UPDATE BELOW
After almost 10 years of planning, delays and funding challenges, Miami Beach voted Wednesday to hire a contractor for the $11.4 million Venetian Island Streetscape project.
The Venetian Island Homeowners Association has pushed for the improvements to Rivo Alto, DiLido and San Marino islands since at least 2003.
Streetscape drawings show great detail
The project includes storm drainage, road construction, sidewalks (on DiLido and Rivo Alto, electrical wiring, lighting and landscaping. The contract — and nearly $11.4 million in work — was awarded to Lanzo Construction Co.
Back in October, VIHA president Jürgen Brendel told homeowners they would see a “spade in the ground” by early this year.
He may be right. Work should start soon. Because the work is focused on the internal island streets, the impact on Venetian Causeway traffic is expected to be minimal.
Update: Here is a note the VIHA president sent to island residents Thursday morning — project roughly 14 months of construction starting in June or July.
Hello Fellow Venetians
The Board of VIHA is pleased to announce that the Miami Beach Commission has today given the go-ahead for the VENETIAN ISLANDS INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
We were told this is a 14 months construction period (please don’t hold me to that) and it would start in June/July.
To field any questions, we will hold a membership meeting in late April/early May.
After so many years, we are glad this is finally a reality and it was a team effort of the Board consisting of Debbie, Paula, Emmanuel and myself.
With best regards,
Jürgen Brendel
President VIHA
I feel quite strongly that LEDs should be used on this project and in all subsequent streelighting that Miami Beach and its subsequent communities consider going forward. They are just all around better from a lighting perspective and have a much lower life cycle cost.