Not here. He has not yet. That's a war shot again that I said I read. Madam Chair, do you want him to start recording? Yes. Are we recording? Oh, we're recording. Good evening everyone and welcome to the
city of Opaaka CRA workshop. Um we're happy to have everyone here today. We're looking for um exciting time to learn new things and to get some great input from uh everyone on where how we're
going to move forward and um the things that the CRA has on the table. We're going to stand ask Board Member Kelly if he would give us a prayer and then we're going to have the
pledge of allegiance. Eternal God our father, we thank you for all the many blessings. We thank you God for the sealaka. We thank you God as we come together. Give us wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Do all things pleasing in your sight. In Jesus name we do pray. Amen. Amen.
Amen. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you uh Mr. Director and staff for
the great lunch that you all provided for us today. We're going to move right into our agenda. We're going to turn it over to uh Vice Chair Nikesha Williams that's going to take us through the workshop. Beautiful. Thank you, Madam Chair. So I
have the privileges privilege of uh moderating and facilitating today's discussion. This is a long time coming. Uh we've all are very excited about the work that's been happening here uh within the CRA and now we get to have really a visioning workshop to help us
determine what we are going to do with some of the properties that we have purchased. And so just as a space of grounding I want to do a couple of things. So, one I um everyone should have in front of them the Opalaka CRA uh
plan that was developed, my god, many years ago. Um but this was created um as the vision for the work that we would do here. And um as I was preparing for this meeting, I uh there was a a paragraph that I came upon that I thought was
really important. So, I want to read it just to kind of ground us in terms of what we're doing. The purpose of community redevelopment is less about replacing what once existed in a place with more of the same and more about promoting something new or something
better. Redevelopment is ultimately about fostering an appropriate fit between a place and the people who live and work in it and in doing so helping a community meet its fullest potential. And so my hope today is that we get to discuss and vision how we can help
Opalaka really meet its fullest potential. And so I have three or two goals that I want to lay out today, but then I want to open it up to you all because this is a workshop. This is not one-sided. Um the the staff has done an amazing job preparing for this. And so I
want to share two goals of what we want to accomplish today, but I really do want to open it up to hear from you all what you want to make sure you get out of this space. So, one uh one thing that we want to accomplish, we want to make sure that we determine the future use of purchased property. Number two, we want
to make sure that we make fiscally sound community conscious decisions about these properties. But then the question for you all, what else is there that you want to make sure happens within these next, I believe, two and a half hours that we have together? Is there
something that's missing? Um, madame vice chair, thank you. Um, I agree with the um, comments you made. I think the other thing we have to do is to determine also going forward futuristically what the staff is going to look like,
what the structure is going to look like of that staffing, uh whether we're going to continue to go on the uh path we have now of um the firm and and settle in on that or is the
goal as it was originally to find someone Uh, and again, I'm not advocating either one, but I think as a part of going down this process of this workshop, we need to at least begin to think about how we're going to to deal with that. Um, if we're going to settle
in and and lock in um our current um provider, we can do that. But what I don't want to see is to develop a plan of what we're going to do and then have to change in
midstream because um the dynamics of leadership change in terms of um management. So that that's the other thing that I want to see occur and I really want to see that occur as a part of any
long-term discussion or strategy that we have. uh because as I looked at the information going over it even with the properties even with some of the things and you're correct we need to determine what we're going to do what we feel we
want to see happening and the staff has laid out a good plan but we need to make sure that people are in place to facilitate that plan whatever it may be whether it's um strengthening the staff we have um adding some kind of
components because of what we're dealing with in terms of our uh vision for the properties as you said. So I think that's to me is a major thing we need to make sure we we lock in as well. I appreciate that. Thank you. Anything
else? Uh go ahead after you. No. Okay. Thank thank you um madam chair and vice madam chair. um in the two goals that you mentioning before
uh for these properties. It is my question. You are mentioning something about the public people or the city resident. We supposed to listen and let it know
what it really we want to do in all these areas that we have and all the property that we own. How's that if we not pushing to bring into these workshops? Beautiful. So, if I can articulate back
what I heard, one of the goals that you just asked about was how do we make sure that we are receiving feedback from the community in terms of what we're discussing. So, I know that our administrative uh uh team, they uh sent information out to the community. I know that you have in front of you some
feedback that we've received. Um and perhaps maybe as a part of this discussion, if we think that there are some unresolved uh topics, if there's other ways that we want to seek input from the community, maybe that's something that we can discuss. But what I hear you saying is how do we make sure that we're getting feedback and we're
incorporating that into our discussion. Yeah. Good. I I believe in that feedback that we have here writing uh for sure but I know u many other people okay they really like to see people you know in person
all the time to discussing what we going to do okay in the future I'm talking about you know in the future I believe in that but I believe better when I see people here and they discussing together with us what is the really you know auction that we have and what the people
want to in the changes that we planning to do in the future to the city. Yeah. In the infrastructure. Um I told madame chair that they probably are not going to be longer in the meeting but one of
my question one of my question that I want to say is and I think the uh uh chair member uh Kelly mentioning um when we have uh proposals or we have uh development that they want to come to to
us and uh dealing or doing business with CRA Okay. Okay. Um, one of the bigger problem that we have if we take too long too long to to make a decisions, okay, for uh for this type of situation that
that presenting to us um one of the properties that we have in uh 27th Avenue in Alibaba, that Chinese resident y um I think that's one of the first property that we purchased. So I want to
bring us back if it's okay because the purpose of this discussion right here is just simply to talk about what are our objectives for today. Okay, we will get deep into discussion. So I would and I know you have to leave early which is more of a reason for us to move through this section of the agenda. So let's pin that for just a moment and we'll get there. How does it sound?
But I want to I want to call the attention of everybody. Absolutely. For the for the members of the chairs. Okay. It is what I see in son of this property of Mr. uh Jason. Okay, we have it there that we spend the morning and
beautify and put it nice, but we have to be careful because I see people in night time just go in and live there. Okay, I'm going to by the Chinese restaurant. I appreciate that comment. I Thank you. Did you have something? Yes. I wanted to say I I I I'm in
agreement with all of the things that I've heard, your goals, as well as the other board members. Um, I would like for us to have um uh a uh if look at our plan and um in
making decisions decide whether or not we're going to try to further I don't know, you know, we have to be uh make sure we're aware of what's going on at in the on the state level, but also do we want to make fiveyear goal and then a
10 year goal. Um uh not knowing what the uh what the status of the state is going to be and also um how do we help our CRA become self sustainable?
I think those are just in case you know there's not a CRA. what are we doing to make sure that we're self- sustaining? That is a really good point. And one of the one of the things that I think uh as uh board member Kelly
mentioned is that making sure that uh our staff is in place and you know we're moving forward in that area. Beautiful. So I've noted all of this that you all have mentioned. I'm sure um staff has written it down as well so that we can make sure that we are
working this into uh the conversation as we go along. So I'm going to do just a really quick overview of uh what you can expect over the next um two and a half hours and I'm going to pass it to staff to to jump in. So uh first we've started out with our welcome and and objectives.
We are then going to go into a portfolio review. So everyone should have in front of them the different properties that will be up for discussion. uh you've got uh papers that talk about uh city of Opalaka owned properties, but we're going to start to talk about what are these what are these properties um that
we are discussing and what is it that we need to know about the properties as we make decisions. From there, we're going to go into an internal panel where we're going to talk about development and disposition options. So once we give an overview of the actual um properties,
then we're going to really start to dig into what are the development options. From there, we will go into a roundt discussion between all of us to begin to think about what does prioritization look like and what potential property uses would we like to see. From there,
we will do a bit of a matrix exercise to help us kind of narrow in on our ideas and then we're going to close out this meeting uh with a roundt discussion and really action planning based on everything that we have discussed. So, that is what we have on deck. I think
you've got a comment. coming. I wanted to know uh we do have uh residents in the audience. Are we going to be receiving um input? So yes, and so this is an open
discussion. It's a workshop. So I don't think we have anywhere in the agenda where it's the one time that they get to come up. I think this is an open discussion between all of us, but please do correct me if I'm wrong. Open discussion. So folks can come up as we are going about this.
And we also have uh Madam Chair, yes, we also have written comment. We have one written um public um what do you call it? Public comment. Yes. I don't know how you want to deal with that. We could just pass it out to you or I can read it into the record uh when
we get to that point. And I just also make a point to um board member Santiago. I think the staff did a great job. I know it may have been short notice. I'm not sure. I think it was done on time, but I've never had so much so many
people call about this workshop that couldn't make it asking if they can view it online. So, I know that even before we walked down, somebody said, "Can you send me the Zoom link?" We told them, "Go on YouTube and you can watch it." So, people are interested. I think I got four or five phone calls of people
wanting to watch it. And we have, you know, one person in the audience today. And we also had someone who sent in a very detailed um public comment. Very detailed. Um Madam Chair. Yes. I'd also state that it's important for
us to indicate the the number of ways that residents can submit comments after that. Not working. There you go. Sorry about that. Um, so let me just repeat. I think it's important for us to mention the
different ways that folks um residents can submit comments post this workshop and and to let it be known that it can be fluid that the workshop is not always it's what's discussed and and it's what's what's on paper, but their input
is continuously um recommended and needed in order for the strategic plan to to have life. Very good. So with that, I will turn it over to staff to go through the portfolio
review. Chair. Yes. And our moderator. Uh this is pretty quick. Um the first property that we have is the 391 um Opalaka Boulevard. The folio numbers there. Uh the type of
space is office uh commercial use. Um, the lot size is 10,800 square ft. Uh, we're missing one property on here, 879 Fisherman. I don't know the details of that one, but I can That's the turkey
restaurant in the back. That's not on here. I just noticed. Peggy, I mean, Peggy, what location is that? 879 Fisherman. That's the turkey. That's the turkey uh restaurant.
Okay. I thought that was all a part of It's a part of 8391, but it's separate. It has a separate portfolio. Yeah. Oh, you talking about the old ID restaurant? Yes. Yes. Oh, okay. The one in the back here. Yeah. Yes. That needs to be added there.
They folios or No, no, separate property. Yeah, together. 879 Fisherman. So, we have 391, which is What is that address again? 879 fisherman. What's the size? Uh
I'm gonna have to get that for you. They'll they'll work to get that number for you now. miamiday.gov. Um and then the next property is the Chinese restaurant uh which is 14401 uh northwest 27th Avenue. It is uh right
now it's been used as a restaurant space. Uh the total lot size there is 9,140 square ft. on 240 Bombman Avenue. 240 Bombman is the address that we're going to use to
refer to the church, but that also has four separate folios on it. Um, but we're just going to use 240 Bombman as the one to cover it all. The total size for that. Now, it's it's larger than this. So, we need the we need to get the
correct correct square footage because that's only for the 240 bomb and it doesn't include the other three sites. Um, but that's 10,800 ft². Uh, 2145 Alibaba Avenue is a vacant lot and that was
4,800 square ft and we'll explain that purchase uh I guess later on during our options. But that's the overview of the purch of the properties that we currently have under our control.
So I just looked up 879. It is 1,636 ft. Thank you. 1,600. How much? 36. Madam Chair? Yes. Oh, when you say this is the only properties
that we have under CRA control. What happened with the rest that I have here? What do you mean? Where the rest of the properties of 31 Opalaka Boulevard or 391? You mean? Oh, they're the same one.
Oh, that's okay. They're the same properties. Okay. This is only the property that we own. Yeah. The one we have in the first patient. Okay. Right. Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah. All right. You're looking at the option review side of the same properties. Okay. No problem. Good.
Can I dig into the church compound? So, I think you mentioned that there were other subpropies. Can you explain that to me? So, if you look at the uh this is not numbered, but if you look at the church property,
I think it's on the second to the last page. Okay. Yep. Second to the last page, you'll see the church property where the structure is. Yes, that's 240 BMAN. That's one folio.
You'll see another structure there where the uh nursery is. Mhm. That's another address. That's another f that's another folio. If you look at the parking lot on the left, okay,
that's another folio and another address. And if you look at the property on the right, four folios, four folios. Okay, that's another folio and another address, but we're just going to use 240 as the overall.
