Miami Beach Convention Center Redevelopment a Bad Idea?

Is the Miami Beach Convention Center Redevelopment a Bad Idea? One City Official Thinks So – Next City:
" . . . . “People come to Miami Beach for the beach,” he said, making a fair point. “This is not a convention town. I don’t have a problem with renovating our existing structure, but the concept of expanding is not wise from a planning perspective. I don’t think it’s wise from an economic perspective. And the amount of debt they’re looking to take on in order to accomplish that is unwise for the economic future of the city. It’s nonsense.”. . . Wolfson said that development has to be organic. “To go in and drop a spaceship in the middle of this area, to me it’s not necessary,” he said. “Look at the Design District. It was organic. Men and women who were trying to invest in the area, they bought stuff and they worked with what they had and they built it up and it was a process. It wasn’t just like, ‘slap down this massive development.’ That never goes well.” . . . "

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Zeidy's and Bubby's

Beach Buzz: ‘Hollywood’ party to help feed those who are food-insecure - Miami Beach - MiamiHerald.com: " . . . There’s a new men’s gift shop in Miami Beach called “Zeidy’s” (Yiddish for “Grandpa’s”) at 450 West 41st St. (next to the Forge restaurant). It sells gifts and gadgets including sailboat replicas, miniature toy cars, designer watches and wine accessories, as well as neckties, cufflinks and leather wallets. Owners are Natan and Fanny Brach, who also own “Bubby’s” (Yiddish for “Grandma’s”), just two doors from Zeidy’s, since 2009. Bubby’s, which sells accessories for women and children, also has stores in New York and Atlanta. Natan Brach, 61, is a partner of Stonehenge Ltd., one of the first major neckwear manufacturers to transpose artwork onto neckwear, including the works of Grateful Dead guitarist/vocalist Jerry Garcia and late jazz trumpeter/composer Miles Davis. Married for 37 years, the couple (who live just around the corner from their stores) has 9 children and 24 grandchildren. Regular hours for both stores is Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m." (read more at link above)

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Les Beilinson, South Beach architect/preservationist

Les Beilinson, South Beach architect/preservationist, dies after surgery - Obituaries - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com: "In her book, Deco Delights: Preserving The Beauty and Joy of Miami Beach Architecture, preservation pioneer Barbara Baer Capitman noted just how important Beilinson’s projects were to the Art Deco legacy. “Without saving the great hotels and theaters and storefronts, the district would never exist as we know it,” she wrote. “With the protection of the wonderful architecture, we have seen the other aspects of the district remain and indeed blossom.” Said Beth Dunlop, editor of the architecture magazine MODERN: “Les Beilinson was an early believer in both the beauty of the Art Deco District and the power of historic preservation to transform and elevate communities. Throughout the years, he played a critical role in safeguarding our precious heritage.” He designed Miami Beach’s News Cafe and Armani Exchange store, early landmarks in the South Beach rebirth."

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Rise in numbers of kids swimwear lines at SwimShow

Rise in numbers of kids swimwear lines at SwimShow
Fibre2fashion.com
In just one year at the annual Swimwear Association of Florida's SwimShow, the category reported nearly 25 percent growth, and more swimwear lines for kids will be added for this year's show, July 20-23 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. This year's ...

Top 10 city beaches around the world
Hindustan Times
Located in Miami Beach, South Beach has transformed in recent decades from run-down to extremely wealthy. But don't let your budget stop you from visiting as there are plenty of budget-friendly accommodations and restaurants. And while you're there, ...

Lucali’s Brooklyn pizza lives up to the hype - Miami-Dade Dining - MiamiHerald.com: " . . . Its puffy, cracker-thin crust and fantastic toppings inspire fans to wait up to two hours for a seat at the New York flagship. Miami Beach’s suddenly hip Sunset Harbor neighborhood is home to only the second one, a near replica of the original but twice the size at 70 seats. The space is appealing in its simplicity, with concrete floors and walls topped by tin ceilings. Old fans, wooden booths and mismatched chairs lend the makeshift vibe of an old Italian social club, and a Sinatra-sprinkled music mix seems just right. Servers are as earnest and unpretentious as the space. . . ."

First IMAX Home Theater System to Be Installed in Miami Beach - Miami - Arts - Cultist: "Miami's movie geeks have plenty of reasons to be proud. This town has a thriving art house theater scene, some of the best film festivals in the country, and increasing numbers of films by locals earning national and worldwide respect. Some pictures even screen here before they debut in New York and L.A. Movies are really getting big in Miami, they'll tell you. But this is probably not what they had in mind. Businessweek reports that the first IMAX Home Theater System will be installed in a Miami Beach home later this year. . . ."

