We are an "Eastward Ho! "
Design Charrette community

Charrette Update 2008

Construction started October 15, 2007, on the long-awaited redevelopment project in downtown Miami Shores.  What was only a vision almost 10 years ago is now underway.



Crews, under the supervision of Miami Dade County, are hard at work on this project that is scheduled to be completed in early 2009.  Sidewalks will be nearly doubled in width, with new, lush landscaping, benches, attractive lighting and pavers adding an exciting décor to the downtown area.



For the street, we’ll be utilizing a street calming “Hybrid Alternative” with two lanes of traffic in the direction of the heavier traffic during peak hours (south in the morning and north in the late afternoon).  The lane next to the sidewalk will convert to on street parking during non-peak hours during the day, each evening and on the weekends.  We’re looking forward to a pedestrian friendly downtown!

As the construction continues, the Village of Miami Shores is working on revisions to the various codes that apply to the commercial areas.  Innovative ways are being examined to facilitate the redevelopment of our commercial property and deal with unique parking and septic tank issues.

The Chamber is exploring concepts and ideas to insure that the private sector is – in the not too distant future -- in a position to take advantage of a redeveloped commercial area.  The Chamber is also offering to assist both existing and new businesses during the construction phase of the redevelopment project.

An exciting
and extremely
important
community
happening...

Residents and concerned citizens came together in early November 1998 to map their dreams for the future of our community. Taking part in an Eastward Ho! Design Charrette, participants spend the day working in groups to identify specific projects to make this area an even better place to live, work, and do business.

With a design team assembled to learn of everyone's concerns for the future, base maps were used to sketch the preliminary guidelines for the resident generated recommendations. These drawings were then used by the design team -- composed of architects, urban design experts, and town planners -- to fine tune the recommendations and produce a conceptual plan for the future of this area.

The Design Team spent a full week working here.. . and a lot more hours back at their offices . . and then unveiled the results at two special community report sessions. Both their visual presentation and the published conceptual plan are available for all to review.

The Florida Department of Community Affairs has embraced and promoted the Eastward Ho! initiative, seeking a partnership with local governments and the private sector to make the initiative come to life. The ultimate goal of Eastward Ho! is to create sustainable communities in Southeast Florida that use resources to meet current needs while ensuring that adequate resources are available for future generations.

Both the South Florida Regional Planning Council and the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council were selected to implement the initiative in South Florida. With funding provided by the State of Florida, a primary tool identified to assist local residents in redeveloping their communities is the Design Charrette.

Responding to a request for proposals, the Greater Miami Shores Chamber of Commerce made application on behalf of this community. Our application was combined with an application from the Village of El Portal and we were awarded the first of the new Eastward Ho! Design Charrettes. The "community happening" brought together concerned citizens from all elements in this area to produce a new and exciting conceptual plan -- unveiled at two special report sessions -- that will serve as a guideline for the redevelopment of both villages. While some local costs -- including lodging for the architects, urban redevelopment experts, and town planners who composed the design team -- were incurred by the local sponsors, the majority of the funding (estimated at $150,000) for the Design Charrette was provided by Eastward Ho!, through the Florida Department of Community Affairs, and both of the Regional Planning Councils. Local facilities were also provided by both the Village of Miami Shores and the Village of El Portal.

After the final plans were presented to the Miami Shores Village Council, in May of 1999, they appointed a 19-member citizen task force to evaluate the proposals. Their recommendations were presented to the village council in January 2000.

On February 6, 2001, the Village Council concurred with the Chamber and adopted a "Hybrid Alternative" plan for our downtown renovation. The Village Council has also voted to contribute extra funding to insure that we have a quality of lighting, landscaping, and amenities that we would want to expect on our community's downtown.

In 2005, the Chamber initiated and contracted for a special outreach program to bring quality private sector investors to Miami Shores . . . especially the downtown area.  In the years following completion of the nearly year-long RFQ program, almost every sizeable commercial property in Miami Shores – in all three commercial areas – has changed hands.  New owners/investors are committed to the community’s VISION for Miami Shores.