialeah Park was entered into National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1979. It was then honored with the rare, coveted National Historic Landmark (NHL) designation by the US Secretary of the Interior, in 1988. Unfortunately, these prestigious, national recognitions offer little protection from private endeavors. Consequently, the site's (NRHP) designation and (NHL) eligibility will be lost if the proposed redevelopment plan is permitted to materialize. http://www.sfrpc.com/dri/hialeah%20park htm Some Hialeah Race Track Facts ^ The Miami Kennel Club opened the first grey-hound parrmutual track in America on the site of the future Hialeah Racetrack in 1922. ^ Nationally significant as the oldest and widest turf horse track in the US continually operating unti12001. ^ Hialeah Park with its landscaped gardens, native fauna and flora, was known as the most beautiful race track in the world. ^ The Park includes a Renaissance Revival Architecture clubhouse and associated buildings ^ Thoroughbred race horse "Seabiscuit," made his debut here January 19, 1935 ^ Designated a sanctuary for the American Flamingo, originally imported from Cuba, by the Audubon Society ^ The first photo finish camera installed here in 1936 ^ Among the millions that visited Hialeah: Harry Truman, the Kennedy Family, General Bradley, Winston Churchill, and J.P. Morgan were just a few of the Park's celebrity and dignitary guests. Hialeah Race Track History http://www crnps.gov/nhUDOE_dedesignations/hialeah.htm You Can Help! Contact the Hialeah City Council http://www.hialeahfl.gov/ Write congressmen Lincoln Diaz Barlat at http://diaz-balart.house.gov/ Write Florida Senator Rudy Garcia at garcia.rudy.web@ftsenate.gov/ Write Representative Rene Garcia http://www.myftoridahouse.gov/default.aspx You may contact us for more information afbmw750@aol.com Printing donated by Fort Dallas Press, Hialeah Florida ESPN.com -The effort to save Hialeah g [RR[NT] ESPN.com: HorseRacing Sunday, August 12, 2007 The effort to save Hialeah By Bill Finley Special to ESPN.com Page 1 of 2 ~~_ [Pr_int without_i_ma~_e_s] - When Chris Bailey first visited Hialeah Park he barely noticed the holes in the roof, the weeds, the peeling paint or even its emptiness. He was otherwise preoccupied, entranced by the ghosts of Seabiscuit, Seattle Slew, Citation, War Admiral and the memories of a time when thousands flocked to the most beautiful racetrack ever built to see the sport presented at its very best. Too young at 25 to be cynical and, perhaps, too naive to know any better, Bailey envisions a day when Hialeah will rise from its current state of disrepair and dormancy, will be given a new lease on life and prosper. To him, that's something worth fighting for. "It was such an amazing place and so important to the history of horse racing," Bailey said. "I know people have reservations about bringing it back. But to lose it forever would be a huge loss for the sport. There's so much history there and so many great horses ran there. Hialeah represented everything that was truly great about the way horse racing used to be and why people loved the sport so much." The odds are against Hialeah. It hasn't hosted a live race since 2001, the barns have been torn down and initial steps have been taken in an effort to develop the property and convert it into something or other that will make someone a lot of money. But Chris Bailey and a group of racing fans and concerned citizens in South Florida aren't going to let Hialeah get away without a heck of as fight. They have formed a grassroots organization named "Citizens to Save Hialeah Park," and it will stand firmly in the way of any efforts to tear Hialeah down. Citizens to Save Hialeah Park was founded by Alex Fuentes, a Hialeah resident whose initial interest in the track came about when he began working on a coffee table book about its history. Only a marginal racing fan, he was not that well versed in the lore of Hialeah and its place in the history of the sport and his hometown. As he delved further into the Hialeah story, he was appalled to discover that so little was being done to save something that had once been so special. "It was heartbreaking to see the apathy having to do with Hialeah Park," he said. "Of course, there were people who said it was a beautiful place, that it did mean a lot, but nobody was able to look beyond (Hialeah owner) John Brunetti and see any future or come up with any plan for preserving Hialeah and bringing racing back there." So, Fuentes, Bailey, who has never seen a live race at Hialeah, and dozens of others have been doing the work that few inside the racing industry or within South Florida political circles seemed to want to do. They have started a website, have launched a media campaign, have met with politicians and have been successful in getting Hialeah placed on a list of the nation's most endangered places, which is put out each year by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Bailey's work has included a visit to Hialeah in an effort to meet with track representatives about its future. Hialeah was once the jewel of South Florida racing. Opened in 1932, it was the winter home for most of the nation's top stables and trainers. They came to Hialeah not just for the good racing and the sunshine but also for its beauty. In its glory, there was nothing like it; Hialeah was a palace. