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Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Does new Miami law allow high-rises next to one-story houses? It's complicated
A fast-track, far-reaching plan by Miami officials to encourage development of high-rise housing clusters for a mile around transit rail stations, already set to become law, has stirred up alarm from residents worried about its potential to transform vast swaths of the city — but the impact likely won't play out for years, if not decades. In late July, Miami city commissioners unanimously approved the complex new zoning strategy, which goes by the unwieldy denomination of Transit Station Neighborhood Development, or TSND, barely a month after its release to a surprised and bewildered public. The TSND designation creates new zones in a radius of up to a mile around existing and planned Metrorail and commuter rail stations, including Brightline stations, inside city boundaries. Within those zones, developers can apply to build high-rise residential and commercial projects with considerably more units and height than the old local rules allowed, a strategy intended to sharply increase housing supply and affordability while boosting transit use. In exchange, the developers must set aside a percentage of units as affordable or workforce housing and provide a menu of other public benefits that can range from green space and improvements for pedestrians to building a new rail station, depending on how big they want to go. At the same July meeting, commissioners approved the first, and so far the only, TSND project. It's a massive plan by veteran Miami developer Michael Swerdlow and his partners, drawn up in response to a bid request by Miami-Dade County to replace aging public housing projects, that will erect some 5,000 apartments, extensive retail and a new station in Northwest Miami's Little River-Little Haiti neighborhood for the struggling Tri-Rail commuter train line's spur to downtown Miami. But the unusually short window for review left residents, activists and members of the city's own planning and zoning board — some of whom fruitlessly tried to get Miami officials to hold off on approval — complaining of confusion as they tried to digest the legislation's sometimes Byzantine details and its potential to encroach on some of Miami's extensive low-scale residential neighborhoods. 'This was pushed through in under 36 days with no meaningful public engagement — there wasn't even a copy of the final ordinance being proposed at the last commission meeting made available to the public,' said Marlene Erven, who heads the Coconut Grove Park Homeowners Association. 'What began as a plan tied to the Little River redevelopment was expanded to apply across the city, and it really puts every neighborhood at risk of up-zoning and destabilization.' At its heart, the backlash generated by the TSND initiative reflects an intensifying debate over the future of a city that was laid out largely in the fashion of a low-density, auto-oriented suburb of mostly single-family homes and small apartment buildings but that now faces pressure for increased density amid relentless development demands, a crippling affordable housing crisis, intractable traffic congestion and a lagging public transit system. It also comes as the city has clashed with Miami-Dade over the county's increasingly assertive deployment — even within city boundaries — of its own transit-station development rules, called Rapid Transit Zones, or RTZs for short, which preempt Miami's local zoning rules and already encourage redevelopment of comparable intensity to that offered by the TSNDs. For many residents and activists, the biggest issue with what they say are the otherwise laudable goals of the plan is its sheer breadth. A city map displaying the areas around more than a dozen stations where denser new TSND development could rise covers nearly half of Miami's geography, though single-family neighborhoods are exempt. City planners stress that inclusion in a map does not mean that all that territory will qualify for a TSND. Mel Meinhardt, a member of the homeowners advocacy group One Grove Alliance, was alarmed when he first saw that map at a planning and zoning board meeting. 'Looking at the map showing the one-mile radius of the areas affected — it was half the city of Miami!' Meinhardt said. 'The folks living in those areas are too busy with their lives to realize these quiet little technical changes could put a 24-story building in their backyard.' At the last minute, the commission agreed to also exempt all city-designated historic districts, such as Morningside and the MiMo district, as well as conservation districts that cover virtually all of Coconut Grove. Still, critics note that in some places the new transit zoning category means towers of somewhere from 12 stories to over 24 stories tall could rise immediately next to someone's single-family home — a circumstance that the innovative Miami 21 code, the city zoning law enacted in 2009 after four years of public hearings, was specifically designed to prevent or ameliorate. But city planners say that the increased development height and density around transit stations that critics fear after July's vote has already been happening because of the county's RTZs, but with little recourse by city of Miami officials or residents to blunt their impact. The city's TSNDs, they say, represent their best attempt to regain some control by offering developers — who will have a choice of which zoning plan to apply under, the city's or the county's — a better flavor of rezoning that's also far more beneficial for city residents. Not all Miamians see it that way. 'They say this is beneficial for us, but that doesn't make any sense — how is this benefitting residents?' said Kim Hogan, who owns a townhome in Coconut Grove. 'We'll lose safety, community, character and charm. They want to turn everything into Brickell, and everyone is gonna leave. It'll just be foreign investors who're here only half the year,' Hogan added. The vehicle for the transit zoning is the Miami 21 code. It was designed explicitly to strike a balance between neighborhood protection and measures to foster development of dense urban zones, giving rise to modern-day Brickell, Edgewater and the gradual revival of downtown Miami. The code's 'transitional zoning' strictly limits the height of new buildings abutting low-scale residential areas. But the TSNDs could erase those protections, planning board member Paula De Carolis told city planners in a June hearing before she voted against the measure. That's a concern echoed by residents. 