Charles Corda explains his garage math
Local architect, Charles Corda has made a name for himself in the wake of the new waterfront project. He is featured in today's Miami Herald and of course, I have been featuring him here and so has Al Crespo and a number of other blogs and publications. Charles has made it is mission to be the watchdog of the Coconut Grove waterfront and I don't see a thing wrong with that.
Charles is entitled to his opinion and entitled to do the long, dirty legwork that he has done in order to get the story out. I know many people like to leave comments here, saying that he and I for that matter, are juggling the facts around, but what would we have to gain from this? We or I should say, he, is trying to clarify what is going on at the water's edge.
Here is the Miami Herald story.
Below is a letter I received today, regarding a recent letter that Art Noriega, head of the Miami Parking Authority, sent out regarding the new parking garage for the waterfront project. Charles Corda and Al Crespo have been quite busy: I do have to admit, I was wondering how so few parking spaces would accommodate just the mall workers alone. BUT HERE IS THE LETTER FROM CHARLES CORDA:
Good Morning Mr. Falco;
Attached is a Letter and Drawings from Art Noriega re the Parking Garage to be built along with the Grove "Harbour" Project. Al Crespo obtained these drawings as part of a public records request.
Mr. Noriega states in his letter below to Mr. Crespo "Here is the original, conceptual layout, that was put together back in January". Mr. Noriega also mentions this "conceptual layout we did months ago" in the letter from him to you published in the Grapevine.
Unfortunately there are a few inconsistencies here. In the Grapevine Letter Mr. Noriega states the number of spaces to be "671" .Yet in the actual conceptual drawings attached below the Total number is 1,167.
Those are not my numbers. Those are Mr. Noriega's numbers. This is not my "misunderstanding". This is Mr. Noriega throwing out widely varying and misleading numbers. You don't have to take my word for it. Anyone can look at these drawings themselves. I am not calculating. I am not assuming. I am not misunderstanding.
Mr. Noriega's Drawings speak for themselves.
One Thousand, One Hundred and Sixty Seven.- 1,167 PARKING SPACES! NOT "671" as Mr. Noriega states in his letter. NOT 476 as stated in the "lease"
Also Note that these "Conceptual Drawings " show a building 6 stories in Height NOT 4 stores as Mr. Noriega states in his letter to the Grapevine.
If Mr. Noriega himself has no idea what will be built on this site, how can I know? How can the voters know? The Problem as I see it with the Garage is that no one knows what is going to be built including Mr. Noriega!
Mr. Noriega has "promised" to develop a final Garage plan for this site. Hopefully we will get a look at it before the referendum. As of today the "conceptual plan" indicates that a Garage for as many as 1,167 Spaces may be built.
It is also painfully obvious that Commissioner Sarnoff, Ron Nelson, Joyce Nelson and others who ardently support this ill-conceived development have either no understanding of what has been "conceptualized" or simply could care less. it is they who are deliberately misleading the public. Not I.
Charles Corda
Coconut Grove
Charles is entitled to his opinion and entitled to do the long, dirty legwork that he has done in order to get the story out. I know many people like to leave comments here, saying that he and I for that matter, are juggling the facts around, but what would we have to gain from this? We or I should say, he, is trying to clarify what is going on at the water's edge.
Here is the Miami Herald story.
Below is a letter I received today, regarding a recent letter that Art Noriega, head of the Miami Parking Authority, sent out regarding the new parking garage for the waterfront project. Charles Corda and Al Crespo have been quite busy: I do have to admit, I was wondering how so few parking spaces would accommodate just the mall workers alone. BUT HERE IS THE LETTER FROM CHARLES CORDA:
Good Morning Mr. Falco;
Attached is a Letter and Drawings from Art Noriega re the Parking Garage to be built along with the Grove "Harbour" Project. Al Crespo obtained these drawings as part of a public records request.
Mr. Noriega states in his letter below to Mr. Crespo "Here is the original, conceptual layout, that was put together back in January". Mr. Noriega also mentions this "conceptual layout we did months ago" in the letter from him to you published in the Grapevine.
Unfortunately there are a few inconsistencies here. In the Grapevine Letter Mr. Noriega states the number of spaces to be "671" .Yet in the actual conceptual drawings attached below the Total number is 1,167.
