Monthly Report for Beach and Downtown District Activities. June 2013 CRA Board Meeting

Transcription

1 Monthly Report for Beach and Downtown District Activities June 2013 CRA Board Meeting Results of the CRA Board Meeting on May 1, 2013 Approved Minutes of April 3, (Approved) Terminated the existing the Business Lease and authorized a new sublease for 1843 Harrison Street with Joro Fashion Corporation. (Approved) Apply, Award and Accept if granted a 2013 Knights Art Foundation Grant for the Continuation and Enhancement of the Downtown Mural Program. (Approved) Apply, Award and Accept if granted a 2013 Knights Art Foundation Grant for the artistic enhancement of utility and signalization boxes. (Approved) $50,000 Property Improvement Grant for the Valiant House, Inc. located at 801 South Ocean Drive. (Approved) Development Issues/Meetings Staff attended the following: National Tourism Appreciation Day luncheon on May 2, Diva Impresario Awards luncheon honoring Gregory Von Hausch on May 2, Mayor s presentation to the Broward County Commission on May 7, Downtown Hollywood Business Association meeting on May 9, The Economic Development Roundtable meeting on May 9, The Good Morning Hollywood breakfast with the Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce at the Diplomat on May 10, CRA hosted meeting between select members of the sunsetted Marketing Advisory Committee to discuss future steps. Presented to student from McArthur High School prior to the City Commission meeting on May 15, Historic Preservation event at 349 Madison Street honoring the architecture and historic rehabilitation of a 1932 historic triplex on Hollywood Beach. Broward MPO Transportation Summit 2013 on May 15, 2013 Project Advisory Committee (PAC) Meeting - Hollywood / Pines Boulevard Corridor Congestion Management Process / Livability Planning Project on May 20, 2013 Meeting with prospective buyer for 1955 Harrison Street on two occasions. Staff continues to work on a development agreement with owner and prospective buyer. The prospective buyer will own operate the property and may be

2 characterized as part of the creative class as defined by Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class. Meeting with LGBT businesses interested in opening in Downtown Hollywood. Met with brokers and numerous businesses interested in opening on the Beach and Downtown- provided leads to brokers and property owners. Met with the owner of the Entrada with his broker to discuss upgrading the property, the possible sale of the property and other uses for the property. City of Hollywood monthly grant meeting in April. Parking Advisory Committee meeting. Broward County Municipal Arts Advisory Board Roundtable meeting. Financial The CRA quarterly report of financial expenditures and revenues for the second quarter (Q2) of Fiscal Year 2013 was submitted to the CRA Board on May 2, FY 2013 total expenditures were slightly lower than FY 2012 expenditures which should yield positive variances at year end. Those positive balances shall be rolled over and allocated to new projects for FY2014. On June 1, 2013 the Broward County Property Appraiser (BCPA) will release the 2013 taxable assessed values of property for the 2014 Fiscal year. Staff analyzes these numbers and begins to prepare the FY 2014 operating Budget. Broadwalk Information Ambassadors The City of Hollywood, the Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), the Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Leadership Hollywood Class XXXVII, and the Hollywood Beach Civic Association launched the Broadwalk Information Ambassadors program in May. The Beach Information Ambassador Team is currently recruiting volunteer Ambassadors to assist Hollywood's Visitor Service Specialists by greeting visitors arriving from cruise ships as part of the CRA sponsored City Pass Program and other tour bus groups visiting Hollywood Beach. Information Ambassadors will stroll along the Hollywood Broadwalk during high traffic times providing information to encourage a friendly, fun and safe beach experience. Property Improvement Program Gallery 2014, located at 2014 and 2016 Harrison Street is being reimbursed $10,000 for exterior improvements done as a part of a Mini-PIP grant. The scope of work included exterior painting, impact resistant storefront windows and doors, signage, and other façade improvements. The gallery opened in March and was the first PIP recipient in the downtown CRA district.