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Magic City on Starz

'Magic City' casts a spell on Starz
Boston Globe
It's set in 1959, in the elegant world of a fictional Miami Beach hotel called the Miramar Playa. Chaises and cabanas line the glamorous pool area behind the long, tall, curving structure. A giant shimmering aquarium fills a wall in the neon-lit bar ...

New Beachwear Show Cabana to Launch in Miami Beach
Apparel News
Atrium founder Sam Ben-Avraham and Atrium executive Janet Wong are diving into the swim business with the launch of Cabana, a high-end beachwear trade show debuting in Miami Beach, Fla., in July. Ben-Avraham is the founder of Project as well as his ...

Summer Sunday BBQ at 1500°; Osteria Pizzeria
Eater
The first one, a "Latin & South American BBQ", will take place on Sunday, June 23 and will include chef Julie Frans of Essensia, Lauren Deshields of Market 17, Brian Nasajon of Sushi Samba Miami Beach and Simon Stojanovic. BBQ takes place from 2 to 6 ...

Former CEO of Miami Beach Community Health Center ...
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Michael B. Steinbach, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI) ...
www.fbi.gov/.../former-ceo-of-miami-beach-community-healt...

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Designs for Miami Beach Convention Center are flawed

A flawed process leads to flawed designs--

Designs for Miami Beach Convention Center are sleek, smart — but flawed - Visual Arts - MiamiHerald.com: " . . . . in the end, the rest of us are left with the architecture and the way in which the design reshapes a critical 52 acres in the middle of Miami Beach; it’s what we’ll look at and live with . . . Both loading plans offer a recipe for disaster. Those big trailers and containers that arrive with everything from boats to art to home goods are, well, really big, and both plans bring them into the convention center only at the north end, across from a residential neighborhood . . . neither project would accommodate the outdoor boat part of the annual Miami Beach Boat Show . . . Other questions abound. . . . The Portman/BIG ballroom helps establish a sense of urban rhythm with the juxtaposition of built and landscaped environment. but what happens most days and nights when there’s no ball for us, or even for Cinderella? That’s actually a larger question involving both proposals and all the unprogrammed edges of the convention facilities. It’s a long, lonely walk sometimes. Asked and most likely answered, but questions like these point up the fundamental flaw in the process. . . . (read more at link above)

John Kunkel honored as a Florida Entrepreneur of the Year - Business - MiamiHerald.com: "Miami foodies know John Kunkel for his crispy friend chicken (Yardbird), tangy northern Thai delicacies (Khong River House) , smokey brisket (Swine) and healthy cheap Mexican eats (Lime Fresh.) The founder and CEO of the 50 Eggs group is also a freshly awarded Ernst & Young Florida Entrepreneur of the Year in the hospitality category. (He previously was honored as one of the Miami Herald’s 20 Under 40.)"

Eden Roc no longer a Renaissance as of next month - Business - MiamiHerald.com: "Months after a dramatic pre-dawn attempt to force Renaissance Hotels from management at the historic Eden Roc hotel in Miami Beach, the owners are finally getting what they wanted. Marriott International said Thursday that its Renaissance Hotels division will stop managing the hotel at 4525 Collins Ave. effective July 11"

Billion-dollar baby: Miami Beach closer to picking team for convention center ...
MiamiHerald.com
South Beach ACE proposed slinging a curving 800-room hotel and ballroom space over the top of an undulating, rebuilt convention center, and renovating the Jackie Gleason Theater. A new “cultural building” would provide exhibition space. Mid-rise ...

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Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/06/14/v-fullstory/3451767/designs-for-miami-beach-convention.html#storylink=cpy

Mitch Glazer's ode to Miami Beach, Magic City, returns Friday on Starz

'Magic City's' second round is sinfully satisfying
San Antonio Express
The setting is a luxury hotel in 1959 Miami Beach called Miramar Playa, where patrons spend their days sizzling by the pool and their nights enjoying the fresh ocean breezes. “Magic City” also is stocked with gorgeous women, either beautifully dressed ...

From Slovenia to South Beach: Twice-cut Danny Green plays pivotal role for ...
Washington Post
MIAMI — Danny Green smiled as he stepped behind the interview podium and a crowd of reporters gathered around him to talk about the NBA Finals. On a San Antonio Spurs team that steps into the spotlight reluctantly, and occasionally petulantly, Green ...

