June 2007 Design Session

Session Summary

The Florida Public Officials Design Institute at Abacoa, dedicated to improving South Florida communities by offering training in smart growth and design, hosted its ninth session in Jupiter, Florida, on June 21st and 22nd, 2007. This session included the Village of Palm Springs, City of Miami Beach, City of Riviera Beach and City of West Palm Beach.

The session began with teams of design experts visiting the communities for site tours hosted by the officials and presentations by staff on June 21st. Later that evening, John McIlwain, Senior Resident Fellow, ULI/J. Ronald Terwilliger, Chair for Housing at the Urban Land Institute (ULI) in Washington, D.C., delivered the keynote address at the FAU MacArthur Campus auditorium. Mr. McIlwain stayed to answer numerous questions following his keynote address and joined the team of design experts the following day.

John McIlwain

The second day of the Design Institute consisted of an all day workshop during which the design team addressed the challenges of each project. Through brainstorming sessions, the team suggested ideas, developed alternative solutions and made recommendations.

Vice-Mayor Bev Smith

Palm Springs Vice-Mayor Bev Smith brought a 21-acre vacant lot located in the Village to the Design Institute and sought advice on a number of elements related to creating a high job-producing employment center on the site. The predominant land use in the Village of Palm Springs is residential, creating an imbalance in the ratio of residents to jobs. As a result, many residents, who were attracted by the Village's lower cost of housing, have to leave the Village to work, further exacerbating transportation problems as residents commute to neighboring towns and counties for jobs. To start correcting the imbalance, the Village seeks to redevelop underutilized and depressed parcels of land, such as the chosen project site, to create large employment centers.

Vice-Mayor Michael Góngora and Brenda Kelley

Miami Beach Vice-Mayor Michael Góngora's project site included three buildings the City is seeking to convert into affordable housing: the London House, the Barclay Plaza Hotel, and the Allen. The Vice-Mayor came to the Design Institute to gain guidance on a number of elements related to the project, including advice on green building approaches, sources of financing, the appropriate mix of uses, and how to use the renovation as a catalyst for additional reinvestments in the surrounding neighborhood. The goals of the project included maintaining the preservation of three significant buildings that contribute to the historic district in order to celebrate the city’s unique architectural endowment and to include affordable rental housing that will help maintain a diverse, mixed-income residential population.

Riviera Beach Councilman Shelby Lowe

Riviera Beach Councilman Shelby Lowe's project site included a 33-acre parcel. The Councilman sought advice on how to best redevelop the site by taking advantage of its cultural diversity, proximity to major rail and road routes, and its waterfront resources (the marina, port, beaches, yacht manufacturers and related marine businesses). The project area is situated in southeast Riviera Beach in a location that, because of access to major transportation facilities, is ripe for redevelopment. Almost at build-out, the City's goal is to catalyze reinvestment, reverse the years of neglect, and draw new residents, businesses and visitors.

Design Expert Shailendra Singh

West Palm Beach Deputy Redevelopment Manager Brenda Kelley brought the concerns of the Brelsford Park District to the Design Institute and sought advice on how to redevelop the site. The City has undertaken bold actions to revitalize its downtown and develop a plan and regulating code that facilitated and incentivized development that maintained and enhanced the City’s historic urban form. As a result, today downtown West Palm Beach is a lively and dynamic place to live, as demonstrated by the significant population growth in the area in the last six years. Another ingredient in the City’s success is its recognition of the need to balance commercial and residential growth and its attention to maintaining the character of the historic downtown neighborhoods. Downtown population growth is putting more and more pressures on downtown neighborhoods, leading to residents’ concerns about incompatible infill and redevelopment and the conversion of residential uses to commercial. Therefore, the City is asking for guidance on how to facilitate compatible redevelopment in the study area.