I find the City to be spiteful and stupid
The City insists on demolishing the Expo Center, even though "Burn Notice" brings in millions of dollars to the economy in these terrible times and even though the free exposure it gives to Coconut Grove and Miami is incalculable.
I just don't get our City leaders sometimes. They are on the verge of agreeing to the construction of an office building on the waterfront even though it clashes with the Waterfront Master Plan and will block water views and yet they want to kill a hit tv-show (with millions of weekly viewers) that is bringing in money ($20 million per season) and tourists (it's very popular in this country and Europe) because that clashes with the Master Plan and now blocks the water views. Makes no sense.
Why do we need to kill this for an empty hole in the ground? Presently there is no money to build the Master Plan park or even pay for the demolition of the Expo Center.
posted by Tom Falco at 8:24 PM
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21 Comments:
We have Peacock Park that is underused, Kenny Meyers Park that is underused - when is the last time U saw someone picnicking at Kenny Meyers Park. They want more park space that they can't afford to irrigate let along maintain. Mayor Diaz probably wants this to go on his resume as giving Miami more green space because he says he is the Green Mayor but we really know he is Cement Manny.
You say Cement Manny I say Which Ever Way the Wind Blows Manny. Manny Blows!
To the gutless wonders who won't add their names, I hope your senseless vitriole makes you feel powerful.
Burn Notice is a wonderful production and should be maintained. There are countless other places that would serve as equally valuable sites. We do need some political will to make it happen. Let's see if the city, county and state step up to keep this important economic generator here in Miami.
Yet another blatant example of the City of Miami tremendous ineptitude at managing Cocoanut Grove matters.
Let's just enumerate just a few of Cement Manny's and absent Sarnoff's recent exploits:
- The mediocre, infamous "Waterfront Master Plan" which might begin to happen in 2020, if we're lucky, and is already being violated by none other than... tada!:
- The Despicable, massive, private party office building, 22,000 Sqft of Concrete just 22ft from the water. Bravo..
- The absence of Bike Paths. (Cement Manny also has some Bogus plan, which might commence before the Waterfront Plan, year 2018, or so, 3rd worst city for bikes in the USA, thanks Mr. Sarnoff)
- Our Lovely an, efficient "Information Booths", a truly enjoyable aesthetic delight, with a pretty tax-payer price tag too.
I'll stop there; it's a beautiful day to get aggravated so early..
Until the day the Grove becomes its own city, the MESS will continue, and grove residents and visitors alike will suffer the consequences of such grotesque mismanagement by the City of Miami.
Carlos.
Do we know what exactly what does the City plan to do instead, after they demolish the Expo Center? A park or an office Building? Guess it's all in the elusive "Water Front Master Plan".
There's nothing elusive about the waterfront master plan. There was an extensive public process and it incorporates what the residents want. I can tell you from having been involved there were lots of bad ideas being pushed by the administration that are not in the plan. You can see the plan by following this link:
http://projects.sasaki.com/coconutgrove/Documents/July23FinalCompress.pdf
The reason our parks are unused is they are chopped up and not well organized for activity or passive recreation. The plan takes care of that. It also adds improved bike trails that will make access by bike and on foot safer and nicer.
This article on Burn Notice is surprising to me. I am on the implementation committee for the master plan and at a recent meeting we talked about Burn Notice staying for the 3rd season. We also learned, however, that the State of Florida cut the millions in incentive dollars they were giving the production and Louisiana has offered to pay to move them and give them incentives, so this may be a business decision that the City has no control over.
Burn Notice bring in "millions of dollars?"
I would have to see the receipts to believe that.
If the show is on its last legs, it's because it's a bad show. The City of Miami shouldn't subsidize a television show by undercharging for rent.
To Anonymous 10:06:
The show is not on it's last legs. It's home in the Expo Center is on it's last legs.
Burn Notice is one of the most popular shows on tv. It is a very good show.
Most tv productions bring in millions of dollars. Do you not understand that they pay salarys, rent and purchase things, eat, drink and support the local economy. The money trickles down in the way of taxes, and spending by the production team and employees.
TV and Movie productions are major money makers for the commmunities they work in. You sound very out of touch.
Burn Notice wants to stay, they have asked to stay for a longer period of time and the City turned them down. It is the opposite of what you say, Michelle, they are not leaving for lack of incentives, they are leaving because the City refuses to give them the extra production time they need at the Expo Center.
