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El Portal Statement of Interest for Eastward Ho! Design Charrette

by Hugh Gladwin, Councilperson

As a member of the Town Council of the Village of El Portal, I am submitting this statement of interest on its behalf. The eastern edge of El Portal faces that part of the US1/Biscayne Blvd. commercial corridor which is in the most advanced state of decline. This 3/4 mile stretch of Biscayne Blvd (US 1) is a key gateway along the corridor, a locus of many problems, but also rich in potential for change and revitalization.
Project Area (dark green) -- click for larger map
Click for map of streets in project area.
As the census maps attached to this letter show, it is a boundary between ethnically and economical diverse populations which have to be integrated into the same local economy if local revitalization is to occur. For us in El Portal, as well as the residents of the entire Eastward Ho corridor in Northeast Miami-Dade County, it is vitally important to start reversing the decay along the central part of Biscayne Blvd. We believe a design charrette covering the approximately 80 acre area colored dark green on map 1 would be an essential first step in the revitalization of central Biscayne Blvd. This area covers a half-mile stretch of Biscayne Blvd from 82nd to 90th Streets. An area on the bottom left extends west a short distance along 82nd Street to a potential park and transportation hub site. Another park site would be located at the top right of the map at 88th St. and 8th Ave. Apartment buildings and two trailer parks in the area house a large number of people.

"Information on design charrettes and Eastward Ho!" The term charrette came into wide use in South Florida in the rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Andrew. A charrette is a process for designing the renewal of a neighborhood where architects, engineers and other design professionals come to the area for a number of days. Plans are made in meetings in the area with residents, business people, and local groups and leaders. The goal is to jointly work out a plan which will meet the needs of all who live and work in the area. Information on the activities of the Eastward Ho! Corridor Initiative can be found in this report by the South Florida Regional Planning Council EastwardHo_1998_Report.pdf from the announcement for this design charrette project: ANNOUNCEMENT The South Florida Regional Planning Council is requesting statements of interest from Counties, municipalities, and community organizations within the Eastward Ho! Corridor interested in participating in a series of Eastward Ho! Design Charrettes. Through a cooperative agreement between the Florida Department of Communities Affairs and the South Florida and Treasure Coast Regional Planning Councils, the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council is authorized to conduct up to four Eastward Ho! Design Charrettes in the South Florida Region. The charrettes will be conducted between October 1998 and April 1999. The Regional Planning Councils and the Department of Community Affairs will absorb most of the Design Charrette costs. However, local assistance in the form of meeting spaces, necessary lodgings, and refreshments are encouraged.

The area includes land from three municipalities: Miami Shores, the City of Miami, and El Portal. It also includes unincorporated Miami-Dade County land. The project would have to be coordinated by all four entities. We are aware that Miami Shores is also submitting a letter of interest for a design charrette for the downtown Miami Shores business district. We strongly endorse and support their application, and believe the two projects would support each other in essential ways. Revitalization of the Eastward Ho corridor in Northeast Miami-Dade County requires the resurgence of traditional downtown areas like the one in Miami Shores. At the same time those downtowns cannot develop if they are located in enclaves surrounded by a sea of urban decay. They cannot attract customers until people change from the habit of traveling out of the wider area to do most of their shopping outside of the study area.

The situation in the study area is currently not good. Due to a lack of retail enterprises in the area, local residents must travel many miles to do most of their shopping. Increasingly, between NE 81st and NE 90th Streets, there are boarded-up or vacant buildings and storefronts. Crime is a problem and the perception of it and other aspects of urban decay are exacerbated by highly visible prostitution and uncared-for homelessness. There has been great interest by community groups in revitalizing the area, but the ability to get such an effort launched has been blocked by fragmentation into many municipalities and lack of comprehensive regional planning evident at the local level.

This deterioration be reversed by the kind of design and local involvement the charrette will generate. Planning will give guidance to the owners of commercial properties in the area to develop uses and designs which meet the retail needs of local residents and attract pedestrian shoppers. Land for new parks is available for acquisition in the area. Two of the neighborhood associations I have been involved have tried for many years to get some of the available land purchased for parks. We repeatedly have found that, while there is much funding available for the purchase of urban parks (particularly ones which preserve the natural environment) there is no way to operate such parks without a comprehensive plan for using them. This is precisely what the charrette process would determine. Themes for parks and commercial areas should emphasize the historical and cultural richness of the wider area. This would make shopping and park areas attractive to all ethic groups and income levels in the area.

Development which emphasizes quality of life, profitability of businesses serving the area, job creation for nearby residents, and crime reduction requires a shift from automobile to pedestrian access to commercial areas and parks. The area in light and dark green on map 1 had a residential population of approximately 3,500 in the 1990 census. These residents are within 1/2 mile walking distance to the center of the area. There are approximately 10,000 residents within one mile. There is no reason why local businesses should not be very profitable once the design problems of the area are addressed.

Low income housing is a major requirement. Two trailer parks are in the study area. One of them, the Little Farm Trailer Park, houses one of the most important groups of residents of El Portal. In years past this trailer park was a good community to live in with reasonable security. Recently changes in ownership, uncertainty about the future, and deterioration of the area on Biscayne Blvd. have sharply decreased the quality of life in the trailer park. First and foremost we believe urban revitalization must address the needs of lower income residents who live in the area. Area designs resulting from a charrette would have to address this concern in an effective way.

The Biscayne Blvd. (US 1) corridor is a key element in planning the transportation future of NE Miami-Dade County. As long as the most attractive retail destinations are far up the corridor from the core area the entire corridor will suffer from constantly increasing traffic congestion and all its consequences. Ultimately high-volume public transportation (rail or busway) will be needed along the corridor. However, this will further draw shoppers from the core and accelerate its deterioration unless the kind of development we are talking about here takes place. The study area includes a site at the intersection of 82nd St. and the FEC railroad which could be developed as a combination nature/historical park and transportation hub if the FEC rail line is used for transit.

The great diversity of the area will require detailed study of the views and desires residents. In addition to being an El Portal Village Councilperson, I am the Director of the Institute for Public Opinion Research at Florida International University [http://ipor.fiu.edu/]. In that capacity I have worked with FIU's Institute of Government and other units on many studies of urban issues in Southeast Florida. We will identify funding sources for a series of surveys of the area to be done before and after the charrette (including phone survey, focus group, and neighborhood meeting types of information gathering).

ATTACHMENTS (CLICK TO SEE LARGER VERSION OF MAPS AND PHOTOS)

Population of each block, 1990 census (one dot=one person)

These four maps from the 1990 census show the population concentrations in the area and their great diversity in ethnicity, type of housing, and income (reflected in housing costs). The study area is the gateway between these different groups. Revitalization requires research and planning to develop an area where all groups feel comfortable and safe. All must have access to the services and opportunities of the area.

Median home value on block, 1990 census

Proportion of homes which are rented, 1990 census

Proportion of population listed as Black, 1990 census

Details of study area

Discussion of details in study area can be located here. Most are to be found by clicking on the green rectangle. Further discussion and low-res digital photos can be found by clicking on the symbol. The angle lines indicate camera view.

Air Photos of Study Area

Air photo of southwest part of study area (161,589 bytes)

Enlarged air photo of southwest part of study area (893,564 bytes) The large area bounded with a green line at the bottom left of the photo on the FEC tracks is the area which could be used as a park and a transportation hub.