Sounds good. So, those are the properties that we have under our control. There are other properties that we are looking at. Uh currently, uh there we're looking at I don't want to say it on the record, but we are looking at two more properties
downtown. Uh we're we have a contract out for a property where 2100 Lincoln, which is that blue convenience store across from the county, former county property or county
property that they demolish. Uh maybe doing some housing over there. And we also have been that's east side that's that's over here 2100 Lincoln. Um yeah that's east side
east side. Yes that's the east side of the city. East side triangle. The triangle. Okay. Um and then we also have been in conversation with the ball property again um to purchase that or do a lease
to purchase on that. So, we're currently working on um purchasing other properties. The issue always is money. Um we can finance. The issue with finance is the time that it takes. Uh in order for us
to go through financing, we would need approval from obviously this board. we would need approval from the city of Opaaka board, city commission, and we would need approval from the county uh to to to get a loan to buy any of this
stuff. So, the idea would be to if we can pay cash like we did this year, move things around if something comes up and just pay cash for it. But that um that that deals with actual properties that
we own. So I don't know moderator I have um uh of the properties that we have mainly the one um uh 391 Opa Lock Boulevard um and 240 Bombing. Have we
looked at uh other um potential um acquisitions or or people that are looking at doing other things in those areas? So, it would kind of give us an idea as to uniformity
as to what's going to be going on in that downtown corridor. Um, we are looking, as I said, at purchasing two additional properties within that area. Um, I don't want to say those properties out loud,
but um, but it would go in line with the church in the in the pink 391 building. Um and then we would control basically the entire block. Uh we have had discussions unsolicited discussions with developers
uh people that have come in that they know that we purchased and they've had ideas. Uh these have only been I probably would say three developers serious developers have approached us um about it and they all seem very serious
at the time but no one has submitted anything to us uh yet. Um but if they do we're we'll be ready. I guess I should say this now. I've already hired a a firm to help us um with the RFPs because
even if someone um even if someone submits to us an unsolicited proposal, we still have to submit an RFP. So, we've started to work on that process already. Um so, we're going to do an RFP for the and it's
going to be very broad, but it's going to be an RFP for all of these properties. um because either we're either you all are going to decide to do an RFP or we're going to be forced to do an RFP um because someone solicited a proposal and
we hope to have all that done by I think the end of September, early October, we'll have all these all these things done and ready to go whether either when you decide or someone decides to submit and this proposal. Yeah, Mother Chair.
Yes. Well, what I what I wanted you need to speak to the record. What I wanted to follow up on what I mean is like um I know we have a downtown master plan. Yes. That the CRA has in lie of this development plan. So in that downtown
master plan, I know that there is a plan as to what um we're looking for in downtown Opalaka. So, um, in looking at the properties that we've purchased along that corridor, are we looking at that downtown master plan? Okay.
Yes. Can I clarify? Come on up. Give me two seconds though. Uh, I want to clarify. Is that downtown plan a CRA plan or is that the city of Opalaka's plan? It's two. That's a good question. It's a Is it It is combined like it is
both or there's two separate. So the city So CRA has its own downtown opalaka plan. I wouldn't say it's a downtown opala plan. CRA has a redevelopment plan. So this that includes the downtown Okay. Beautiful. Okay. We're on the same page then. All right. Just want to
clarify. Madam chair. Wait, hold on. Okay. Before before your question, just quick to to make something clear. um any plans the the city administration when we're talking the city administration is we're
talking about commissioners and managers and all the stuff okay and the CRA department I think that they they have to be combining they have to be uh together okay with that because it's coming from the same place one of the thing that I that I see the CRA
uh is a business okay when you purchase anything uh in the city, you're doing it with a purposes, okay, to uh bring uh uh a new infrastructure, new ideas and many other things, okay, and keeping
keeping the property for a long time is not I don't think that is bringing too much uh prosperity, okay, to our city. um for stopping here. Um madame chair Mhm. Um
is both department working together because anything that I believe that we decide here they have to go back to the city commissioner to be approved. It mean a plan that we have I don't know the plan that you have before for the city uh downtown. But how long the plan
is is been dumb. how many years ago it the the the CRA downtown plan it's it's kind of old but I think uh to answer one of your questions I know that the director and the manager have been
working do work together and whatever plan that we have it has to coincide with what the city is doing. I know that to be a fact. Yeah, review. Yeah, I'mma let uh uh Yeah, let me just say this because uh I'm I'm glad we're having the the
workshop, but I don't want us to forget why we're here in this capacity. Yes, I had asked the manager, the director, and the um city manager a couple of months ago to start talking about
downtown because you do have the CRA, you have the city, uh but of course at the end of the day, it it needs to mesh into one plan. So, I know they're meeting, but what has to occur, the city's looking at its properties, and obviously that's a commission decision.
I think we have to decide from a CRA standpoint is what we're actually going to do with those properties. Do we want to be in the business of just as the as the director said to um put out the RFP
um for development or do we want to say here's the development we want? I think that's that's why I've been waiting in this workshop because I really want to give some direction to the staff what we want to see. Uh, we got the plan, the original plan goes back to 11. Really
didn't get going till much later. But what do we want to see? Because you got folks want to push the needle of what they want to see. And the manager and the CRA director is, you know, they are talking and meeting what you said, Madam
Chair. But I want to really hear from us on 391, 27th Avenue, 240 bomb. And that's what I want to hear our thoughts collectively. What we want to see to give staff some idea of what we want to see what we want
to see on those properties. If we want to just not hold on to them as as Commissioner Santiago said and and and get them out of there, that's fine. If we want to develop them over a period of time before we totally um have somebody
else own them, that's fine. But I think what do we want to see downtown? Because reality is with the purchase that we've made and what the city owns, for the most part, we control downtown. Whatever that's going to be, we are really in control. And I'm saying that going all
the way from off of 27 coming around. I know we own some properties the city side and whatever, but we effectively own downtown. Now, the question is what we going to do with it? That's what I want to hear. That's really what I want. I I think we ought to have this or I think we ought to have that or we ought
to have a mixed use or I want that's what I came to workshop wanting to hear so the board I mean so the director them can hear that and come back to us in the next setting and say based on what you all want this is doable here's our suggestion here's our recommendation we
got the properties that was the first step we've been sitting on these properties for a while to get to this very workshop and obviously I wish everybody was here but for those that are here I I want to hear your thoughts. I think 391 ought to be whatever. I
think it ought to be a mini Miami Lakes Main Street or I think we ought to do some mixeduse development with some retail on the bottom and housing on the top. Whatever that may be. That's what I I hope will come out of this whole um exercise today. Y
to give staff that. And and I know the general wants to speak. Yes. And so I will say we're we're aligned in that. So, we've got that in the agenda and so we're going to make sure that we get to that. And I just want to second that America 1211 Perry Street. uh something that I think for me just hearing the idea of
purchasing property as a future income generating source for the CRA because you talked about sustainability but acquiring property that's already generating income is one of the things that I'm interested in hearing more about because if if the sole goal is to
purchase with the hope of something in the future are we not also looking at places or purchasing things that bring in income um currently so that they feed the source. Not sure of the number of businesses up for sale or the property
that's up for sale that have current or present tenants that are adding to the the income of the CRA. But are we also looking at that? because I think it puts us in a very interesting perspective when we're only buying or investing in
properties that lead us to gains farther down the line where they're not immediate and they not come in and people may come in with an idea and you're constantly incentivizing. But are we also uh not looking at things for future purchase is that we're talking
about where we're also saying well you know what this business is doing pretty good right here it's right in our downtown area. Are we also and they have a building that they're using or not owning those kind of places? Is that not a part of our structural plan? I think is what my question would be. And it all
goes align to what you mentioned before, Miss Russell, which had to do with I mean, Madam Chair, the sustainability of the CRA. And you know, these things, as you're probably aware, take time to develop, take RFPs. Well, you know, and
then you're all also deciding at in a sense which type of business are we going here? All of that sounds like years down the line to me. It doesn't sound like anything in the immediate future because you're going through several different processes. None of them have immediate feedback.
But what is it that can be purchased or interest people interested in right away that brings in money that shows some already occurring income? just a thought to place on you um Mr. director to just think about that thing as we have this conversation.
Thank you so much for that. So I can hear the hunger to get into the idea generation part of this workshop. We wanted to make sure that we are all grounding ourselves in the same facts before we do that. But I'm going to move us to the next section which will give us a few more facts and then we will get
to idea generation. So I believe uh uh Mr. Walker and Mr. a senior you all were going to do a presentation about the development and disposition of the options. So if you all can come up and share with us what we need to know about these properties then we will get into
idea generation. I I mean we can go to the next page um which is the options review and it's really not that complicated. Um 391 Opalaka Boulevard currently has
drill correct me if I'm wrong. We have six bays there. Seven six bays. And out of the six bays that are there, three are currently um three are currently occupied and three are currently vacant. Um the property
needs significant upgrades. It's in very poor uh condition on the inside and it would take a lot of money to repair. Um, and we've gotten some
estimates and again these are rough estimates over a million bucks to repair and fix up the 391 building. Um, there's roof issues. 391 is a boner here. Yeah.
Okay. Good. Yeah. Keep Yeah. Well, yeah. Um, so we can either, um, so that there's there's three, um, tenants there. There's three vacancies. The rent right now is month-to-month. Uh, they've been monthtomonth. Uh, they were paying only 500 bucks a month in rent, so it's
really not a it's really not a money generator. Um and so we can have the option of either resolving to spend money to fix the building up and re retenate the
building. Uh there like one of the one of the comments in the um in the public comment that was written was maybe repurpose it for gallery space for for for artists. Um, I know that 10
North had an interest in possibly um using it as gallery space and fixing it up and and doing art art residency there. Um, or you could keep it the way it is. Uh,
I I don't know how you spend money, that type of money to fix it up to be something that we should own cuz we shouldn't own something that looks like that right now and then only collecting $500 a month in rent. So, we would have to get new tenants that would be paying
more money to justify putting that amount of money in upgrades uh for that building. So, we would reten it. Is it called retenant? Am I saying that right? read. Madam Chair,
yeah, I have a question for Mr. Jason. Okay. I heard that you say that you um or the CRA collecting for that inter corner right here. Mhm. How much did we pay for that property?
Um that property was 1,675,000. $1,675,000. Yeah. And we only collecting among $500 for rent. Correct. Well, is uh a board member Santiago is because
when you purchase the property, you per you buy it with the tenants that's there. And if you purchase the property, you have to buy their lease. If that's what they're paying, you have to you have to buy it like that. You can't you
could maybe next year when their lease is up uh or They don't have no lease there. They they they are they uh month to month. Okay. That's why it's only you know so what a question and a and a point of view and
and suggestion. Okay. U we take a lot of risks there. Okay. When we keeping people like that okay and we collecting only that type of money. Okay. This is already your property and you pay a lot of money for that. And the way the any property like
that produced or generated revenue is doing something else that we know that it's going to bring uh to the uh city uh budget, you know, many and many thousands and thousands of dollars a year. Okay. coming from uh the central
government day county to us for me right now is there is we had something they not produce anything that million and a half that you spend there in the bank is maybe I'll pay you more to that a month or a year but right now
we that's what we have and that's what we had to come with something else to make that city look better in the plan that we have for downtown Opalaka and we had to come with something better.
