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Collins Park Neighborhood Association Meeting Summary

On July 18, 2006, CPNA held a Membership meeting hosted by the Miami Beach Regional Library in their auditorium with refreshments donated by Bresaro Suites at the Mantell Plaza.

Over 40 board and community members attended the meeting. Quorum met.

The City of Miami Beach’s CIP office supplied us with the most current rendering of what the final park design is to look like. This and other CIP projects can be view on www.miamibeachfl.gov, the city’s website. The final plan was presented to Historic Preservation in early July and there were a few modifications they requested relative to tree plantings and wall materials used, nothing major. Those changes will be made and re-presented to Historic Preservation at the August 8th meeting. The park is still scheduled to start construction by year-end with an anticipated 20 months needed to complete the project.

CPNA has been informed that the proposed Cultural Arts Neighborhood District Overlay (CANDO) blue ribbon committee has filled the 25 board positions and will hold its first meeting on September 12th. Gary Farmer has been asked to head this committee. Although the total list of board members has not been published, we know for certain that there are at least 4 residents and business owners from the Collins Park Neighborhood that have been asked to sit on this committee including Ray Breslin, CPNA’s board president.

The most exciting news is that our website is now up and running. We owe a great deal of thanks to the Setai and Talula Restaurant for funding this project for CPNA and to Alexis Morgenstern for his great design. All the attendees at our meeting got the first look projected 20 feet wide on the auditorium screen. It was quite spectacular. Please check it out. www.collinspark.us Please note it is dot us, NOT dot com.

The local developer project statuses for the neighborhood attendees were as follows.

The “W” Hotel Project: Status was requested but nothing formal was given to us and no representative from the “W” attended. We discussed only what we already knew for those who were not up to date. Tear down of the old Holiday Inn should start next month.

Paradiso and Hotel Gansevoort: Although no one was able to attend in person, we received an update via email from Ari Pearl. The balcony and exterior renovation project is about 90% complete. All areas of the Hotel and Condominium are under construction except the beach club that requires special permitting from the state.
The Hotel plans a soft opening in the 1st quarter of 2007 (Super Bowl). The Paradiso hopes to start closing units by the end of 2006. The retail is starting to take shape. Currently there are 2 restaurants planned. One (yet named) will serve 3 meals a day and do room service, service the pool decks and do catering. The other is Phillip Chow Chinese Restaurant, (not to be confused with Mr. Chow going into the W Hotel). Leases have been signed with Artsee Optical, INCA swimwear, Big Drop (clothing company from NYC) and of course David Barton Gym and Spa. There will also be a hair salon, café and pastry shop, and a wine bar.

The Wolfie’s Project: Walid Sfeir from the Setai brought a scaled architectural model of the project. It looks quite spectacular. No leases have been signed for the retail space yet but construction has begun and is expected to be completed in 24 months.

Walgreen’s: Is still on schedule for an early 2007 opening. The new roof should be installed within the next month. Then the interior can start.

Mokai Lounge: Was to host this meeting but the opening was slightly delayed and is now scheduled to be open by the end of July. We wish this new business great success.

The Rivage: Jorge La Madrid brought 2 architectural renderings showing this great project and how it will impact the currently derelict Liberty Avenue with its main entrance feature. Jorge also told us about an exciting project they are doing in conjunction with FPL and the Art Center of South Florida to paint artwork on the FPL building for Art Basel. He said that Rivage is currently about 30% under contract and they would soon be starting a new sales campaign in Europe.

Sid Davis and Ray Breslin met with Tim Hemstreet, assistant City Manager on July 14th to discuss the parking garage on 23rd Street and the Indian Creek Greenway project.

The garage seems to be in a final negotiating stage with a private developer. Once that is worked out a plan can be submitted for comment from CPNA and approval from both Historic Preservation and the Design Review Board. Something of this nature would also have to go to the City Commission. We are way behind in this planning process and need to keep pushing to move it forward. Our future development hinges on this garage.

The Greenway Project is moving forward in design. CPNA offered to whatever was needed to obtain right of way easements or whatever else was required from the upland owners of the property along Lake Pancoast and Indian Creek to 29th Street to allow this funded project to move forward citing the deplorable condition of the current boardwalk along Lake Pancoast between 24th and 26th Street as being extremely hazardous and needing immediate attention.

Under new business, the board and membership discussed the fact that there now was a new player, AEG Live wanting to take over the Jackie Gleason Theater. We had previously written a letter to the City Manager and Commission supporting the Cirque du Soleil project. After a discussion of what is known of both of these proposals, the board and members present voted unanimously to continue supporting the Cirque du Soliel project.

For more information or to be added to our email list, call Ray Breslin, 305 772-5665 or email Bresaro@aol.com