'Miami 21 zoning set up gradual height and density increases that allow incremental and respectful growth, quite rapidly actually, but it still respects the rights of neighborhoods as the city changes. There's a balance,' said the Grove's Meinhardt, a retired government engineer. 'Why is this being done so rapidly, so haphazardly? They're changing 20 years of rules overnight.' Like residents, De Carolis and other planning board members also took issue with the city's seeming hurry to get the plan approved. The planning board received two presentations from city planners shortly before its final vote on the legislation, which was being amended even as some members said they were struggling to fully understand it. Some noted that they were unable to offer meaningful recommendations for improvements before the measure was to go before the City Commission for a final hearing and vote of approval on July 24. After each presentation, planning board member Joseph Corral said, 'I get more confused.' 'This is massive. This is rezoning basically the whole city,' he said. 'We cannot possibly make a valid recommendation 30 minutes after reading this for the first time.' At the June planning board hearing, residents and board members also questioned the size of the designated transit zones, which can range from a half-mile to a full mile from a station. Transit-oriented development, a well-established approach across the country, typically extends to a half-mile reach — a comfortable walk for a pedestrian. But going out one mile, a distance that few in Miami will travel on foot to a station, undermines the premise that development at that distance could be reasonably linked to transit, while potentially blanketing too much of the city in high-rise, high-density new construction, critics say. 'I think the one mile is going to create a lot of problems,' planning board member Paul Mann said. 'I think it's going to change this city very dramatically.' Hogan, the Coconut Grove resident, said expecting people to walk a mile to reach a transit station is 'insane.' 'You start sweating if you walk outside, let alone walking a mile to a station,' she said. 'It doesn't make any sense.' 'No one is going to be using public transportation,' she added. 'These developers are just using the transit rezoning as an excuse to increase the number of units that they can sell.' Just how high or how far the contemplated TSNDs will actually go remains unclear, and it may not shake out for a long time. That's partly by design. Because the measure demands significant public contributions from developers and extensive review, city planners say it's unlikely it will lead to towers rapidly sprouting across the city in places where they don't belong. That, noted city planning director David Snow, is the problem with yet another controversial new housing-development measure, the state's Live Local law, which supersedes local height and density controls in the name of promoting construction of middle-class workforce housing. The city has received some 55 Live Local applications, and though none have yet broken ground, Snow suggested those pose a far greater threat to neighborhoods than the TSNDs. Live Local towers, he noted, can be 'peppered throughout the city with no rhyme or reason.' In a lengthy interview with the Miami Herald, Snow and assistant planning director Sevanne Steiner said they instead expect the TSND legislation to produce a measured, gradual process of densification around stations, with most of the new height and density close by. The rules and incentives are designed to encourage lower heights and density past the half-mile radius, they said. The scenario of a tower abutting a small home can happen, they acknowledged. But they stressed that most Miami 21 protections, including requirements that taller buildings next to short ones must be set back and step back as they rise to lessen their impact on neighbors, remain in force. They also stress that approval of developers' applications is not automatic. The city will retain the power to deny approval or require modifications to proposals that would significantly disrupt the quality of life in established neighborhoods, they said. Rules that require analysis of impact on traffic, water supply and schools also apply. Proposals will receive public review before the planning board, and neighbors will be properly notified, they said. Snow and Steiner also defended their choices and the short time frame for review and approval, echoing comments Steiner made to the planning board. And they insist that the city had no other choice but to move forward quickly with the measure — a position that a reluctant 6-3 planning board majority, after an intense two-hour public meeting, adopted in recommending that the City Commission approve the TSND legislation. That's because the county has aggressively expanded its own transit zones by extending eligibility to numerous private properties, not just public property. Most recently, those county RTZ projects, such as the new Coconut Grove station mixed-use redevelopment and the ongoing Douglas Road station multi-tower project, were mostly limited to station properties. The county's transit zones encourage development near bus stations in addition to rail, both inside municipal limits as well as in unincorporated areas. The city has sued the county over its application of RTZs, saying it improperly usurps local control over zoning decisions. After unsuccessful mediation, the city and county have been in long but as-yet unsettled discussions over a compromise. In addition, a county ordinance now requires municipalities to come up with their own plans to promote affordable housing development. The city's TSND initiative attempts to resolve both issues, Snow said. In the past year, Miami's planning department had been working on alternatives when Swerdlow approached the city. The county had approved his plan, but he needed to increase the project's zoning to build what he wanted. Both agreed it would be much smoother and more efficient to have city planners review and approve the needed zoning under its own rules. They worked in tandem to come up with a plan that would be suitable not only for Swerdlow and the other major property owner in the area, Tennessee-based AJ Capital Partners, but also for developers in the rest of the city. 