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=2971851 &type=story 8/21 /2007 ESPN.com -The effort to save Hialeah Page 2 of 2 The forces of change ganged up on Hialeah. The demographics of the area changed, with the affluent fleeing up the coast to the north; Gulfstream Park emerged as a force; and Brunetti, who has many an enemy, kept losing the all-important political fight for the choice racing dates. By 2001, when Hialeah last operated, the track was hosting second-class racing in front of minimal crowds. It was a losing battle for Brunetti, who grew tired of the money-losing proposition. Ever since May 22, 2001, when a horse named Cheeky Miss won the last race of the day, Hialeah has been closed, its future stuck in limbo. Without any obvious or viable solutions to its problems, Hialeah's situation is bleak. Unable to derive any meaningful income from his property, Brunetti now seems intent on tearing the place down. Bailey, for one, agrees that it is unrealistic to expect Brunetti to keep the place on life support forever without the track generating any revenue. But he doesn't see that as an unsolvable problem. The group has floated several ideas concerning how to make Hialeah economically viable again. "One of the suggestions I like the best is to build an equine hospital there," Bailey said. "The nearest one is in Palm Beach County. Now, any time a horse has a major injury down here they have to be shipped an awful long way to get care. In a lot of cases, the length of time they spend being shipped somewhere is a matter of life and death." Of course, they all want Hialeah's future to include horse racing. Why not a high quality three or four- week meet? Why not run the Breeders' Cup there? With the changes Gulfstream has undergone, it can't be held any place else in Florida. Might slot machines work into the equation? The good news is that people are listening to Citizens to Save Hialeah Park. The key, Bailey says, is the Hialeah city council. In order for condos or anything else of a commercial nature to be built there, the council has to change existing zoning regulations. So far, it looks like the council is not going to roll over for Brunetti or anyone else who wants to see the Hialeah property developed. "I'm very optimistic about Hialeah's future," Fuentes said. "Some people may say I'm a dreamer, but you have to look at the facts. You have the mayor coming out and saying he's not going to let this happen on his watch and we're seeing other politicians making this a campaign issue. We've also had the local media taking this issue under its wing, and so have the people of Hialeah. I think it's much more possible now than ever that we can save Hialeah." It's a noble cause. Should one of horse racing's great jewels just be thrown in the trash? Somebody or something needs to come along and save Hialeah. Maybe Chris Bailey, Alex Fuentes and the. rest will do just that. They're certainly worth rooting for. Bill Finley is an award-winning racing writer whose work has appeared in the New York Times, USA Today and Sports Illustrated. Contact Bill at wnfinle~cr,aol. com. ESPN com: Nelp ~ PR Media Kit ~ Sales Media Kit ~ Report a Bug.. ~ Contact Us (Site Map ~ Jobs at ESPN (Supplier Information ~ Copyright 04'2007 ESPN Internet Ventures. Terms of Use and UPDATED Privacy Policy and Safety Informato.nJYour California, Privacy Rights are applicable to you. All rights reserved. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=2971851&type=story 8/21/2007 `~` Hialeah Park Racetrack, Determined Eligible for Designation: National Historic Landman.. Page 1 of 4 Determined Eligible for Designation as a National historic Landmark Hialeah Park Racetrack Hialeah, Dade County, Florida The Hialeah Park Racetrack is one of the oldest existing recreational facilities in southern Florida. Originally built to attract the rich and. famous, Hialeah Park taken by Mary Turnipseed. X985. has contributed to the popularization of South Florida as a winter resort. The park includes a Renaissance Revival clubhouse, associated buildings, and landscaped gardens of native flora and fauna. Hialeah Park has become so famous for its flocks of flamingos that it has been officially designated a sanctuary for the American Flamingo by the Audubon Society. The development of the racetrack is closely linked to the development of the City of Hialeah. Developed as a speculative enterprise in 1921 by James H. Bright, a cattleman. from Missouri, and Glenn H. Curtiss, an aviation pioneer, it included many What is an NHL? Search for an NHL List of NHLs CluestionslAnswers Virtual Travel Nominations Theme Studies Assistance Students/Teachers NPS Contacts http://www.nps. gov/history/nhllDOE_dedesignations/hialeah.htm 8/21 /2007 Hialeah Park -track and infield lake. National Historic Landmarks photograph, Hialeah Park Racetrack, Determined Eligible for Designation: National Historic Landman.. Page 2 of 4 amenities ignored by other South Florida town developers. Bright and Curtiss donated land for community use and helped to acquire land and building funds for the construction of public buildings and facilities, including a racetrack. The first greyhound parimutuel track in America was opened here in February of 1922 by the Miami Kennel Club. The track was developed by Owen P. Smith, the inventor of the "Inanimate Hare Conveyor," the mechanical rabbit device that allowed dog racing on a circular track. In 1924, Joseph M. Smoot, with the help of Curtiss anal Bright, established the Miami Jockey Club and constructed a racetrack and grandstand adjacent to the greyhound track. The Hialeah Racetrack that opened on January 15, 1925 consisted of a clubhouse, an administrative building, a paddock area, and twenty-one stables. Near the track, a fronton for the Spanish sport of jai-alai. was constructed, the first in the Miami. area. An amusement park with a roller coaster and a dance hall was also developed. Hialeah Park offered the most complete recreational. complex in South Florida at that time. The Great Hurricane of September 1926 dealt the City of l--lialeah a staggering blow. The racetrack complex lost its roller coaster, jai-alai fronton, and dog kennels. From that point on, the various owners of the Hialeah Park Racetrack concentrated on horse racing. 