Click on this image for a much larger version.
Those are not my numbers. Those are Mr. Noriega's numbers. This is not my "misunderstanding". This is Mr. Noriega throwing out widely varying and misleading numbers. You don't have to take my word for it. Anyone can look at these drawings themselves. I am not calculating. I am not assuming. I am not misunderstanding.
Mr. Noriega's Drawings speak for themselves.
One Thousand, One Hundred and Sixty Seven.- 1,167 PARKING SPACES! NOT "671" as Mr. Noriega states in his letter. NOT 476 as stated in the "lease"
Also Note that these "Conceptual Drawings " show a building 6 stories in Height NOT 4 stores as Mr. Noriega states in his letter to the Grapevine.
In all fairness to Mr. Noriega he has stated that this is not what he intends to build. BUT Mr.Noriega is clearly contradicting himself in these two letters.
If Mr. Noriega himself has no idea what will be built on this site, how can I know? How can the voters know? The Problem as I see it with the Garage is that no one knows what is going to be built including Mr. Noriega!
Mr. Noriega has "promised" to develop a final Garage plan for this site. Hopefully we will get a look at it before the referendum. As of today the "conceptual plan" indicates that a Garage for as many as 1,167 Spaces may be built.
It is also painfully obvious that Commissioner Sarnoff, Ron Nelson, Joyce Nelson and others who ardently support this ill-conceived development have either no understanding of what has been "conceptualized" or simply could care less. it is they who are deliberately misleading the public. Not I.
Charles Corda
Coconut Grove
posted by Tom Falco at 12:14 PM
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5 Comments:
I'm glad you published Architect Charles Corda's letter. Most residents would not be able to understand this and he has been patient in explaining. I no longer live in the Grove but care deeply for the place I called home for such a long time. This will be another version Bayside Marketplace. Most likely kill the shopkeepers in Center Grove.
The Sasaki Master Plan envisioned a public parking garage with liner retail. The public parking garage is described by Sasaki as consolidating "existing surface lots that absorb valuable waterfront land and … screened by the retail uses and a green roof." Even without the additional retail in the parking garage, it will be necessary to find parking and replace the acres of asphalt being removed as part of the development of the park. Without this public parking garage, there would have no place to meet commitments to the marina visitors, existing restaurant patrons, and the future park users.
In order to make the new public park a place people will want to gather, there is a real need for appropriate retail along the edges of the park. It is strongly believe that the new public park will lead to a net new demand for additional retail uses, but those retail uses should be outside the park boundaries. These retail uses will consist of bike shops, running stores, convenience stores, coffee shop, and specialty health shops.
In order to have a vibrant commercial district, Coconut Grove needs to have a sufficient retail critical mass. The more appropriate retail we have in and around Coconut Grove, the better it is for the businesses and the community. In addition, as the new high rise buildings come on-line along South Bayshore, the demand for retail will only increase. The question remains whether these new office workers and residents will need to get in their cars and leave Coconut Grove to satisfy their retail needs.
Instead of adding additional retail, as existing retail converts to offices, we have experienced a net loss in potential retail within Coconut Grove. The most recent study commissioned by the Coconut Grove BID (November 2012) found that "up to 85 new stores and restaurants, totaling 148,700 sf is presently supportable in the Coconut Grove study area."
Based on the most recent study and the impact of the public park, it is determined that additional retail within a parking garage will result in the overall benefit to the area.
If you stand in that parking lot today, you can't see the water.
Building a multi-story garage will not change that fact.
Don't build this parking garage
Build a wonderful park with a sculptured fountain, a place people can enjoy and play in.Don't block the water front of Historic Coconut Grove.
City Hall & Developers say : Growth and Revenue from it is a good thing. However, for Coconut Grove RESIDENTS, losing the charm, the old trees, the waterfront & our way of life is losing our Grove.
As it stands now, S Bayshore Dr is a crowded speedway regardless of efforts to control the lawlessness. I don't even want to imagine thousands of additional cars in this area. Everyone, including other now half empty parking lots, and as Ana-Maria rightly says, Center Grove businesses, will suffer from the overkill of a Historic Community. Don't do it !
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