25th Wall to be Rebuilt by the UNA Development
The City of Miami approved an MOU with the Una Development to rebuild the 25th Road Seawall now, making sure that throughout all construction a minimum of 20 feet of green space will remain for resident use. The Resolution 12265, was approved during the Commission Meeting held on 7/28/2022. This is a huge win for the neighbors who have advocated for this improvement for years.
RESOLUTION 12265
WHEREAS, Miami Waterfront Ventures, LLC, Florida Limited Liability Company (“MWV”), is currently developing the Una Residences Project (“Project”) located within the City of Miami (“City”) at the property located at 175 Southeast 25th Road, Miami, Florida (“Property”); and
WHEREAS, the Property fronts the dead-end portion of Southeast 25th Road, which is public right-of-way consisting of unpaved open space in which the Miami City Commission designated as a Play Street pursuant to Resolution No. R-16-0274, adopted on June 9, 2016 (“Play Street Area”); and
WHEREAS, the Play Street Area is currently unpaved and the existing seawall is in need of replacement; and
WHEREAS, in connection with the development of the Project, MWV is required to replace the existing seawall per Section 54-56 of the Code of the City of Miami, Florida (“City Code”); and
WHEREAS, in connection with the development of the Project, MWV has proffered certain public benefits to the City, including a waterfront walkway and other improvements to the Play Street Area alongwith certain right-of-way enhancements along Southeast 25th Road (collectively, the “Street Improvements”), which will result an inviting neighborhood street accentuated by new public green open space for the public to enjoy unique views of the City’s waterfront; and
WHEREAS, the temporary green space and pedestrian access should be no less than twenty feet (20’) wide during construction; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 54-3(8) of the Code of the City of Miami, Florida, as amended, (“City Code”) the City Commission has determined that waiver of the fees related to work in the right-of-way described in subsections 54-3(e)(1), (e)(3), (e)(4), (e)(5), and e(6) is in the City's best interest; and
WHEREAS, the City Commission, after careful consideration of this matter, deems it advisable and in the best interest of the general welfare of the City and its citizens to authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) that memorializes the Street Improvements;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA:
Section 1. The recitals and findings contained in the Preamble to this Resolution are adopted by reference and incorporated as if fully set forth in this Section.
Section 2. The City Manager is authorized1 to enter the MOU, in a form acceptable to the City Attorney,for the Developer to complete certain public benefits and right-of-way improvements along Southeast 25thRoad.
Section 3. The City Manager is authorized[1] to negotiate and execute any and all necessary documents, all in forms acceptable to the City Attorney, to accept said public benefits and right-of-way improvements.
Section 4. The City Manager is hereby authorized to waive the fees described in subsections 54-3(e)(1), (e)(3), (e)(4), (e)(5), and e(6) of the City Code for use of the Play Street Area in connection with the construction of the Street Improvements.
Section 5. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its adoption.
Major Issues on 25th Road
August 11,2021
Residents on 25th Road are working through major issues with the City of Miami and the UNA construction site. In ongoing communications, residents are reporting tremors, road cracks, water containment issues, landscaping, dead greenery, poor sidewalk paving, a deteriorating sea wall, weakened water pressure, and much more. Some issues are construction-related issues with Civic Construction, the company in charge of building the UNA Residences, and others with the City of Miami. On August 5, 2021, the neighbors, City of Miami, Civic Construction, BHA, and UNA Representatives met to discuss the ongoing concerns, some of the highlights and pending items are as follows:
Sea wall: Is the sea wall safe? The conditions are evident as the rebar has fallen off of the concrete slabs. The sea wall is the City of Miami's responsibility but who cites the City if the City is the one who is responsible? Residents on 25th Road are concerned over a deteriorating seawall that is sitting next to a new construction site, Una Residences. Una Residences is getting a 100,000-square-foot, 236-car garage that reaches nearly 50 feet and three stories below sea level, the first-ever. The conditions of the seawall are evident, and the community has made several requests to the city to make it a top priority to replace the seawall for the safety of the entire community and the ecosystem. The City informed us that they do not have the funds available to repair it but they are actively looking.
Tremors: Residents are feeling shakes and tremors as the construction site drills deep into the ground. Civic Construction has installed seismic sensors to monitor all activity. The reports are owned and reviewed by OKO Group and they have reported no findings; however, residents continue to report tremors and shakes.
Road Cracks: Residents showed road bracks at the end of the street and the community has been photographing to show the deterioration due to the heavy trucks and construction. Public Works Director, Alan Dodd reported that the street is evaluated weekly and stated that they will not pave or reinforce unless it is unsafe.
Water Containment Issue: Residents brought up a stream of water running into the bay and were informed that UNA site appears to have a containment problem. The city/building department requires UNA to address this.
Residents and the BHA are committed to following up on these issues and seeking assistance from all parties to see this community preserved.