Miami Mayor Regalado to seek delay in Miami 21 implementation

Miami’s new mayor, Tomas Regalado, will ask the city commission’s three sitting members next Thursday to delay implementation of Miami 21 by 60 to 90 days to accommodate at least one big development project.

Regalado told my colleague Charles Rabin today that a planned Publix in Little Havana cannot be built under the Miami 21 zoning code. He also said the new code still needs cleaning up.

But Miami 21 supporters fear Regalado’s move doesn’t portend much good for the new, urban-oriented “smart’ code, approved at the end of October following four years of intensive vetting and revision. Regalado was the lone vote against the measure, a cornerstone of former Mayor Manny Diaz’ administration, and is clearly no fan of Miami 21.

City planners have been working to implement the code, which was to go into effect in February, but word is developers and their lawyers continue efforts to alter the code, which is designed to tame the overscaled development that has plagued the city for years.

Now Regalado – who sharply criticized Diaz’ penchant for big projects and receptiveness to developers -- is in charge. And several other developers also appear to be trying to get big projects in before Miami 21 goes into effect, some insiders say. 

Don’t know yet what new Commission Chair Marc Sarnoff thinks yet. Sarnoff, the only surviving member of the commission that approved Miami 21, was a strong supporter of the measure.

Comments

[Anon]

Wow, so Regalado, the opponent of special treatment for big projects by wealthy developers, is now giving special treatment to a big project by a multi-billion-dollar corporation, Publix. Integrity out the window, but we knew he never had any.

[Steven]

I hate Regalado. Can we please have Manny Diaz back?

[Mike Lydon]

Stating that the Publix cannot be built under Miami 21 is tremendously inaccurate. Of course the Publix project can be built. It will just have to comply with a better zoning code that ensures parking and blank walls don't destroy the streetscape. Miami 21 proponents best be up in arms about this political stunt.

[Stephanie S]

I can't believe this, we try to hard to take a step forward, and we are throw 10 steps back. This man should have never been elected- his only interests is 'big business', not what's actually best for his city and its residents. Ughh, this makes me sick.

[Angie Salicetti]

I agree with Mark Lydon. Of course a supermarket can be built in a more walkable, urban oriented way! I have seen plenty of examples in urbanized cities throughout the U.S. The problem for the developer is that it will probably require more work, labor hours, and smarter (more qualified) designers. Unfortunately, it's simply easier and cheaper to go with the predominant uncontrolled, sprawling development we see here in Miami so much.

BRING ON MIAMI 21 NOW!!!!

[Alex Lopez]

If the Project is already 'in the works' then it would be GRANDFATHERED in. Regalado, is doing this as payback to the Diaz Legacy. Diaz had his good momends and his bad, we all do. But Miami 21 was ment to fix the sprawl. Miami IS NOT made for Manhattinization, our natural reasource are unlike any other in the US48. Publix has its 'Green initiatives' it would suprise me that Publix is the REAL reason behind the delay. Publix makes a sizable profit, a couple hundred thousand to build a market would not deter the project, There is more to the cost of building a supermarket than the building as far as costs are concerned.