7 http://www.nps.gov/history/nhl/DOE_dedesignations/hialeah.htm 8/21/2007 ~~~ Grandstand and clubhouse at Hialeah Park. National Historic Landmarks photograph, taken by Mary Turnipseed, 1985. Hialeah Park Racetrack, Determined Eligible for Designation: National Historic Landman.. Page 3 of 4 Hialeah Park -walking rink and paddock area. National Historic Landmarks photograph, taken by Mary Turnipseed, 1985. The racetrack was purchased in 1930 by Joseph E. Widener, who undertook a major renovation, hiring architect Lester W. Geisler to design a master plan for the sporting facility. This master plan included the replacement of the wooden grandstand and clubhouse structures with concrete and steel buildings on the existing foundations. Also included in the master plan were the stables, paddock. area, walking rink, and the infield turf track, now the widest and oldest track. continuously used in the United States. Extensive landscaping was undertaken, with hundreds of royal palms anal coconut trees planted, and a lake was created within the track infield and populated with pink. flamingos imported from Cuba. The opening of the renovated Hialeah Racetrack on January 14, 1.932 set its tone for years to come. It was attended by the rich and notable who rode special trains south from Palm Beach and debarked at a station specially built by the Seaboard Airline Railway. Hialeah Park is nationally significant as the oldest and widest continuously operating turf horse racing track. in the United States. The association of famous jockeys, such. as Eddie Arcaro and Willie Schumacher, with. the track enhances its significance. F,qually significant is Hialeah Park's role in starting the careers of famous horses such as Citation. and Seattle Slew, that went on to success in the Kentucky Derby and other classics. Hialeah Park hosts several nationally famous races such as the Flamingo, Widener, and Turf Cup. The track has been the major industry of the City of Hialeah since its opening and has made Florida the capital of winter racing. The reputation of the Hialeah Park Racetrack as the world's most beautiful race course has helped South Florida to become known as a desirable vacation spot. In this way, it has played a significant role in the development of South Florida tourism and was a forerunner of inodcrn recreational complexes in South Florida. I-lialeah Park Racetrack was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 2, 1979. On January 12, 1988, the property was determined eligible for designation. as a National Historic Landmark by the Secretary of the Interior. http://www.nps.gov/history/nhl/DOE_dedesignations/hialeah.htm 8/21/2007 High stakes for Hialeah: Is the city's 1925 race track - a national landmark - in imminent danger? Hialeah Park, Hialeah, FL Posted on Sun, Dec. 10, 2006 ARCHITECTURE COMMENTARY High stakes for Hialeah: Is the city's 1925 race track -- a national landmark -- in imminent danger? By BETH DUNLOP bdunlop@MiamiHerald.com In its day, Hialeah Park was one of America's most important, and most spectacular, race tracks, built to the finest and highest standards of architecture and landscape design -- a place of glamour, status and astounding beauty. Over the years, it was host to some of the nation's greatest horses -- Seabiscuit, Citation and Seattle Slew among them -- and to an annual season of horse racing unparalleled except in a few tracks across America, no more than a dozen in the course of history. Last week, the track's historic stables were demolished after years of neglect had left them decrepit and dangerous. The glorious French-inspired clubhouse lies in shambles, likewise long-neglected. The track's owner, John Brunetti, wants to develop the site with alarge-scale project, though he has neither the zoning nor the approvals to do so. But sad to say, in South Florida that seldom seems an obstacle. After Vizcaya, Hialeah Park may well be the second most significant historic place in Miami -- architecture and landscape unified into a brilliant whole -- but it has been allowed to languish to the point that parts of it are being lost and the rest is in dire jeopardy. And yet, all this devastation -- the long years of abusive neglect, dire damage from two years' worth of hurricanes, now demolition of a vital part of the track's historic content -- has taken place without significant public outcry. Its clubhouse has a sweeping formal staircase and broad terraces and a memorable landscape marked by grand rows of trees and tropical gardens, Hialeah Park is a landmark of national stature. At one point, it was designated a wildlife sanctuary for its famous flock of flamingoes, who were an extraordinary, mesmerizing sight to behold. "It was the jewel of Southern racing, with the elegant landscaping, its magnificent architecture and its safe and comforting track for the horses," laments James E. Bassett, the retired president and board chairman of another of America's historic tracks, Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. One could make this into a complex issue and discuss changing times, American leisure habits, demographics, economics and even the appeal -- at least to the gambling crowd -- of online gaming. Those might possibly explain why Hialeah Park lost its preeminency as a race track, but they certainly would not explain why it should be possible to let one of our foremost landmarks be sacrificed for yet another development. "Nothing matches Hialeah for those long vistas, the softly-waving pine trees, the drama of the flamingoes," says Nancy Stout, the photographer and author of the book Great American Thoroughbred Race Tracks. ARCHITECT HIRED And they're Horse racing began on the site in 1925, but it was not until six years later that Joseph Widener -- a Philadelphian with an immense family fortune -- bought the track. Widener, an important art collector of the era, hired Lester Geisler, a young architect who had worked in Palm Beach with Addison Mizner and then formed his own firms. Geisler based his design for the clubhouse on French