County administration will turn spotlight off backroom deals
Related Posts: Front Page, In The News
hiWeek of November 19, 2009
Occasionally an idea is so self-evident that you marvel that nobody did it long ago.
That’s the case with Miami-Dade Commissioner Javier Souto’s legislation to outlaw backroom deals between the administration and commissioners to trade favors for votes.
It’s obvious that, in a state that purports to require government in the sunshine, passage [...]
| Print This Post | Please Leave A Comment »
Good first step on Watson Island needs surefooted follow-up
Related Posts: Front Page, In The News
hiWeek of November 12, 2009
New Miami Mayor Tom·s Regalado plans to start off on the right foot next week by seeking a vote that could terminate a lease to a developer who has defaulted on payments due the city.
Immediately bringing the Watson Island lease for the unborn Island Gardens project before the commission is absolutely [...]
| Print This Post | Please Leave A Comment »
Repaint Watson Island red flags as public green space
Related Posts: Front Page, In The News
hiWeek of November 5, 2009
Even before this week’s election picture clarifies, Miami’s new leaders face an immediate test with vital long-term coloration: What to do about a long-awaited Watson Island showcase that’s clearly painted red?
A developer who variously says he has put $49 million or $54 million into a mega-yacht marina/luxury hotels project but has [...]
| Print This Post | Please Leave A Comment »
Why was commission blindsided on Marlins garage cost?
Related Posts: Front Page, In The News
hiWeek of October 29, 2009
When Miami commissioners held their noses, if not tempers, and voted last week to permit $120 million bonding for Marlins stadium garages that were supposed to cost $94 million, most were shocked.
After all, when they’d approved the parking in March, City Manager Pete Hernandez had agreed to a $94 million cap [...]
| Print This Post | Please Leave A Comment »
To survive, arts must advance from edifices to endowments
Related Posts: Front Page, In The News
hiWeek of October 15th
Even as Miami-Dade irons out its budget cuts for struggling cultural groups, the arts put forth their construction plans.
In this sole respect the arts and professional sports are curiously similar: each seeks a new building.
For sports, it will have a very short life.
As we know, our first professional basketball arena was used [...]
| Print This Post | Please Leave A Comment »
All the Marlins stadium giveaway news that’s fit to print
Related Posts: Front Page, In The News, Miami
hiWeek of Oct. 7
The architect of Miami-Dade County’s $3 billion Florida Marlins stadium giveaway is seething at a New York Times report that pinpoints some of the boondoggle’s worst aspects.
The article “took unwarranted editorial liberties and omitted important facts about our decision,” County Manager George Burgess wrote in a letter to reporter Ken Belson [...]
| Print This Post | Please Leave A Comment »
A day late, $444 million short, and worse is yet to come
Related Posts: In The News, Real Estate News
hiWeek of Sept. 17 If law didn’t require Miami-Dade to complete its budget this week, commissioners could debate for months over what to cut and what to restore to do the least harm in paring $444 million to match fallen revenues.
That debate could be fruitful. Whacking millions is easy. Deciding exactly where to whack them [...]
| Print This Post | Please Leave A Comment »
Civics class: why the airport seeks slot machines and racing
Related Posts: Front Page, In The News
hiWeek of September 3, 2009
“Good morning, children. In civics class today we’ll be talking about how Miami-Dade government really works. Do you know what the county does?”
“My daddy says the county doesn’t do anything good, Miss Jones.”
“That’s not exactly right, Henry. The county tries to give us things we really need.”
“Like what, Miss Jones?”
“Well, today [...]
| Print This Post | Please Leave A Comment »
The Miami Circle: Where preservation meets recreation
Related Posts: Front Page, In The News
hiWeek of August 27
It’s been 10 years since the county spent $26.7 million of state money to buy 2.2 acres at the mouth of the Miami River in order to preserve a circle of stone uncovered as the site was cleared for condo construction.
Archaeologists had decided the circle was probably a 2,000-year-old Tequesta Indian [...]
| Print This Post | Please Leave A Comment »
Miami’s great green hope: a front lawn on Watson Island
Related Posts: Front Page, In The News
hiWeek of August 20, 2009
Miami just can’t keep its hands off public waterfront. It wants to develop every speck.
Despite having a so-called green mayor, green space isn’t on the city’s radar.
Today the city has a shaky deal with a little-known developer who has never done a project here to add a 50-slip mega-yacht marina, two [...]