'Magic City,' Mitch Glazer's ode to Miami Beach, returns Friday on Starz
MiamiHerald.com
Mitch Glazer and half a dozen of his buddies were sitting in a booth at Wolfie's Restaurant in Miami Beach one afternoon in the late 1960s, chattering and laughing and generally being teenage loudmouths, when a waitress walked over to ask them to keep ...

Hotel Review: Gale South Beach in Miami Beach
New York Times
On the corner of Collins Avenue, among such South Beach classics as the Delano and the Sagamore, this 87-room hotel, built in 1941, has the same Art Deco appeal. The Gale, which reopened in December after the original shuttered in the 1960s and later ...

Pole dancing contestants in Miami Beach vie for big bucks
MiamiHerald.com
When Greta Pontarelli walks across the stage, the lights make the red rhinestones adorning her bra glitter. The crowd erupts. They really came for her and she knows it. As a bass-heavy techno remix of Adele's “Skyfall” starts to boom over the speakers, ...

Pete Wentz: Miami Beach Day with Meagan and Bronx!
GossipCenter.com
Spending a day at the beach before the weekend crowd hits, Pete Wentz brought his girlfriend and son to Miami on Thursday (June 6). The Fall Out Boy bassist showed off his tatts in black swim trunks and a baseball cap while his gal Meagan Camper wore a ...

Drogerie Opens on Miami Beach
Eater
Well, it's long past January and this outpost is actually called Drogerie and resides in Miami Beach's Albion Hotel, but it is as of yesterday officially open. Miami.com says that "everything goes back to the European apothecary days at Dragorie" and ...

Coast Guard Shows Off $3 Million In Seized Marijuana
WBFS
Crime Coverage. MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) – The U.S. Coast Guard, working with a Royal Netherlands Navy vessel in May, seized approximately $3 million in marijuana during a drug patrol in the Caribbean Sea. Friday, those drugs arrived in South Florida.

Beach commissioners balk at 'labor peace' deal for convention center
MiamiHerald.com
A suggestion to include a “labor peace” agreement in contracts to operate food, beverage or hotel services on city property within the Convention Center District was kicked back by Miami Beachcommissioners to the city's finance committee ...

Travel Picks - Top 10 city beaches around the world
Yahoo!7 News
South Beach isn't just a beach where Floridians and visitors alike go to sunbathe; it's a hot spot for top-rated restaurants, world-class hotels, excellent shopping and rambunctious partying. Located inMiami Beach, South Beach has transformed in ...

South Florida county mayors join together to present a unified vision in ...
Sun-Sentinel
"We all supported the city of Miami Beach going after a [solar and water energy] grant," said Jacobs, after realizing that Miami Beach would most benefit from the money. "Generally, in the past, you would have seen us all compete for that grant." ...

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COMO Hotels first US hotel in Miami Beach

COMO Hotels making first U.S. push in Miami Beach - Business - MiamiHerald.com: "Located at the site of the former Traymore Hotel, 2445 Collins Ave., the nine-floor hotel is on track to open in mid-December. The site is undergoing a full gutting, though representatives for the privately-owned company will not say how much they are spending. The company bought the 1939 building at the beginning of 2012 for $17.5 million, property records show. “The fact that they now are seeing South Beach and Miami as a viable point of entry to introduce a new brand to the U.S. is very significant inasmuch as people recognize that we have become a worldly market,” said Boaz Ashbel, managing director of Coconut Grove investment banking firm Aztec Group. Hotel representatives said proximity to Parrot Cay by COMO in the Turks and Caicos made Miami Beach an attractive location because guests traveling to the Caribbean island already had to stop in Miami. . . ."

Fort Lauderdale gets unexpected taste of Urban Beach Week
Sun-Sentinel
City officials think Miami Beach's intensified police presence this year also had some visitors looking for another place to party. A dozen Fort Lauderdale officers were assigned to the beach on Memorial Day, spokeswoman DeAnna Greenlaw said. Another ...

Drogerie and TeQuiztlan Now Open in Miami Beach - Eater Tastings ...
1) Miami Beach: If you were missing El Rancho Grande, you're in luck because though rebranded, it's reopened. Under its new guise, TeQuiztlan Mexican...
miami.curbed.com/.../drogerie-and-tequiztlan-now-open-in-mi...

