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Wednesday, November 09, 2011

Visitors Center turning out to be controversial

visitors-center
The proposed Biscayne National Park visitors center is shaping up to be one of those polarizing things that takes over Coconut Grove, you know like Mercy Hospital's expansion plans, the 3 am/5am bar issue and The Home Depot. There are those who love the plans and those who hate them, there isn't much in between, although that's where I am right now. I'm on the fence.

The plans were to be discussed at City Hall last night, during the Waterfront Advisory Board meeting, only there wasn't a quorum and the meeting was called off, even though many residents and business owners showed up.

The subject will be discussed tonight at the Waterfront Implementation Meeting at City Hall (3500 Pan American Drive) at 5:30 pm and on Thursday, at the Village Council meeting at the Sailing Club (2990 S. Bayshore Drive) at 7 pm.

Mark Lewis, Superintendent of Biscayne National Park, was there last night, all ready to explain the project, but unfortunately, we were deprived of his presentation, I do wish they could have just had set it up as a workshop and let the public ask questions. I'm still quite confused over the plans, as are so many others.

Above is a diagram showing where the proposed site would be. You can see the whole outline of the current Expo Center (Dinner Key Auditorium), where Burn Notice films and the red is the smaller area, which is the proposed site of the visitors center that would be built right at the entrance at SW 27 Avenue, right where
the pipes are going in on the street now, right in front of the tree massacre. This part is what worries some. They feel that this is just the beginning of development for the waterfront, you know, first the trees, then the pipes, then the visitors center, then what?

This project does not honor the Waterfront Master Plan, which was years in the making. This visitors center entails a three story, 10,000 square foot building with an IMAX theater and offices as part of the plan. Will a restaurant follow? Will retail follow? That's where the debate comes in. Parking on site was an issue, but that has been moved to parking garages on the outskirts, like the Oak Street Garage and the Coconut Grove Bank lot. Ron Nelson, Commissioner Marc Sarnoff's Chief of Staff, who has been very involved in the project, tells me that keeping green space was a major concern and so the parking was eliminated on site.

Village Council chair Michelle Niemeyer, was Chairperson of a residents' committee that worked with the City and Sasaki Associates to assure that extensive public input was gathered, and actually used, in creating the Coconut Grove Waterfront Master Plan. According to Michelle, "The only water-dependent use proposed is a commercial pier jutting into sailboat bay. The proposed revision eliminates the Seminole Boat Ramp (this is a weakness of the master plan, in that the City failed to create the alternate ramp promised when the plan passed with the boat ramp dedicated to regatta use, but the National Park Service plan would eliminate it entirely, with no alternative either.) If our waterfront is lost to water dependent uses, or our public access is taken, we won't get it back."

If you look at the diagram above, you'll notice the building is right up against the water and there is a pier that goes out. How will bikers, runners and walkers get around that? The entrance at 27th Avenue has been moved and it appears as if that whole entrance area will be non-existent.

David Collins, head of the BID, told me that a trolley service would be part of the plan to shuttle people back and forth from the visitors center to the Center Grove and of course from the parking lots.

Some business leaders were present last night and seemed to be in favor of the project, feeling that a large percentage of visitors will trickle into the Center Grove to eat and shop.

I wondered about the traffic. 10,000 people per month are projected to come to the visitors center. Why is that traffic a problem with Mercy Hospital's proposal to expand but not this project? How will people arrive, by helicopter? I am told that since it will be staggered and not in shifts, the cars won't be arriving and leaving at the same time.

More to come on this. So much more. This promises to be a long drawn out issue. Comments are open. How do you feel about the project?

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4 Comments:

Blogger David McBurnett said...

It looks on its face to be a massive waste of money and space. Why another theater? What about our open beautiful waterfront?
Improve what we have, I will ask Ron why do we need this? How about paying teachers instead....or helping the homeless.
Who really benefits, who pays and who get rich?

November 09, 2011 8:41 AM  
Blogger Sledge said...

So they are trying to get rid of the ONLY spot in the entire 5 miles of bayside property in the Grove where regular people passing by can catch a brief glimpse of the water? the Seminole ramp..GREAT!.. another big building block the very rare water vista available there.. Awesome! Hope a lot of people make tons of money on that juicy deal.. who cares about the thosands of average walkers, runners, cyclists, or the tourists common residents walking by South Bayshore.. nahh, if they don't spend money on some 3rd floor of a freaking shopping mall right in front of the water, screw them. No waterviews for them! Just pathetic. I was lucky to move into a high floor of a building here where you can see the Bay, most residents and people just won't see any water unless they rent a boat (or if they trim the sacred mangroves way inside the 2 parks in the next decade) Pathetic!
Carlos Iglesia

November 09, 2011 11:55 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Parks Service can adapt the historic Pan Am terminal for the visitor center. Move City Hall to a central location on Metrorail that is convenient for all City residents. Win-Win

November 10, 2011 12:44 PM  
Blogger David McBurnett said...

Well I did ask Ron and have changed my understanding and opinion of the whole story. First the story as first carried in the Herald was not accurate or complete, should I be surprised? This “project is really just the opening dance between Miami and the US park service on what could be a very positive addition to our Village. We sit on the edge of the one of the largest parks in the US, Biscayne Bay National Park. The treasure has very limited access unless you own your own boat. It is also largely unknown to the great majority of Miamians. The only visitor center it has now is 10 mile east of Homestead…i.e. no visitors. Asmall visitor center in the footprint of our decaying Coconut Grove Convention Center would bring positive visitors during the day to our sailing village. At night the Grove is busy but the day it slow and sleepy; except for our morning and evening commute that this would not add addition traffic to those times. The “Imax Theater” to be included may use Imax technology but the initial talk to for a small informational viewing room as found at the International fishing Center in Dania, FL. It might hold 50 people. That was not the intentional impression given by the article. There are many more positive possibilities for this project and I personally hope this moves forward with plenty of interested citizens involved.
Thanks Ron,
David McBurnett

November 12, 2011 6:11 AM  

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