Miami city officials are looking to start rehabbing Flagler Street’s retail scene before the year is up, according to a report.
The $13 million Flagler Streetscape project, an overhaul of the thoroughfare and its sidewalks, aims to spur economic development, Miami Today reported. The road runs from Interstate 95 to Biscayne Boulevard. Currently, officials are on the clock to secure financing for the redo before the city’s end-of-May deadline — which they expect to meet, officials told the paper.
“That’s our understanding, we’re operating under the belief everything will get done by May 27,” Javier Betancourt, deputy director of the Downtown Development Authority, told Miami Today. “There may be some wiggle room, but we don’t want to even get to that point.”
A special assessment district is expected to garner $1 million from Flagler Street landlords, $6 million from the city and another $6 million commitment from Miami-Dade County in unused bond revenue, the article said.
South Miami-based Curtis + Rodgers Design Studio has drawn out plans for valet stations, widened sidewalks, restaurant tables and bike racks, as previously reported. The facelift is slated for completion in 18 to 20 months. [MiamiToday] — Angela Hunt