Miami Beach postpones decision on Alton Road development rules
MiamiHerald.com
Miami Beach commissioners on Wednesday postponed a vote on a proposed historic overlay district along Alton Road and referred the item to a city committee. The overlay would require setbacks and limit the height of new buildings on the east side of ...

Miami Beach Passes Tax Equality Policy
Miami New Times (blog)
Employees of the city of Miami Beach in same-sex domestic partnerships will no longer have to pay more taxes for their partner's health insurance than their married counterparts. The City Commission today passed a landmark tax equality policy that will ...

"Blazer Burglar" sought in Miami Beach jewelry heist
CBS News
(CBS) MIAMI - Police are calling him the "blazer burglar" - and appealing for the public's help - to find the well-dressed thief seen on surveillance video stealing up to $30,000 in jewelry from a boutique in South Miami Beach. The suspect is seen on ...

Miami Beach passes tax equity ordinance
Washington Blade
MIAMI BEACH, Fla.—A Florida LGBT advocacy group on Wednesday applauded the Miami Beach City Commission for unanimously passing a tax equity ordinance that allows the city to reimburse municipal employees in domestic partnerships who pay extra ...

CBRE Closes Largest SoBe MF Deal of 2013
GlobeSt.com
“Over the last three years we have seen buyers from all over the world position themselves to acquire multi-housing properties on Miami Beach,” says Calum Weaver, senior vice president of CBRE's Multi-Housing Private Capital Group. “South Beach is an ...

HotelPlanner.com Selects the Riviera South Beach as a Top Group Friendly Hotel
PR Web (press release)
Fred Garcia, Sales Manager for South Beach Group Hotels, and the Riviera South Beachcommented, “The exquisite Riviera South Beach was newly remodeled and expanded to 151 rooms by May of 2013. Initially, our main focus was on our own website ...

Menus are shut on three high profile Miami restaurants
MiamiHerald.com
On Wednesday, the Miami Beach City Commission approved an amended lease for the Cooper Avenue space, allowing Ben-Zion to walk away, and his former partner and two new partners to open an upscale restaurant with Miami Beach's first microbrewery.

Liquid Nutrition to Open US Flagship Store in Miami
Stockhouse
WT), a rapidly growing, hybrid retailer of functional beverages, fresh pressed juices, smoothies, vitamins and supplements, today announced that it will open its first U.S. store at 1616 Washington Avenue in Miami Beach, Fla. The South Beach location ...

Upscale Restaurant and Brewery Planned in Old Cooper Avenue Space
Miami New Times (blog)
Now, about six months after the closure, a group of investors called OBK Project LLC, along with Ben-Zion's former partner Roman Cherstvov, have been given the go-ahead by the City of Miami Beach to take over the property and develop a "meat and ...

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Petition could stop Miami Beach convention center project

Petitions could throw wrench in Miami Beach convention center redevelopment - Miami Beach - MiamiHerald.com: "City observers say it’s too early to worry about how Wolfson’s petition could affect the convention center deal. Once a developer is picked — a vote is expected to take place July 17 — the city can work on educating voters about the deal, said Stuart Blumberg, chairman of the Miami Beach Convention Center Advisory Board and founder of the Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association."

Rival Dutch, Danish Green Designs Converge On Miami Beach
EarthTechling
The sunny shores of Miami Beach may not seem like a typical battle ground for dour Scandinavian rivals. However, one 52-acre plot of sandy soil is currently the prize of two competing design firms from Northern Europe that are seeking to add some green ...

Keeler twins reach final at nationals
MiamiHerald.com
It isn't always smooth sailing at home for twin sisters Danielle and Stefanie Keeler of the Miami Beach Rowing Club. On the water is a different story. The 18-year-old Keelers hardly miss a beat when they're rowing together. Evidence: They are in ...

Celebrity Real Estate Roundup: Versace, RGIII
The Sun
It's been a long haul trying to find a new owner for the famous South Beach Miami home of Versace, the Italian designer murdered just outside the front door of his home at 1116 Ocean Dr, back in 1997. The 23,462-square-foot mansion was sold to Telecom ...

Douglas Elliman Realtors Headed For Florida Retreat
The Daily Voice
The retreat will include visits to some of the most groundbreaking properties in South Florida marketed by Douglas Elliman Development Marketing, including Ian Schrager's The Residences at the Miami Beach Edition which fetched $34 Million for two side ...

Red Flags Flying, Dangerous Surf Conditions
WBFS
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Sunday was a busy day for lifeguards and ocean rescue personnel up and down the coast as people ventured into dangerous surf conditions. Miami Beach Ocean Rescue said a combination of easterly wind and low tide around 3:30 ...

