West Avenue Corridor group to hold first-ever annual meeting

The West Avenue Corridor Neighborhood Association — a  community group that’s been extremely active on issues from bicycle and pedestrian safety to zoning and flooding issues — holds its first annual meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19 at the Mirador 1200 condominium.

With leadership from co-chairs Christine Florez and Gayle Durham, the WAVNA community group has drawn serious attention from Miami Beach officials and developers who want to do business in the area. Florez, by the way, recently filed papers to run for the Miami Beach City Commission.

Key items on the West Avenue agenda this year:

–How the city and the Florida Department of Transportation handle the reconstruction of Alton Road and new pumping stations to reduce flooding;

– The proposal from Crescent Heights to replace South Shore Hospital with a large new rental/retail complex called 600 Alton Road. The proposal goes to the Miami Beach Planning Board on Feb. 26, and the Design Review Board on March 6.

– How Miami Beach deals with valet parking and neighborhood concerns associated with the renovation of Southgate Towers on the east side of West Avenue and 10th Street and plans to open a 200-seat restaurant with outdoor seating and valet parking on that property.

– The efforts of the Bikini Hostel, 1255 West Ave., to acquire a liquor license. The association launched a petition drive to try and block the granting of the liquor license.

On Saturday, go for a South Beach bike ride — or avoid getting caught in one

The monthly Miami Beach Community Bike Ride happens Saturday morning between 9 and 11:30 a.m.

It’s a fun event for participants — and a wise thing to plan around for errand-running South Beach residents.

For Belle Isle and other Venetian Causeway dwellers, it’s important to know that the last leg of the ride takes riders down Alton Road from Middle Beach and then east at 20th Street to Dade Boulevard and the Convention Center area.

The ride starts at Fifth Street and Washington Avenue. Here’s the general route, for planning purposes:

• Fifth Street from Washington Avenue to Ocean Drive
• Ocean Drive from Fifth to 15 streets
• 15 Street from Ocean Drive to Collins Avenue
• Collins Avenue from 15 Street to 87 Street
• 87 Terrace between Collins Avenue and Harding Avenue
• Harding Avenue from 87 Terrace (to Indian Creek) to 63 Street
• 63 Street from Indian Creek to North Bay Road
• North Bay Road south from 63 Street to 45 Street/Alton Road
• Alton Road from 45 Street to 20 Street
• Dade Boulevard from 20 Street to Convention Center Drive
• Convention Center Drive
• 17 Street from Convention Center Drive to Washington Avenue
• Washington Avenue south from 17 Street back to Fifth Street

Scenes from the ING Miami Marathon: the runners cross Belle Isle

Runners in high spirits crossing Belle Isle

They wore running gear and wedding gowns, kooky headgear and Kinesio tape, their own names (Go, Charles!) and the names of honored loved ones on their shirts and hats and shorts.

And on their faces, the 25,000 or so runners, walkers and wheelchair athletes who crossed Belle Isle in Sunday’s ING Miami Marathon and Half Marathon wore the look of pride you get from working hard and achieving  a personal goal.

Wheelchair athletes started before runners.

The first wheelchair competitor crossed the island at 6:34 a.m. (after a 6:05 a.m. start). Our first runner crossed at 6:58 a.m., following a Nissan Leaf pace car. And the rest of the field streamed over bridge from Sunset Harbour headed west across Rivo Alto, DiLido, San Marino, San Marco and Biscayne islands on their way to the mainland.

First runner to Belle Isle

They were cheered on by a smattering of family, friends and Belle Isle residents,  along with the water-and-Gatorade crew from Baptist Health, If you were running in Sunday’s ING Miami Marathon and Half Marathon, you might have wished it was a little cooler. But the overcast skies kept the heat down as the sun rose in the early morning.

The volunteer crew from Baptist Health (station G) filled paper cups in the darkness before 6 a.m. By 7:30, they were awash in Gatorade and up to their ankles in crushed cups.