I'd love thank you so much for that comment. I'd love to ask if you can maybe get through your presentation and then we can get into the idea generation. It's a really good point. So, the other option would be to sell the property. Um, and the other option would be to redevelop the property um by
sending out an RP to developers uh and to the point of uh Vice Mayor Kelly. Um, you know, when we do that RFP, we can do that RFP as broad as we want or as narrow as we want and we can put into that RP exactly what we want. Um so if
you want to say you know I want certain number of units I want these units to be at this level of um affordability or nonaffordability you want to market whatever you want you can put in there and the developers would have to abide by what you put in your guidelines um or
you're not leaving are you already you're my helper you're you're advocate for you know I excuse I excuse myself because I traveling today. Okay. Okay. And I do my best you know to come here and this is a very interesting
workshop. Well I make a comment to my colleague uh uh the chair uh Miss Russell and I say it is good to we repeat or doing a second workshop for this situation. It's very interesting. I
know we have a very wonderful idea and one of the idea is to make the city go up. Okay. And change the whole infrastructure that we have in downtown and I and I don't think you would object to me sharing in the public forum your
comments to me about your thoughts in this yesterday. um when we met yesterday of this property in general in general he gave me his thoughts and I would like to when we get to that point since he won't be here I would like to share his thoughts with you
okay from our meeting yesterday yeah it's not it's not a problem whatever to all my colleagues okay um I'm willing always you know to work together okay to make this place better okay and we had to do whatever we had to do to change it and I think that we have
to have the same mentality everybody in and doing it together. Yes. Okay. But it's a it's a lot of thing good coming through the city. I know. I know. With you here, Miss Russell. Yes. Can uh uh can I ask something of the
moderator? Can we take them property by property? Absolutely. I'm like 68. I don't want to lose my thought. Absolutely. Okay. So, we're still on 391. Yep. Okay. you can we give input or you're
finished uh giving your uh I'm curious are you thinking do you want to start to get into the idea generation so if I hear you correctly what you're saying is like you want him to present and then you want us to talk about that property yes okay I I prefer doing it like that that helps
that I'm I'm I'm not opposed to it what do you think uh board me okay sounds good so then we're going to stop on 391 so that we can have a discussion about 391 And my first question would be uh like uh uh board member Santiago,
I would like to see us uh get rid of the current tenants that we have because it's not beneficiary to us. And every time I pass
by there, it looks like they're not doing anything to try to stop having all of those all of that stuff outside. And I don't know whether you could even get them to stop because that's the way they run their business. So, I would like for
us to look at since they are only month-to-month tenants, how can we go about that process of giving them a few months to let them know that you know, we need to change the look of downtown and um you know,
you got three months to move to find someplace else to go. They've been there so long. I don't know whether they would have a a deposit or I I know I don't know whether you got that information in the closing. We did. Okay. As to whether they would have a
deposit, but it's probably such a small amount. It is, but I'm quite sure that we can work out something to where we could uh uh the first thing is to make the building look better. So, you know, Okay.
board members, what do you all think? Um, madame moderator, um, if we're going to do that and I have a problem, you you have the management company on board or are you still handling that yourself or
We're handling it ourselves right now. We have all three um, we have all three proposals available. Um, I've been out for 12 days, so I'll be making a decision about that this week.
Okay. I'm only asking that because whether you're doing it or the property management, I don't I don't disagree with the idea that we need to um give them, you know, all the tenants three months or whatever um till October one
or something like that. So, it won't hit them and then we'd have all the if there's deposits that come back, we would do that. Um, I do know the the pros obviously is steady rental income, but more importantly, I like the idea of
we maintain ownership. I don't want to be I really don't want to give away property yet to anyone. Um, I think if you put some, um, potential nice tenants in there, um,
it can be not only generating revenue, but also allows us flexibility as times may change. You can do a year's lease or something. So, if the dynamics of the community or something changes and you want to, you know, have a new type of tenant in there, you could do that. I I
see your cons. It requires marketing and whatever. Um but again I think with the right kind of tenants given that this would be uh on the front side of the street with some of the other development that I know is possibly planned. I I like that idea. Um as you
said and I was going to mention what you said before I did while you're working on any RF um any RFPs whatever you can make them broad to where if we decide to go that route futuristically we could. Um, but I think that that's the way I
look at we need to yeah, we need to change that that look and that that image as well. I don't want to say get rid of the lease just ran out, you know, and it's it's um monthto month anyway. So if you you know
you're in July, August, September, even you said November 1 or something like that. So they have plenty of time to, you know, but the other part is you have somebody on board because I don't want the idea of you having to run around
trying to put people out and I didn't get the letter saying it's my last week. I don't want that drama either. U and I think that would also allow for potentially the RFP if we even contemplating that or somebody just
comes lay something on our lap that we just can't resist still allows us that route. Um, I will say we're kind of talking about the front end, the front part, but and again, I refer to it as the old it is in the back. I I'm I'm mindful of
that as a part of this discussion for where we at now. That that's probably where I would look at it. I want to sell it at all. So, if I if I were giving you my um thoughts on it, it would be the least new tenants and looking for, as
you say, there um attract some long-term commercial tenants based on what we want to see. And I'm saying all of that in the context of course on the city side of historic city hall. We're looking at trying to do some thing that attracts folks downtown and some of those spaces
too. So I don't want to have too much of one thing and not enough of the other. Uh so I say that to to my fellow board members with that caveat as well. And that's why I asked the question um to the director. was he aware of any
other um work, you know, anybody else that's planning to do something in downtown the downtown area. So, we won't have five wash houses or or five grocery stores.
We'll have uh you know, a variety of things that are needed. And I agree with you with that back property, the the back property. I wish that we could do something uh uh like a sit out
restaurant or something that the community, not only to draw people from the outside, but also something that the community folks can take advantage of. You have city hall right here. I don't know where y'all go for lunch, you know,
right here. And and then you have uh Amazon. you know, the people are always walking to the um the tri rail station in the afternoon. So, I would like for us to
look at something that not only draws people to the community, but also us as a community can use as well. So, I'd love to jump in here. So, I echo everything that um my board members are saying, my fellow board members are saying. So, um, when I, so I think as we think about all of these properties,
some are going to have short-term strategies and some are going to have long-term strategies, and I see this one as having a long-term strategy. I absolutely agree that we should not sell this property. I absolutely agree that we should hold on to it. I absolutely agree that agree that we should invest
in this property in order to um remove remove the tenants that are there and and potentially get other tenants. And when I think about getting other tenants, what I am holding on to is how do we use this opportunity to begin to activate downtown. So I believe for the
most part downtown is pretty quiet after 5:00 p.m. It is quiet on weekends. And there are six bays that we have that we get to activate and be really intentional about what we put in there. And so I think as we are thinking about the tenants that we put in there, I think we think about it from that
perspective. So is it retail? Is it food service? Is there something that is community-f facing? Is there something related to art activating from an arts perspective? Because now that then complements what's happening at the Opalaka CDC. You've got the tri rail that comes into here. And what I love
about also this space, it is it is very close walking distance from the tri rail. So if you have people coming to Opaaka on the train now, they have access to a handful of different things that they can do. So, um I would just ask that as we think about the tenants that we put in there, we don't just, you
know, I love your point, um madam chair of like let's look and see what we have in order to figure out what what goes in there, but I would love for us to take it even one step further to think about what allows us to activate Opaaka on in nights and weekends. And I'm not and I I want to be clear. I'm not talking about we need a bar in there. Like that's
that's not what I'm talking about. We do. Okay, there's you know and that is up for discussion. But I would love for us to to that I'm going to skip we going to move past that because that is not what I was trying to say here. But what I would
love to see us do is just figure out how we get some um retailers in there that don't just close down at 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, but that it really um energizes our community beyond just kind of the work hours. Mr. Merrick, don't say bar, say lounge. Oh boy. Oh boy. Now that has opened up a
can of worms. Just say night life. night. I like night life. I'd like to make a comment after Mary. Yes. So, I heard uh what the director said and I'm listening to you guys and two things kind of hit me at once. One is
the director says specifically it's going to take a lot of money to fix this place up to make itable suitable for business, suitable for uh disabilities, suitable for all these things. Is that a task that this group
wants to take over? I think that's one question. The other question is these type of intimate very delicate decisions about business should be made by the business community and the people that attract business. And I think when
we mention this option of three or redevelopment, it just goes on to about partnerships. I think it's wonderful. I live in this community. Uh, I would love to see all those things you guys just said, a bar, a lounge, a restaurant, all that stuff. But I also have been coffee
shop, and I also have been in real estate for 30 years, and I do know that these decisions based on wants and desires don't necessarily match up with what makes business sense. I mean, we can want a lot of things that don't really attract the type of businesses or the type of people who can sustain the
business. I think that I've heard the the idea of not selling which I think is great obviously holding on to real estate but it just le seemed and I think I also heard the idea of removing the tenants because you're right since day one since I've purchased
in the community they look horrible and as a broker for years they don't need to October to get out they need 15 days and then they're done just so you know uh after their uh that's all they're required. Um but the business
redevelopment partnership issue may be a route that we really has have to investigate because it will take substantial cost to to make that place up and running. I've been in there. I was very interested when I first came in
and uh looked into, you know, the the building in the unit and I knew what decent bathrooms look like. I saw what the old turkey place like after they ripped out the AC which is not there anymore and it it just going to cost a fortune. Adding on the cost of already
purchasing the building at taking the risk of also fixing it up. I think it's really a big step. It took years to get city hall going and and and to find now
an appropriate tenant to do it. I think that if I had to encourage Jason in any way, it would be to look for not to clean up the building itself first, get those tenants out so we have a a a nicer walkable city, but then to look at a
really intimate partnership with the city and and and with a a a business that hopefully that's been around that can draw the type of audiences that we want in our city, but by no means have non-developers ers, non-b businessiness
owners, non people who are experts in that field deciding who, what, and should go in there. I do not think that's the role of this community of of I think that our role is to supplement and to help provide guidance and and and
listen, but I do not think that this particular group should be selecting the type of businesses because business doesn't flow simply because of what we desire. I want a coffee shop. Or I think our last city manager said specifically we were going to get a Starbucks and I said
no we're not. Um uh because that's driven by foot traffic, that's driven by cars, that's driven by interest, that's driven by people in the neighborhood, that's driven by incomes, too. Who wants to pay $20 for Starbucks? Um, but we have to be
more I think strategic and like you said, Miss Russell, every single project, but in this one, it's going to cost a lot. And all I hear is time. Uh, how long will it take to make this building inhabitable for a good tenant?
I can tell you right now, you're you're already talking years. You're going to talk about the permit process. You didn't talk about getting that roof right, getting those uh driveways correct, getting the right bathrooms in there.
What is it that we can do today? And I think that would be more of an interesting perspective because I I I checked number one because I thought I'm sorry, number three, option three on your list to find out are there people willing to do it? Um, and I just think that I I would hope that this group
would be open to that suggestion and Jason has some ideas as to who could help us get in that realm, not the realm of choosing uh, businesses if that's possible. So, that's all I wanted. Madam, madam, let me respond to that.
One of you I appreciate your comments, but one of the reasons why you have CRAAS is to take on exactly what you just said because we're not driven by a developer or owner who is very time conscious that bricks are a dollar a day and bricks are
$2 next week because in those kind of areas you have those challenges. The advantage of the CRA is because we own the property. Again, as as the chair mentioned, threeyear, fiveyear plan, 10-year plan, whatever. But being the CRA, we don't have that same pressure,
but we also have dedicated sources of funding that we're going to get every year. So, even if we don't do anything, but and again, I know you said 15 days, but that's probably more perception. We ain't going to kick them out in 15 days. That's why I say cuz they holler, I have nowhere to go. Exactly. So, and and we'll be on the news for
trying to create something better. Um, but that's the advantage of the CRA. And again, if you heard the director, it doesn't preclude us from at some point if somebody lays something in our lap through that RFP process that we don't take a look at it.
But I I don't look at the time frame as quite as quick because that's why CRA is there. If you look at some of the development taking place in the Omni and other places, it didn't happen overnight. But now we're looking at it going, "Wow." If you look at 7th Avenue,
CRA corridor, some of the improvements, it took three, four years. Now we're saying, "Wow." But that's the purpose of the CRA is because we know it's going to be properties or development or opportunities that nobody else would touch because everybody's trying to
maximize their dollar and and benefit as quickly. CRA says, "Yeah, we want to do that, but we want to also make sure that not only we get it right, but it's something that is sustainable." And so, while I agree with you on the one hand, um, you know, always keep in mind
developers and business people will be at the table. And I'm quite sure that's going to place cuz we might, like you said, I heard that took Starbucks. I heard, you know, building something on 27th Avenue with a Chinese restaurant that I don't think is sustainable. And I'm sure the director because of his experience, although he may hear it, if
someone brings something to his lap that says, you know, we can make this work and here's the data and we believe in it, bring to the board, we might do it. But here's the good part about it. Because we own it, we can create that partnership,
i.e. we just want to see a restaurant in the old idol's place. We just that's what we want because we believe we need it for downtown. people at Amazon, whatever. We can say to a restaurant chain or restaurant person who may be
even in a food truck, hey, we want you to come in and set up a brick and mortar here. And as opposed to you going somewhere else and getting a five-year lease and having this or that, we're going to work with you and may we're going to create it. So, we understand
that first or second year is going to be challenging. So, we're willing to work with you because we believe in what you're doing and whatever, but we want a restaurant or some eating place or some outdoor. That's the advantage we have because we can create it like that. Um, I think where we are now is just to say
director, here's we're going I think like a major step happened today. We want to keep it. We want to find some kind of potential development, but number one, we don't want what's there to be there. And I don't think that we disagree. Um, Mr. Kelly, Vice Mayor, I
think that's exactly what I was saying. I think that what I was hoping to make clear is is that the operational piece of this needs to be a partnership and that partnership with the CRA to come in and do that. The building that we're
speaking about specifically 391 and that building is not a building that's suitable for a good tenant. It's going to take a it's going to take a remodel of some sorts. It's going to take a Yeah, it's going to take a huge, you know, reinvestment. And I think when I
say partnership, that that's exactly what I mean. I don't think that this is instantaneous, but I think that finding the right partner in a in what I think you said a redevelopment mix does work for us. What doesn't is fixing it up and
then just looking for tenants to come in and occupy it. I I think we're on the same page on that. And I think we're on the same page. I really don't think that we're we disagree on that at all. And I think the the the having the monies to support the businesses is surely what a community that doesn't have very many businesses
needs. So I don't think we disagree and and and also uh I would just like to add that I think that when we're talking about 391 and I know we're going to go to the other province, we need to start somewhere.
