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Dear resident,
In last week’s elections our Commission asked you to consider a number of proposals (perhaps too many). But you did your job and gave us some pretty clear direction, approving most and rejecting a few.
First, thank you for your support of the Art & Culture Bond which in my judgement may be the most important measure voted on in recent history. It will provide an unprecedented commitment to 18 cultural institutions and initiatives which will elevate our City into one of the great cultural destinations in the world. This is the best version of our community and this Arts Bond will forever alter our city’s DNA for the better. As they say, bravo.
The other measures you supported were also not insignificant. Using FAR incentives in South Beach as way to repel short term rentals was a creative and effective mechanism to help tamp down the disorder that should simply not exist in a primarily residential area of our City. And assuring that any future use of city parking lots in mid-Beach requires voter approval was also important.
Now to the measures you weren’t so keen on.
While I think it served a public purpose to incentivize “Class A” office buildings in the Lincoln Road area in order to diversify our economy and ween ourselves off of our party-central reputation, I understand the concern that some people felt. As one resident told me, “it feels like too much development and construction is happening in mid-Beach and I just question why the City needs to add to it.” Not an unfair perspective. The truth is, while we need to diversify our economy and foster a more live-work-play environment, let’s try relying on the private sector to help us reach this goal. Various private office projects – including some in the Lincoln Road area – are already in the queue. Let’s see if the private market can fill this void and we’ll leave our surface parking lots as they are.
Now to the Deauville property which this morning was demolished after the city’s long and tortured court battle with its neglectful owners who left it in disrepair for 5 years.
What’s next is important to North Beach and our City.
Because the measure was not approved, the current owners remain in control of the property. They may just let it sit enclosed by those tall construction fences that often encircle abandoned lots. It could be like that for decades as the property is only appreciating in value and playing a waiting game may be in their best financial interests. That is precisely what has happened to the Roosevelt Theatre on 41st Street which has sat vacant for 30 years and has stunted that area of mid-Beach. If this happens to the Deauville lot, it will only be a magnet for vagrancy and crime and will continue to arrest the economic growth of North Beach for decades.
I think it is important that we try to find someone interested in buying it from the current owners who will be a better steward of the property. But given the high price, very few developers could pay what the current owners are demanding and still develop a project that is economically viable. It will be hard to find someone interested in buying it unless we design something that works for us and for them. Steve Ross may still be interested, or someone else. In any case, we need to go back to the drawing board and find a better option for its future. So, we will need to be creative, but also recognize that our goals have to be to deliver something that works for you, our bosses.
I am fully convinced we can accomplish this objective, so sit tight.
Thank you,
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