'All this does is replace the RTZ for our property,' said Swerdlow, who noted it also means the city will receive more revenue in the form of development impact fees than if the county had jurisdiction. Some final and critical details of the TSND rules, however, were added just before the planning board and City Commission votes, as city planners scrambled to address feedback by elected officials and the public. But that led to confusion and complaints that the public and even officials were not privy to important aspects of the program before its approval. An internal city memo dated July 22 — two days before the meeting where the City Commission gave its final approval — included substantive changes to the TSND legislation that the public didn't have the opportunity to review. Those changes included allowing for the high-density developments to crop up in areas surrounding future Metrorail, Brightline and Tri-Rail stations — rather than at existing rail stations only. The timing has angered some activists, leaving them asking: Why the rush? Showing up to speak during the public comment period at City Commission meetings, Meinhardt, the retired government engineer, said he found himself thinking: 'This is going at lighting speed, without any review — there's something up here. This raises a yellow flag.' Critics have pointed to Swerdlow's involvement as evidence that the city transit initiative is little more than a gift to developers. While Snow acknowledged that Swerdlow Group has its own timeline that is 'moving rapidly,' he said the need for speed wasn't so much for Swerdlow's benefit as it was to avoid entangling the plan in potential political controversy in the months ahead. Snow said his department was motivated to finalize the legislation by the July 24 meeting — the final one before a seven-week City Commission hiatus that extends into September. 'We challenged ourselves to really try to get this across the finish line before the summer break,' Snow said. Miami has been in a state of limbo in recent months after the City Commission passed a controversial ordinance postponing the November 2025 election to 2026 without voter approval. But now that the dust has begun to settle, following two court rulings last month finding the change was unconstitutional, it's likely that the election will take place in November of this year. Snow said there was pressure to move forward with the TSND plan before election season was in full swing. 'It was important for us to really get this done and not have it get caught up in the, you know, political storm we're gonna see in the next few months,' Snow said. Snow added that the city 'went above and beyond' in the 'short window' between the City Commission's first vote approving the changes on June 26 and its final approval on July 24. That included hosting a public Zoom meeting and making changes to the legislation that addressed resident concerns. Yet records from the clerk's office show it took nearly two weeks after the commission passed the legislation for the city attorney and assistant city attorney to give final approval on Aug. 6. Asked for the reason behind the delay, the City Attorney's Office told the Herald that modified legislation needs to be 'manually updated in the system' and that there were 'many items on the last agenda and several of the items had modifications.' The city also needs to create an application process for developers before it can be more widely used. Erven, the Grove HOA president, described the city's process as 'a one-way street.' 'These are public meetings just to check off a box so they can say they had a public meeting — no one can really provide input or get responses,' Erven said. One leading expert — Miami 21 principal author Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk — suggests the city could have avoided some of the public backlash if it had taken more time to listen to and incorporate public comment and if it had published detailed maps showing more precise impacts in neighborhoods. Though she said the legislation meshes with Miami 21 and its protections, she said the code already has a section encouraging transit-oriented development that could have been amended instead of creating an entirely new program. But if managed properly, she said, the new changes could have a 'significant positive impact' on affordability and transit. 'This might have landed better if it was being considered for several locations where it could happen, instead of the broad brush,' Plater-Zyberk said. 'I wonder why it could not have been done within the code instead of getting everyone riled up about it.' If anything, the approval process for the Swerdlow project suggests the TSND may be painstaking and anything but a gimme for other developers who may seek to build under it. It sets out a complicated procedure that first requires a land-use change under the city's comprehensive plan, which guides where, how much and what kind of development is allowed. Under TSNDs, the city must first approve a new 'transit-node' designation for a property that depends on how much the area can reasonably accommodate. Then, a developer can elect to submit a TSND plan under two categories — general or enhanced — that specify what can be built, how dense and how tall a project can be, to what distance from a station it can be, and what public benefits must be provided. The enhanced category has extensive requirements saying a property must be no less than three acres. Other requirements range from building or improving an existing rail station and development of a master plan that details how the project will be laid out, including new or improved streets and pedestrian connections. A developer looking to build out one mile must provide new pedestrian and bike paths or a transit circulator shuttle. Swerdlow, for instance, said he plans to provide the Freebee service used by several local municipalities as a free car-share alternative. The extensive requirements mean that only a relatively short list of ambitious and well-financed developers with the capacity to plan and build an entire urban neighborhood are likely to apply for the most intensive 'enhanced' category of TSND. It also means there may be limited areas in the city where the most intensive TSNDs would be feasible or even possible. The city planning department is now studying the areas around Metrorail stations in Allapattah for possible transit-node designation, though it's at a preliminary stage, Snow and Steiner said. Since some of Miami's requirements are more stringent than the county's, the city TSNDs require fewer units to be set aside for affordable and workforce housing so as not to discourage developers from working with Miami. But the income restrictions are far lower, meaning they would produce more true affordability than buildings under the county RTZ. 