EYE ON MIAMI: The Philip Levine Camaign For Mayor in Miami ...
When I first mentioned Philip Levine's expensive TV commercials during the play-offs, I suggested that his teeth were pretty white and I would vote for the guy with the big hands instead because Miami Beach was a handful. Well, that column ...
EYE ON MIAMI

Medicinal Cocktail Bar Drogerie Opens in Miami Beach | miami.com
1650 James Ave., Miami Beach; 305-913-1000 ... South Beach's sleepy Albion Hotel is ready for an awakening as Albert Trummer's medicinal cocktail bar, ...
www.miami.com/medicinal-cocktail-bar-drogerie-opens-miam...

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Historic Miami Beach trolley route (video)



Visualizing Historic Trolley Routes through the Miami of Today: The ...
By Matthew Toro
Let's explore how the historic Miami Beach trolley route of the early. ... You'll be taken on a virtual fly-through of the the no longer existing Miami Beach trolley line through the Miami streets and neighborhoods of today. Please enjoy and share!
Transit Miami

Yuca To Be Named Official Cuban Corner of Miami Beach
Miami New Times (blog)
The restaurant, an acronym for "Young Urban Cuban American" opened in 1989 in Coral Gables, where a young chef named Douglas Rodriguez earned two Beard nominations, before moving toMiami Beach in 1995. The restaurant also serves as hangout ...

Miami Beach Beauty Show Wrap Up
ModernSalon.com
Thousands of salon professionals attended the Miami Beach Beauty Show, held last week at theMiami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Florida. New items were launched at the show and professional beauty education (in hair, nails, skin care, ...

Cuban defectors show promise in debut at Fillmore Miami Beach
MiamiHerald.com
The six Cuban dancers who defected from the National Ballet of Cuba in April made their U.S. debut as independent artists Saturday night at the Fillmore Miami Beach, in a showcase produced by the Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami. What these young ...

Building a More Walkable Miami Beach
GlobeSt.com
And what do developers pitching for the right to spearhead the 52-acre project have in mind to keepMiami Beach walkable? In part four of this series that takes a side-by-side look at how South Beach ACE and Portman-CMC plan to approach the ...

The book on Nicklaus' teacher, Jack Grout
GolfDigest.com (blog)
He was 10 years old, and he was playing a casual round with Jack Nicklaus at La Gorce Country Club in Miami Beach, Fla. "It was on about the third or fourth hole. I had made a sizable putt," Grout recalls. "I'm just a little kid. Jack just looks at me ...

South Florida black filmmakers meeting to carve industry niche
The South Florida Times
The strategic gathering will take place from 7 p.m. - 11 p.m., on Friday, June 21, at the Betsy Hotel, 1440 Ocean Dr. in Miami Beach. On the heels of one of the largest black film festivals, the 17th annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF) coming to ...

Think You Got a Good Deal on Your Hotel? Think Again
Condé Nast Traveler
A new site helps find value at hotels like the 2013 Hot List entrant, the SLS Hotel South Beach. Two veterans of the finance world, Jeremy Murphy and Mike Aucoin, aim to redefine the hotel deal with a new site called TheSuitest, which aims to bring ...

SetaiRealty.com Displays Innovative 'Exclusive Communities' Map
SBWire (press release)
Users can interact with the map in order to locate one of several clearly highlighted communities, including Miami Beach, South Beach, Venetian Islands, Sunset Islands, Downtown Miami, and others. The detailed map interface provides a clear indication ...

Zuma's New Dishes; 660's Happy Tapa Hour
Eater
MIAMI BEACH – Starting today, Radio Bar will be hosting some HEAT viewing parties. This means an early happy hour (6 to 8 ... SOUTH BEACH – 660 at The Angler's has just begun their new "Happy Tapa Hour". Tuesday through Friday, from 5 to 7 p.m., ...

Young angler achieves his goals
Sun-Sentinel
It never hurts to set goals when you go fishing, although Michael Falk certainly set some big ones for his trip Friday out of Miami Beach Marina with his father, Harry, and Capt. Bouncer Smith. Falk, 14, of Orlando, wanted to catch a swordfish, a tuna ...

Keyboardist Matsui at New World Center with guitar hero Di Meola
MiamiHerald.com
The seemingly unlikely pairing of Japanese-born keyboardist, composer and producer Keiko Matsui with guitarist-composer Al Di Meola at Miami Beach's New World Center on Friday may raise some fans' eyebrows. Matsui's music often has a delicate, ...