And um so if 391 has to be the starting point for this CRA, we need to start somewhere because if we don't do something, we're going to end up just sitting on the properties and waiting on
um an RFP. If we start, we have what, five properties, six properties, uh maybe seven or eight before the end of the year or two years. If we start with this one, um I don't think we should
sell it. I think that that needs to be our our signature project. And like uh board member Kelly said, we have the means and the wherewithal to get it done. If we decide that, okay, this is we want to work with this to make sure
what we want to see. Across the street from city hall, right down the street is the um uh the new the old city hall, beautiful building, and we want to bring something. Then you're going to see other businesses along the way. They're
going to they're going to jump in. I mean, uh, I went in Diaz the other day for the first time in a long time. They got a full food bar and everything. And that store has changed so much. Now, I don't
know what they're planning on doing with the rest of it, but he's planning to develop because he brought a plan to the CRA some years ago of what he wanted to do. But he's not waiting until um he gets to that point. He's doing something
now to get those people to come to that store so that when he does develop he already have a audience of people. So I don't agree with selling. I think that we need to look at businesses. There are
many businesses that are looking for someplace to go. And I don't know whether we can use this. If you if you build it, they'll come. But I believe people are looking and even with the people that are moving
in Opalaka, they're looking to do something in their community. So I agree with um uh my uh colleagues up here that um Mr. Director And then I'm going to sit down. Mr. Director, I'm g just say
that I think that I don't I think we're all kind of saying the same thing. Um, one of the things that we said was that the cleaning up of the property and removing the tenants. I think that that issue alone and cleaning it up, even if it's just a shell, because many
businesses buy shells. They really do because they want to fix it up to look the way they want it to look anyway. They if they want to they want to envision it away if th is though if if those spaces were possibly empty a sign went outside and cleaned and painted and the city in a partnership agrees to
reinvest some of the cost so everybody's got some skin in the game here right the business put some in in terms of rehabbing the community the business in the in the space and the city adds the CRA adds something then it it's like a win-win in terms of a partnership. Okay,
that's a really good idea. I've seen that happen in other places. So, thank you so much for those comments. Um, Merrick, I think I've been really good. [Laughter] Yeah, boy. You have. So, I'm going to give my opinion on this
property. This um, you know, I've heard people say we need to have income generating stuff for the CRA, for the city. Just let me put this in into perspective for you. In the past
18 months, the CRA has spent just did the calculation. $5.7 million on property. We have an annual budget of I think this year we're going to come in right over $3 million.
Okay. So, listening to you all talk, the first thing I think we need to do that I would need to do to do what you want to do is get a real number on how much it costs to fix up just this one building.
Mhm. Just this one building. And by the way, when we had when we when we early on when I first started here and how we became interested in this building is because originally I wanted to rent the
space on the corner. Um I wanted to rent the space on the corner because I thought the CRA should be out of the fourth floor and on the street and so that's how the discussion became and and it turned into us purchasing the place. But when I brought two contractors into
that corner spot and I and I told him to give me an estimate on how much would you how much you think it would cost for us to build out this space. Nothing nothing exciting, nothing, you know, over the
top. Just let us come in here and occupy this as an office space. The bathrooms, the roof, the electrical. How much do you think it would cost for me to to do this corner? And the estimate from both contractors
for that one corner was over $500,000. That's that's one of the six bays that are there. So if you just go off that estimate, you're talking again, we're talking about we have a budget of $3 million, but we do other programs as well. So for us to
So I want to give you a real cost. I'm going to get you a real cost on how much it would take to to to bring the building up to par. Um I think we should do that. Number two, um when I
approach to buy these properties, you know, because people were talking about generating revenue, bringing people to downtown. Well, how do you bring people to downtown? And and also you talk about bringing retail stores and all people look at the demographics around the area
in which they're going to put a store and they're going to see who's going to want to who's who's coming to patronize these businesses that are here. One of the main things that you need to do in order that in order to have people come patronize is to bring more people to the neighborhood. So my whole thought just
to make this simple behind purchasing these properties were to level them. My idea would be to get the tenants out and demolish both the old restaurant and the pink building. Demolish it.
Put up a a park space in the meantime. Put up some type of temporary use space. You want, you know, you maybe food trucks or something. I don't know. Uh temporary retail space, a market or something. But demolish the buildings, tear them down, crush them, put grass
for green space, or do some type of um uh make it pretty. And it cost less. It's going to cost us less than spending money to fix up the building, right? And then what I think we should do is send
out an RP to develop this. You could probably put 80, 90 units on this just one site you can put 80 to 90 units. Those are the people that are going to be coming to and I'll let you guys decide whether you want affordable
housing or whether you want market rate housing, but those are the people that are going to come um those are the people that are going to come patronize the businesses that would be at the bottom of these buildings. And you have the developers do that. We don't do any
we've done our job. We purchased the property and we won't sell the property. We'll just do a lease. We'll just do a ground lease for the developers to be able to have the opportunity to build on it. We'll do a ground lease retail and units up up top.
And I'm talking about a project that is, you know, $150, $200 million. $150, $200 million project on 391. and we'll get you these numbers later
generates taxes for the city. Major taxes for the city and this CRA rental I want to know any any anything the the taxes are based on the building. Oh, okay. Okay. So, if you build a $150 million building
on on on that site and we can get the numbers for you on on what that brings in taxes. That's where you that's that's that's where you make your money. That's where you benefit the CRA and you benefit the city. And so to me to kick
the tenants out and retenant the place, spend money to fix it up, that's not an option for me. I mean, obviously you guys make the decision, but we just don't have it like that. As they used to say, we don't have it like that. We've spent our money. We spent
$5.7 million in 18 months and we only have $3 million in recurring revenue that vice mayor just pointed out. But out of that $3 million, we have a housing program that we're fixing on people's housing. We have a commercial
rehab program. We we give money we put money uh this year to give to the city to uh to to fix up the parks. I think we put what five 250 220 no that was just transfer and then
we put uh another 250 I think in for parks then there's 220 for police then there's a code enforcement officer and that 3 million starts to come down quickly and we don't have that type of money and we're only we haven't gotten to the rest of the properties yet. We're
just we're stuck on the first one. So for me, my idea would be to demolish the place, send out an RP for a developer to come build housing, whatever type of housing you want, put retail space at the
bottom, generate new taxes for the city. And we do that on this property. We do that on the church property. And we and we and I'll get into this later, but we start working on seeing what we do with this
Opaaka dash state property in the middle. Yeah. Uh because if you get all of this redeveloped and they just change the zoning at the city, I believe to go 10 10 stories in this area, I mean, you could create a major Opalaka won't have a financial
problem ever again out of out of development of this downtown. So that that that that's my two cents. What um how many of the properties on the list, Mr. Director, would you say falls into that model that you've just expressed?
Three out of the four. I think it's like three out of the four. Three out of four. Yeah. Okay. So, thank you for that. You and I have had lots of discussion about this. Commissioner Santiago agrees with me.
Okay. I thank you. Thank you for putting that on the record. I do I do appreciate that because we want to make sure that his voice was heard. Um so I know that we are deciding to have this conversation property by property. Um and I do think that there is a discussion worth having that is a larger
what is the larger vision for all of it because I think different properties can play different roles. Um, this is the one property that I am actually interested in like holding on to in at least the short term and not rushing to
redevelop it. I agree with you in terms of the church building. This is the one that in my own opinion that I'd like to see us really hold on to and be able to activate in this way. And again, and I I think you brought up a lot of good points in terms of all the places where our money is going, which I would offer
to this board that we probably need to rethink our strategies because we got our hands in a lot of different buckets at this point. And I think at some point we're going to have to decide which buckets are we going to go all in on and which buckets do we perhaps pull out in that allow us to do a lot of this work.
And then the other thing that I would um love to to offer as as you go out and start to really figure out how much it will cost to uh renovate the property. I'd actually love to see I think the word is a proforma. I don't know if that's the right language, but I would
love to see something that tells me you got six bays. Once we renovate it, this is how much we could potentially make off of it. So that we also then understand not just how much we're putting out, but how much is coming in on a regular basis. And I will I want to echo um my fellow board member here when
he talked about the role of a CRA, right? I think that there are some long-term strategies that we're going to make. There are some short-term strategies that we're going to make. We're going to make some strategic investments to show that we can activate our community and we can get people who will come out and support. And so I want
to make sure that we are not going in and turning Opaaka into Winwood and into some of the other communities where you take and you throw up buildings and and I know that there is a huge need for affordable housing. I know there's a huge and and we've got the space, we've got the buildings, we can do those
things, but I would love to see us take um I would say multimodal approaches. So like how do we take different approaches to these buildings as opposed to just going in and throwing up a bunch of buildings? So that would be um what I offer to this group. Well, before before Merrick speaks, I just
want to this is why it's all all my career I always had five or more bosses. This this place I have seven. Uh but I'm going to but here and here's how I don't know how we put our arms around this. So
there there are three other board members that are not here. Four. Yeah. And I've heard from all of them because you all had me call all of them and talk to them a couple months ago. And so you feel this passionately about this property. Yeah. And I can tell you that there are other people that feel passionately about the
pro. Same thing about the property at 240, the church property. Keep it the way it is. Let's make it into a art center where where we do like a like they have in Overtown. They have the uh what do they call that, Sandy?
No. No. I don't know. In Overtown, they have the um the church that they turn into. Oh, yes. I was just there. Oh, I know what you're talking about. The performing arts center. I was just there. OPAC. OPAC. Yes. OPAC. Let's let's turn it into OPAC. Let's do
that. And so, and they feel very passionate about that. So, all I'm saying is is that we don't have money. We need to make money. Yeah. And the way that we make money is through taxes. in the tax base not from rent
right from the tax b increasing the tax base. So now if you feel passionate about this and the board agrees here and then then then and then the board then we go to 240 which is the next one and we start talking about that and then that board
member who's not here you know wins on that then we're just at the same place where we're just stuck. Yeah. because we're not generating any money. We put out all this money and we're not doing any and we now we're putting more money to fix up the bed, the the church and and the place. I just
don't see how that's sustainable. But that's just me. Well, let me ask you something uh Mr. Director. So um if we if we if we look at your approach, flatten it and you say uh do something
temporary whether you do food trucks or or uh temporary retail you know everything is pop up now popups. What length of time are are you talking about before we move into that realm of
um housing? I say that it will be shorter than us, a lot shorter, five years probably shorter than us spending millions of dollars to fix that place up. And if you spend millions of
dollars to fix that place up, you're not getting anybody to sign a lease for two, three, four years. I mean, they're going to want you you're going to want longer leases than that to pay to pay yourself back for fixing up the building. So now
we're waiting five another five 10 years before we see downtown Opalaka redevelop. Or you can tear it down now and you could begin that process of throwing up
buildings as the vice president. You can you could begin that you could begin that process in her words. You can begin that process earlier before the five years before everybody's termed out and everybody I mean who
knows what's going to happen in five or seven years. I want to get started. Now, as the vice mayor said, he actually mentioned the Omni. He is right. Those things didn't happen overnight. A lot of those projects I started,
they got ribbon cut while I was here, but we started them seven years ago. So, so my point is that we don't want to wait. Opalak has been waiting long. Opalaka has been waiting long enough. And if and if we're serious about the
business of redeveloping this area, then let's redevelop it. Okay. Before You got to wait. You got to wait. You got to wait. So you you're you're trying to convince us all all three of us that are up here are
basically along the same lines. Um what say you? I was going to let me speak first. Oh, Miss Russell speaks talking about a man that bought a house three years ago. One thing one thing and and I want you
to be able to go I one we only we only have limited amount of time. We're going to have about I think we got 75 more minutes for this workshop and we're still on property number one. So I might encourage us to have discussion but not feel like we have to get to a decision
today. Hopefully this gets us closer, but I if we can't get to a decision, I do want us to be able to get through some of these other properties and have the rich discussion. So, I just want to like add that because otherwise we will only talk about one property in three hours. So, so thank you so much. Um Jason, man, that was so refreshing to hear. I think
you because you and I haven't had a chance to sit down and talk like that, but I just think what you said makes perfect sense. Um because if you look at it and no one here is a predictor of what the future market could be. Retail space is dying everywhere.