'It's vastly more affordable housing,' Swerdlow said of his project. 'We tried to do the right thing.' Swerdlow's planner, Juan Mullerat, founding principal of Miami urban design firm Plusurbia, said he believes the Little River project will demonstrate the TSND's viability as a well-calibrated remedy to the city's severe growing pains, even if it changes the landscape many residents are accustomed to. He also noted it won't happen overnight. Swerdlow's project will take many years to build out, he said. 'From a planning standpoint, more development, more housing around stations, especially affordable housing, is critical,' Mullerat said. 'This is a perfect opportunity to apply the alternative to RTZ, given that there is a willing developer to create a station and put that much housing around it.' 'We do need the height around the station in order to support it,' he added. 'You can't have a city with functional transit if you don't provide that density. Is it going to be different? Yes, by all means. But it's the responsible thing to do.' Veteran Miami neighborhood activist Elvis Cruz, meanwhile, argues that the TSND will enrich developers while neighborhoods and residents are left to cope with worse traffic and a declining quality of life. 'The big picture is that developers are extremely powerful throughout the state. Now we're getting the city of Miami to do their bidding,' Cruz said. 'This is all about enabling profit for developers, and they're using affordable and workforce housing as camouflage.'
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
As traffic worsens, why is the state making commuting harder in South Florida?
If ever a place needed more mass transit, it's South Florida. We don't have to tell you: If you've ever driven Interstate 95 or the Palmetto Expressway near rush hour, you know. Traffic is one of the most painful parts of life in Miami. So the idea that state funding for Tri-Rail, a commuter rail line that runs from West Palm Beach to Miami, is being slashed — potentially even forcing the rail line out of business — is as astonishing as it is short-sighted. We need more mass transit around here, not less. To make this even more nonsensical: The cuts come just as Tri-Rail is breaking all-time ridership records — 4.5 million commuters rode the trains last year, up from 4.2 million a decade ago. Those are commuters who are not on the roads. The last thing we want is to force them back on the highway. In what world, then, does it make sense to cut $27 million from the money Tri-Rail had expected to receive from the state? The bad news was tucked away in the state budget passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis in June: Florida's contribution to Tri-Rail went from $42 million a year to $15 million. This is happening because the state reevaluated the statutory minimum it was required to pay the commuter line — and came up with $27 million less than before. As David Dech, executive director of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, which manages the line, told WLRN: 'That was quite the blow to us.' We understand the need to reduce state spending. We agree, in fact. And maybe this reduction is about fiscal restraint, a concept that had been sorely missing in Tallahassee for years until recently. But if the state wants to divest itself of financial responsibility for projects it no longer feels it should be burdened with, the end result can't be harming — or killing — one of the few methods of mass transit that we have in South Florida. During a July 25 workshop held by the transportation authority, Dech said that if the funding cut stands, Tri-Rail would be able to run as it does today only until July 2027. There are efforts to find ways to halt this disastrous scenario. Each of the three counties (that's the 'tri' in Tri-Rail) already puts $3.2 million a year into the Tri-Rail pot now. Could that number be pushed up to $10 million each, as Tri-Rail has suggested? That seems like a step in the right direction but the timing, when counties like Miami-Dade are facing budget shortfalls, is rough, as Miami-Dade Commissioner Raquel Regalado told the Editorial Board. Another factor: All of this is being exacerbated by the end of federal stimulus money — Tri-Rail used $71 million in stimulus money last year, the Sun Sentinel reported. There was other rail funding at risk in the state budget, too, including money for the Northeast Corridor Project, also known as the Coastal Link, that is supposed to run east of I-95. After the disastrous news, Tri-Rail has been regrouping. It's not totally without resources. Some federal grant money still goes to the rail system, and there's also the possibility of construction on Tri-Rail land around stations to make money. There's one such project in Boca Raton, an apartment project where rent will go to Tri-Rail. Tri-Rail's operating budget is $150 million a year, and fare increases wouldn't do much to help. That's not surprising. Most rail systems rely at least partly on government funding. Yes, South Florida now has Brightline, the private rail. But Tri-Rail is a true commuter line with much more affordable rates, often under $10. Brightline is not its replacement. Regalado, who is on the transportation authority board, said she is hoping to work out a five-year plan with the state to more slowly phase out government money and allow the rail system the time to find ways to stay afloat. That idea makes sense. Tri-Rail is a lifeline for its users. It offers an affordable way for workers to get from Palm Beach County to Miami-Dade, with Broward in between. The state, the counties and Tri-Rail must find a way to keep the trains running. Instead of making things harder for Tri-Rail, we should be making it easier to keep providing this critical service.
