Public/Private Joint Ventures

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Previous Use: Vacant downtown bus terminal and public parking

Best Practices Cities Founder was Municipal Project Lead

Redevelopment Goal: Introduce Market Rate Housing in downtown, with public parking and ground floor retail  to attract downtown residents and more market-rate apartments.

Property Instrument: 99 year lease agreement through competitive RFP process where City receives negotiated ground rent, participation rent and taxes. Developer responsible for demolition,  funding, designing, constructing, managing and added public parking for this mixed-use catalyst.

Results: Numerous awards, identified as pivotal first step that led to rebirth of downtown Coral Gables. The Gables Grand is a 200 unit market rate apartment rental building with required parking plus an additional 200 public parking spaces, and ground floor retail.The project attracted other downtown market-rate housing options.

Previous Use: 8 acre city equipment yard and dumpsite (grew to 20 acres)

Best Practice Cities Founder was Municipal Project Lead

Redevelopment Goal: Develop catalytic project to spur redevelopment in design district with preference for mixed use and significant structured public parking.

Property Instrument: 99 year lease agreement through competitive RFP process where City received negotiated ground rent, participation rent and taxes. The successful proposer responsible for funding, designing, constructing and managing the development and environmental clean-up.

Results: The Rouse Company spent $275 million constructing a mixed use development with retail (anchored by Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom), restaurants, 100K of office, 200 market rate apartments, and a 5 acre public garden. Numerous Awards. Created catalytic achor for the area and provided open space and parking. 

Previous Use: Old city parking garage and city parking lot  in the downtown.

Best Practice Cities Founder was Municipal Project Lead

Redevelopment Goal: Introduce Market Rate housing for seniors (independent and some assisted) to serve needs of community, with public parking and ground floor retail.

Property Instrument: 99 year lease agreement through competitive RFP process where City receives negotiated ground rent, participation rent and taxes, The successful proposer responsible for funding, designing, constructing and managing the development. CDD later funded 600 car  parking garage.

Results: Numerous national awards received. Families who wanted parents closer and residents who wanted to stay in community as they age have been extremely happy. 250 units, some made larger by combining units due to strong market demand.  Strong supporters of downtown culture, dining and shopping experiences.   

Previous Use: vacant retail, old mini-golf site and parking lot on city land.

Best Practice Cities Founder was Municipal Project Lead

Redevelopment Goal: Introduce market rate leisure hotel on Hollywood Beach to attract visitors and conferences while serving as a catalyst for more quality redevelopment  Provide additional structured public parking, activate all sides of the property  and manage community beach concerts.

Property Instrument: 99 year lease agreement through competitive RFP process. The successful proposer was responsible for funding, designing, constructing and managing the development. A CDD was created for public parking and CRA provided financial incentive allowing City to receive more in land rents.

Results: Key to the dynamic rebirth of Hollywood Beach, Margaritaville was the first new hotel on Hollywood Beach in more than ten years. Also created water taxi link to Ft. Lauderdale and became source of community pride.

When adaptive reuses, generous donors and talented partnerships come together, dynamic cultural offerings emerge that bring people, energy and investment to downtown.

Best Practice Cities Founder was Municipal Project Lead

Actors Playhouse at the Miracle Theater- public/non-profit joint venture transformed obsolete movie house into a regional presenting theater with 600 seat mainstage (with orchestra pit and fly space), 300 seat balcony theater and 100 seat black box bringing over 100,000 people annually to the downtown year round. 

Coral Gables Art Cinema, a joint project of the Coral Gables Cinematique and the City of Coral Gables, re-purposed ground floor utility space into a 144 seat award winning single screen art house.

Cinema Paradiso, a joint project of the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival and the Hollywood CRA,  renovated a vacant  downtown storefront into a celebrated art house bringing visitors, life and culture to the downtown all year long.

Sound the alarm! A vacant fire station became the perfect adaptive reuse for Barry University's College of Health Sciences graduate classrooms in a creative joint venture with the downtown Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency and the City of Hollywood.  Not only do the students learn to heal people, they also heal the downtown as strong supporters of downtown offerings while also renting nearby apartments allowing them to walk to school.  A negotiated community benefits package provided free health care screenings and other services for low-income residents.   

Barry University is now looking for additional space for expansion nearby.

Best Practice Cities Founder was Municipal Project Lead

Additional higher ed partnerships were forged with: 

--Northwestern University's Kellogg Executive MBA program

--University of Miami 

--Broward Community College.