Everybody goes to Amazon. Everybody goes these places. You can't get good businesses in to pay good leases um in in in really hightra areas downtown New York all these places because people don't want to pay it and they can
deliver it for free. H how we can't be the consumers of that. Also, we have a city hall here that sits vacant that generates zero dollars that spent millions of dollars. I don't even know when that thing will generate money because it takes so much uplifting
uh to get places like that to get people involved in marketing and things like that. Um, I think the idea of of of stripping down these buildings so that they be that that you use the new age thought of bringing in uh uh market housing because that's what's desired
here. No workforce, none of that stuff. Um, the market determines what people pay, not cities shouldn't be doing that. And we bring in people that really want to live in retail space is attached to that. As you know, this has been happening long before. The reason you
see Publix in a lot of places and mixeduse buildings is because people just want to walk downstairs and get their stuff. They don't want to have to walk forever. And the shops that you see now, they're just so convenient to people. That's really all they want. They don't. And and developers can do a
really good job of bringing people who have a problem finding any kind of living here in Miami Day County. Um they can build the units people desire and want to be in. and that and he said that's the only way for us to bring in tax dollars here and it would make so
much sense to just knock them down because the money it would cost to to rehab those buildings and I have been in the business of trying to rehab a 100-y old house for three years now that that the cost on a 1700 square foot house is
almost what cost this man uh to redo just the interior of the space and you're not talking about just a residential place you're talking a commercial building which has higher needs and desires. It would take up all the budget and all the time simply just to put people that may decide to get a
retail space. Uh uh juice to find is over there now sitting with other places that are empty beside it. If they're not filling those spaces and we're not overrun, how can this be so different? Um so I asked this board to really think
about what Jason said. I got I'm just hearing this for the first time. So, it's very interesting to hear your perspective because I think it's point on. Um I think that that's the only way for us to kind of shift the dynamic here in this city to knock it down, make it look like a pretty park or our food
trucks so we can see some beauty in the city. It I don't think that building has historical significance um in that way. um that can't be, you know, re-imagined in some way. But I think we really have to look at that to really kind of
change. I don't think these ideas of trying to rent it out to people that aren't willing to pay rent. If you just look around at the other places, we got places up and down Alabama Boulevard that people are that people aren't using
that aren't and how does that do it? So, thank you for saying that. I appreciate it. I hope you guys hear my feedback, but I think Jason's on to something here. I really do. I think it's good advice, madam. Uh yes, sir. Yeah, he he's on to something. And that's the challenge I have. Um because
you own something because that's the easiest thing to do is to put up a building and people wind up in it. And we throw those terms around. I've been hearing it since I've been in office since 2000. market rate, affordable,
workforce, all those terms get but developers are looking where they can get a pot from this pot of money that pot of money I can get 40% of my money from here but I need 10% of low 125% medium income which could change the
whole dynamics of a place you know you can't restrict on this so I get the unit then I subleasase it to somebody else all those little intricacies and we see it happening here in the city with the with apartments that were supposed to be workforce and affordable. And I think
you know what I'm talking about. We got the same challenge. Now, I don't mind seeing some tear down and and put up the building, but what I don't want to see is all these properties. So, now since and I know that some of my uh colleagues
cuz they've kind of hinted at it before workshop that they want to see potentially the church in one way or another. Um, what I don't want to see is every property you have knocked down and just put up some housing. That's what I
don't want to see. So, again, I'd like to see that break down how much it would cost cuz you gave us a number. And obviously, just based on that number, if that's correct, it wouldn't make sense to tear it down and do something. But if we're going to do that, then I don't want to see some of these other ones
just become housing because we all that housing I can tell you with nowhere to park and I know some of them will be designed with parking inside of it. We all know that's not going to be reality. Um and so that's the real challenge I have. So I want to hear the rest of
discussion on some of the other prop particularly 240 and whatever downtown. Um, and I like to know the cost of if you're going to rehab it versus knock down based on the um I guess the proposal you already got for just this
one bay because my thinking was the same thing. CRA be on the corners our signature building or whatever. So whoever we're leasing or whatever, we got a central location not just for that but for all of our housing and help
deeds, whatever could go there. Um, and I still think we need that. I still think the CR needs its own place, not just here on the fourth floor. So, um, we do need that. So, I'd like to get that information, but if this is going
to be that, you know, much cost and it much better to go out for development with the potential of retail on the bottom and housing, but I'm lary of any housing now because I've been around long enough and I heard every proposal from every developer there is about
every picture, every beautiful this or that. At the end of the day, you know, two years later, I'm getting calls, you know, people are in there that ain't even working, let alone workforce. And unless you craft these agreements or
these leases, um, and I know cities have tried, cities have tried to craft them, and there seems to always be some loophole that allows folks to allow percentage of of tenants and or folks that are leasing
um out of it and doesn't become what you want. So, if we can get that information, I would appreciate it. I think you kind of hear our sentiments. I I'm open if this is so high to knock it down. I'm not saying necessarily put what on it, but to knock it down for the
RFP process or whatever. I'm not opposed to that, but I am opposed seeing everything go up as brick and it's just builders. So, just let me point out one thing to the vice for the I'm comment on something he said. The difference between the housing that you're talking
about in the past is that, and you guys have said this over and over again, is that we own the building. And so when we send out an RFP and we come up with an agreement with a developer, we say this is what we want. If you don't respond to what we want, you don't win the RFP. You
have to get you have to respond to what we want. we want and again I said this when I started I'm indifferent on whether you want market workforce low income I'm indifferent um that's for you to decide um I do think that it should be
structured I think it's going to build up the tax base of opalaka but you decide when you sending out the RFP of what you want to see and if a developer doesn't respond to what you want to see then they're they're mocked as unqualified
and if they don't unlike like the properties that you're talking about. And if they don't agree, because when these things get done, they get audited every year, the units get audited every year, and if the developers aren't following what the
original intent of the RFP was, then there's something in the agreement that this guy writes where the building comes back to us. Yeah. So, we have teeth. So, it can't happen the way that it's been happening in those other places because we own it. Yeah. So, I want to take a moderator's
um privilege here because I really do want to move us to the next um item. I though I'm going to take moderator's privilege and I want to just add one more comment is that there are developers as you all were talking there are developers who have purchased a lot of property that are planning to build a
lot of housing. And so, like I want us to think about what we have the ability to do compared to what other developers already own property and are planning to do. And I wonder if there's some room for the working together versus there being just a whole lot of proper, you
know, a whole lot of housing all across Opalaka. So I just or downtown Opalaka. So I just want to add that piece. Tell me. Well, I No. Oh, okay. Finish what you Oh, I was I'm I'm moving us to the next item is what I wanted to do. I I wanted to make a comment. Uh Sandy,
um I wanted to make a comment as we move to that next item. So, uh Mr. Director, can you please tell us that is 4 240 Bombman? Is it also one of those parcels
that you want to make a recommendation that that is torn down also? Yes. Okay. Do you want to go there? Yeah, that's let's let's go to 240 bombing. Well, see you down. Marlin
Marlin has it down. Marlin already called and explained he has to fly to a funeral uh out of the country. So, he has to leave. Thank you for being here. Well, he's leaving and Miss Weeks is coming up. Is that's how they doing it? Proono. Proono.
Yeah. Well, we're feeding you lunch so we can work. Sorry, ask that question one more time. Uh, no. I think we're just going to go to 240 bombing. Oh, yes. So the question was 240 bombing one of those places also that you want to tear
down because if if it is now you've heard the sentiments of us that did not want that to happen on the previous property. So, um, and, uh, board member Kelly says that, you know, we have some
people, and I've heard it, too, that they want to keep the church, the church, you know, for whatever reason. So, uh, we know where you where you are with that.
Is tearing down 240 barman? Yeah, ma'am. Align with that whole line that you're looking at because you said you're looking at a line of properties. So 240 bombing is a part of that looking at that line. So that would be part of the
tear down. Yes, ma'am. Throw up. Yes, ma'am. Now, on that property, since we skipped and moved to 240, on that property, we can't move as fast because there's a there's a lease in place that expires in
27. And if that lease is broken, we would have to pay. I mean, which is not a problem because we won't pay it. We'd have a developer pay it, but that that tenant would be entitled to, I believe it was $250,000 uh dollars. Um but so that one is a
little slower. um because we would have to wait till 227 if we wanted to um get the tenant out. But yes, and then and then I'm just going to put it on the record. I mean, the other idea would be to purchase community health and the
other idea would be either through the CRA or the city to purchase community health and to purchase uh Chen right here. Um they just built that. What makes us think that they would sell that? We're still leasing.
Oh, they're leasing. Yeah. And and then we've gotten word that from a board member, a board member was approached, they approached us that they are willing to sell. Um, so because they see that we're in the market. So, so we haven't had a
conversation yet. This has just been a conversation between a board member and myself about their talks with these people. But the idea would be to buy either through the city or through the CRA if we can afford it. to buy this whole block
and and that whole block you're talking about all housing. Yeah. Let me look out. So while while you look out the window and don't don't give me and the vice mayor knows a lot about this as well, but I think we should dream. I think we
should dream dream and I think we should begin Miss Weeks. I'm glad you're here so you can listen to this conversation because somebody needs to address this issue with the state and this property over here. Okay. Can you provide some information if
possible on what that means? Well, not not at this time, but in the in the the short answer is we're looking at that. Okay. For the city um because there was some the way it was structured possibly come back to the city. the state is going to
sell it and or so I don't want to say anymore because okay all right I'm but for me but for me especially that site because that site is a huge site um and if that gets developed I mean again you're talking about t how does the city make money to pay
employees to pay police officers to pay for public works to pay for flooding infrastructure through taxes that property is sitting untaxed right now our property because we own it Now, we just lost revenue on it because we bought it.
So, we need to put those things up back on the tax in order to generate money for the city. And oh, really quickly, just so I understand, and I promise I'm coming to you. Really quickly, so I understand we can't do anything until 2027. What is your recommendation? Because there's four folios now, if I'm not mistaken.
So, there's a church, there's a daycare. What is your recommendation on the site between now and 2027? And then, I believe after 2027, it is building housing. But what is it between now and 2027? So on this one I it's different because and so community event space is
an is an option. Um the church is in whenever anybody wants to take a tour just let us know. The church is in impeccable condition. It's not the same thing as um it's not the same thing as the uh pink uh building. It's an
impeccable position as if you were if it was a house. You would say bring your toothbrush, right? You could walk in and do anything. Um, so I would not be opposed to creating a community space or an OPAC because we don't have to spend
that much money uh to do it. As a part of these proposals that we're looking at with property management people, a part of that is to look at fixing up these places at least uh like paint, landscaping, uh things like that, small
things that we can do so it looks better. So the church I would not be opposed to we can lease it out. I've heard that as a church as a church there are people that have you know people that have want weddings
venue for it's one of from what I'm hearing it's one of the largest churches in this area. So for people that want to have weddings, people want to have funerals, people want to have regular church service, people want to have performing arts, we could rent it out as
a space like that because we don't have to spend much money. The bathrooms are intact, the office is intact, the the the the carpet is clean, the pews are clean, everything's clean. I would want to paint the outside. I want to paint the fence, and I'd like to do some
landscaping. And other than that, I would not suggest that we tear that down um until we start to do something. Why? Because you can use it as a temporary space uh until something is decided.
Okay. All right. Thank you. Can I just add into uh I guess my my question would be to uh this board as to their uh concerns about the type of housing that comes into the area and why would they be concerned for more housing? Um
I seem to hear that there is uh a desire not to have and maybe I'm wrong. No, it's not for me. I don't want a lot in one area if it's not desirable housing.
