As provided by Miami Beach City Manager Jorge Gonzalez What is a “destination resort?” In addition to offering limited gaming facilities, a destination resort is defined as including tourism amenities, such as restaurants, convention facilities, attractions, entertainment facilities, shopping centers, and service centers. What would be allowed if resort casinos are approved? There would be [...]
Here and Nationwide, One Party’s Scheme Has Already Hatched Media of all sorts – print, broadcast, internet, you name it – are all abuzz about the apparent attempt by Vladimir Putin’s backers to steal the recent Russian parliamentary elections. And of the resulting mass protests that such blatant vote-rigging and ballot box stuffing – some [...]
By Frank Maradiaga To the chagrin of some residents, no date is currently set for the commission hearing of a building proposal that might bring a strip club to North Bay Village. The proposal was not heard at the December commission meeting, and it has opponents fearing it might be slipped into a special meeting [...]
Garden Fosters a Green and Healthy Option for Residents The city of Surfside dedicated their first new community garden last Saturday. The garden is completely organic allowing Surfside residents access to grow their own healthy vegetables. Surfside Mayor Daniel E. Dietch opened the new community garden on Dickens Avenue and 89th Street with pride. “As [...]
Local Miami beach artist, Enrique Gomez De Molina plead guilty to charges of wildlife smuggling on Tuesday. De Molina who has made a name for himself with his unusual and often titillating taxidermy style sculpture was accused by Federal prosecutors of importing a range of protected species animal parts. In court papers filed by the [...]
Let’s make sure we understand the ramifications of all this destination-resort-casino-monolith erecting and that we’re not ambling into this controversy eyes wide shut: The jobs they’ll create – and how many and what type – that’s debatable. Their boon to the local economy, that’s debatable. The threat they may pose to our hotel/restaurant industry, that’s [...]
Tallahassee Lawmakers Tell Beach Leaders The move to approve destination resort casinos in South Florida is unlikely to pass the state legislature when that body reconvenes next month, state lawmakers have confided to Miami Beach leaders. Based on assessments provided to him and Miami Beach Mayor Matti Bower during their trip to Tallahassee last week [...]
City of Miami Beach Meetings By Anne Newport Royall TUESDAY MORNING BREAKFAST CLUB Tuesday, November 22 BUILD IT, (IF THE CITY ALLOWS), AND THEY WILL COME Once upon a time, in the high-flying days of real estate, circa, 2001, there was a company called Africa Israel Investments, Inc. Run by two men, Lev Leviev and [...]
Look for Him in the Details Talk about your too big to gamble with! Nascent gaming—poker at Gulfstream Park, maquinita slots in Cubaleah, er, Hialeah, ‘Beach Bingo’ at the Miami Beach Shane Watersports Center (“the greatest chance of winning big”)—has morphed from a neap tide to a groundswell to a towering tsunami, what with the [...]
Lord Knows We Need Some Smart Government So. The bipartisan congressional “Supercommittee” failed to reach a deal on reducing the federal deficit. But, hey, here’s what your elected federal legislators did achieve: Inserting language into an Agriculture Department appropriation bill declaring tomato sauce on school pizzas a vegetable and watering down Ag’s efforts to improve [...]
By Frank Maradiaga The Resignation of Mayor Corina Esquijarosa left an empty seat on the commission, as well as the need to appoint a new mayor and vice mayor. Out of nine applicants, Richard Chervony of North Bay Island was chosen by the commission amidst groans from the crowd. One woman just repeated “no no [...]
City Dream or Developer Scheme? By Anne Newport Royall In a November 8, 2011 Letter to Commission, City Manager Jorge Gonzalez outlines the status of the public Baywalk in the rear of the properties along West Avenue from 5th Street to Lincoln Road. Highlights include: After holding the Bentley Bay condominium’s Certificate of Occupancy hostage [...]
