Major Biscayne Boulevard Renovations Coming for Upper East Side

“We know it’s not going to be easy. Struggling businesses went under when past Biscayne Boulevard renovations have taken place. Marginal businesses probably won’t be with us afterward.”—Robert Flanders, co-founder and vice president of the Upper East-Side Miami Council, Inc

By Michael W. Sasser
Contributing Writer 

When Upper East-side resident Wilson Owens looks out on Biscayne Boulevard, he sees potential.

“It hasn’t always been like this,” Owens said. “A few years ago, you looked out here and between the motels, the prostitutes and the drug dealers, it seemed like nothing could be done.”

While many of the motels remain, Owens said that the Biscayne corridor has undergone dramatic changes in recent years, and the long time local has enjoyed what he sees as a tremendous overall turnaround in the region. But he also worries that the launch of the centerpiece project for Biscayne Boulevard renovation might negatively affect many of the small merchants and restaurants he has seen open over the past two years.

Slated to launch in June 2005, and with actual construction to begin three to six months later, are two concurrent road improvement projects along Biscayne Boulevard. The first area is from N.E. 37^th Street to N.E. 67^th Street, the second, N.E. 67^th Street to the Miami city limits at N.E. 87^th Street. In total, the two projects, which will be underway simultaneously, will impact the bulk of Biscayne Boulevard from just north of downtown through the entire Upper East Side. 

Improvements proposed for both areas include: new drainage, sidewalks, curb and gutter, new streetlights and pedestrian lights, new traffic signals, and new landscaping. The two areas will also see project-specific improvements. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) proposes maintaining much of the existing medians and landscaping throughout the southern improvement zone. A new median of varying widths will be placed in some locations to satisfy current “access management” standards and reduce the potential for serious accidents by directing left-turn movements to specific locations. Sidewalks will be designed to accommodate pedestrian traffic and the area will be lighted with a combination of standard streetlights and decorative pedestrian lighting. Outdated traffic signals will be replaced with new mast arms and sidewalks will feature handicapped ramps that meet the current Americans With Disabilities (ADA) standards.

From N.E. 67^th Street to N.E. 87^th Street, FDOT proposes constructing a 10-foot landscaped median in place of an existing left-turn (scramble) lane. The introduction of this median will satisfy current “access management” standards and reduce the potential for serious accidents by directing left-turn movements to specific locations.

In addition to the infrastructure improvements, a series of community charettes have been conducted to gather public input on additional, aesthetic improvements. Patrick Range, legislative counsel for Miami Commissioner Johnny Winton, said that process was primarily organized to guide improvements. “I think those ideas should be approved,” Range said. “Plans are not totally finalized yet but there will be additional community input.”

What worries some is that the eventual construction will doom some local businesses, which may rely on the patronage of local motorists. It’s a scenario replicated in virtually every case where lengthy road construction has been underway, from Miami Beach’s Collins Avenue to North Miami during improvements to Biscayne Boulevard there.

“Some businesses might have real problems and I think maybe 20 percent of them will go under as a result of the construction,” said Ermanno Perrotti, owner of Da Ermanno Restaurant. “I am concerned, but what can I do? I think that in the end, all of us will be the better for the improvements.”

Perrotti said he expects things to balance out for his own, long-time Biscayne Boulevard restaurant. On one hand, regular patrons from North Miami and Coral Gables, for example, might not want to make the trek through a Biscayne Boulevard under construction. On the other hand, locals might also want to avoid the congestion and elect to patronize their local restaurants – such as Perrotti’s own Boulevard mainstay.

“One thing I am lucky for is that we’re just off Palm Bay Drive (N.E. 69^th Street), which is a major intersection and one of the main entrances [to Palm Bay and other coastal developments], but I am afraid for other businesses not at major intersections,” Perrotti said.

While the road improvements will certainly affect local businesses, they have also been long in coming, says one long-time local activist.

“When is there a good time for things like this?” pondered Robert Flanders, co-founder and vice president of the Upper East-Side Miami Council, Inc. “It is so overdue – this is the most neglected part of Biscayne Boulevard.”

Flanders said the Council and others have been advocating for the road improvements since 1995 and have been involved in the planning of ancillary improvements.

“This is absolutely the centerpiece of the Upper East-side,” Flanders said. “No pain, no gain. We know it’s not going to be easy. Struggling businesses went under when past Biscayne Boulevard renovations have taken place. Marginal businesses probably won’t be with us afterward. This is a real challenge – I’m not deluding myself.  When you have had deferred maintenance for this long, it can’t possibly be easy. Our sympathy goes out to people who have been here and we know it’s going to be tough. Everyone is going to do their best to ameliorate the effects. I’d like to think we will do it better than anybody else has done it because we are going to try not to make the same mistakes. But the Boulevard is the centerpiece of the area’s revitalization and I think when all is said and done, the pain will be forgotten.”

FDOT District Five Public Information Officer Aymee V. Ruiz, MBA, agreed that there would be effort to curb the negative impact of the improvements.

“District Six strives to make sure that these projects are completed as quickly as possible and with a minimum of inconvenience to the public,” Ruiz said. “It is our hope that we will in some small way, be helpful in restoring vitality into this area by providing the residents, merchants and tourists with a new and improved Boulevard that everyone will enjoy and be proud of.”

Still, it will be a long process. Ruiz said that FDOT anticipates the completion of the project in 2007 – but that estimate, like most related to major infrastructure improvements, is subject to change.

“People will just have to make due,” Perrotti said.

“When complete, the city will have a multi-purpose Biscayne Boulevard, for pedestrian traffic as well as bicycles,” said Ruiz. “It will be more pedestrian friendly and I think it will lead to a resurgence of activity in the area.”

“Everyone who lives around here wants to see the improvements,” said Owens. “I guess the question is whether or not those improvements are going to cost the neighborhood those businesses that came here early and have stuck it out.”