Miami Herald
01-08-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
FEC Railway sues Brightline over commuter rail expansion plan
In a move that could derail plans for a long-awaited commuter train service, Florida East Coast Railway is suing Brightline for 'clandestinely' negotiating with county governments to add more trains to its rails in violation of a contract agreement between the two companies. Plans have been in the works for Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties to run a version of Tri-Rail commuter trains through South Florida's urban corridor, east of Interstate 95 along the Florida East Coast Railway tracks that Brightline uses. The private luxury train company and FECR entered into a series of agreements in 2016 and 2017 that gave Brightline exclusive rights to run passenger trains on the rail corridor — with specific limitations. In its suit, filed July 11 in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, Florida East Coast Railway notes the many accidents that have occurred on its tracks involving Brightline, saying that adding more trains to the line 'would heighten the risk of potentially severe accidents.' A recent Miami Herald/WLRN investigation found that more than 180 people have died after being hit by Brightline trains, making the higher-speed train service the deadliest major passenger railroad in the U.S. The dispute signals a breakdown in friendly relations between Florida East Coast Railway, which is more than a century old, and Brightline, which began operating its private passenger train on FECR's tracks less than a decade ago. Since that time, Brightline has struggled to turn a profit, reporting net losses over $500 million in 2024. 'The cooperation and transparency between FECR and Brightline that made Brightline's passenger service a reality has, unfortunately, long disappeared,' FECR said in its complaint. 'Desperate to salvage some of its investors' funds, Brightline has covertly engaged in a years-long campaign to stave off its own financial problems by loading FECR's tracks with more passenger trains.' Brightline denies the allegations in the complaint and argues FECR was contractually obligated to resolve the dispute in arbitration and should not have filed its lawsuit. 'Brightline does not comment on ongoing litigation but this claim is without merit and we have filed a motion to dismiss and compel arbitration,' Brightline spokesperson Ashley Blasewitz told the Miami Herald and WLRN. Representatives for FECR did not respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit. Details of the case have not previously been reported. FECR seeks a judge's action to halt any agreements or further negotiations between the counties and Brightline — potentially scuttling more than five years of work on the part of local governments, who have secured and applied for millions of dollars of grants from the federal government to improve public transit in South Florida. FECR is arguing that Brightline doesn't have the unilateral authority to negotiate for the commuter rail and that there isn't the space or infrastructure to run more passenger cars on the tracks. '[That] funding is dead in the water, as Brightline's representations are not only legally prohibited by its agreements with FECR, but also practically precluded by FECR's existing use of its tracks,' FECR wrote in its complaint. Florida East Coast Railway was founded by oil magnate Henry Flagler in 1895 and today is a subsidiary of international conglomerate Grupo México. From Miami to Cocoa, Brightline runs on tracks owned by FECR. Brightline owns the tracks from Cocoa to Orlando. While Brightline offers a luxury passenger experience, the counties plan to bring a service to the same tracks that is more similar to Tri-Rail, a lower-priced commuter train that runs west of Interstate 95. FECR alleges that Brightline violated a part of the companies' Joint Use Agreement that requires either party to present a proposal to a joint committee if they want to make major changes to the corridor, including increasing 'the capacity of the Shared Infrastructure to accommodate additional trains.' Brightline did not follow that requirement, FECR argues, when it began negotiating with the counties in 2020 to create a new rapid-transit passenger service as part of a planned 'Coastal Link' that would run from Miami-Dade to Palm Beach County. 