Brickell Homeowners Association

Icon Brickell-Brickell Park Plan is Moving

Plans for Icon Brickell, The Related Group’s development on the Sheraton Hotel site at 495 Brickell Avenue, continue to move forward with landscaping plans completed for the property and the adjacent Brickell Park.

As reported in the last BHA News, The Related Group is entirely refurbishing Brickell Park as part of the agreement they reached with the City, which includes a guarantee that the condo association of the Icon owners will be responsible for the maintenance of the park in perpetuity. A public baywalk is planned for all around the park and around the Icon property as well, which will also be maintained by the property owners.

The Related Group updated BHA and Brickell Area Association board members at a meeting in late June. Gary Marks said their plans include relocating seven very large, old oak trees from the Icon property to Brickell Park, a tricky, but entirely feasible proposition. He said it’s been done on other projects by the specialists they’ve hired for this, and the arborists give each tree a 90% chance of recovery after relocation.

“Both Miami Circle and Brickell Park are of high archaeological sensitivity,” he said. “So we have to be careful with any trees we move or remove.”

They’re putting the oaks in spots that have already been disturbed or are not archeologically sensitive. Mr. Marks said The Related Group will also be donating 130 palms on the current site to other parks in Miami.

When the actual construction begins on the three towers, The Related Group will take a temporary 50-foot easement into the north side of the park to accommodate the construction.

Mr. Marks was candid about the disruption that is anticipated for the site’s construction, which will result in some 1,700 residential units. There’s only one access via Brickell Avenue. The three towers will have 20,000-square-foot decks that will each require seven to eight hours for the concrete pours. In addition, they’ll be pouring concrete floors every four days.

“Those are going to be heavy days with trucks. We’re planning off-site parking for employees to bus them in and out,” he said. “We have access challenges. It’s a lot of building on the site.”

Since The Related Group will take ownership of Brickell Park during construction (and then deed it back to the City of Miami when complete), they said they have worked out that side of the plan.”

To the north, the Miami Circle area belongs to the State of Florida, so there’s no access or construction easement plans in place there. The Park Service held a series of public meetings in Miami with various stakeholders to hear what people want to see on the site, how they think the Circle should be developed, displayed to the public, etc. Questions were raised about making the site part of the Biscayne National Park system, and what kinds of public amenities would be suitable and possible given the limited access.

“To the north, we’re talking to park service and other agencies as to what to do with Miami Circle Park,” Bill Thompson, executive vice president of The Related Group, said. “We offered options and they’re trying to focus on what they want, where they want it. It’s an ongoing process but it’s going to take some time to pin down what’s going to happen in that park.”

The Related Group said they plan to begin site demolition in August and foundation pouring in January. The second building construction will begin six months after the first, and the third six months after the second. Each building is expected to take 20 months to build.

The saga of Brickell Park, the City of Miami, the Brickell family and the fate of the historic narrow patch of green on Biscayne Bay seems to be on its way to resolution. Several players are involved, but it was The Related Group’s vision for the entire area that brought the matter to the table.

As the new owner of the Brickell Point Sheraton property, The Related Group wants to see preservation of the public, struggling-to-be-park parcels to the north and south. The Related Group’s plan seems to be a way to assure public access to them long into the future, while at the same time ensuring condo residents clear views in both directions.

“We think there’s a unique opportunity to change this quadrant for the betterment of everyone,” Bill Thompson, executive vice president of The Related Group, said of their “Icon Brickell” plans at 495 Brickell Avenue.

To the north is the 95,000-square-foot property along the south bank of the mouth of Miami River where the archeological Miami Circle is located. Believed to be the remains of a structure built by the Tequesta Indians, debate remains among archaeologists, public officials and others over how to best preserve the Circle and exhibit it to the public. Whatever form the site takes, the land is now government-owned and will not be commercially developed.

And to the south is Brickell Park, control over which has been the subject of legal dispute between the Brickell family and the City of Miami for years. The 2.2-acre park has been threatened with development, however, human remains found there seemed to have largely doused developer dreams. At the same time, even with the little amount of green space Miamians have in the area, the park is under-utilized and its maintenance badly neglected over the years.

Situated in the middle, is the 5.1-acre 495 Brickell Avenue property. The 598-bed Sheraton will give way to The Related Group’s three towers of mixed-use development including 1,800 condo apartments, retail, restaurants, perhaps a hotel and some office space. As part of their plan, The Related Group wants to construct a baywalk along the Biscayne Bay seawall from within the park, through their development, around Brickell Point and the Miami Circle to Brickell Bridge. They’d like to get First Presbyterian Church to the south of Brickell Park on board as well which would complete the baywalk from 7th Street to the Brickell Bridge.