So, I will say for me, I'm interested in us thinking um strategic. So, I I'm not opposed to housing. Let's start there. I'm not opposed to affordable housing. I'm not opposed to workforce housing. I'm not opposed to to market rate housing. I am interested in us not
looking at the spaces individually but looking at it as a whole as a community. There are other developers that are doing uh housing here um planned affordable and market rate and workforce housing that I want to make sure that again it's not it doesn't become all
housing that there's still an active downtown community. And so I would love for us to see that. And then also I am interested in what are our short-term strategies versus our long-term strategies. I don't think everything needs to immediately be torn down and we do something, you know, we build housing
immediately. So, I'm also interested in what we do now and what we do later. Would your concern be mixed housing? Was it is it because don't have concerns with any of that. So, your your concern is not that there's retail and housing. It's it's it's that any of the housing you think
that needs to come into the area needs to be vetted for the type of people coming in. Absolutely not. No. 100%. That's not what I'm saying. So, can I can I make a point uh on this issue? Um you you keep saying that about other
people have other plans. Mhm. And I've heard about these other people and I've heard about these other plans. I've heard about them in the past. Mhm. Since I've been here, there there probably three or four
developers that I've met with that own property, that have plans, that have requested money from us for developer assistance. Nothing's happened. Yeah. Nothing's happened. I've been waiting on, you know, somebody asked us for a million bucks.
They're doing a $65 million project and they wanted a million dollar grant from us to help with some of the infrastructure stuff and I actually put some aside in our budget which you know if they don't happen then we have a
million bucks there. If it doesn't happen but we've been waiting on their letter of finance because we're not going to give somebody a million bucks without making sure that the project's going to happen. We've been waiting on that letter for the past 10 months. The point is is that
the plans have been there. People have been there. Developers have been there. Prom 10 North Opalaka CDC, whatever you whatever. They've been having these plans for many years. I can't that's not my job to worry about what they're doing cuz I don't know what they're doing
because it's not done. We're in a opportunity right now where we're sitting in the driver's seat and we don't want to be them. At least I don't want to be there. Just can I add on to that too? I I want I want to make something happen as soon as possible and if we have the
ability to do that, I'd like for us to do that. Yeah. And thank you so much because I that was my same feeling actually to be quite honest with you because just like Jason just said, I've heard this time and time again, but yet I don't see anything going up and I don't see any
ground cleared. uh this idea of workforce housing, market housing. Obviously, I've made it clear I'm all about market rate um housing. Um but if you have the property and you have an opportunity to move forward with it, why
wouldn't we be in the position to do something like this immediately um to clean up our current hazards? Everyone knows that plaza over there is a hazard. It is. It looks terrible just like other businesses that we've seen here. And if
we couldn't, the idea is to demolish it and actually get something go going and done. I think that that's what we should be doing. I don't think we should be the ones uh this board itself uh concerned about all
the types of housing that goes up in this market, but that something gets done. And I and I think that's what my concern is. Well, uh uh Mary, I think we all are on that page. It's just that we've been around a long time and we
know that sometime, you know, you also have to take the community and the people that are here in the community, you have to take them into an account as to whatever we do. So, I know that I want to see
downtown opa uh developed. You know, I've I've seen projects where they have housing on the top and businesses on the bottom. I have a friend that's, you know, she has a program and they are doing a great job with some developers
that's incorporating her what she wants into the housing that they're putting up. But I'm just trying to envision since I live here and you know I may be living here for a while that
if we get all housing throughout all downtown opa what is that going to look like for me? Jason explained it to me well that the church he's thinking about that also but that's not short term
that's more longterm because of the tenants that's there. So at least that will give us time to think about you know think about what's going to happen five years down the down the road. But uh for right now, he's talking about um
391 demolishing that and and making it a beautiful green space. So I'm trying to envision what we are saying that we want. That's what this board is for to say what we want to see in our community. And then to envision also
from a productive stand standpoint what Jason is saying that's going to help our community because I think we're all interested in helping our community move forward as as commas to support these businesses businesses
won't survive. So part of the reason you want housing and you want people here is so they can go in the juice define and fill it up or they can go into a smoothie shop and fill it up. I've been around here on the week there's no one walking here but there's also nothing here. So let's
also add that I'm saying traffic is what drives businesses. So you have traffic in terms of the commercial corridor corridors that exist. So you have Amazon, you have a lot happening back there in the airport. There are people in this community that that that walk that do walk this community because I'm one of the people
that walks this community. I agree with you fully 100% that we want housing here, but I think what you hear folks saying up here is that we want to make sure that housing is mixed with commercial. And so it is not just all it's not all housing, but and also I think the other thing that I would add
is that again there are people here and so we don't have to necessarily build in order to get people. There are people here that can take advantage of what we put in today. Yeah, I I agree with that. So, Madam Chair, just let me put the right set the I am not I am against all
housing. You have to have retail at the bottom of all these buildings. Okay? So, I'm not suggesting at all that we just build an apartment building. I'm suggesting that we build an apartment building with retail at the bottom. You
can have office on the second floor if you want, but retail has to be a part of it because that's what that's how you create the downtown uh feel. I am not I'm completely against all just just a housing complex. It has to be you
have to have retail at the bottom to create. And I'm going to say I'm going to sit down. If we have the one opportunity to start because that's what what we were talking about here is to start. If you said the CRA's goal is to own it itself
and to have the ability to to to start it, then I guess the question becomes then why wouldn't we? and and and that would be not listening to all the stories of all the other people who say they're going to develop with no money and all the other things that come along with that, but if you own the property
and you have the opportunity to do it, the question would be why wouldn't Thank you so much for your comments. Um, let me let me just add since we're probably we on 240. Um, I I'm going to wait to get that
breakdown of the cost of to actually tear down as opposed to rehab because you said you had one done on one out of the six. So, I guess the assumption, pardon me. Are you talking about 391 or 391? Because that impacts how I look at
some of the others. And I'm glad to hear you say you were not just talking about housing but retail. But I I'm still going to go back to housing particularly in the downtown corridor because I I I'm going to the chair said take a point of personal
memory privilege. I've sit here on many occasions watch developers come here with the glossy brochure and the pictures um and it doesn't turn out what we want. But once the housing is there, it's there. You know, Starbucks,
and I'm just going to use that. Starbucks coming downtown because we're going to have some amazing workforce housing. They may want to come if that housing changes, Starbucks is going to soon as their lease is up, depend how structure, they're going to be out of here. And so, going back to 240 bombing,
you said potential community space. And I already knew, we already knew that we can't do a lot because of the current lease until end of 26, i.e. 27. So in the short term, you were talking about potential uh renting it out for parties, weddings,
gaming. I'm assuming that would be your property manager that would be doing that. I I wouldn't mind seeing something like what you see a lot of these halls that rent out for individual things. I'm not really for getting somebody that's going to think it's theirs,
but you hear me clearly. Miss Russell know what I'm talking about. That think it's theirs. they think it's theirs and I I know some of discussions um you know that think it's theirs. So if you're going to rent it out for a wedding or a funeral or a
special church service, that's what it is. It's not, you know, something more than that. So I I'll wait to see how you present uh present that. But I want to give Mr. merit a a high high five of why
I'm saying what I'm saying. The senior complex right across from post office was designed for senior citizens who are retiring, who were downsizing. And right before and not this podium, but
obviously a different podium folks to developers, even some business people. It's going to track business. Now, of course, I was not on the commission when they finally made the decision, although I was still following it because I was very concerned who's
going to come, what business is going to come downtown with senior housing. Second point, I'm going to need many parking spaces cuz they catch the senior shuttle. They take Okay, just look at that complex. Again, nothing on the folks in there, but look at the complex.
Everybody's got a car. So, they got cars parking all over the church lot who complain all over. And then on top of it, I cannot really think of one business that came downtown and even though we've done this mixed transit
oriented, all those terminology used, one business that come downtown as a result of that complex, not even a senior business, not anybody that selling canes and I need one. They're not even here.
So when people come before you about housing is going to track this or that, I'm always leery. I I kind of uh um think that our director and that's why we have them here um has the insight on
it to give us some suggestions, but I'm always going to be lry of housing and how that impacts even with the businesses that may be on the first floor. Um, and so I that's why I want to see that because I don't want to see all
housing and just no no other night life or whatever. So I'd like to see um that as a part of the that discussion and then I'm going to put this out because I'm trying to get other but here's my general statement. I don't know when we're meeting again. You may have one more workshop.
May have one more workshop because I know some people are here to make it to tape. I want to hopefully this is August September. I want hopefully by October at the latest that you're going to have resolutions
before us to make commitments so we stop having these individual meeting. Everybody can come to the meeting and we're going to vote up or down. We're demolishing 391. We're keeping 391. We're going to do rent space at 240. We could the other ones
and I know we're going to talk about them. We're gonna do this with that or we're gonna do with that and we're gonna vote it because what I'm concerned about is this just kind of dragging drag it on. Dragging because nobody wants to actually we gota make some decisions whatever that's going to be. So you as
staff know which way you're going so people potentially even come to you know the board has made it clear we don't want that or the board has made it clear we're really interested in that. And the other part is, and I said it earlier, the stability because while we're talking about all this and you see how you got information people, if you
decide to move to Dubai tomorrow because they give you a better offer, you're gone. Miss Jerome, Miss They They know a little bit, but they're not going to be in a position and we got potentially $10 million or $6 million, whatever it is, we got potentially sitting out there.
Now, I'm not saying you're leaving, but that's always a concern for me. So after we have one more workshop you know and again I know it was tough trying to get this and you see you wind up with four thankfully command came by a little bit workshop we're not voting so you don't
need a quorum but one more workshop however you same process of updating same and then by October by October resolution before us the board votes to do this this this or this
now I think we're under consensus for the most part about getting rid of the month-to-month tenants. I think that's not an issue. What happens after that? The vote takes place. Tear it down. RP 240 rent, you know, space. Here's what's
allowable, property management, da da da. You sign off on it. And then the other things, the Chinese property, whatever else that we have to make some final decisions because I'm hearing up and down one minute. I like this and I don't it cuz
we got folks trying to talk to us too. I'm'll be honest with you. You know, I don't talk to anybody per se, but I'm trying to find out what the board is thinking. People watching now, they're going to go back and look, and that's fine. But I just think the board has to make some some decisions voting wise. So
even when you meet with the city manager on the city side, hey, here's what the C said we're going to do. So the city knows what they want to do or how you want to partner so we can make some firm decisions because to me we should have been further along with this further
along with this than we are. So to to to my fellow members and I know those that are watching will see it. I'm hoping by October meeting at at the the latest you're going to have five resolutions or whatever how many it takes the board
authorized the director to da da da da da so he can move forward that's what I'm hoping overall now we can finish discussion on the other individual but that's what I would like to see I think it's a great point thank you for throwing that out there madam chair I I'll um I'll ditto uh ditto what uh
board member Kelly says is um uh because I know that you've had individual talks with board members so you kind of know where we all are in our mind, you know, and uh you may be able to sway us some,
but on some things you might not be able to sway us. So, as board member Kelly said, some things are just going to have to be brought and voted on. So, you know, we've gotten through two uh the Chinese restaurant. not I've not added my comments in relation to this one, so
I would love to and then I'm with you that we'll move on to the third property. So, we'll spend the last 30 Yep. We'll spend the last 30 minutes talking about that. So, I think um uh board member Kelly, you might have kind of alluded to this that your opinions on 240 are dictated by perhaps some
decisions that are made uh on the first property that we uh talked through. Um I hope I hope I clarified that. I hope I said that correctly. If not, my thoughts are similar, but I will say that I do love the idea. Like, I want to go on
record for saying I do love the idea for potentially turning in turning this into what I hear a venue rental space in the immediate. Uh, you came today with some points that I didn't know. I didn't know that it was at a place where, you know, we can just move. It's like movein ready. And so the idea is that we don't
have to invest a lot into turning this into something where we've got to invest a lot in turning this other space into something. So it changes my thinking just slightly. Um so I can't wait to receive all the information that you're going to go out and share with us on 391 I think is the number. But I do love the
idea of in the immediate turning this into event rental space. I think it accomplishes some of the goals that we talked about activating you know the downtown space. It's moving ready so we can start to get some income. um in the immediate and then it allows us to decide what we want to do in the long term. So just want to put that on
record. Um if it's okay, I'd love to move us to the next space. Sandy, before we move to the next space, just on um one of the things I keep hearing, there was there was a survey done about airport businesses before we started.