'Brightline kept [FECR] in the dark because it knew full well that its expansion plan not only threatened to significantly disrupt FECR's freight service, but was also impossible without substantial new investment in track and facility infrastructure, which Brightline certainly could not afford,' the complaint states. FECR contends that it only found out about these talks 'by chance' and that when it approached Brightline with its concerns, Brightline accelerated its negotiations without bringing FECR to the table. In 2020, FECR wrote a letter to Miami-Dade officials, flagging concerns about the commuter rail project and saying that FECR had been 'relegated to the sidelines.' In a response to the county at the time, Brightline President Patrick Goddard said FECR's letter contained 'substantial misinformation' and mistakenly left the impression that FECR could 'veto' county commuter service. Goddard also called it 'obviously inappropriate' for FECR to involve itself in the negotiations. Florida East Coast Railway's then-president, Nathan Asplund, told county officials it wasn't FECR's goal 'to disrupt your negotiations with Brightline, nor is it to discourage commuter rail on the Line' but said the increase in rail traffic 'will require significant upgrades to the Line and potentially the installation of a 3rd [set of tracks], which may or may not be possible.' The negotiations have not been finalized. In 2023, Miami-Dade County unveiled plans for five new train stations as part of the Coastal Link project, including stops in Wynwood, Little Haiti and close to Florida International University's Biscayne Bay Campus near North Miami. According to FECR's complaint, current plans propose that Miami-Dade run 54 trains daily, seven days a week for 18 hours a day, with service every 30 minutes during weekday peak periods and every 60 minutes during off-peak periods and weekends. FECR alleges those plans were made without its approval, which is required through its agreement with Brightline, and that the plans threaten to create a logistical nightmare for South Florida. 'Instead of reducing congestion and improving transit efficiency, it will: Hinder the Counties' ability to alleviate highway traffic by diverting resources away from freight transport; disrupt critical supply chains, [and] jeopardize the efficiency of the PortMiami by forcing more freight onto trucks,' the complaint states. In October, the Biden administration pledged up to $389 million to Miami-Dade to develop transit in the county's northeast corridor as part of the Coastal Link project. The entire Miami-Dade portion of the project is estimated to cost $927 million, which the county expected to cover with a mix of state and federal grants and local dollars. The Florida Legislature removed funding for the commuter rail from this year's budget cycle, prompting worries about the project's future. Brightline has touted its imminent commuter rail agreements to investors as a sign of future growth and financial stability. In a monthly investor report from July of 2023, Brightline said it was making progress on commuter rail and expected revenues in the hundreds of millions of dollars by granting the counties access to the rail corridor. FECR argues that Brightline does not have the authority to give Miami-Dade, Broward or Palm Beach access to the tracks that FECR owns. It also claims that Brightline is at the brink of 'financial collapse' and says the 'covert' deals are an effort to stave off financial issues. Brightline has reported substantial financial losses, and its bond ratings have been downgraded multiple times this year, most recently on Wednesday. 'Today, the company teeters on the brink of insolvency and financial collapse,' the complaint states. 'But rather than gratitude for the use of the FEC Corridor, Brightline wants more — more trains and more profit.' Brightline filed a motion to dismiss FECR's lawsuit on Tuesday. In its motion, the passenger rail company calls FECR's allegations 'frivolous' and argues the proper venue to settle their dispute is not the courthouse. FECR 'chose to flout those contractual requirements and file its claims in court,' Brightline wrote.
