State Of The City As the City of Miami Beach is about to enter its second century, it is determined to become a city for the 21st century. The Mayor, City Commission, and City Manager are the trifecta of making things happen to continue to allow Miami Beach to become a great place to live, work, and play. The economic growth for Miami Beach is currently based on several key industry sectors—hospitality/tourism, real estate development and healthcare. In addition, the City Commission is looking to fix flooding issues while planning for longer-term sea level rise, establishing master plans for areas of the City, fixing up the major tourist attraction that is Lincoln Road Mall, exploring new opportunities for economic growth, and developing North Beach on par with its southern neighborhoods. This month Mayor Philip Levine gave his 2014 State of the City address, here are some excerpts highlighting his thoughts and initiatives on Miami Beach’s key economic sectors and future opportunities.
Hospitality & Tourism “It is crucial Miami Beach maintains its position as a global tourism destination and center for creative collaboration. Yet for too long, our City neglected to renovate the Convention Center, sitting on some of Miami Beach’s most valuable public land.” “Our administration has put a more reasonable plan on the table: a state of the art Convention Center giving us full ownership and full control. We also decoupled the Convention Center from the planned hotel, so a proper traffic and impact study can be commissioned to ensure any additional development matches our existing infrastructure.”
Education “All great cities face great challenges, and the City of Miami Beach is no different. But I learned a long time ago … great challenges create great opportunities.” “Along those lines, for Miami Beach to remain a world-class city, it needs a world class university. To that end, we have been in conversations with certain international universities to encourage them to locate a major campus in Miami Beach, specifically, in North Beach. An internationally, branded university would create jobs to boost our economy, and classrooms to boost our minds.” “Historically, universities create an environment for start-up companies that drive a community’s prosperity. We are fortunate to have some very exciting, innovative start-up companies, such as Rokk3r Labs, leading the way in South Florida’s high-tech boom.”
Industry Share of Gross City Product
City of Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine
The Gold Standard When it comes to dedication and a commitment to serve the community, there is no better example than Michael S. Goldberg, SVP of Gibraltar Private Bank and Trust, who also serves as the chairman of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce. Goldberg is a native, born and raised on Miami Beach, who has been involved with the Chamber for 25 years among other community organizations. His desire to give back to the community stems from his father Barton Goldberg, who also served as chairman of the Chamber from 1974–1976. “When my dad joined the Chamber, he said, ‘You should always give back to the community that was good to you growing up,’” said Goldberg. (Barton Goldberg also grew up on Miami Beach.) “Miami Beach is near and dear to my family; and when working with the Chamber you get to see tangible results for your efforts,” added Goldberg. The Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce is 92 years old, has 1,200 business members, and over 250 events per year. It works to support the interests of the local business community. For instance, in looking to spur business growth, the Chamber launched the Miami Beach In Card program, which offers discounts at local businesses, hotels, restaurants, attractions, professional businesses, and more to residents, non-residents and tourists. In 2000, the Chamber established the Education Foundation to support education in the community. It primarily focuses on providing college scholarships for graduating seniors from Miami Beach Senior High School and funding teacher training in the International Baccalaureate program. The Chamber also works on initiatives that will benefit the general business community. It was very involved in helping to get the 1 percent tourist tax to fund the redevelopment of the Miami Beach Convention Center. “We work to unite the community to get things done,” said Goldberg. MB
Source: City of Miami Beach 2015
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