Uh, so one of the ideas is also, and we talked about this before, and it's not a standalone hotel, but maybe a hotel that's included in the apartment building, a small boutique hotel. Um,
because there's been a lot of uh talk about the pilots at the airport. Um, one of the, you know, what what what do they desire most? And we've been told that they desire they they don't want to leave Opaaka. They want to be close to
their planes. Now they have to go to Miami Beach. They have to go to downtown Miami. And when they get ready to fly out, they have to come back all the way back to Opalaka. They evidently don't like that. They want to be close to their planes. They want to wine. They want to eat, sleep near their planes.
So, if we can include something like that in inside a development, not a standalone, I understand that there's some concern about that, but inside where you don't know the difference typo. Yeah. But inside with inside the
building, so you don't even notice with inside the building. I think that would be something that would be beneficial as well. U moving on to um 14401 Northwest 27th Avenue. Oh, and by the way, let me make a correction. On the previous page,
when the vice chair gave out the square footage, that was incorrect. That's the square footage of the uh interior. That's the square footage of the building even. I think that's incorrect. But the total lot size is 10,800. But for the turkey restaurant,
yeah, I think the entire lot that includes it's not 1,000 square feet. Okay. I thought that seemed to be kind of small. Okay. What is it? 10,000. Yes. Cuz I think the the turkey space is on
the same property as 391, right? And so all of that in total is 10,800. But if we're talking about just the turkey restaurant, it's about 1,000 I think 1,600. No,
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It's okay. They sent me the wrong thing. You're right. You get us on Get us in shape. No, that's okay. 879 fisherman, not 780. I was just letting you try. Okay.
But I still don't think it's 1,600. Okay. It might be a little bit, but it's too small. So, that's what that's what I got from the property appraisers uh website. It might be wrong. You're absolutely right. But um talk us through which face are we again? We're talking through the Chinese. Talk us through the Chinese
restaurant. So, the Chinese restaurant um I mean we uh we've we purchased it for $650,000 uh almost two years ago now, a year and a half ago. Uh we went in, we spent, I
believe, $10,000 uh to gut it and clean it. It's not all the way gutted and cleaned, I learned last week, but it's pretty much empty. Um, there's still there could still be some more work done to clean it up, but you could walk in there. It's pretty
empty. Uh, we painted it. We took the sign down. We upgraded some electrical work. Uh, I stopped the work because I didn't want to do anything more, spending more money until we decided what we were going to do because if somebody else wants it, they can spend
that money instead of us. So right now the decision would be to this is this is something that I'm not advocating to tear down. I think we should keep it. Um I think we should make some modifications to it so that it's not looking so much like a Chinese
restaurant. If a Chinese restaurant's not going there and that may mean removing some columns that are there. uh removing a part of the entryway so it just looks like a reg, you know, changing the face of it so it doesn't look like a Chinese restaurant per se.
Um we have an unsolicited proposal that's been sitting for 6 months um from Mr. Juice, Dr. Green uh who wants to put a produce market in
the space. He wants to buy it from us for $100,000 more than what we purchased it. He wants to buy it for $750. That's been on the table for 6 months. I'm not sure if he's still interested or not. I haven't heard from him. Um there this space has a lot
of interest. We've had lots of restaurant tours inquire about the space. Um and it's ready to go. So, we can either do one of two things. We can either send out an RFP
for someone to come in and open up a restaurant. And in that RFP, you could decide what type of restaurant you want. Why? Because we own a property. So if that if in that RFP you say, I want somebody to come in and open up a barbecue pit spot,
then that's what you're going to get. You're going to get a whole bunch of people applying for a barbecue spot. If you want if you want, you know, a soul food spot. um I want a soul food spot and then you put that in RP say I want a soul food spot. They have to submit that
into the into the you know they have to respond to that or you can just be open in general and then see what you get. Um and so we could do that. We could send RP and see what we get back. I'm sure we're going to get some responses back because we've had lots of people look at
this building. Or that's one process. Or the quickest process would be for us to agree for you to agree on anybody and say, you know what, we don't want to go through the RP process. We want this
person here and we're going to wave the procurement requirements and we're going to deal directly with KFC. I don't know. I'm just thinking of something. KFC wants to come here. We want to deal with KFC. We don't care who else comes. We want to wave all all all
requirements and we want to do a contract with KFC KFC because that's what you want here. If you want to do that, do do it that way. You could do it that way as well. Um, but this I'm not advocating that we tear down. I think we should we are moving forward to try to
purchase the ball property so that the space has parking because it needs parking. Um, and that's it. And because we don't have the cash to purchase it right now because we ran out of money, frankly, um, we are
talking to them about possibly doing a lease, a lease where we could lease it at a nominal fee per month right now. And then we'll have a clause in the lease that says that we have the first right to purchase um, when it comes up
for purchase. But at least we lock it in and it doesn't get sold to someone else. Um because we don't have the cash to do it uh now. But I think if we do a lease to to to own uh we could do it that way. I was going to go to Mr. Merrick and
then I'll have us. Yeah. I well I I I have to just say that this piece of property is such a pivotal just a just the center of the city that I think that I I hope this board agrees that we do not sell it especially into a
fruit market of sorts or any of that stuff. I think that it just it because of where it's positioned, it just sends a message for everybody that comes into our community, who we are as a community and and and the type of things that you
will see and feel in this community. So, I would urge this board to in this case, hold on to this property um and and possibly, as the director said, think of a specific business to go in this property. something that's not just, you
know, like the guy over here would put a, you know, a thrift shop or something like that in there that we really think about what type of message that we want to send to others that come to Opalaka about the type of businesses they're going to see when they first come here. And I just think the way this place is
positioned, it's just so important about setting our own image for us as a city. So that's that's really all I want to say that if you had to think about it, this is definitely one of those ones not to sell because it just sets the tone for our city and the person that goes in
there should definitely be someone that you know that it aspires to be more like Opalaka rather than just the discounters. Thank you so much for that, Madam Chair. I like um I like the idea of holding on to it. I'm very concerned about the parking. I've always been concerned
about the parking and frankly uh Mr. Director, I kind of like that that look that it has on the outside. I think you could bring someone in um and could really make that I thought it was more of a a moorish. I
thought it was more in that line than I did Chinese. Um but I kind of like it. It's kind of bulky, but I think with the right person, they can kind make it look nice because it's a staple. It really is
a staple uh signature for people that have been in Opalaka for years. Um um I don't restaurant I really think it's uh it would be great on that
corner. I don't know whether it would a drive-thru I don't know whether that could happen because of the business in the back. That would be my first uh thought that it become a drive-thru. Um but now since
I know we've been working on the ball property since we purchased that building and is up and down, up and down. So, we do need parking. And if we were not able to get something with parking, would you still be thinking
restaurant? Yes. Where would the people park on the street? Where they parked for? It's parking right down the street where all those cars where where the where the
um where the where the car shop people store their cars. There's there's a space on the street the Bible side. Yeah. Oh, I didn't know. I never paid any attention. Call off street parking.
Everybody claims Everybody claims Everybody claims the same parking spot. Off street parking. I'm I'm done. But I a restaurant is good, but you know, and I like Chinese food, so
um Thank you, madam moderator. I I um I don't have a case selling it. I I never really have. I would prefer obviously to see a sitdown restaurant establishment, but I kind of agree, well, not kind, I do have the
same sentiments that uh the resident mentioned, and that is this a staple area. It is like a staple area of our city. That's one of the reasons why I pushed so hard for us to purchase because I was so afraid of what what might be there, which we wouldn't want
to see. So, I I like the idea of holding on to it. Um, I obviously get the ball property that changes how you know the uses and whatever, but I think where it is now, it doesn't hurt us and we own
it. Um, I would like to ask cuz I know we had brought up about the food trucks on their um, you know, weekends or Yeah. in the weekends or something. Whatever happened
with that? Just to generate some revenue for the upkeep of the the building until we made a long-term decision. Whatever happened with that? So, um I've been waiting for this meeting. Um we have one one group that's very much
interested. They called me two weeks ago. I told them that we were having this meeting and that I would bring it up during this discussion. uh they want to before they submitted a proposal to us where we paid them to coordinate.
Now they're willing to pay us to be there. Um and they're ready to go. They want to they want to do two food trucks every weekend, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Um and they were going to rotate those. It won't be the same
same two food trucks. Um, so the attorney's not here, but I need to ask him how we would engage. But if there's no objection to us having a food truck there, I will start the process of working with the attorney, getting the
agreements together, working with the city to make sure that the vendor has all the necessary permits. Uh, and we can have somebody I mean, this guy wanted to start last weekend. So it's Go for it. Um, so it's two. I thought was I thought was looking at you had
enough space for three, so now it's just two or Well, this is what this group is. Oh, this group here. Yeah. Okay. So, again, I'm going back to my original statement. Who would actually be overseeing this? The property manager. Property management or whoever. We got to get it started before they start.
No, but I'm saying three months from now, it's not going to be you trying to decide which truck going to be there this weekend. No. Okay. So the property management that we would hire you would have would oversee this. Correct. So the idea is Thursday, Friday,
Saturday, you have two whatever three food trucks out there selling be rotating. Well, I mean, but the property manager rotating the property manager would be in charge of making sure they rotate out every so long. I don't know if there what is
every two months, every month. I don't know how that work, but Yeah. And they they said that they would provide their own lighting. They would provide their own trash pickup. They would provide everything. We don't have to do anything but provide the space. No, I I listen, it's a great space. So, I I'm quite sure they don't have a
problem um with that part. I just want to make sure I don't want anybody calling us saying I was trying to get a spot out there and they won't let me. That's what I'm really getting at. So, that's really a decision that your property management how you and attorney lay out the agreements. So, it's going
to be rotating. one truck doesn't have monopoly. That's what I'm getting at. Um, you know, if you're going to have tacos for two months and you have ribs or or combination, the ideas have combination really. So, you have some diversity. So, all the time. That's what I would
suggest. But, um, I I I like that idea. Keep the property, get some some general revenue. There's some movement there. And you could actually take that that little revenue if you got to do some other little touchup in the building temporarily, you
could use that as opposed to coming out of a general fund uh budget and see how that works. May turn out that might work better or short-term while you working on the ball issue or or whatever. Um yeah, I I I think that's
Yeah, we need to do that. to me, you need to go ahead go forward at least working on the documentation structure and then perfect. So, and also to to to follow up with that uh Mr. director. That could probably uh translate to over here where
you're thinking about um uh demolishing 391 and you were thinking about some food trucks, then you might have two area where you could rotate um uh food trucks
and have open space kind of like the Nomi the Nomi space. Yeah, the Nomi village. Yes. Um, interesting. This is the So, I will say I I echo everyone's thoughts and that I
think I like the idea of a restaurant going here. I've been sitting here looking at the maps. One, there are a handful of kind of residential properties. You've got the I think it's senior housing that's being built just a few blocks down, right? So there's affordable housing developer where
senior housing is will I mean it looks like it's about to be online any day now. Um so you'll have um some folks coming through. Um I so in developing a restaurant putting a restaurant there. I think about there's
a restaurant if I'm not mistaken on 22nd Avenue. There's a couple of restaurants maybe Homestyle that's on 27th though right? 22nd is on Home Style. Oh Homestyle is on 27th. You're right. uh or 22nd and then on 27th there is Jackson
Jackson uh S Sylvia's exist as well. So I think one of the things that I'm sitting here asking myself the question is should this really should this be a restaurant and I think I'm coming to the like I think I'm with you on yes but I
want us to think about all the other places that exist here. So know that that's just what I'm thinking about in my mind. I'm just gonna all this is just word vomit. I don't know that it is fully articulate. Um, I love the idea of changing the facade. Um, uh, Mr. Walker,
love the idea. I do think it is Chinese right now. It's not Moorish. Would love to see us turn it into something that looks a little bit more moorish. Um, but I am just asking myself like, what's the highest use of this property? I love that it sits on the corner. I agree that it is in a hightraic hub area. People
are using that 27th Avenue corridor to get to work. It is very busy in the mornings. Um, I could see the value of it being one of only a few sit-down restaurants in the area. So, I see that being kind of a good thing, but also the question I'm
asking myself is what else is missing in that neighborhood? And so, I just throw that out for everybody. Don't fully have the answer, but yeah, I I I'll answer. We don't have in the city a sitdown restaurant. Nothing against Sylvia's or Jackson.