The Related Group approached both the Brickell family and City officials with the idea of the company picking up the tab to create the public baywalk. In exchange, the Brickells reportedly got “several million dollars” and the company is asking the City for a temporary construction easement on a portion of Brickell Park. They’ve also asked for the deeding of 8,000 square feet of Brickell Park to improve the turning lane and traffic capacity at their property entrance and to straighten a property line. In addition to constructing the entire baywalk, The Related Group would re-landscape the park and deed it to the City in perpetuity.

The City is in full agreement with the plan, and both the Brickell Area Association and BHA have endorsed The Related Group proposal.

The Related Group has many high-rise luxury condominium developments currently underway or soon to break ground, however this is the largest. Other Related projects include One Miami, consisting of 900 units; Lofts Downtown and Lofts II with 200 and 500 units; The Plaza at 851 and 901 Brickell Avenue with 1,000 units; 500 Brickell Avenue with 630 units, and 50 Biscayne with 550 units. The Mark Yacht Club on Brickell Bay, a BHA member association, was developed by The Related Group and completed in 2001.

The company’s plan for 495 Brickell Avenue is for three condo towers ranging between 45 and 60 stories. The average unit square footage will be about 1,200. The first building might be brought to market this spring and break ground in late 2005, Mr. Thompson said. Timing on subsequent towers, and the decision about whether to include 100 hotel rooms in the front building will be determined according to market factors at the time.

“We’ll build them as fast as we can sell them,” he said. “We have the financial clout to go to banks and do it. We have a reputation for building things quickly because time is money. Could be accelerated or delayed.”

He said they would be selling the units in the $400 per square foot range, which is still a good deal compared to coastal properties in other major U.S. metropolitan areas, which he said can go for $1,000 per square foot.

The latest City of Miami large-scale development report shows some 57,000 condominium units in the development pipeline with 37,000 of them in the Downtown NET area and Coral Way NET area. With the this latest project, The Related Group is responsible for more than 10 percent of the 57,000-unit Miami total.

Fate of Historic Brickell Park Still in Peril

Residents, historians, environmentalists and parks advocates breathed a collective sigh of relief when the sale of Brickell Park to a private developer fell through a few months ago when the remains of Native Americans were discovered on the property. Development on ancient burial grounds is highly sensitive, restrictive and difficult.
However, it is reported that the City has now entered into negotiations with another developer, putting our area's last remaining waterfront greenspace at risk.

The Save Brickell Park group is still active trying to fight the sale including legal action against the City, however, a greater public outcry is needed according to historian and environmental advocate Greg Bush to protect this public land. Dr. Bush is seeking to develop a video documentary to reach large audiences about this critical issue before it's too late. Please see the column authored by Dr. Bush below.

COLUMN: Land Value -- Brickell Park and the Political Landscape of Miami

Brickell Park, a two-acre waterfront park in downtown Miami, is the last piece of open land on Biscayne Bay. Originally given to the city by the Brickell family in 1925, the park was later allowed to deteriorate by various city administrations and is now seldom used. It has been slated to be sold to a private developer for a high-rise office building.
The issue is a critical one. In a recent national study by Peter Harnik, Miami's park system was cited as among the worst in the nation in terms of budget and amount of open space.

The question of title to the park is now in litigation because the City failed to get the deed back when a land swap with the Brickell family fell through in the late 1980s. Nor did the administration even allow a foundation to move forward in trying to enhance the park with a new design - done at no cost to the public. The zoning status as park remains. The city manager, following the dictate of a 1999 commission resolution, is presently trying to sell the land, the proceeds of which would be divided between the city and the family. One recent bid was in the range of $18 million.

Further litigation is likely after archaeologist Bob Carr confirmed finding numerous bones of Native Americans, thus activating State legislation. A State planning process has been initiated for the nearby Miami Circle, and a baywalk and planning effort for the entire area should be initiated as soon as possible. City Commissioner Johnny Winton is examining the feasibility of rescinding the 1999 order to sell the park, and he may bring the issue back before the Commission.

The Need to Produce a Video in Rapid Order
The sale of this invaluable waterfront park is imminent, yet the documentation of the issue to stop the sale is intimidating. The public largely does not understand nor appreciate the complexity of the background of this important public controversy, and the news media has ignored it. It is important because first, there is precious little open space in the Brickell Avenue area. Second, the park remains a sacred space for native people. Third, there is a need to heighten public sensitivity related to preserving and enhancing this prime piece of waterfront land.

A video documentary, completed in several formats within a rapid time frame, could have a significant impact on the proceedings and benefit the public's use of this park space in the future. It could underscore to City officials and others that such inattention to public space issues will no longer go unchallenged. It would highlight issues related to the political system, changing land value, and the sources of civic apathy.
This is the first of a series of documentaries to be produced by the Florida Public Space Project of the Urban Environment League.

