Yo Miami

I haven't fully vetted the below contextual information, but in general I find that NoBe News-The Miami Beachian presents strong arguments for corruption and municipal entities acting in the best interest of groups other than their constituents:

"𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐲𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝟕𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥. Every other lot will be a tower. Except this one, 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲. Now they say Commissioner Suarez, at the eleventh hour, might want to save it from demolition, mammoth construction and a corrupt housing scheme. Worth a shot ? Go and find out.
Tues, Jan 27 - 7 PM - North Beach Bandshell -7275 Collins Avenue
Zoom Link: tinyurl.com/ByronCarlyle
Neighbors already saved this theater from demolition. Now Bhatt and her developer funded friends want to bring it back with housing on top because that is what makes money. For developers.
They ignored surveys, community meetings, and years of public input. They formed a shadow committee outside sunshine laws and promised pieces of the project to their allies. Jobs. Boards. Contracts. Offices. Even apartments.
So called artist housing is just a payoff to favored organizations like the Bandshell and its recording studio dreams nobody asked for. We do not need housing for insiders. We need housing for everyone. And not on top of a public theater.
We do not want a mammoth. We do not want a "world class" Vegas type monstrosity with unaffordable tickets and traffic. We want our MiMo-designed neighborhood theater, quaint and humble. Affordable shows. Community access. Human scale. Adaptive reuse (meaning fix, creatively add, remodel, get young creative architects to come up with creative solutions rather than the usual corporate high rise builders).
Speak up today yet again. Bhatt has drowned our voices and passed the mammoth ON CONSENT!! (meaning shadow vote without public discussion). Want more corruption?? Do not let 71st Street become a developer canyon for out of town artists while the rest of us get priced out."

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐲𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝟕𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥. Every other lot will be a tower. Except this one, 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲. Now they say Commissioner Suarez, at the eleventh hour, might want to save it from demolition, mammoth construction and a corrupt housing scheme. Worth a shot ? Go and find out.

Tues, Jan 27 - 7 PM - North Beach Bandshell -7275 Collins Avenue
Zoom Link: tinyurl.com/ByronCarlyle

Neighbors already saved this theater from demolition. Now Bhatt and her developer funded friends want to bring it back with housing on top because that is what makes money. For developers.

They ignored surveys, community meetings, and years of public input. They formed a shadow committee outside sunshine laws and promised pieces of the project to their allies. Jobs. Boards. Contracts. Offices. Even apartments.

So called artist housing is just a payoff to favored organizations like the Bandshell and its recording studio dreams nobody asked for. We do not need housing for insiders. We need housing for everyone. And not on top of a public theater.

We do not want a mammoth. We do not want a "world class" Vegas type monstrosity with unaffordable tickets and traffic. We want our MiMo-designed neighborhood theater, quaint and humble. Affordable shows. Community access. Human scale. Adaptive reuse (meaning fix, creatively add, remodel, get young creative architects to come up with creative solutions rather than the usual corporate high rise builders).

Speak up today yet again. Bhatt has drowned our voices and passed the mammoth ON CONSENT!! (meaning shadow vote without public discussion). Want more corruption?? Do not let 71st Street become a developer canyon for out of town artists while the rest of us get priced out.

Meeting was rescheduled but spotlighting this apparent shadiness going on in Miami Beach:

🛑𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐓!! Tomorrow the Planning Board will consider 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐂 𝐍𝐈𝐊𝐊𝐈 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇!! This is NOT acceptable! Please tune in and speak up! (Details below). 𝑈𝑃𝐷𝐴𝑇𝐸: 𝑀𝑒𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 unexpectedly and without an explanation 𝐸𝑉𝐸𝑁 𝑇𝐻𝑂𝑈𝐺𝐻 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑦!
Many of you will remember the termination of Nikki Beach and its transfer to “The Hometown Boys” as one of the shadiest deals in Miami Beach history.
In short, Nikki Beach held a long term lease of a publicly owned parcel known as Pier Park (between South Pointe Dr and 1st street) that the City refused to renew, choosing instead to award a new 10-year lease to well connected loyalists in a obviously manipulated process. (10 year minus a day because a park does not allow for more). Millions of dollars were at stake, and this page documented the process at the time. Links are included in the images.
Now, the new lessee is seeking a frightening change of plans.
Instead of preserving the historic structure as promised, it seeks to demolish it!! And then it seeks to build a 6-story high building!!!!
In addition, according to the reader that sends this alert:
- A commitment to preserve the existing footprint has shifted to a larger building with a relocated main structure.
- A renovation of approximately 23,000 square feet has ballooned into an 84,000 square foot beach club, nearly four times larger.
- A pledge to maintain building height has turned into a proposed structure rising up to 65 feet.
- Sustainability commitments to reduce waste, limit impervious surfaces, and preserve tree canopy are replaced by total demolition, an underground garage, expanded lot coverage, and reduced landscaping.
- Parking that was promised to remain operational during construction would instead be completely shut down due to full demolition.
- A 13 month renovation timeline is now being applied to a total teardown and rebuild that experts say cannot realistically be completed in that window, and will instead take multiple years and cause significant traffic.
- There will be not be tax revenue coming into the City while construction is ongoing for multiple years.
Despite these dramatic changes, the applying party Boucher Brothers is attempting to move forward without a new competitive bidding process or voter approval, relying instead on administrative approvals that bypass the terms of the original RFP, City resolutions, and contract governing this public land.
At tomorrow’s hearing, the Planning Board can reject or defer this bait and switch proposal. The Board may approve the plan while asserting it lacks authority to stop it, in which case the project would still move on to the Design Review Board and ultimately the City Commission.
Residents are being urged to speak at the January 6 hearing and to follow up with written comments to the Commission, calling for any materially different project to be subject to a new, fair, and transparent bidding process, as required by law.
Hearing Details:
Tuesday, January 6
9AM
Zoom Link: https://miamibeachfl-gov.zoom.us/j/86143426327
This is the final chapter in an insider scheme to secure control of one of the City’s most lucrative properties by promising one project and delivering another."