But the story of the day was the runners — fast, slow, elite athlete and weekend warrior. Here’s a look at the rest of the runners (click on any photo to enlarge and get a better view. Maybe you are in there!)

Dennis “Coatman” Marsala

Get ready for the ING Marathon on Sunday

The 2013 ING Marathon path across our islands.

The 2013 ING Marathon and half-marathon — the huge community event that brings 25,000 runners across the Belle Isle and the Venetian Causeway — returns in one week, on Sunday, Jan. 27.

Ask the runners, and most will tell you that the Venetian Causeway crossing is the most beautiful stretch of the race.

The organizers delivered marathon hangers to Venetian Isle homeowners earlier this week, to make sure we’re prepared for the Sunday morning traffic disruptions and know when to get out and cheer. Later this week, we’ll see portable toilets and other necessities moved into place.

The marathon brings money and visitors to the community, and the group that runs it works hard to ensure it isn’t too disruptive on Sunday morning. Event manager Whitney Murphy promises all you’ll hear are the footfalls of runners, and our islands will be cleaned up by afternoon.

Here’s some Belle Isle Blog advice on how to make the best of the event:

– Get out and cheer the runners. The race starts at 6:05 a.m. for wheelchair competitors and 6:15 a.m. for runners. We’ll see the leaders pass Belle Isle (mile 8)  around 6:30 a.m., and we’ll see people who have trained for months crossing until 9:30 or 10 a.m. They range from elite athletes to average folks who committed to goal and are on their way to achieving it. Make signs to motivate the runners. Your enthusiasm will help lift them to success.

Lady Liberty?

– Plan your morning around the race. From about 5 a.m. to 10 a.m., you’ll only be able to go east on Venetian Way by car, and quite slowly. If you want to go to breakfast, you might want to walk. That way, you can cheer the runners as you go along. IF you HAVE to go to the mainland in the morning, plan to ease your way east on Venetian Way, then south on West Avenue, and east on the MacArthur Causeway, where westbound lanes will be open.

There are several key water stations on the Venetian Causeway leg of the route, one on Belle Isle (mile 8),  San Marco Island (mile 9) and Biscayne Island (Mile 10)

Enjoy the race . Belle Isle Blog will be taking photos of the runners from our island, and promises to post them on the site as early as possible Sunday morning. Here’s a look at last year’s coverage.

Parttime Belle Isle resident wins case at Supreme Court

Lozman

Fane Lozman, former Marine, commodities trader and civic activist, won his case before the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday. He’s on the front page of The Miami Herald today.

In a 7-2 decision, the Supremes decided the city of Riviera Beach, where Lozman used to live, could not regulate Lozman’s former home as a maritime vessel.

The court concluded that Riviera Beach went too far when it used maritime law to seize and eventually destroy Lozman’s houseboat.

Congrats to our Belle Isle neighbor, who spends a lot of time at Nine Island Avenue.

You may remember that Lozman got into a dust-up last year with KW Property Management at Nine Island, when his Ducati motorcycle disappeared from the parking garage. When he brought up the theft at a condo board meeting, he said the building management tried to shut him up and called Miami Beach police.

As we blogged back then — Lozman isn’t a guy to be taken lightly.

Hotel construction, road work, flooding and Sun Pass on Belle Isle residents agenda

Can robotic parking machines change how people feel about parking garages?

Will a new pumping system, almost complete, keep Sunset Harbour dry the next time we have a full moon and high tide at the same time?

When will the city of Miami Beach finish work on the new Collins Canal seawall and adjacent bike path?

Should digital signage — also known as electronic billboards — be allowed as part of Miami Beach bus shelters?

All those issues and more are one the agenda for the Belle Isle Residents Association annual meeting, which happens Wednesday, Jan. 16, at the Belle Plaza meeting room, 20 Island Ave.