prototypes, including the Loire Valley chateau of Azay-le-Rideau, but also traveled far to study prototypes such as the famous French racecourse at Longchamps and the American beauties, the tracks at Belmont and Saratoga Springs. Added to this mix was a landscape architect named H.L. Clark, who -- according to Stout -- was able to find "the most beautiful and durable materials" in Florida. And so it flourished over the years, and then, by the 1990s, began a slow and then steep decline. The last races were run at Hialeah in 2001. And now it is wasting away. The demolition of the stables is in itself a crime; it is known legally as demolition by neglect, and in some cities with stronger historic preservation ordinances, a complete reconstruction could be ordered, but alas -- at this moment - - that is not the case. A small group of citizens, led by 29-year-old mortgage banker Alex Fuentes, has been vigilantly following the fate of Hialeah Park, and advocating on its behalf. Although the track is not currently zoned for residential use, Brunetti's plans, on file with the South Florida Regional Planning Commission, call for essentially covering the whole site with buildings -- 3,760 residential housing units, many of them in high- rise apartment buildings, along with almost one million square feet of retail shopping. Only the clubhouse would be preserved, as a museum, but most of Hialeah Park's glorious 220-acre site would be gone, paved over into ordinariness. The zoning to do this is not in place, nor are the requisite regional approvals for a large-scale development. Hialeah's Historic Preservation Board has publicly opposed this, in a resolution passed last March. The state's historic preservation board, likewise, has expressed its serious misgivings. All these are important, yet they beg the larger question, which is why there has been no major public effort to save Hialeah Park in its entirety. Where has Miami- Dade County been in all this? Why wasn't the acquisition of the track on the countywide bond issue in 2004, a portion of the $2.9 billion approved by voters to preserve and enhance this community? Where has the state been with its endangered lands fund? Surely there are not more significant sites to buy, no buildings more beautiful nor landscapes more eloquent. EMOTIONAL TIES Imagine Hialeah as an equestrian park (with the stables rebuilt as they were) attracting international attention. And even when no equestrian events were on tap, there would be the lawns, the gardens, and the flamingoes, of course. The imagination could take off from there. Many Miamians (and I include myself in this group) have a strong emotional connection to Hialeah Park. As a child who spent parts of the winter in Florida, I fed apples and carrots to the horses there. My son, now 23, did the same. Over the years, my husband and I spent many a happy afternoon at the races watching the horses, observing the crowds, admiring the architecture, enjoying the landscape. We'll never get back to the glory days of racing, to the timeless afternoons at the track that are now seldom and storied -- the Kentucky Derby being the prime example. But we can keep the place and its landscape, and use it as it ought to be used, but with an eye to our times. We need to preserve Hialeah Park, and we need to do so with permanency and in perpetuity. We owe it to the architecture. We owe it to the landscape. And we owe it to the great horses who ran there over the decades, and might even one day, run there again. MiamiSunpost.com Home Page http://www.miamisunpost.com/archives/2007/02-08/index. html Page 3 of 4 8/21 /2007 MiamiSunpost.com Home Page Page 4 of 4 "Brunetti has put his money where his mouth is as far as trying to save the park for racing." It's hard to believe now, but there once was a time when Hialeah was the social hot spot of Dade County-where the elite of the East Coast of this nation would travel to enjoy the grand gentleman's sport of horse racing. The Hialeah Park racetrack was a thing of beauty in its prime -the 1920s through the 1970s. A huge complex of 220 acres, it featured lots of trees, gorgeous Mediterranean architecture and a track with a lake in the middle, complete with an island full of pink flamingoes from Cuba. If you've never been there, at least you've caught a glimpse in the old Miami Vice opening montage. But by the time we host another Super Bowl in 2010, Hialeah Park may well be on its way to becoming a huge mixed-use development not unlike Midtown Miami. Hialeah is a very different place now than it was in 1925. In 2007, Hialeah is a pastiche of immigrant America, full of contradictions. There's a lot of poverty, but also a lot of wealth. The zoning is completely screwed up, resulting in an endless sea of ugly strip malls, and single-family homes with zero lot lines and illegal apartments in the back, crammed next to restaurants, auto body shops, dog kennels and/or hooker hotels. Yet everyone seems to have an expensive vehicle or three parked out front and a young mistress with a taste for couture. Probably one of the best examples of the contradictions of Hialeah is the new Starbucks on West 49th Street. I met Hialeah Park activist Alex Fuentes there for coffee a couple of weeks ago and the place was jamming. On the surface, this is weird, right? I mean, here we are in the heart of Cuban culture in South Florida, a place where the cafecito window is sacred, and people are lining up to pay $5 for a fancy latte? continued http://vvww.miamisunpost.com/archives/2007/02-08/index.html 8/21/2007 Super Bowl XVI Home Search Restaurants Calendar Media Kit This Week's Stories Breaking Nevus Homicides Went Up 37 Percent In 2006 MIAMI BEACH Art and Commerce One of Lincoln Road's Last Cultural Institutions Rents Its Gallery Space to Make a Little Extra Green During Super Bowl Week MIAMI BEAGH Technical Difficulties Glitch Causes Locally Taped Late Late