🛑𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐓!! Tomorrow the Planning Board will consider 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐂 𝐍𝐈𝐊𝐊𝐈 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇!! Please tune in and speak up! (Details below). 𝑈𝑃𝐷𝐴𝑇𝐸: 𝑀𝑒𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 unexpectedly and without an explanation 𝐸𝑉𝐸𝑁 𝑇𝐻𝑂𝑈𝐺𝐻 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑦!

Many of you will remember the termination of Nikki Beach and its transfer to “The Hometown Boys” as one of the shadiest deals in Miami Beach history.

In short, Nikki Beach held a long term lease of a publicly owned parcel known as Pier Park (between South Pointe Dr and 1st street) that the City refused to renew, choosing instead to award a new 10-year lease to well connected loyalists in a obviously manipulated process. (10 year minus a day because a park does not allow for more). Millions of dollars were at stake, and this page documented the process at the time. Links are included in the images.

Now, the new lessee is seeking a frightening change of plans, according to two readers that have reached out.

Instead of preserving the historic structure as promised, it apparently seeks to demolish it!! And then it may seek to build a 6-story high building!!!! (something that would require a referendum)

Materials may be found here: https://miamibeachfl.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=5792

--------

In addition, according to one reader that sends this alert (If any of this is incorrect, please address it in comments)

- A commitment to preserve the existing footprint has shifted to a larger building with a relocated main structure.
- A renovation of approximately 23,000 square feet has ballooned into an 84,000 square foot beach club, nearly four times larger.
- A pledge to maintain building height has turned into a proposed structure rising up to 65 feet.
- Sustainability commitments to reduce waste, limit impervious surfaces, and preserve tree canopy are replaced by total demolition, an underground garage, expanded lot coverage, and reduced landscaping.
- Parking that was promised to remain operational during construction would instead be completely shut down due to full demolition.
- A 13 month renovation timeline is now being applied to a total teardown and rebuild that experts say cannot realistically be completed in that window, and will instead take multiple years and cause significant traffic.
- There will be not be tax revenue coming into the City while construction is ongoing for multiple years.

Despite these dramatic changes, the applying party Boucher Brothers is attempting to move forward without a new competitive bidding process or voter approval, relying instead on administrative approvals that bypass the terms of the original RFP, City resolutions, and contract governing this public land.

At tomorrow’s hearing, the Planning Board can reject or defer this bait and switch proposal. The Board may approve the plan while asserting it lacks authority to stop it, in which case the project would still move on to the Design Review Board and ultimately the City Commission.

Residents are being urged to speak at the January 6 hearing and to follow up with written comments to the Commission, calling for any materially different project to be subject to a new, fair, and transparent bidding process, as required by law.

--------- [ END OF COMMUNICATION]

Hearing Details:
Tuesday, January 6
9AM
Zoom Link: https://miamibeachfl-gov.zoom.us/j/86143426327

This is the final chapter in an insider scheme to secure control of one of the City’s most lucrative properties by promising one project and delivering another."

End of an era has arrived... Losing Pizza Tropical at Gramps and Andiamo in the same month

Check out the latest from a guy who's been quietly (and not so quietly at times) nurturing the literary and general creative scene for years

J.J. Colagrande's Short Story Collection, Are You Hungry? Is the Last for Jitney Books " will be the last one that I publish as the guy that did everything," says the Miami author and MDC professor.

Cool to see one of the walls we helped place in Little Haiti through Little Haiti Mural Project on this list

34 Murals That Turn Walls Into Wonders: Seth’s Street Art Will Blow Your Mind - STREET ART UTOPIA Discover how Seth Globepainter turns ordinary walls into vibrant masterpieces. From colorful murals to dreamlike creations, explore 32 stunning works that redefine urban spaces and inspire imagination.

Great read on the real history of Miami

Debunking More Miami History Myths - The Jitney We in South Florida have been burdened with no few inane, ridiculous and utterly nonsensical Miami history myths

Weekly open house/mixer at in this (and every) Thursday 🙌🖌📌📸

Connect & Collaborate with other creatives, never know who's going to come through.

Latest for Miami New Times, was cool discovering Girl Ultra and getting to interview her ahead of her first live performance in Miami at Gramps next week:

Girl Ultra Brings Her Dreamy, Dancefloor-Ready Universe to Miami for the First Time After releasing a song with Chromeo and Empress Of, the Mexican artist will perform live in Wynwood next week.

Stoked to be hosting the crew at our weekly this Thursday 7/31 at !

Bring your own art supplies/projects to supplement the random assortment available. Paint, collage, photograph, sketch, or whatever other form your creativity manifests.

Night owls have no fear, after 10pm the gathering shifts around the corner (literally) to (which has full kitchen/bar too).

DJ lineup selected by 🎛🎚🎶
Local artisan vendors on site 🧑‍🎨
Also will have our pins and anniversary tshirts for sale at special discount for the night 🤑

#305

Foundation run out of a townhouse won millions from Tallahassee, Miami-Dade. Why? County emails made public this week illuminate how the A3 Foundation secured county dollars while largely staying out of the public eye.