Report 1: Downtown Palmetto Bay Project

If you live in or around Palmetto Bay, there is an exciting development brewing. Village Manager Ron Williams, along with the Village Council, have formed a Downtown Redevelopment Task Force, charged with bringing more business tax revenue to the Village.

The working vision statement is: "To create a vibrant and inviting live-work-play downtown community for Palmetto Bay." Beyond taxes, a downtown Palmetto Bay would bring commerce and entertainment to an area that needs such stimulus.

As part of this task force, comprised of Palmetto Bay residents, business owners and community leaders, I will be reporting progress on a regular basis.

During this general meeting we saw the unveiling of a 3-D model of the long-term (40-50 year) vision of a downtown area. Great care is being taken to not impact existing homeowners in any negative way. In the planning, the group is looking to vastly increase green space, accommodate a public transportation hub (just outside Palmetto Bay), and promote businesses that would make Palmetto Bay a shopping and dining destination.

In this photo, you can see white and grey building representations. The white buildings are part of phase 1 and 2. Grey would be later and have zoning allowing higher structures. The idea is that no resident would feel like a commercial building was infringing in their property.

The overall footprint of the project will eventually run from SW 184th Street to approximately SW 173rd Street. The task force has also pledged to reach out to any resident or business owner to make sure their feelings and needs are heard.

One interesting statistic overheard at the July 17 meeting: SW 184th Street is the longest East-West roadway in Dade County besides the Tamiami Trail. It also is the center of Miami-Dade County. This unique geographic location makes the downtown much more exciting and viable.

This is a fabulous next step in the evolution of the Village of Palmetto Bay and I am proud to be working on the task force. Let me know if you have any thoughts or comments I can bring to the table...