Business Wire
01-08-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Improving Lives Through Thoughtful Living, 'The HueHub' Industry-Disrupting Community Set to Impact Traditional Models for Attainable Residential Housing
MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Answering the call to Miami's immediate need for attainable housing, The HueHub offers a transformative solution with a significant vision for the missing middle class. The HueHub is a landmark mixed-use project responding directly to Miami's urgent housing crisis. Spanning 509,447 square feet on approximately 12 acres, The HueHub will feature seven striking 35-story towers comprised of 4,032 thoughtfully designed and furnished residential units. The community will also include nearly 200,000 square feet of interior amenities, as well as a two-acre park with additional amenities. Located at 8395 NW 27 th Avenue, the development's location in the city's West Little River community conveniently places residents within proximity to essential amenities and transit. Multiple universities, colleges and technical institutions less than 20 minutes away from The HueHub, and world-class hospitals only minutes away. Designed as a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), nearby transit options include the Northside Metrorail Station and the Tri-Rail located approximately one block away, providing direct access to Miami International Airport, Downtown Miami, and all of South Florida. 'The HueHub is of course a real estate development, but that is actually secondary in my mind to helping solve our community's biggest challenge – access to attainable housing,' said Pablo Castro, The HueHub's developer. 'We want individuals and families to live in a purpose-driven environment that is a true community, with every conceivable amenity. The intent of this project is to elevate quality of life in multiple ways, where residents can easily travel to work, return home to their community, have an abundance of amenities that alleviate their day-to-day tasks, and give back the most finite resource they have: time. We want residents to spend time with their families, friends and their loved ones to build authentic, stronger communities that are resilient and add to Miami's rich character.' Focusing on four key pillars, The HueHub will address the day-to-day needs of Miami's workforce in an innovative ecosystem designed to elevate the quality of life for the middle class. 1. Thoughtful, Community-Centric Design The HueHub prioritizes a pleasing aesthetic that comforts and inspires residents, creating an environment that feels like home from the moment they walk in. Designed by the renowned firm Arquitectonica, the facade will immediately greet and inspire residents and guests as they step onto a beacon of modern living in the center of Miami. Thoughtful design elements—from natural lighting and green spaces to modern, functional interiors—will contribute to a serene, welcoming atmosphere. Every detail, from the color palettes to the layout of communal areas, will be carefully curated to promote relaxation and a sense of belonging. By combining beauty with functionality, The HueHub ensures that residents feel both physically and emotionally at ease in their living spaces. 2. Self-sustainable from Concept to Completion Self-sustainability is woven into every aspect of The HueHub, from initial design to long-term residential living. The project will include eco-friendly materials and energy-efficient systems in its construction, ensuring minimal environmental impact. Green building practices such as water conservation systems and sustainable landscaping will create a model for responsible urban development. Beyond the physical structures, The HueHub will encourage sustainable living among residents, encouraging practices like recycling, shared and reduced energy consumption, especially with its location near important public transit options. This comprehensive approach ensures that The HueHub not only serves the current community but also preserves resources for future generations. 3. Healthy Life and Community Living At the heart of The HueHub is a commitment to fostering a vibrant, healthy lifestyle, community, and elevating quality of life—an urgent need for Miami's middle class residents who often face long commutes, limited access to wellness services, and a lack of communal support. By integrating essential amenities and thoughtfully designed spaces, The HueHub aims to make daily life easier, allowing residents to focus on themselves, rebalance their priorities, and thrive. Amenities addressing this include: Communal areas - such as a show kitchen, a library, gardens, and relaxation lounges—that will foster a sense of connection, allowing residents to build meaningful relationships with their neighbors. A dedicated Arts and Culture Space designed to educate and inspire residents, hosting art exhibitions, cultural workshops, and creative classes, offering opportunities for artistic expression and cultural enrichment that nurtures creativity and promotes lifelong learning. An onsite Learning Center providing a vital resource for both children and adults. This space will create a productive environment to complete homework activities and excel academically, as well as opportunities for adults to continue their education, attend skill-building workshops, and access online courses, empowering residents to further their personal and professional development. Dedicated workspaces supporting remote workers and entrepreneurs, providing a productive environment that eliminates the need for long commutes. Urgent care facility to ensure that healthcare is not a distant luxury but an accessible, integral part of daily life that can be attained immediately. Recognizing the time constraints faced by many in the workforce, The HueHub will offer a variety of day-to-day services designed to reduce the burden of routine tasks. These services include: Dog walking and pet care to ensure that even the busiest residents can provide the best care for their furry companions. Childcare services that offer peace of mind to working parents, with safe, engaging environments for children. Laundry services to free up valuable time for relaxation and self-care. Meal preparation courses featuring healthy, locally-sourced ingredients to promote balanced nutrition without any hassle. Wellness programs like guided meditation sessions, nutrition counseling, and fitness classes to support holistic health. Fractional housekeeping services to assist with light tasks, providing an enhanced quality of life atmosphere. 