The gathering starts social at 6 p.m., and the meeting should begin at 7.

Representatives from the city of Miami Beach will be on hand to discuss a variety of projects, and hear from residents, says association president Scott Diffenderfer.

Here’s a look at the full agenda:

Discussion and updates on the following City, County and developer projects:
– Collins Canal Seawall and Dade Blvd. Bike Path
– Alton Road Construction and traffic detour plans which will affect West Avenue and Venetian Way
– Ongoing Sunset Harbour Flooding and Pump Station Enhancement project
– Venetian Islands construction on side streets
– Proposed expansion and addition of parking at Standard Hotel
– Proposed Hotel on 17th Street and West Avenue
– Introduction of Miami Beach United
– Update on selection of City Manager
- Update on Convention Center Expansion
– Discussion of request to install Electronic Billboards to bus shelters in Miami Beach
– Timeline and info on how to register your SunPass for use on the Venetian Causeway
– Open forum for residents to ask questions and provide comments

Christmas present on Belle Isle: 9 Island pool reopens!

The pool and deck at 9 Island Avenue finally open.

After 19 months of construction, the pool and deck at 9 Island Avenue reopened on Christmas Day.

A gorgeous day at the pool.

Surrounded by brand new white patio lounges and chairs, with blue cushions, the sparkling water was a huge hit with residents, who began gathering poolside after 9 a.m.

The pool closed in May 2011 for a massive deck and parking garage construction project. There’s still some work to be done — the pool landscaping isn’t finished, nor is is all the work on the two garage levels — what’s complete looks great.

Pubbelly team to open steakhouse in old Joe Allen spot

Many of us still miss Joe Allen in Sunset Harbour, even though it’s been almost two years and two unsuccessful restaurants (Morgans on the Beach and Georgia’s Union) since the place closed its doors.

Now, the team that created Pubbelly, Pubbelly Sushi and Barceloneta is getting the white house at 1787 Purdy Ave. prepped for a January opening as PB Steak.

Lesley Abravanel has a preview at Miami.com. Among the menu items: an extensive raw bar, steak tartar sliders, steak entrees from $19 to $60, and a veal porterhouse.

The bar will feature mixologist Ashley Danella, formerly of Hakkasan at the Fontainebleau.

Opening target is the second week of January.

 

 

An elephant walk on the Venetian Causeway — in a different Miami

Circus elephants cross the Venetian Causeway west drawbridge.

On Jan. 9, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus makes its annual trek to Miami. It will play at American Airlines Arena downtown.

Back in the day, the circus played on Miami Beach, and its annual visit began with an elephant walk from the train tracks downtown east across the Venetian Causeway to the Miami Beach Convention Hall.

This 1960 photograph shows the elephant walk on Jan. 23, 1960. The elephants are heading east, past the drawbridge, where cars are backed up. Causeway emblems are advertised for sale at the causeway office on Biscayne Island.

Near the west shore of Biscayne Bay, you can see a radio tower and turned dirt and buildings. What’s missing? The Miami Herald building. Construction officially began on The Herald building in August 1960, and it opened in March 1963.

IN this photo, you can see the Boulevard Shops, which are still on the Herald property at 14th Street and Biscayne Boulevard, and some other structures.

Venetian Homeowners to meet, talk Streetscape

The Venetian Islands Homeowners Association meets Thursday night and there is oh so much to talk about — from the upcoming Streetscape construction on Rivo Alto, San Marino and DiLido islands to causeway traffic and toll issues.

The meeting happens at 6:30 p.m. at 250 East San Marino Dr., on San Marino Island.

Among the items on the agenda:

– A report from the Miami Beach police department on island burglaries and efforts to blunt them

– The possibility of a hotel development on 17th Street and Alton Road

– A report on the Genting Project on the Miami Herald property

– Plans to switch Venetian Causeway toll collection to SunPass

And you have to believe the issue of house knockdowns and mega-mansions will arise as well.