A planned revamp of Flagler Street in downtown Miami has been pushed back into the new year after the city reportedly rejected several contractors’ proposals for the renovations.
The $13 million project, which was scheduled to begin this month, calls for new and wider sidewalks, landscaping and fixtures that would allow the street from Biscayne Bay to the county courthouse to be closed to traffic for events, according to a published report.
The city rejected two proposals. Interest from builders may have been limited by the narrow scope of the city’s request for proposals, deputy director of the Downtown Development Authority Javier Betancourt said.
Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff told the Daily Business Review that the terms were too restrictive. He said that since the project involved public and private money, it needed to begin in December to satisfy IRS rules. The DDA will request a three-month extension. The Flagler Street task force also discussed an $8 million expansion of the project at its meeting on Friday. [Daily Business Review] — William J. Gorta