4. Making It Attainable for Middle Class Members Attainability and accessibility are critical to The HueHub's mission. Recognizing the financial challenges faced by Miami's middle class residents, the development seeks to bridge socioeconomic gaps and create a truly inclusive community where residents can enjoy high-quality living standards. By reducing housing expenses, residents will have the freedom to live fulfilling lives. Whether it's saving for the future, investing in personal passions, or immersing themselves in Miami's rich cultural and recreational offerings, The HueHub elevates the notion of what attainable housing should be. Future plans include the establishment of a school serving residents in The HueHub and the surrounding community. The community, which is also within a five-minute drive from Miami-Dade College North Campus, will serve as an educational beacon that trains the next generation of leaders. By addressing these everyday needs, The HueHub will alleviate the pressures that often weigh heavily on middle class individuals. This ecosystem is designed not just for convenience but to improve overall well-being, allowing residents to reclaim their time, focus on personal growth, and build a balanced, fulfilling life. Residences will be move-in ready and fully furnished, with rents starting at approximately $1,300 for a studio, $1,600 for a one-bedroom unit, and $1,900 for two-bedroom units. Miami-Dade County is amid a severe crisis in housing affordability, with more than 60% of renters spending over a third of their income on housing – the highest percentage in the nation - and even some spending more than 50% of their income on housing. The HueHub directly addresses these challenges by offering competitively priced options in a thoughtfully designed community. As part of efforts to meet Miami-Dade's projected need for 200,000 new housing units by 2030, The HueHub presents a modest yet important contribution to alleviating this crisis. 'By addressing the region's housing challenges head-on, this project serves as a groundbreaking example of meaningful urban development,' added Castro. 'We've brought together the best minds in design, construction, and community planning to create a purpose-driven community that will set a new standard for attainable housing. This carefully curated team of experts was brought together with the common goal of delivering an exceptional model for housing, because everyone deserves an opportunity to experience an unparalleled living environment.' The HueHub's realization is the result of a dedicated team of Miami-based partners, each of which are highly regarded in their respective fields. The exceptional team includes Coastal Construction; award-winning architecture firm Arquitectonica; Bilzin, Greenberg Traurig LLP; Franyie Engineers; and a strongly curated in-house team. Located at 8395 NW 27 th Avenue, The HueHub is scheduled to break ground toward the end of 2025. The project exemplifies a transformative approach to urban development, offering a sustainable, attainable, and community-centered model that can inspire similar initiatives nationwide.
Miami Herald
02-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Publix open? Malls? See what's running, and not, on July 4 in Miami and Broward
The Declaration of Independence was signed July 4, 1776, and though we still had to win a long war against a major world power, that's when the United States marks its birthday. Nothing says 'United States' more than watching the cash flow, so all your big retailers (except one) will celebrate by being open on Friday. Some stores may have holiday hours. Here's what to know: Supermarkets Publix: Normal store hours, but pharmacies will be closed. Winn-Dixie: Normal store hours. Sedano's: Normal store hours. Presidente: Open, but check your favorite location for hours. Fresh Market: Normal hours. Whole Foods: Open at 7:30 a.m. or 8 a.m. depending on location, close at 6 p.m. Price Choice: Open, but check your favorite location for hours. Trader Joe's: Open until 5 p.m. Walmart Neighborhood Market: Normal hours. Big box stores Target: Normal hours. Pharmacies open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Walmart: Normal hours. Costco: Closed. BJ's Wholesale Club: Normal hours. Home Depot: Open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Major pharmacy chains Walgreens: Open normal hours, but most pharmacies will be closed. CVS/Navarro: Open normal hours, but the pharmacies will vary from closed to open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Check your favorite location. Shopping malls Aventura Mall: Open 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Brickell City Centre: Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Broward Mall: Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Coral Square: Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Dadeland Mall: Open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Falls: Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Florida Keys Outlet Marketplace: Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Miami International Mall: Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pembroke Lakes Mall: Open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sawgrass Mills: Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Westland Mall: Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mass transit Miami-Dade: Metrorail and Metromover will run on the weekend service schedule on Friday and will run until midnight. Metrobus and MetroConnect will operate on a Sunday schedule. MetroLink won't be in service. Customer service offices will be closed, but Special Transportation Service (STS) customers can still call 305-871-1111 to reserve or cancel a trip. Broward: Broward County Transit buses will run on a Sunday schedule. You can still get trip planning help for bus services and paratransit trips from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 954-357-8400 (TTY 954-357-8302). Broward Main Terminal, Lauderhill Transit Center and Northeast Transit Center will have people available for assistance from 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Tri-Rail: Tri-Rail will run on its weekend/holiday schedule. Garbage City of Miami: Regular garbage pickup. Miami-Dade County: No regular garbage pickup. For those with Friday collection, your next collection will be the next scheduled pickup. City of Fort Lauderdale: Regular garbage collection. Broward County: Regular garbage collection. For other municipalities, check with your city or waste disposal service. Libraries Miami-Dade: Closed, but online resources will be available. Broward: Closed, but online resources will be available. Courts and county offices Miami-Dade: Closed. Broward: Closed Mail Post office branches won't be open. Other than Priority Mail Express, you won't be receiving mail.