South Florida's luxury home market sizzles
MiamiHerald.com
The sale of A-Rod's home set a record for Miami Beach (though below the Miami-Dade record of $47 million for 3 Indian Creek Dr. set last year in the adjacent enclave of Indian Creek Village). ...

A Hotel Company Is Hobbled by a Deal Struck in Tough Times
New York Times (blog)
If you are reading this column by the pool at the Delano South Beach in Miami Beach or while hanging out at the bar at St. Martins Lane Hotel in London or the Royalton in Manhattan, you may not be aware that behind the scenes of your comfortable ...

Miami Beach Planning Board punts on convention center plan
South Florida Business Journal
... retail, restaurants and an overhaul of the Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater into the mix. Two groups are vying for the chance to take on the convention center project with plans that exceed $1.1 billion. The groups are South Beach ACE ...

John Glatt's 'Prince of Paradise,' and More
New York Times
In fact, it's a true crime story, originating at the Fontainebleau hotel in Miami Beach and harking back to the fabled era when stars like Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra entertained the crowds at the front of the house while mobsters ran the show ...

May 2013 Openings and Closings
Miami New Times (blog)
Miami Beach's Sunset Harbour neighborhood saw the opening of two beloved Miami spots -- Icebox Cafe, which relocated from Lincoln Road; and Panther Coffee, which opened its first Miami Beachlocation. If you'd rather stay home than go out, life got ...

Beverage Distributor Stephen Levin Is Buyer Of A-Rod's House
Miami Daily Business Review
A-Rod Sells Miami Beach Mansion For $30 Million. Stephen Levin, chairman of Doral-based Gold Coast Beverage Distributors Inc., is the buyer of a Miami Beach mansion built for New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez. Levin and his wife, Petra, paid $30 ...

RE.invest Initiative | Miami Beach
Miami Beach recognizes that “natural capital” is the foundation of local industries and high quality of life. The city's environment attracts permanent and seasonal ...
www.reinvestinitiative.org/partner-cities/miami-beach/

New Campo in Miami Beach offers Argentine grill and more
MiamiHerald.com
A Uruguayan family runs New Campo Argentino in the Little Buenos Aries neighborhood of Miami Beach offering grilled meats, pastas, pizza, salads and sandwiches. New campo means “new farm” as the current owners bought out an Argentine three years ...

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Redbury Hotel coming to South Beach

“Larry and I share a love for South Beach, and we believe The Redbury brand closely connects with the energy and culture of the area,” said Nazarian.(source infra)

Redbury Hotel to Bring Hollywood Glamour to South Beach | Commercial Property Executive: "The hotel will be located on Collins Ave. and 18th Street, replacing the old Fairfax Hotel. With a design inspired by its Hollywood roots, the Fairfax redevelopment will also include art deco aesthetic elements specific to South Beach. The 69 rooms and suites will be complemented by a 12,000-square-foot rooftop pool and event space with food and beverage service." (read more at  link above)

Shipping terminal to Fisher Island acquired for $10M | Malaysia Sun: "The shipping terminal that serves the wealthy Fisher Island enclave in Miami Beach was acquired for $9.94 million. The Fisher Island Community Association sold the 5.6-acre site at 120 MacArthur Causeway to Miami Beach Port LLC. The buyer is managed by Harvey Hernandez, who has an office at 1200 Brickell Ave. Immediately after the purchase, the new owner leased the site to Jordan Shipping, which is managed by Platon Alexandrakis."

Boutique hotel at former Versace mansion closes - slideshow - South Florida Business Journal: " . . . Meanwhile, the legal battle over the former Versace mansion, already two years old, has become more complicated by the day. The mansion is currently for sale; Loftin said in an email Friday he has no plans to find another tenant until a sale happens. On Friday, yet another attempt was made to halt state court lawsuits over the mansion and allow U.S. Bankruptcy JudgeRaymond Ray to decide its fate. The mansion has been caught up in the bankruptcy of Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein’s defunct law firm. . . ."

IMG Fashion announces list of designers for MBFW Swim
Fibre2fashion.com
South Beach will once again come alive this July, as the swimwear industry's most highly anticipated event returns for the ninth year. Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim will heat up the sands of The Raleigh Hotel with five days of designer runway shows, ...