Anon 10:06
Do you think all the employees work for free? Do you think the cars and the lights and contruction and hotels and all the things they get like food are for free?
All that comes to millions of dollars. Look it up.
typical city thinking; knock down the expo center but build an office building on the docks.
sickening. i think all the commissioners and mayor need to go and now.
I have to agree with Anon above. Burn Notice might bring in "millions" to the station/network that airs their show but I highly doubt they are bringing millions to the Grove. However, it is nice to have them filming here and it certainly serves as a draw for tourism. Its too bad that the City cant see the value of having the Burn Notice crew, or any other crew, using the Grove as a backdrop for their filming.
I do agree with Grape on one thing and that is why demo the Expo Center just to have a pile of dirt sit there for a few years? Sounds like a smoke-n-mirrors ploy to make people think that change is actually happening when in fact its a long ways away.
The $20 million per season is spent in Miami. It costs $1 million or more per episode which goes to salaries, rentals, housing, food, contruction, wardrobe, permits, etc. Miami and Coconut Grove benefit from this.
"There's nothing elusive about the waterfront master plan. There was an extensive public process and it incorporates what the residents want" Michele.
No? The water front Master plan is obviously both elusive and being eluded:
- How long has it taken? When will it start to be implemented, next decade?
- Is it 100% finalized, unmovable, approved, ready to go? Or are they still changing things and playing with ideas in time... The very name says ELUSIVE: Master plan, not DEFINITIVE plan, subject to tweaks and turns depending on the special interests involved in some cases, money interests that is, not Grove residents and Grove visitor's interests. That's as Elusive as it can get.
And also Eluded: Isn't the Massive concrete building next to CharterHouse, 22 ft from the Water about to be approved? Isn't that a blatant violation of such a "firm" Water front Master plan?
Is that "incorparating what the neighbors want" as you suggest?
How many more scandalous violations of this volatile Water Front Master plan will occur before the work actually kicks off in years and years to come?
So far, by looking at results, not just hot talk, this Master Plan, (although a step in the right direction), is almost a joke. It's taking FOREVER, it can change any day, and it's being violated As We Speak.
The very definition of Elusive and Eluded. Incidentally, such characterization can be directly extrapolated and perfectly applied to the way the City of Miami mismanages our Cocoanut Grove Village, eluding our interests and those of our visitors.
Carlos.
To Grove Grapevine
Again with the superlative assertions--"most popular show on t.v." Where is this quantified?
Maybe I don't care because I just don't watch that much t.v. I'd rather experience the grove in "real life" rather than watch flashes of it on the tube.
--"out of touch"
I guess my problem with the hysterical hand wringing is that "Burn Notice" isn't like the auto industry, textile industry, or other big employers whose absence would result in the economic wipe out of the community.
Personally, I think some of you get a thrill at seeing "famous" faces around the Grove and therefore would be really disappointed at not seeing them anymore.
The Grove will make it without "Burn Notice."
To Bryan;
You seem to be talking out of your a-- man because you dont get it. As a crew member, this pays my salary and affords my wife and children and I a decent life. As for ratings, check the weekly neilsen ratings and you will see it is the number one cable show on tv. we are proud of the work we do.
this hurts all of us working people in this tough economy. we live in miami, if the show moves, we won't go since our roots and life is here. tearing down the expo center to have an empty field is only being spiteful and hurting many people in the industry and many people who rely on the money generated by the industry.
I checked the nielsen ratings and Burn Notice is not in the top 10
Since the show is off the air until January, it is going to be hard to find ratings. But you should save this link and after the show returns for the season in January, check the ratings for cable here: http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/nielsen-more.htm
I don't want to sound insensitive, and I'm sure jobs are on the line, but is it the city's responsibility to find filming locations for tv shows or movies?
Should muncipalities be asked to forgo improvement plans simply to keep a single t.v. show on the air?
What Exactly does the City want to do with the Space left after they demolish the Expo-Center?
So all those people lose their Jobs and the Grove loses all the significant big profits that inevitably trickle down from things like Burn Notice, and then what?
Leave a pile of rubble or an empty space for several years? Do they even have an immediate replacement plan, for instance a Park be planted right way? I doubt it. If they do, anyone knows what it is, exactly, and axactly how long would it take to start the job and finish it?
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