The Concept Behind the Video Documentary
The 15-minute video documentary will involve completing legal and picture research into the background. Four or five interviews of participants would be conducted among the following people:

The narrative would be constructed as a kind of historical puzzle, seeking to understand why the park is being sold, the financial pressures that the City has been under, and the various attempts to sell off other waterfront parks in recent years. Viewers would see numerous historical images of the area, reaching back to the era of the Brickell Trading Post and the early development of Brickell Avenue, enabling the audience to assess the Park's value as public waterfront land and as part of a broader tapestry including the baywalk and the Miami Circle.

Selected materials would be offered for use to commercial TV stations and a 15-minute documentary would be offered to Channel 2-WPBT as well as Channel 17/34-WLRN and other outlets. Teaching modules for Miami-Dade County school children would be developed to fit with curriculum.

Funding is currently being sought for production of the video to bring this important issue to the forefront of the public's attention and understanding. The pricetag is estimated at about $16,000. To assist with underwriting or for more information contact Professor Bush via email, gregbush@aol.com.

BHA News publishes columns on matters of timely interest to neighbors on a space-available basis. If interested in submitting a column for possible inclusion in a future issue, please contact Editor Natalie Brown at nbrown@miamisci.org.

Reprinted from BHA News, Summer 2000
Voices Join "Save Brickell Park" Effort; New Concert Series to Enliven Fridays in the Park
After great public outcry, forces are mobilizing to save Brickell Park from being sold and developed, although exactly what can be done is uncertain. The City of Miami settled its suit with the Brickell family by agreeing to sell the property and split the proceeds 50-50, a resolution that many residents and businesses in the area have found far less than satisfactory.

While homeowners, business groups, preservationists and historians have been trying to persuade the City Commission to reverse its decision, the City can't simply rescind its court ordered agreement.

How Did We Get To This Point?
The Brickell family deeded the narrow strip of green just south of the Brickell Bridge to the City in the 1920s. The gift came with the stipulation that the property always be used and maintained as a park.

When the City began talking about selling it more than a decade ago, the Brickells proceeded to exercise the reverter clause of their agreement. When the City failed to respond within the legal time limit, the Brickell family's current claim was established.

To settle the long ongoing legal skirmishes, last winter the Miami City Commission voted to approve a settlement with the Brickells to sell the property and split the proceeds. (The vote was four to one with Johnny Winton voting against the sale.) The court approved that settlement and gave the property listing to a real estate firm to sell; they have 18 months to find a buyer.

The price tag the park might fetch has been debated, as a number of impediments to development exist on the 2.5-acre site. Poor access, zoning restrictions, the issue of State ownership of the bay bottom and the strong possibility of human remains buried on the site are among the drawbacks that make it less than ideal for a commercial developer. There's lots of hurdles before breaking ground.

Is There Any Hope?
What can possibly happen at this point that could save the park, aside from a wealthy philanthropist buying the the Brickells' interest out and reestablishing that the property always be a park?

Some are just hoping and praying a buyer doesn't come fourth and the City can reopen negotiations with the family.

Others have suggested the City admit its legal negligence (in essence the City missed a court filing deadline) and use the City's self-insurance pool to pay the Brickell family the portion they would gain through the park sale.

Bringing Music and Activity to the Park
In the meantime, the Save Brickell Park Coalition has planned a concert series for every other Friday in the Park, from 12 noon to 2 p.m. A variety of music is scheduled for the coming months. Beginning on August 11, the series runs through December 15th and will include Latin Jazz, Caribbean steel drums and classical music. Food and beverage carts will be on site, making it an ideal event for people working and living in the area who are looking for something different to do over the lunch hour.

The Brickell Area Association, the City of Miami Parks Department and the Downtown NET office are the organizing groups, and each concert is being underwritten by a Brickell business. A few of the days are not yet sponsored; interested businesses are invited to contact Jean Whipple by calling (305) 532-4906.

Incredible as it may sound, the City of Miami Commissioners voted to sell Brickell Park, a small swatch of green located on the bayside of Brickell Avenue between the Sheraton Hotel and First Presbyterian Church. BHA directors joined the Brickell Area Association in its opposition to the selling off of the public space, which many residents find hard to swallow given the scarcity of any remaining open land in the Brickell/Downtown area.

The 2.5-acre parcel was originally given to the City by the Brickell family in the 1920s. It seems that the City came to the decision to sell the park as a remedy for a lawsuit between it and the Brickell family. Proceeds of the sale are to go toward the purchase of the land where the Miami Circle was discovered. The mysterious, curious stone circle was unearthed near the mouth of the Miami River and only a short distance to the north of Brickell Park. However, both the BHA and members of the BAA say that the Miami Circle property is no substitute for the open park. The Circle is likely to eventually be enclosed or part of a study center, certainly protected and not at all like an open park in accessibility or usage.

A number of other organizations, including Dade Heritage Trust and the Greater Miami Chamber's New World Center Committee, are asking the City Commissioners to reconsider its action.