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Broward is Better: Fort Lauderdale's blue collar demographics make it a better porn market than Miami Beach

Why Broward Is A Better Porn Market Than Miami Beach
WLRN
It's a big sex-and-pornography convention that's been bringing fans annually to the Miami Beach Convention Center for the last seven years. But after a souring relationship with Miami Beach -- and a conclusion that Fort Lauderdale offers ...Why is Broward better? The local demographics, as Exxxotica reads them, are heavy with middle-aged, blue collar suburbanites who are much more likely to support the show than the "vacationers and young club-goers" who were Handy's Miami Beach customer base. . . "

Exxxotica Porn Convention Goes Down In Fort Lauderdale This Weekend (PHOTOS): "For the past seven years, Exxxotica has been held at the Miami Beach Convention Center, where executive producer J. Handy created the show that now travels to Chicago, Atlantic City and Edison, N.J., just outside New York. Handy says his relationship on Miami Beach soured as new management at the convention center became ever more focused on its most-popular client, Art Basel. But Handy says he jumped at the chance to move to Broward, where he'll be closer to the event's target audience: blue-collar men and women between 30 and 60 with a little money and curiosity. "It took us awhile to understand more of how South Florida works," says Handy . . . We never did get a whole lot of people from [South Beach] . . ."

Preservationists seething over ‘gangster’ party at Miami Beach mansion owned by ‘Real Housewife’ and ‘Boob God’ - Miami Beach - MiamiHerald.com: "The white mansion at 42 Star Island is at the center of a controversy again — this one involving fake blood and a made-for-TV party."

State Road (SR) A1A/Collins Avenue construction project begins in South Beach
Broward Net Online (press release)
The project limits extend along SR A1A/Collins Avenue from 5 Street to Lincoln Road in the City of Miami Beach. This project will cost an estimated $6.3 million.
The work is scheduled for completion July, 2014...http://www.fdotmiamidade.com/current-projects/north-miami-dade/sr-a1acollins-ave-from-5-st-to-lincoln-rd-1.html

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Urban Beach Week arrests up in 2013

"It has been a very successful Memorial Day on the public safety side," Miami Beach police Sgt. Bobby Hernandez said (source infra)

Drugs, drinking part of many Urban Beach Week arrests in Miami Beach - Miami Beach - MiamiHerald.com: "Police on Tuesday released arrest totals for the latest Urban Beach Week, which ran from (a week ago) Thursday evening through Tuesday morning. The weekend resulted in 414 arrests, up slightly from 373 arrests during last year's holiday. Miami Beach police and assisting agencies filed 341 misdemeanor and 73 felony offenses. About 40 percent of the felony arrests were drug-related. Drugs, DUI and drinking in public accounted for about a third of the misdemeanor charges."

The party in the police state: Memorial Day weekend, race and badge-heavy feds | Naked Politics: "South Beach’s Memorial Day 2013 bash is a party in a police state. Barricades line the South Beach streets. Mobile watchtowers rise on Ocean Drive. And packs of officers on foot, bicycles and ATVs keep the partiers — and even the guys grilling on the beach — in line. The result as of Saturday afternoon: No one got shot, unlike in 2011. No one had his face chewed off, unlike 2012. . . ."

A day of strange twists in probe of Miami Beach police shooting - Miami Beach - MiamiHerald.com: "Police have said Herisse was driving his blue Hyundai the wrong direction on Collins Avenue near 16th Street. when he struck a Hialeah police officer on a bicycle. That officer and others from neighboring cities were assisting Miami Beach with crowd control during the 2011 street festival (Urban Beach Week). The policeman ordered Herisse to pull over, at which point Herisse continued down the street, striking parked vehicles, according to Miami Beach P.D. After Herisse rolled to a stop near 14th Street, police officers trotted up alongside the Hyundai and 12 of them opened fire, shooting 116 times, a scene captured on video by multiple witnesses and posted on YouTube. Three days later, police announced a search of the car had located a gun under a seat, concealed in a towel. A gunshot residue test indicated it had not been fired."

Miami Beach chief says he'll hand over recordings in Memorial Day shooting
MiamiHerald.com
Amid scathing criticism and calls for a U.S. Justice Department probe, Miami Beach police on Thursday announced that they would release the police radio transmissions in connection with a May 2011 Memorial Day Weekend shooting. The recordings ...

A day of strange twists in probe of Miami Beach police shooting
MiamiHerald.com
Miami Beach P.D. told The Miami Herald in an email that a key piece of evidence — tapes containing radio chatter between officers on the street and police dispatchers — had been destroyed as a matter of routine housekeeping. The department cited ...

