Currently viewing the tag: "Miami River"
Come celebrate Miami community, urbanism, and alternative transporation this Sunday from 9-3pm. The new and improved route will get you from Mary Brickell Village to Flagler Street, and all the way out to the new Miami River Greenway/ Lummus Park. All the details can be found, as always, at the Bike Miami webpage. Please spread the word to your family, friends and colleagues.
The Transit Miami after party will start at 2:30 at Garcia’s on the Miami River, which happens to be one of my favorite Miami restaurants. In addition, Garcia’s will provide free bicycle parking to all Bike Miami Days/Transit Miami after party go’ers. Drink specials have yet to be determined.
You may download a printable .pdf of the flyer here:
And the Map here:
The first annual Downtown Riverwalk Festival is set for this Saturday, November 22nd, 10am-4pm. For more info, click here.
- A Judge has thrown out part of Norman Braman’s lawsuit against the inter-local agreement which among other things enabled the construction of the Marlins’ Ballpark, funded the Port of Miami Tunnel, and expanded the Omni/Overtown CRA district. Hopefully now the Sunpost will stop touting Braman as a local hero… It’s no surprise that a car salesman would be against a plan that would enable urban life and create viable public transportation.
- What goes up, must come down: The Miami Skylift has filed for bankruptcy. Really? Now can we please stop turning Bayfront Park into a cheap carnival? What’s wrong with some usable green space?
- Michael Lewis hits this one dead on:
But out past Northwest 22nd Avenue, the Miami River is far different — it’s a fast-paced economic engine that carries ships from 26 international terminals out to the Caribbean and back again, floating $4 billion worth of goods a year on its narrow, twisting back.
Much of that river, which handles as much shipping as the busy Port of Tampa and is Florida’s fourth largest seaport, lies within the district of Miami Commissioner Angel Gonzalez.
“That river is dead,” Mr. Gonzalez told the commission last week as he voted to remove marine industry protections along the river from the city’s land-use plan. He’d rather develop condos and mixed-use projects there to help the area’s economy.
What is it about $4 billion a year that Mr. Gonzalez doesn’t understand?
Does he think developers will pump that much into condo towers and dump enough jobs into his district to replace all those that river shipping supports?
Does he think banks will scramble to finance towers while tens of thousands of condo units are still rising and planned projects near the river are handing their land over to lenders because they can’t repay their loans?
Does he think that removing the “Port of Miami River” designation from city plans won’t push marine terminals to sell out to future high-rises that might never get built, killing river shipping in the process?
Does he care? Do his fellow commissioners?
Anyone paying attention knows that the Miami River is a working river — even though the commission refused to allow that phrase in its plans.
During a casual lunchtime stroll along the Miami River, I happened to catch a moment that all too often legitimizes Miami’s superficial export image. The SW 2nd Avenue drawbridge, in the heart of downtown Miami, was raised to allow this luxury yacht (with only one visible person on board). Even worse, the yacht would have fit if it weren’t for it’s unnecessarily long spires. It’s ridiculous how the City allows luxury private vessels to have precedent over the public realm - especially in the heart of downtown. This issue will surely be magnified in the near future with all the new development downtown and along the river. Residents need to speak up - this is not something that happens in quality public spaces.
