3 PLANS, 1 THEATER AND ONLY 8 DAYS

Miami Herald, The (FL)
October 10, 2006
Author: DOUGLAS HANKS, dhanks@MiamiHerald.com

Estimated printed pages: 2

A top business group warned Miami Beach commissioners not to make a hasty decision on a proposed Cirque du Soleil theater just days after the proposal is made public.

Cirque and two of the nation's top concert promoters submitted competing proposals Sept. 29 for the city-owned Jackie Gleason Theater, and City Manager Jorge Gonzalez expects to release those documents to the public Friday. Commissioners are scheduled to select a winner five days later, at a special Oct. 18 meeting.

That timetable seems too short for the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce, which last week passed a resolution urging commissioners to delay their vote until they can obtain ``informed public comment and input from the community.'' ``Our concern is just the timing of this,'' said Sandy Horwitz, the chamber's chairman and a partner in the Goldstein Schechter Price accounting firm in Coral Gables. The chamber urged the city to release the proposals no later than Wednesday. ``I'm a numbers guy. As a result, I'd like to look at the numbers.''

Commissioners have also questioned keeping the proposals confidential so close to a final vote.

``My concern is that the public [has] time to digest the information,'' said Commissioner Richard Steinberg. ``Personally, I value the input and the scrutiny of the public. It makes my job easier.''

Gonzalez said he had little choice in the matter, since Cirque, AEG Live and Live Nation invoked exemptions in state public records laws for documents from businesses seeking to move to Florida. He has said Cirque needs a decision this fall to meet its 2009 target for opening a permanent South Beach theater.

Gonzalez plans to release the proposals to the public once he forwards them to commissioners Friday, the usual schedule for commissioners receiving documents ahead of their regular Wednesday meetings.

Gonzalez also plans to provide rough outlines of the three proposals at Thursday's meeting of the committee that oversees the city's Cultural Arts district. That will be followed by a public hearing Monday afternoon and a commission meeting Oct. 18.

Mayor David Dermer said the schedule gives the public more opportunities than usual to voice opinions.

``In light of the fact that we've got so [many] public hearings on it, it is not a tight schedule,'' he said. ``This is going to be a very, very public process.''

Cirque has proposed a $130 million renovation of the Gleason, with Miami Beach investing between $50 million and $55 million. Both AEG Live and Live Nation, two competitors in the concert industry, want to convert the Gleason into an updated venue for live music and comedy acts. Those companies say they are not requesting public dollars for their competing proposals.

Though the broad outlines of the plans are already known, the competitors have not said how much money they're promising the city in rent or financial returns. Also unknown is the city's liability if the ventures fail.

Gonzalez's staff does not want to release the documents before their analysis is finished, said Hilda Fernandez, a Gonzalez deputy. ``Clearly, this is a sizable consideration for everyone,'' said Fernandez, an assistant city manager. ``Everyone's trying to do their due diligence.''

Horwitz said the chamber wanted to recommend one of the three contenders, but believed it couldn't pick a winner without seeing the full proposals. ``We cannot take a position because we do not know all the facts,'' he said.

PUBLIC MEETINGS

Three public meetings are planned on the future of Miami Beach's Jackie Gleason Theater.

* 10 a.m., Thursday

Commission chambers, City Hall, 1700 Convention Center Dr.

The city's Cultural Arts Neighborhood District Overlay committee will hear a presentation on the three competing proposals.

* 5 p.m., Monday

Jackie Gleason Theater of the Performing Arts, Washington Avenue.

A public hearing where City Manager Jorge Gonzalez will give a detailed presentation on the three proposals and invite the public to comment.

* 5 p.m., Oct. 18

Commission chambers, City Hall

A special commission meeting to consider the Gleason proposals. The City Commission is scheduled to issue the final vote on the matter.