Show To Be Seen Really Late In Miami MIAMI Grove Density High-Rise Projects Near Metro-Rail Stations Can Reduce Traffic, Study Says CORAL GABLES continued from Home page Photos by Mitchell Zachs/Magicalphotos.com "Everybody predicted this place would die," Fuentes told me. "But I said, `If it's hip, Cubans will buy it. You could charge 10 bucks for a coffee and we'd buy it."' Fuentes is struggling now with a different kind of sales job, one that would seem nearly impossible in a climate in which we salve our social disquiet with more trips to the (strip) mall. Fuentes, an energetic, earnest 29-year- old, is the brains of an effort to prevent Hialeah Park owner John Brunetti The Edit Wit vote Miar Carp beg i "big And prise Murl Ad of in snot land. is be like < Bou As D.C. phot Horc thre: histc Cho Orn your here of h~ And give Film Ah, Dan film 1 Lect~ http://www.miamisunpost.com/archives/2007/02-08/firststoryfrontpage.htm 8/21 /2007 Seeking Love Hialeah Race Track are taking a stand against development of the area. Puppy Death Mickey Rourke Leads Demonstration Against Pet Store Super Bowl XVI City Beautiful Cops Get Ugly Police Union Targets Mayor, Demands End to Contract Dispute MIAMI GARDENS Give 'Em Hell, Bob Longtime Activist Hits Campaign Trail, Again. This Time He's Got Hillary's Back -Even on a Rainy Super Bowl Sunday AVENTURA Candidates Must Qualify by Friday MIAMI SHORES In The Family Village Council Hires Contracting Firm With Strong Shores Ties from converting the defunct racetrack into amega-development that would bloom like a plastic sunflower from the squat surroundings of the neighborhoods around it. "This is our Central Park," he said. "Or it can be. It should be." According to a large-scale development plan Brunetti filed with the South Florida Regional Planning Commission last year, he wants to build more than 3,700 apartment and condo units, plus amega-mall retail shopping complex and offices. The plan calls for preserving a token portion of the park, such as the clubhouse, as a nod to the park's storied past. Page 2 of 5 And were teen Groff Ville are accc here discs Lett. ART Mus Perf Emf Pleas broker Site rr E a http://www.miamisunpost.com/archives/2007/02-08/firststoryfrontpage.htm 8/21/2007 Super Bowl XVI Page 3 of 5 Brunetti, a colorful real estate developer who has owned the park since the late '70s, has said he was driven to this end because the park is no longer viable as a racetrack. The decline started sometime in the Eighties, with the final nail in the coffin occurring in 2001, when the state Legislature deregulated the racing dates for the various horse tracks. Hialeah Park's competition, the tracks at Calder and Gulfstream, essentially then colluded to split the season between them, leaving Hialeah with nothing. Hialeah lost its racing permit, but according to a spokesman, is seeking to get it back. http://www.miamisunpost.com/archives/2007/02-08/firststoryfrontpage.htm 8/21/2007 Super Bowl XVI Page 4 of 5 Brunetti, as well as several Hialeah-area politicians, lobbied for years to return to regulated race dates that would allow the park to compete, but that effort failed and I wouldn't hold my breath this year either. Both the city's and the state's Historic Preservation boards have pooh- poohed the idea of amega-development at the park. The park is on the National Register of Historic Places, although as far as preventing development, the designation is mere window-dressing. The Hialeah City Council has paid lip service to the idea of preserving the park (sending a letter in opposition to the plan filed with the state commission), but also seems to be supporting Brunetti's plans through incremental stages. Late last year, the old stables were decertified as historic, so they could be destroyed. Mayor Julio Robaina told me that is because he'd received numerous complaints from nearby residents and business owners about the dilapidated state of the stables, which they felt was contributing to the vermin problem in the area. He explained to me that the park is privately owned and the city has limited control over what can be done with it. "I can't force him to do anything," he said. All he can do is make sure Brunetti keeps the property clean and up to code. Robaina, like almost everyone else I've spoken to on both sides, would rather see the horses come back to Hialeah. That's unrealistic, though. Also unrealistic, in his view, is the idea that the city could buy the whole property for a public park. He's heard it's worth more than $200 million, when the city's entire annual budget is only $140 million. So Robaina (with a largely malleable City Council behind him) supports a compromise, as yet undefined, but something less than Brunetti's walled mega-city. He's thinking a town center type of development, setting aside maybe 50 acres or so for a park area that would include the old clubhouse, gardens and statues. With the Metrorail station right there, it could become a real central destination in a landscape without an identifiable core. When I called Brunetti's offices, the designated spokesman was Steve ~~y http://www.miamisunpost.com/archives/2007/02-08/firststoryfrontpage.htm 8/21/2007 - Super Bowl XVI Page 5 of 5 Bovo, who also is president of the Hialeah City Council. Bovo, like Robaina, claims a deep emotional connection to the park and its history, and ideally would like to see it largely preserved. "I've always said, 'You better replace one jewel with another jewel,"' he told me. "To see skyscrapers or warehouses here is something I don't think anyone wants to see." But Bovo says he can also understand his boss' point: Where were all the people who want to save the park when he was struggling to keep it afloat for years? "Brunetti has put his money where his mouth is as far as trying to save the park for racing," Bovo argued. Bovo also pointed out that a lot of his constituents don't have such a vital