They're not even open some of the times. 10:00 they're shut down. I'm talking about in the afternoon and or the evening. Yeah. You don't want to cook a family comes in town, you got to leave town for a sit down restaurant. And I know restaurants can
be tricky and whatever. And that's where I think the CRA plays a vital role and crafting that proposal, that RFP or whatever you want to call it, because we don't have sit down. We got places to eat but we don't have sit down
restaurant in the city and we need it whether it's there whether it's the old itas we don't because even sometime when I'm having meetings oh I'll come over for lunch I got to think where am I going to really go in the city for lunch you know now if it's morning I could go
to potentially Jackson but it's probably going to be crowded too crowded you know it's too crowded nothing against the food but Right. But after one, they're closing. Okay. I think Sylvia's is open, but it's not
really conducive to sit down. It's more of a get it and go. And the only way I think we're going to have that is we have to develop that ourselves. But I think people will come not lock because like you said, the traffic patterns y
are all over. But if I know there's a nice sitdown restaurant uh on 27 and that location, I will stop there, okay, to eat. Um I think the key is what the director said if that's the route that
we eventually want to go. Um you put it in RFP, you craft it in such a way, this is what we're looking at takeout. Yes, you may have a drive-thru, but we're not This is not drive-through driven. Yeah. want you to sit down, prepare the
food where people can actually sit in here and eat. Now, we don't get any proposals on that, then we have to reconsider. But this is one of those where in the short term you got the food trucks, you got obviously still working
on balls and that thing, but you are not as concerned about generating uh the revenue because it's too important to just want to do something quick. So that that's one of those and again same thing October bring it back. Here's the options. Whichever way we're
going, director has to clear. But in the meantime, the food trucks are there. it's got some activity, generate a little revenue. Um, come out with RFP for the restaurant crafting as such. We want to see a sitdown
restaurant. And so that means that the the food the um fruit stand is out. No, no, we didn't say it's out. That's part of what he bring back. And that in those resolution the option the board he wants a food stand a fruit stand
whatever that is or he want a restaurant but at least he has his direction. Okay. And you um Vice Mayor Kelly that one of the things that we said specifically today was about timing and how it takes time. And I think all a coordinated effort with all these things happening
would really invest or would interest people seeing things like, you know, we were talking about the building across the street being torn down and seeing new signs about new development coming up, seeing more food trucks here. And I think that as I've had to fight with
myself over a year, things we want things immediately, but I think these little small steps will help attract the bigger restaurants or the more interested parties in time. And I and I think these are really the good foundational steps. If we can kind of
coordinate all these properties that you've acquired and and show people and interested parties our interest in moving forward, then it may not we may not get the perfect sit down diner that we want right away. But I think it'll definitely generate interest down the line because people will begin to see
that and move in that direction. And I think that's what we all kind of desire because none of us times I want to get up and have coffee outside, sit down somewhere and just chill and not be Jackson's or surely not Sylvia's. this this is what we want. I think these coordinated efforts, these small steps
are good. And like you said, um, Vice Mayor, having a resolution and deciding and and doing those things definitely leads, I think, down the line to more interested parties. So, I'm I'm interested in seeing that. I'm so glad you guys invited me today. I'm going to put this on the record also
that um in my discussions with the Ball family and the uh realtor, if we did decide to lease the space, they would allow us to demolish the building. Nice. Uh and and make it a parking space. So,
that that's a good thing. We obviously wouldn't want to lease it without having parking. So, I had to have her say that that would be okay. Um, so it we can demolish and um it has a park as well and put some parking and when we get the
budget I think we put money drum in the budget for demolish demolishing properties just in case. That's awesome. So I would love So we've got just under 15 minutes left about 13 minutes left and so I would love to maybe use the last 13 minutes to talk about what
happens from here if that's okay. and I will attempt to sum up what I've heard, but I encourage everybody to jump in if I've missed anything because I probably did. Um, so missing a property, we have 13 minutes. I I think I've already maybe aligned that we are going
to have to have a se So, thank you for Thank you for calling that out. We have 13 minutes left. I assumed we were going to have to have another uh conversation. So, I will ask this group, do you all want to try to talk about those 13 property? I'm sorry, that last property
in these last 13 minutes or do we want to talk about what happens from here? I would like to see us at least uh just in short say what we would like that property to be and because the next workshop that we have. I hope we're not
going to um we're going to come with some ideas that this board uh has given to the director and we don't want to start this conversation all over again because then we'll spend another three hours. Okay. And we won't get through anything.
Beautiful. So then what I will do if it's okay, I'm going to give us 10 minutes to have this conversation so that I can save the last five minutes for us to wrap up and I am committed to getting us out of here three. Okay. Okay. So 10 minutes. Um, Mr. uh, director, is there anything that
you want to say about this property that we should know going into this discussion? 2145. Yes. Yes. So, 2145 is a small property. Um, it's near where the um, chairwoman's office is. There's
chairwoman's office. Used to be used to be sorry. Old office. Uh, there's a chairwoman's office that the city owns. Then there's a city park. Then there's our property. Then there's a fenced in property uh that's privately
owned, but the city has a lean on it for over a million bucks. And then there's another private and then there's a CDC uh 10 North owns two properties within this development. There was a private property that was in the middle of this
that we decided to buy in in case of future development so we don't have to deal with those people. But we would need to coop we would need to collaborate with the city and the CDC and we've already had we've already started talking with the private
property owner um that has a lot in the fence and then Ariel Lundy owns property on the backside um that was given to him by the county. So you would take that entire block plus our little small piece
there. That that's what was stopping a potential development because they were kind of the hole in the donut and that's what we purchased. So now we are part of that. So the idea is to convene the city, the CDC and the private property
owner and do a joint development on that site. Um this is in its very infant stages right now. Um, but that's the idea behind purchasing uh this property. Right now it's just vacant land. We're going to put a community um you probably
saw some sod out there um dumped. Uh we're going to do a community garden on the on the site, grow some cabbage and collard greens and tomatoes. In the meantime, while we look at um doing a
bigger development in the future, uh in the bigger development, this is I assume housing. No retail. No retail here. So, just strictly housing. This would be housing. Yes. Okay. And that would be And that's not just
for me. that that's because um 10 North owns two of the properties that are in that site. That would be their stip they've already told us the lawyer uh Lisa Lita Lita um that it would have to be housing
or else they're they're not participating. So who's leading this charge is um we are trying to convene everybody. There was a meeting recently um that was had in the manager's conference room uh
with the leadership of the 10 north group and the leadership of uh the city. Um we attended, we were invited and we brought this up that you know we own this property now. We want you all to get together. Uh they were supposed to Lita
was supposed to call me. She hasn't called me about that. But we're we're basically trying to corral everybody to sit at the table. We reached out to the private property owner. Uh he's very excited to do something, right? Um he's already actually he called a
couple weeks ago and said, you know, that he has a development team that he wants to introduce us to that could possibly do the project. Um so, no one's leading it right now. We're trying to nudge everybody to get to the table. Um,
but we did the most important thing, which is to get that hole in the donut cleared by purchasing 2145. Beautiful. Well, maybe there's room for you to lead this and bring it to fruition. Um, it might be too premature for to ask
this question, but I wonder if we would be part developer in this deal so that then we are receiving funds over the long haul from this deal. Mr. director. I'm sorry. This is the state. Give me one second.
Okay. We've been having a major problem with um with payments. So if you I know M vice mayor knows but the between the vacation of July and August between the
local state guy and the state state guy um state guy we've been behind on payments so we're trying to figure this out. So um let me ask a question. Um, in the meantime, uh, we're looking at putting,
uh, a garden, I think you said a community garden on the entire site with all of those owners together or just on the site that the CRA owns. Uh, just at the site that the CRA owns for
now, but we will we will be seeking agreements with the other people to put stuff on their site as well. Okay. Does the part that the CRA owns are they a part are they within that fenced in area? No.
So we're with where where it's opened out? Okay. Okay. So So our site is the one that
looks um like it needs to be cut. No. Look, it's fine. It's not It's on the east side of where the fence is. It's closer to the park and to your building. Okay. Okay. It actually looked like it's part of the park,
but it's not part of the park. Do you have any any comments that you want to put on the record while we wait? No, I'm done. I'm done. Okay. I'm gonna move us into wrapping and I'm
gonna move I'm going to move us into wrapping um wrapping this up and talking about some next steps. So, um Mr. Director, while you're doing that, I imagine that your staff is taking notes so that uh everyone's aligned in terms of what we'll be doing. Yeah, we actually um which it's never
three hours, but we actually go back and look at the tapes and take notes. So, beautiful. But this is going to take a longer time. Exactly. And there's some action items here. So beyond just the notes that we need to approve, I'm more so talking about um kind of the action items in
preparation for our next meeting. So one um I heard you loudly and clearly. You want to make next meeting or next workshop? Thank you. So I don't think we need the notes for the next workshop. I don't think so. Okay.
Okay. Yeah. So I don't think are you planning to give us So I don't think we need work notes for the next workshop. So I think if any of our other board members are going to come hopefully they can uh take a look at the tape so that they will be able to catch up on the conversation. But I think in terms of the next
workshop we would want to have a workshop I would say somewhere in the next two to four weeks would be my recommendation with the idea that by the October board meeting we are prepared to make some decisions. So that is number
one. I think number two, there were a handful of things that we discussed um your team coming back to us with. So in terms of 391 Opalaka Boulevard, I think we talked about understanding how much it would cost to repair, but then we also talked about what potential income
revenue could look like. I think on the church property, we talked about potentially turning that into a performing arts center. I don't think there were any asks of administration that you all needed to see in order for us to make decisions on that. Is that correct? I didn't have any.
Okay, Mr. Cohen. Uh, no, not directly. No, this it's supposed to be You said performing arts. I don't know. Or whatever it turns into. Yeah. He just used the term community space, so I was just leaving it very broad. Okay. Well, we'll call it community space and we haven't decided what it is.
So, no action items for you um on that. And then I think on the third space which is the Chinese space there were a couple of asks and this is where my note-taking uh went arise. So are what do you recall what is it that you guys are bringing to us and for that meeting
so that we can make decisions. We well we said restaurant and uh I think what they would be bringing back is to let us know what is the status concerning the ball property acquiring the ball property and then um you're going to move forward with the food
trucks on that area. So th those will be the cleanup things that they would have to bring us back. And madam moderator if I can Yes. Um, we didn't we didn't give them as an action item how they're going
to go about um removing uh the tenants that are uh currently there, you know, we're not doing it. Um they're the lawyers going to Okay. Yeah. And I don't I don't my hope is that we don't need that to make a decision in terms of what we want to do with the space, but that will be
something that we can talk about in the future. Yeah. How long we're going to give them to to if they're going to move out, you know, um it it might not uh you know, have no bearing on how we move forward the space, but I think we should know what is the plan in moving
forward in getting the tenants uh to be what word did you use? Uh what you It's been three hours. So, it's been three hours. I'm with him. I'm with him. Move them out. Not move. not not move them move them out, but this not
I don't know, but we're with you. We totally understand what you're saying. Okay. Um Okay. And then I think we talked about potentially taking the Chinese space to RFP and so I don't think that there's anything that you need to bring to us for the workshop. I will want So, as a matter of fact, I
just got an email from the people that are helping us with the RP. Um they want a meeting on Tuesday. So, in the restaurant, I do probably need to talk to each of you about what you want that RP. By the way, it's perfect timing for October
because all of these RFPs are going to be finished by September. So, you'll have the opportunity to vote on basically I want I need your input. They they just sent me an email on Tuesday that they want my input. I think we're
going to probably have to sit down with each of you with this consultant and just get your ideas on what you all want to see so that while they're crafting the RFP now, for example, the Chinese restaurant, do we do a broad?
Can we have them come to the workshop and that way we can just talk it all out? Yeah, let's have them come to the workshop. Beautiful. Um, so what I want to get clear on is we've decided what the action items are and at our next workshop we are going to pick up on the conversation. Our plan is not to rehash this conversation. We've got a handful
of options on the table that we want to start to get closer to defining exactly what it is that we're going to do. Does that articulate does that kind of sum up what we discussed today or is there anything that you'd like to add? No, sounds good to me. Okay. Thank you everybody for three hours of your day. Yeah,
this was a productive conversation. Thank you staff for putting this together. Looking forward to doing it again. Thank you. Um Mr. Director, the sheet that you all gave us on um city properties under