New School

The construction of the new public school in the City is almost final. The City has allocated $12.5 million dollars to facilitate the construction of the school. It is anticipated that the school will be opened for children in August of this year. If you need information about the school, please feel free to contact the City Manager's office at (305) 792-1701.

Pelican Community Park

Our newest park, Pelican Community Park, is now open for limited purposes and is serving as the host facility for the City's summer camp program. The park contains a gym, baseball field, and a community center. The community center will be a place for seniors and youth to enjoy activities. Please feel free to contact the Cultural and Human Services Department at (305) 792-1706 to arrange a tour of the park and to find out about the programs that will be offered at the park.

North Bay Road Emergency Bridge

The City is required by law to build the North Bay Road Emergency Bridge to provide a means for fire trucks and police vehicles to respond to emergency calls in the event that Collins Avenue is not accessible. The bridge will be used by pedestrians and emergency vehicles. We have seen over the years how the blockage of Collins Avenue has prevented emergency vehicles from reaching residents facing medical emergencies. It is the City's job to prevent serious harm from befalling any of its residents, and we will do our best to protect the health and safety of our residents.

Recently, the City Commission discussed the possibility of converting the emergency bridge to a non-emergency bridge to provide an additional access route to our new school. However, based on recent information, the City Commission has determined that the conversion of the emergency bridge is too costly and that the community will be better served with only an emergency bridge that will provide pedestrian access to the school. Simply put, we will maintain our commitment to build an emergency bridge on North Bay Road.

Heritage Park

The City is moving rapidly to build a new park in the north end of the City. Plans are being finalized to build a first-class Park on 192nd Street that will provide recreational options for residents living on the north end of the City. The park will contain a walking path for seniors to enjoy. The construction of the park is estimated to be around $14 million dollars.

Newport Fishing Pier

The City has agreed to take over the operations of the fishing pier from the Newport Hotel. In partnership with the owner of the Newport Hotel, the City will build a new fishing pier that contains numerous amenities, including a new restaurant, for the enjoyment of residents and visitors.

Central Island Drainage Project

The constant flooding in the central area of the City has been a major problem for a number of years. The City Commission has hired a contractor to install a new drainage system this fall in the central area of the City. The project will take about one year to complete.

172nd Street Drainage Project

Over the years, the residents living on 172nd Street have not been able to walk outside their condominium units during a major rainstorm, due to flooding problems on 172nd Street. The City is currently building a new road with a new drainage system on 172nd Street. This project will be completed by the end of this year.

Sunny Isles Boulevard

I hope you have noticed the wider sidewalks and palm trees on the north side of Sunny Isles Boulevard. We are in the process of making Sunny Isles Boulevard a more pedestrian friendly street. We apologize for any inconvenience that has been caused by the road improvements. This project should be completed by the end of this year.

In addition, the City has purchased two (2) properties on the north side of Sunny Isles Boulevard to build future parks. The City Commission has made a commitment to create more open space in the City, especially on the south side of the City where currently there are no public parks.

Public Parking Garage

Responding to our residents' concerns is extremely important to the City Commission. Indeed, when the residents in the Winston Towers area requested additional public parking to park surplus vehicles and commercial vehicles that were not allowed to park in the condominiums, the City permitted residents to park in areas owned by the City and agreed to look into the possibility of building public parking garages to provide surplus parking for all of the residents of the City. At this time, we have approved the purchase of a lot on 175th Street to provide much needed parking for Samson Oceanfront Park. The lot will be used for surface parking for the immediate future.
If the parking needs of residents increase, the lot may be converted to a small municipal garage in the future. This way, your friends and family will be able to visit without worrying about the lack of parking in your building. Please note that a future parking garage cannot be more than four stories tall because of height restrictions in that particular area.

New Dog Park

We recently had our grand opening for the City's new dog park, located in a designated area in Gwen Margolis Park. The grand opening was a wonderful event that was enjoyed by numerous residents and their dogs.

Summary

I hope this progress report provides you with an update of the on-going projects that the City is committed to complete. Hopefully, this progress report clarifies the City’s current and future plans. We value the support of our residents and their input. Responding to residents' concerns is extremely important to the City Commission, and we intend to continue to address your concerns. After all, we are using your tax dollars to improve the infrastructure of the City!

Please feel free to provide your input to City Manager John Szerlag at (305) 792-1701 or my office at (305) 792-1700.