connection to the park, and would be more interested in seeing major chain stores, like a Chili's restaurant or Barnes & Noble bookstore, coming into Hialeah. This is the essential test of what kind of place Hialeah can be. As with any city, the quality of life has a lot to do with an active citizenry who cares about and is willing to fight for what they want. One of Hialeah's problems, traditionally, is that it was ruled by one strong-willed man, former mayor Raul Martinez, and an incredible political machine for 25 years. Its activist core was never large, and so now it is a challenge to go through the unfamiliar process of building a large coalition to fight for the park. Fuentes, along with activist Milly Herrera (the heart of the movement) has reached far and wide to gain support. Nancy Liebman, president of the Urban Environment League of Greater Miami, went out to the park to speak to Robaina and others, and the UEL is fully behind the activists. She points to what happened when Tropical Park in Miami lost its racing and was bought by the county as an example for Hialeah to follow. "It's going to take tons and tons of money and effort," she said. "Can there be a public effort for the city to purchase it? If it is turned into a strip mall, it would be like knocking down a national monument. I haven't had this sense of horror since we lost the Art Deco buildings (on Miami Beach, which galvanized the preservation movement there)." She encouraged Fuentes to apply for a special designation for the park from the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of the 11 most endangered historic sites in America. He did, and Liebman notified local trustee Tony Goldman, as well as Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart. Milly Herrera views the Save Hialeah Park campaign as the biggest fight of her, and Hialeah's, life. "This park is our park," she said. "It's a regional and national issue, not just local. It is the issue that is going to unite the citizens with the government. It evokes passion." And that's something Hialeah could use. Comments? E-mail wakefie/dCa)miamisunpost.com. http://www.miamisunpost.com/archives/2007/02-08/firststoryfrontpage.htm 8/21/2007 a Future looks bleak for fading horse racing relic Hialeah Park -Horse Racing -Yahoo! Sp... Page 1 of 3 SPORTS NOME HORSE RACING HORSE RACING HOME Future looks bleak for fading horse racing relic Hialeah Park By SARAH LARIMER, Associated Press Writer June 28, 2007 HIALEAH, Fla. (AP) -- The glorious past of this city's fabled racetrack remains evident despite the hurricane-beaten clubhouse and overgrown vines that swallow grandstand walls. The track's opulent fountains are dry. Rows of empty green seats are covered with dust. Hialeah's 1 1/8-mile racing oval is overgrown with grass, and the roar of packed stands has been replaced with the noise of nearby commuter traffic. ADVERTISEMENT Those who remember Hialeah Park's past say it was magnificent, which makes its current condition that much sadder. "It's like a beautiful woman whose time has come and gone," track owner John Brunetti said. The historic park -- once visited by Winston Churchill and the host of champions such as Citation and Seabiscuit -- has been edged out by rival tracks and become a relic of racing. South Florida officials are in the early stages of discussions to convert the track's 220 acres for residential and business development. The park's operators said they see no alternative for the track, which last held a race in 2001. "It would be a great loss for racing if we lose Hialeah," said former jockey Ron Turcotte, who worked out Triple Crown champion Secretariat on the track. "It was one of my favorite places. You'd spend winters there. The flamingos, the flowers, Said former jockey Bobby Ussery, who rode 1960 Preakness winner Bally Ache to a victory in the Flamingo Stakes at Hialeah that year: "Anybody that was anybody came to Hialeah racetrack." The famous flock of flamingos that flew over the track during the seventh race each day still lives at the park, but racing is gone. In 2005, a state appeals court refused to overturn an agency's decision revoking Hialeah's racing permit. Hialeah has long alleged that the state's deregulation of racing dates in 2001 essentially took the park's racing permit without compensation. But Brunetti said racing will likely never return. The land was once a proposed site for a Florida Marlins ballpark, but he said it should be converted into housing, businesses and a racing museum. "You don't just stand around and watch something crumble in front of your eyes," Brunetti said. "You have to do something to go forward." The massive banyan tree at the front of the track might survive redevelopment, just as it withstood hurricanes that wrecked some of the park's buildings. Cars carrying dignitaries and celebrities once passed by the tree, and it continues to guard the entrance, even though stables have been razed and gates have started to rust. ~~ http://sports.yahoo.com/rah/news?slug=ap-hialeahpark&prov=ap&type=lgns 8/21/2007 Yahoo! '! My Yahoo! Mail ', More everything was so pretty." Future looks bleak for fading horse racing relic Hialeah Park -Horse Racing -Yahoo! Sp... Page 2 of 3 The South Florida Regional Planning Council and the development team have started discussions about the land's use, but both sides say the proposal is in its early stages. "You just can't have property of that magnitude sit in the middle of the city idle. That is, in essence, what is going on right now," City Council president and park administrator Esteban Bovo said. "We have a jewel sitting in the middle of our city. It is not operating. It's not doing anything." Hialeah Park sits on prime South Florida real estate, close to freeways, a commuter train line and Miami International Airport. But the new plans for development aren't popular with some city officials, who want to preserve