A DWNTWN Primer on the Global Agreement


“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.”
— Michelangelo

In case you haven’t noticed, a renaissance is underway in Downtown Miami.  After years of slow development, few residents, and no night-life, the times are changing – new developments, new residents, growing night-life.  DWNTWNRs should keep in mind the words of the original renaissance man, Michelangelo, who more than five hundred years ago cautioned his community that not aiming high enough could be dangerous. 

Now it’s Downtown Miami’s turn to aim high – and the Global Agreement is that high aim – a linkage between City of Miami and Miami-Dade County to move forward on a number of large projects that have been discussed for many years at all levels of government and community.  The projects:  a baseball stadium; a revamped Bicentennial Park (Museum Park); a tunnel to the Port of Miami; a streetcar to Midtown & Civic Center; and continued financing for the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. Each has its advocates and detractors, but the Global Agreement puts them all on the table and says ‘enough talking – let’s aim high and build ‘em.’ 

Downtown wins!  Alyce Robertson, Miami Downtown Development Authority’s (DDA) Interim Executive Director, puts it this way: “The Global Agreement positions Miami as one of the great cities of the world. It promotes urban tourism for our waterfront city, provides the infrastructure for an expanded Seaport, improves transit for our residents in Midtown and Downtown, and reinforces Miami as a cultural center.”

Miami Mayor Manny Diaz says the Global Agreement will bring thousands of jobs, economic prosperity and future stability by investing in “signature projects” that make South Florida a place worth living.  It will do all that and much more.  “Miami is blessed in that we are not only geographically privileged to enjoy the natural beauty and climate that surrounds us, but we live in a place where people from all over the world come to claim their stake on the American dream,” Diaz says.  “While we are surrounded by so much opportunity, we have not always taken advantage of it.” 

The bottom line: the Global Agreement puts Downtown on the fast track to growth well into in the 21st century. – (aim high)

Consider the projects the Global Agreement would help fund, and consider how critical each one of them is to attracting business, creating jobs, wooing tourists and offering more opportunities to live, work and play in Downtown Miami.

Take the Seaport Tunnel between I-395 and the Port of Miami.  The impact:  Port of Miami growth, creation and protection of  17,000 jobs, a $2.2 billion annual economic benefit, and removal of cargo and heavy truck congestion from the pedestrian street grid of Downtown.  The project, funded largely with a hefty contribution from the State of Florida (close to $400 million), improves the quality of life by removing over 5,000 port-bound trucks from area streets every day and makes cargo transport to and from the port more efficient.

Then there’s the Streetcar Project.  It will offer alternative transportation connecting the city’s core clusters, reduce traffic, spur growth and make it more convenient for residents and tourists to move from one part of the city center to another – quickly – and without cars.

The Global Agreement also addresses the long-term debt obligation of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, a catalyst that continues to attract development and private investment to Downtown Miami – and brings cool shows to our neighborhood.

Don’t forget the Museum Park Project, a revitalization of Bicentennial Park.  The Global Agreement would restore the public park’s waterfront and green space, making an amazing activity center with new facilities for Miami Art Museum, Miami Museum of Science and Planetarium, and the Historical Museum of Southern Florida.

“I support this because it benefits Downtown greatly and it also benefits the residents of the county in general,” says Miami DDA Board Member and downtown business owner Jose Goyanes.  “This strategic plan and spirit of cooperation is much needed and long overdue.”

With today’s economy the time is right for the Global Agreement.  “These are ideas and projects that have been dreamt of and talked about for years – decades in some cases,” Mayor Diaz says. “Now is our opportunity to turn them into reality.”

…aim high!