After Urban Beach Weekend, What Was The Big Deal? | WLRN: "On Friday evening the Standard Hotel and Spa was completely tented for the weekend, to reopen Sunday, while countless other businesses were closed up on Miami Beach. Spiga Restaurant on 12th and Collins had a sign stating they were observing Memorial Day Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Ostensibly, businesses like Spiga really love the troops, but no one is fooled."

Does Miami Beach Need A Reality Check On Racism? | WLRN
When WLRN put out a call last week asking Miami Beach residents if they were ... I know what to expect from any weekend on South Beach, much less such a ...
wlrn.org/post/does-miami-beach-need-reality-check-racism

Shaken Couple Sue 'Prostitute-Friendly' Hotel
Courthouse News Service
CAMDEN, N.J. (CN) - Hookers beat up a guest at a "prostitute-friendly" South Beach hotel because they thought she was competition, the married woman says in a lawsuit against Starwood Hotels. ..."It is believed and therefore averred that plaintiff ...

South Florida Boat Show returns after short hiatus - Outdoors - MiamiHerald.com: ". . . . “There’s something there for everyone in the boat market,” he said. In addition to watercraft, exhibitors will offer fishing gear, electronics, outdoor furniture and nautical-themed clothing and jewelry. Show hours are 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. June 1; and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 2. Parking at Miami Beach’s 17th Street garage is $1 per hour; preferred and valet parking cost $15. For more information, visit www.southflaboat"

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Art Basel in Miami Beach

PSA: Art Basel Is Now Called “Art Basel in Basel.” (Yes, Really.)
In the Air, Art+Auction's Gossip Column (blog)
Unbeknown to seemingly everyone, Art Basel and its attendant franchises — Art Basel Miami Beach and the new Art Basel Hong Kong — have all added “in” to their names. Now they are called Art Basel in Hong Kong, Art Basel in Miami Beach, and, most ...

Five spectacular art fair cities
CNN
It's not really cheating to include Art Basel Miami Beach on this list. Yes, the show is an offshoot of the original in Switzerland, but as it approaches its 12th year, Art Basel Miami Beach has earned its stripes in the art community ...The next Art Basel Miami Beach takes place December 5-8

ONE Sotheby's International Realty Sells Sports Great's $30 Million Miami Mansion
Wall Street Journal (press release)
Located on one of Miami Beach's most desirable streets, North Bay Road, the home is a modern masterpiece with uninterrupted views of Miami's skyline and Biscayne Bay, featuring two docks and 275 feet of water frontage. The gated estate offers 19,861 ...

Photos: Art Basel Debuts in Hong Kong
Wall Street Journal (blog)
Art Basel, an international art show that has been held annually in Basel and Miami Beach, made its debut in Hong Kong Thursday. Here, artworks by Ugo Rondinone. Art Basel, an international art show that has been held annually in Basel and Miami Beach, ...

Former Versace mansion price cut to $75 million –- slideshow
South Florida Business Journal (blog)
The complex legal wrangling between the owner of the Versace Mansion on Miami Beach, his lenders and restaurateur Barton Weiss has taken its toll, contributing to a 25 percent reduction in the asking price for the property to $75 million. Reading ...

LA's Redbury Hotel coming to South Beach
MiamiHerald.com
But after the visit from Levy and Heyat, the developers decided to extend the Redbury brand toMiami Beach. With a design influenced by Hollywood and Art Deco, the Redbury will include a 12,000-square-foot rooftop pool and an Italian restaurant called ...

Arbitrator upholds firing of Miami Beach cop who says he drank before work
MiamiHerald.com
An arbitrator has upheld the firing of a Miami Beach police officer who admitted he took shots of cranberry and vodka before heading into work, skipped roll call so no one would notice his drunkenness, and then spent an hour and 40 minutes outside of ...

Best Bars in… Miami
The Spirits Business
The Florida Room – a Latin-styled speakeasy opened in 2008 in the Delano Hotel on South Beach, with a fantastic drinks programme manned by John Lermayer. Though it closed a few years ago, Miami's cocktail scene has blossomed ever since.

Miami Face-Chewing Victim Has 'Adjusted Well,' Say Doctors
KMBZ
Miami Face-Chewing Victim Has 'Adjusted Well,' Say Doctors. Ronald Poppo, before the attack.Miami Beach Police Department via Getty Images(CUTLER BAY, Fla.) -- Nearly one year after Miami face-chewing victim Ronald Poppo endured severe injuries ...

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