a slice of history. "We are not entertaining any type of development plans for the park," said Hialeah mayor Julio Robaina, who said park officials can't develop the land without the city's approval. Activists got a boost recently when the National Trust for Historic Preservation placed the racetrack on its list of 11 most endangered historic places in the country. But even that won't stop development. Alternatives to housing and business development have been proposed. State lawmakers suggested slot machines at the park, but the idea failed to gain support. "I really don't even know why it came up, truthfully," said Sen. Dennis Jones, R-Seminole. "It's almost bizarre." Alex Fuentes, founder of Citizens to Save Hialeah Park, said he wants to see the park become an animal hospital. "I would say that's my favorite plan, because it conforms to the history of the park," Fuentes said. "You don't even need to market it." Horse trainer Jean Friedberg and owner Gina Silvestri champion that idea, which would allow the idyllic setting to be preserved. The park's soft turf track would be gentle on recuperating horses, they said. Brunetti said he appreciates such suggestions, but action would be better. Regardless of the track's future, he said he hopes racing fans remember its glory days. "Hialeah," Brunetti said, "was Camelot." Updated on Thursday, Jun 28, 2007 92:42 pm, EDT Email to a Friend ~ View Popular Sponsor Results Full Card Reports -Horse Racing Detailed analysis, expert selections and handicapping reports for all horse racing tracks. Free plays and articles update A service for all types of horseplayers. www.fullcardreports.com Horse Racing Discussion Forum Forum for Horseplayers featuring Free Contests, Free Picks, and more. www. HorseRacingTalk.com Racing Picks -Horse Racing A complete horse racing service for handicapping reports and analysis for all tracks. www.racingpicks.com YAHOO! SPORTS ALSO ON YAHOO! 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Privacy Policy -Terms of Service -Copyright/IP Policy -Help- Site Map Copyright ©2007 Th contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Assoc http://sports.yahoo.com/rah/news?slug=ap-hialeahpark&prov=ap&type=lgns 8/21 /2007 z~istoric sports sites rarely take landmark status - USATODAY.com Page 1 of 3 Historic sports sites rarely take landmark AdveRisement status By Jane Lee, USA TODAY The glorious past of Hialeah Park Racetrack remains embedded in history, the last horse race six years removed. Its future lingers in the unknown. Famous for its imported pink flamingos, which once shared the grounds with legendary Thoroughbred champions Seabiscuit and Seattle Slew, this South Florida racetrack that opened in 1925 was determined eligible to become a National Historic Landmark (NHL) by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior in 1988. It never gained that status. Ten years after its eligibility was announced, the track's losses topped $650,000. Now it is the site of a planned housing and commercial complex. Because that would destroy much of the storied park and remove its NHL eligibility, the National Trust for Historic Preservation placed the track on its list of 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in June. "It has architectural, historical and environment significance. It's basically our Central Park," says Alex Fuentes, founder of Citizens of South Florida for the Preservation of Hialeah Race Track. A site is designated an NHL by the Secretary of the Interior because it possesses exceptional value in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the USA, says Patty i-lenry, a historian for the National Historic Landmarks Program. Fewer than 2,500 historic places have attained NHL status. Less than 1 % of those have major sporting significance and that number is not likely to increase appreciably, given renovations even to legendary stadiums and facilities to add revenue for owners. Pikes Peak, near Colorado Springs, was the first major sports-related site designated an NHL, in 1961. The most recent, in 1992: Merion Golf Club, outside Philadelphia, which has hosted four men's U.S. Opens and will have a fifth in 2013. Hialeah closed permanently in 2005 after damage from Hurricane Wilma. The grounds have been maintained, but the clubhouse and grandstand have suffered neglect. Last fall the stables were stripped of historic certification by the Hialeah City Council and lost consideration to become an NHL. Then they were demolished. "When we talk about a site being 'eligible,' that means it meets our criteria," Henry says. "It's only when the owner complies that we deem it a designated NHL site." Hialeah's owner, John Brunetti, wants to build roughly 4,000 apartment and condo units with a retail shopping center and offices. That would turn Hialeah into "a city within a city," says Fuentes, a lifetime resident of the city of Hialeah, roughly 10 miles northwest of Miami u~ http://usatoday.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=Historic+sports+sites+ra... 8/21/2007 ..Historic sports sites rarely take landmark status - USATODAY.com Page 2 of 3 Fuentes says the Hialeah track is responsible for the development of South Florida and the city wouldn't exist without it. His group is actively opposed to Brunetti's ideas and is pushing for an alternate plan. "In an ideal situation, racing would return for short seasons and the track would be used in the interim for equestrian activities," Fuentes says. "It would be a perfect place for a rehabilitation track for injured horses." But owners always have the final say. "The biggest thing for owners is needing to upgrade their sites to keep attracting fans," Henry says. "They get nervous about not being able to make changes (if designated a NHL) and because any type of recognition will bind their hands." Changes to existing structures are why major league baseball ballparks are not found on