Remove Arquitectonica as Playhouse partner?
It's not such a catastrophe on the surface if you take Hurricane Irma into account, but the fact that it is illegal to destroy mangroves and that for years we have been trying to have windows opened up in Peacock Park and Kennedy Park so that people could see the bay and this has been shot down by DERM and other environmental groups for years, makes it the height of selfishness that the public cannot have an open view of the water, but a selfish homeowner took it upon himself to open his own view up. Environmental groups dispute that Hurricane Irma destroyed the mangroves. And isn't the whole purpose of mangroves to protect the land from hurricanes?
This is a case of do it first and apologize later.
When a neighbor, Dr. Nancy Reierson, started taping Fort-Brescia, he swiped her phone/camera out of her hand.
The "I am better than you, I can do what I want," attitude does not sit well with neighbors.
To that end, the Save the Coconut Grove Facebook page, run by Max Pearl is asking that the current county plans for the playhouse, which no one but the county likes anyway, remove Arquitectonica as partner in the project. Many feel the whole plan is based on new development rather than saving the playhouse. It's more than the smug attitude, it is the fact that this world-class architect broke the law regarding property and land laws and is not trustworthy. There are Florida laws regarding the destruction of mangroves. The Legistlative Intent says: "It is the intent of the Legislature to protect and preserve mangrove resources valuable to our environment and economy from unregulated removal, defoliation, and destruction."
Max has sent this letter to County Mayor Carlos Gimenez:
Mr. Mayor,
As a follow up question to my prior email, in light of Sunday's front page story in the Miami Herald involving disturbing reports of Arquitectonica's CEO, may I ask if the county intends on allowing Arquitectonica to remain as a partner on the Coconut Grove Playhouse restoration project, and if so, why would you not agree with many who feel that such a crime should not be rewarded by being awarded contracts by the county using public monies?
Sincerely,
Max Pearl
Save the Coconut Grove Playhouse
NOTE:
Commissioner Xavier L. Suarez, in conjunction with City of Miami Commissioner Ken Russell and Miami- Dade County School Board Member Maritere Rojas, is hosting a Town Hall Meeting to discuss plans for the Coconut Grove Playhouse, proper use of General Obligation Bond funds, and the Historic and Environmental Preservation Board's (HEPB) decision to approve the current county plans.
Constituents and stakeholders are invited to attend as well as other prominent figures of the community.
Town Hall Meeting
Date and Time: Thursday, November 30
5:00 to 7:00 pm
Location: City of Miami City Hall, Chambers
3500 Pam American Drive.
posted by Tom Falco at 4:00 AM
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12 Comments:
Absolutely no publicly funded contracts for law breakers.
Please remove Arquitectonica before they get to build another Miracle Center!
This town is overflowing with conmen and scammers with connections.
These folks will skate with a slap on the wrist and a 100k fine. That must hurt when your net worth is 1 billion. My 1st question is, if you are so rich why do you need to create a couple million more in wealth? 2nd how could you be so fucking stupid to try to get away with this.
The video was amazing shows Bernardo Fort-Brescia caught like a deer in the headlights. He was behaving so stupid and embarrassed and such a bad actor in both English and Spanish. The stupidest part was when he tried to rip the phone physically out of the doctor's hand. SMH.
Fine him for the code violation. Continue to have Arquetectonica fulfill its role as the selected contractor to design the new playhouse... the two are not connected.
His firm, which is likely a corporation, is a separate legal entity that has won a county contract. The firm will continue to carry out the County's vision of the playhouse renovation... if you don't like the vision, it is not Arquetectonica's fault. They are only doing what the County is asking them to do. Take it up with the County.
I'm getting tired of people bitching about our government and elected officials. When only 25,000 people in a city of 453,000 vote for a mayor selection... I say we get the government we don't vote for.
It is common knowledge that Arquitectonica More than four times for excessively cutting mangroves in order to build a boardwalk from their property to the bay. They also built a boat dock that would be large enough to handle perhaps a 60 foot boat despite tremendous objection from Grove citizens. After Irma they contacted several grove tree services to cut the mangroves in order to move the small boat and it had found its way into the mangroves of their property. None of these tree services would engage in the project and made it perfectly clear that it was a felony to do so and therefore refused to take on the project. Nonetheless and unidentified group of Men with chainsaws showed up on Sunday morning at 7:30 and began to cut out over 2/3 of the mangroves that were alive and undisturbed. There are pictures and videos that can be used as evidence if the days events.
It is a blatant violation of a federal law and a sense of being above the law in order to develop, make a lot of money, and move on.
What small bit of natural habitat ,breeding grounds and environment required for this wild life to live is destroyed.
Look around at the Grove and recognize what is happening on every street corner, in every neighborhood,and know as citizens of Grove that our neighborhood is being overrun by Developers who are working together under the table and will leave in their wake a permanently altered village. The videos and photographs of the moorings travesty are only a small part of what is going on every day. It is illegal but it’s a fact. Unless the citizens of the grove are willing to take on and stop the momentum of this egregious development we have only to blame ourselves because they will not stop. There’s too much money to be made and no regard for the balance of development and nature. Nature is not nearly as lucrative as concrete and cranes
This will never stop.
Money and power run this town.
It’s so corrupt
Fire the firm. While Arquitectonica may be the legal entity behind the playhouse project, Bernardo is the face of the company and will profit from this. Having the firm manage that project after this damning video will be a black eye for the project.
To make it big in Miami it is required to cut corners, pick pockets, crack locks and most importantly transact under the table.
It's not only the "people bitching" who don't like the felon's design plan. The state of Florida has also told the county the design is non compliant and in violation of seven different Secretary of State's standards for restoration of a historic site. And felons do NOT get to work on OUR dime.
What a tangled web he weaves when he tries to deceive.
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