3 The Princess Apartments, located at 334 Grant Street has recently completed renovations done as a part of a Mini-PIP grant. Owner Paul Cowette is being reimbursed $22, for work that included painting, stucco repair, impact-resistant windows and doors throughout the building, a fence, and landscaping. Located at Oregon Street, the Oregon Street Townhomes, Inc. has been approved for a Mini-PIP for the amount of $23, The scope of work includes painting, stucco repair, landscaping, and pavers. Grants Enhanced Revenue CRA staff started working on two grants being offered by the State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs respectively for the ArtsPark Experience Concert Series and Cinema Paradiso Hollywood. Maintenance/Downtown In April, Block by Block maintenance staff removed 149 graffiti tags, collected 5,100 lbs. of litter and collected & disposed of 164 palm fronds. 22 hours were spent on special projects. Maintenance/Beach In April, 1,171 operational hours were clocked by beach maintenance staff and of those hours, 710 were dedicated to trash removal from the beach, 96 hours were spent maintaining the restrooms and 80 hours were spent cleaning the shower areas. In addition, approximately 31 graffiti tags and stickers were removed. Staff also utilized temp workers during the month which bolstered our crew for an additional 161 hours. Code Enforcement During the month of April, 223 violations were issued and 57 re-inspections were conducted in the downtown district. In the Beach District 66 violations were issued and 79 re-inspections were conducted. Many of the violations were for signage, graffiti and property standards, as well as other issues. Certificates of Use CRA staff reviewed and approved 6 certificates of use in the month of April. Outdoor Café Permit CRA staff reviewed and approved two outdoor café permits in the month of April. CRA staff met with City staff to revise and streamline internal permit process.

4 Marketing/PR On April 26, CRA staff appeared on WLRN s South Florida ArtsBeat show hosted by Ed Bell to promote upcoming events and redevelopment news from Hollywood. The conversation previewed the next phase of the Downtown Hollywood Mural Project, the ArtWalk and the Hollywood ArtsPark Experience concert, Colors of the Caribbean. Listeners also learned about the role of the CRA, the major developments coming to Hollywood Beach, and the highly anticipated Cinema Paradiso Hollywood. South Florida ArtsBeat runs on Fridays at 1pm on WLRN, 91.3FM or Phase II Underground Utilities and Streetscape Project Overhead wires were removed from the existing wooden poles in Phase II. Currently the existing wooden poles are being removed and the area is being backfilled with cement and then covered with paver bricks. All the overhead lines were converted to underground and all the services to private properties also were converted to underground. The underground grid system is functioning except for Michigan and Johnson Streets in anticipation for the construction of Margaritaville. Some of the landscape materials will be replaced under the warranty and the entire Phase II project should be completed by next month. Phase III Underground Utilities and Streetscape Project Staff has begun the effort to schedule the community meetings with property owners in the affected streets in order to begin the design process for this phase. Phase III will stretch from Oklahoma to New Mexico Street. Brazilian International Press Awards On May 4, 2013, the Hollywood ArtsPark Experience: Brazil concert featuring the SpokFrevo Orquestra was honored as the Best Concert by a Brazilian Group at the Brazilian International Press Awards at the Parker Playhouse. The award was accepted in Portuguese by The Rhythm Foundation s Gene de Souza and in English by CRA Program Manager Manuel Pila. The highly competitive category included performances by renowned Brazilian artists throughout North America. The prestigious Brazilian International Press Awards celebrate the best of Brazilian culture throughout the world, honoring outstanding achievements in sports, music, dance, literature, cinema, theater and art. Other awards recipients included artist Romero Britto, singer Carlinhos Brown and movie star Claudia Abreu. The show is televised on GloboTV and widely covered by Brazilian press around the world.