the list of NHL sites. Push to preserve Wrigley Field The Chicago Cubs' Wrigley Field, the Boston Red Sox's Fenway Park and the Chicago White Sox's old Comiskey Park were among sports-related landmarks designated by the Interior Department for consideration in 1987 as part of arecreation-site study. But each owner cited concerns that NHL status would restrict future modifications. According to David Bahlman, president of the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois, the fight to preserve Wrigley is very much alive. Wrigley was designated by the city of Chicago as an individual local landmark in 2004. Bahlman says NHL status is "the ultimate national recognition a site can receive" and he would love to see Wrigley get the designation. But more important is that the ballpark is safe because of its local landmark standing. His group "works very closely with the Cubs," Bahlman says. Any alterations to the ballpark must be approved by the commissioner of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks. "When pushing for local landmark status, we consulted preservationists to be consistent with how to treat landmark properties," Bahlman says. Cubs attorney Michael Lufrano says he's not aware of any plans to push for NHL designation -not that Henry and the NHL program are expecting a phone call from Wrigley's owner, Tribune Co„ any time soon. "We don't go out and solicit," Henry says. "Once we've tried to designate a site such as Wrigley and don't get much response, we don't want to keep contacting them. "And in the 20-plus years I've been here, only two owners (of non-sports properties) have changed their mind and moved forward with the NHL process." A site that never has entered the landmark process despite its history is Yankee Stadium. Henry says the NHL program has "troubles with its integrity." Landmark status would have protected Yankee Stadium from its planned demolition after the 2008 season. But major renovations from 1974-75 drastically changed the stadium from the 1923 original and cost it historic significance. Types of sites vary The range of sports-related NHLs goes from the obvious, such as the Rose Bowl, to the less familiar. A look at some, in order of when each was designated: •John Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson House, New York: Robinson's old home, built in 1925, is an ordinary Brooklyn house, but its connection to the man who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball makes it a structure of great significance. Robinson lived there from 1947 until 1950 while playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers. It was named an NHL in 1976, four years after Robinson's death at 53. •Churchill Downs, Louisville: Opening in 1875, this site quickly became the world's most legendary racetrack as home of the Kentucky Derby. It became an NHL in 1986. '~ http://usatoday.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=Historic+sports+sites+ra... 8/21 /2007 Historic sports sites rarely take landmark status - USATODAY.com Page 3 of 3 •Washington University Hilltop Campus Historic District in St. Louis: This was the site of the third Olympics, in 1904, the first held in North America. Gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded for the first time. Two of the venues, Francis Field and Francis Gym, still stand on campus. It became an NHL in 1987. •Butler (Ind.) Fieldhouse: Designated in 1987, this 1928 original that is home to Butler University's basketball and volleyball teams is now Hinkle Fieldhouse. Many know it from the various scenes in Hoosiers. Once the largest basketball arena in the USA, its incomparable aura still makes it one of the greatest places to watch a game. •Rose Bowl, Pasadena: The proud home of UCLA football and the Rose Bowl game became an NHL in 1987. The bowl game, "The Granddaddy of Them All," has been a sellout every year since 1947. The first New Year's Day bowl game played there was in 1923. •Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club: Host of this year's men's U.S. Open and more major golf championships (17) than any facility, Oakmont was built in 1903 and became the first golf course to be named an NHL, in 1987. Find this article at: http://www. usatoday. com/sports/2007-07-25-history-sportsites_N. htm ~ ! Check the box to include the list of links referenced in the article. Copyright 2007 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. ~~ `s http://usatoday.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=Historic+sports+sites+ra... 8/21 /2007 m MIAMIBEACH City of Miami Beath, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139, www.miamibeachfl.gov DEPARTMENT City Clerk's Office Telephone: 305.673.741 1 Email: CityClerk@miamibeachfl gov FAX: 305.673.7254 April 19, 2007 Mayor Julio Robaina and Members of the City Council City of Hialeah South Florida Regional Council Members At the September 5, 2007 City of Miami Beach Commission Meeting, the City Commission adopted Resolution No. 2007-26635 recognizing Hialeah Park Race Track as a valuable local and national historic resource of great importance and urging the owner John Brunetti, and responsible governmental agencies such as the City of Hialeah and the South Florida Regional Planning Council, to take such steps as are necessary and appropriate to preserve to the greatest extent possible this national historic landmark. Attached please find said resolution. Respectfully submitted, Robert E. Parcher ~/ City Clerk Attachment Mayor David Dermer Vice-Mayor Matti Herrera Bower Commissioner Simon Cruz Commissioner Michael Gongora Commissioner Saul Gross Commissioner Jerry Libbin Commissioner Richard L. Steinberg Jorge M. Gonzalez, City Manager F:\CLER\HATL\Letters\Transmittal\Transmittal letter 2007-26635 We are committed to providing excellent public service and safely to aU who live, work, and ploy in our vibrant, tropical, historic community.