Hopes for the advancement of a possible Byron Carlyle cultural center are up as the city of Miami Beach gets closer to coming up with a conceptual design.
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So far, $400,000 has been allocated from resort taxes for a conceptual design, a move sponsored by Commissioner Mark Samuelian, seconded by Commissioner Alex Fernandez and passed unanimously.
“The Byron Carlyle is an important asset in our efforts to try to activate North Beach. It is so terribly unfortunate that we have let our own city property go into such conditions,” said Mr. Samuelian, who then offered a resolution to direct the administration to initiate the process for the conceptual design. “So that’s where we’re at.”
In terms of the conceptual design, Mr. Samuelian said, “what’s most important to me are two things: that we have a state-of-the-art cultural center, and that we have a community-driven process, which I believe is the lesson learned from the last RFP.”
In December 2020, Menin Hospitality and KGTC presented after a request for proposals (RFP) a plan to build 151 workforce units, 9,000 square feet of rental space and a 10,500-square-foot cultural center, which the city voted down due to opposition from both the commission and residents.
“We are closer than we were,” Mr. Samuelian said. “For the first time, the city has committed funding – we didn’t have that in place – and number two, we have a vote by the commission directing the administration to start that process. We’ve never done that either before.”
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March 8, 2022 | Miami Today | Hopes for a Byron Carlyle cultural center rise