5 P at Music Voyager The broadcast premiere of Music Voyager: Hollywood will air on South Florida s PBS affiliate WPBT-2 on Tuesday, June 11, 7:30 p.m. By special arrangement with American Public Television, WPBT-2 management, the show s producers and the Hollywood CRA, local audiences will have a chance to see the episode more than a month before the rest of the country. The Hollywood episode of the music-themed travel show will debut nationally on the PBS Create TV network on Tuesday, July 23 and Thursday, July th 25P 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. each day. In North America, the program reaches 87% of all PBS households, covering all major markets. This beautifully filmed exploration of Hollywood s artful redevelopment efforts features live performances by international flamenco-pop star Antonio Carmona, captured in concert at the Hollywood ArtsPark Experience: Spain event held in Downtown Hollywood in December 2012 to kick off Viva Florida 500. The program showcases Hollywood s attractions, musicians, artists, cuisine, architecture, and nightlife in gorgeously shot HD. Music Voyager is currently broadcast in more than 170 million homes across the world, is translated into 33 languages, and is available as in-flight content in over a dozen airlines. Music Voyager s producers have been invited to screen the complete Hollywood episode at MIPCOM, a major international TV and entertainment marketplace held in Cannes, France in October. Sax in the City summer concert series Wednesdays 6-8 p.m. June and July 2013 Downtown Hollywood Live Music District The streets of Downtown Hollywood will come alive with the sound of live music every Wednesday night this summer. The hump-day happy hour crowd will enjoy some of South Florida s finest musicians jamming in unexpected public places all throughout the historic live music district. Whether you dig jazz, rock, reggae, blues, country or Latin music, you ll find your groove in Downtown Hollywood. The series kicks off on June 3, Hollywood Trolley Although the Trolley program has seen dramatic spikes in January, February and March, April brought lower than expected ridership numbers. The April year over year numbers were off approximately 1,700 riders. April 2012, 8,352 riders rode a trolley and in April 2013, there were 6,652 riders. This fall off may be attributed to a higher inseason tourism population that typically leaves throughout the month of April. Staff will continue to monitor and analyze the ridership data.

6 P ArtWalk As mentioned last month the CRA recently executed a contract to provide mobile app service to smart phone users. The app will soon offer smart phone users the same realtime mapping and information now available through the VisitHollywoodFL.org website. Currently the automatic people counters were installed on the Trolleys and will be activated during May. We will begin to receive accurate ridership numbers during the month of June Mural Committee Staff will bring forward at the June 5, 2012 CRA Board Meeting a Resolution to make changes to the Mural Committee. The mural concept designed by artist Michelle Weinberg for the north elevation of 1832 S. Young Circle (the façade of the Great Southern that faces Hollywood Boulevard) is th slated for the June 15P event. City Pass Program 18 bus loads including 679 passengers from multiple cruise ships including the Oasis of the Seas, Allure, Equinox Celebrity, Vision of the Seas and others passed through our cruise concierge lounge at Garfield Street community center during the month of April. Visitor Service Specialists greeted these guests, provided them with information on Hollywood beach and Downtown Hollywood and helped them experience all that Hollywood has to offer. Welcome and Information Center/Visitor Services In April, Visitor Service Specialists began the process of relocating the information center that was housed on the Broadwalk at Johnson Street to the Garfield Street information center. An air conditioned, computer enabled information center on the ground floor of the Garfield parking garage and Community Center, providing information to guests just steps away from the Broadwalk, paddleball courts and the ever busy Charnow Park water feature. During the first two weeks of the month, the information center on the Broadwalk at Johnson Street helped more than 3,000 beachgoers providing information regarding restaurants, hotels and activities. For the second half of the month, staff helped approximately 500 beachgoers at the location located at Garfield Street. We expect that once word gets out that this location is up and running, staff will serve more people daily.

7 Upcoming Meetings and Events Technical Advisory Committee June 3 and June 17, Economic Development Roundtable, June 13, Planning and Development Board, June 13, Downtown Hollywood Business Association Meeting, June 14, City Commission Meeting June 5 and 19, 2013 Miami Dade MPO Transportation Summit 2013, June 6, 2013 Hollywood ArtsPark Experience: Colors of the Caribbean - Saturday, June 15, p.m. - ArtsPark at Young Circle Broward A1A Scenic Highway Corridor Management Group Thursday, June 20, 10 a.m. - Broward MPO Project Advisory Committee (PAC) Meeting - Hollywood / Pines Boulevard Corridor Congestion Management Process / Livability Planning Project, June 24, 2013 Historic Preservation Board, June 25, 2013 CRA Board Meeting and City Commission Meeting July 3, Summer SEA Camp runs from June 10 through August 9, 2013