Seems to me if you buy a condo in one of the downtown Biscayne Boulevard towers, you pretty much know what you're signing up for (week long music festivals that go to nearly dawn, parades, et.al. that create traffic issues and noise). But, evidently, Homestead/ISC is going to use the residents of these buildings as bargaining chips with regard to their fight against the Miami Formula One Grand Prix from taking place. Let's see what happens in the coming months. While the news from the City Commission yesterday was good, there will be a few more hoops to jump through. Funny, people have been complaining about the lack of noise in F1 lately but the the noise will be a front and center issue by the opposition. BHW
I can see nearby residents (especially new ones) complaining about the Grand Prix, but I don't think they have the right to complain about noise from Bayfront Park events; after all, the park was there first! It's like people who move near an existing airport and then complain about the noise.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez interview with Motorsport.TV’s Charles Bradley about the Miami Formula One Grand Prix. Notice mention of the Design District and footage from the Miami Design District Concours in Jungle Plaza. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/video/main-gallery/miami-s-mayor-suarez-on-2019-grand-prix-plans-110069/ BHW
Just received this from a friend who lives in one of the new Biscayne towers. Meeting tonight at 6:30PM. BHW
I'm not sure how you convince people who don't give a shoot about racing this is "good for them". Long Beach has a similar problem. If you tried to start the race there today it would be rejected. Back when Long Beach was suffering economically it made a lot of sense. Let face it-- before the Long Beach GP the city was best known for drunken sailors finding cheap booze and hookers before shipping out again. My feeling is if the race left Long Beach now a lot of people would applaud. And remember that the race in Long Beach is "barely" on city streets. Most of it is on the tourist path and not used for much day to day traffic through the heart of the city. Even so, it's a burden on businesses in the city and residents. Its good for bars though!
Having not attended the meeting or being briefed on the contents yet, it's a bit premature to say how the discussion went. The person who was in charge of the meeting and sending out the publicity around it is president of the Downtown Neighbors Association and has been quoted in the Miami Herald saying, "Undeniably Formula One is a world class event that can potentially bring a large economic impact to the city of Miami. "However, past races such as the Formula E held in 2015 have presented many problems, among them security issues, lengthy traffic disruptions, street closures, and total disruption of pedestrian access to parks and even crosswalks during long setup and tear down periods." So, while praising the Formula One Grand Prix in Miami on one hand and then pointing to the defencies of the failed Formula E event in 2015 on the other, she elaborates on the points made in the initial petition to stop the event from happening which we all know was done by a Tallahassee lobbying firm on behalf of their client, the ISC. I've been asked a few times lately if anyone from previous Miami racing ventures will be involved with the Miami Formula One Grand Prix. The answer to that is a resounding "No". Formula E was put on by Andretti Autosport Group (SIC, now defunct) and their attempt at this was seen as doing everything on the cheap. And, while well attended, access was a nightmare, long lines at the cross over bridges and for food, etc. which the Miami Herald keeps pointing out, the event was deemed a failure and did not return. Likewise, no one from the Miami Grand Prix of the Americas (2002-03) or the original downtown Miami Grand Prix (1983-1993) under the late Ralph Sanchez are involved with this venture, although there are those from the Sanchez team whom are actively engaged in the process. This is purely the FIA and Liberty Media working with Stephen Ross' team so this is a completely clean sheet of paper, so to say. I reached the organizer of the meeting by phone yesterday to inquire about it and if it was open to anyone and she generously said that it was open to anyone with an interest in the Grand Prix. If the ISC is going to make noise about the event, and I'm told that they have $20M to $30M to spend to stop it, their plan is obviously to use the Downtown Neighbors Association as their foil in order to garner enough signatures against it from taking place. It's going to be interesting. BHW
with Stephen Ross involved, my suspicion is the eventual venue will be a "Meadlowlands" style parking lot grand prix around Hard Rock Stadium. Ross is actively trying to turn that facility into a mixed use, year-round venue-hosting the Miami Open tennis tournament, etc.
That's possible and yes, they're shifting the Miami Open tennis out to Hard Rock next year. However, in the case of F1, Liberty is after the visual impact of the downtown area, the water, palm trees and cruise ships, etc. and there isn't all that out at the stadium. F1's interests are best served being as planned. BHW
Synopsis of the meeting provided by a friend. Of those in attendance, about fifty were very concerned about the Miami Formula One Grand Prix happening outside their front doors. Formula One sent a delegation (not sure whom this included but likely from Liberty) which gracefully defused the situation through insightful discourse. Miami City Commissioner Russell was also complimented. Stephen Ross (event promoter) also sent a delegate. No definitive decision has been made on circuit layout yet. There is an issue regarding the area behind the Arena (where the paddock and pits are supposed to be) as an organization was supposed to make improvements after using it but didn't follow through. BHW
You can always hire another Tallahassee lobbyist (who might or might not be a member of F-chat...) to fight against the ISC Tallahassee lobbyists. On a more serious note, it's always a NIMBY attitude, especially on new things that people aren't familiar with. There's plenty of art festivals and music festivals in Miami year-round, so even though they're large events, people know what to expect.
So far, the ISC's efforts in their attempts to blunt the Miami Formula One Grand Prix have been blunted. Their first attempt, a shameless online petition that was promoted by none other than the Miami Herald via a Facebook page (no, really!), gained about eight signatures before it was taken down. Their second attempt, this meeting brought together by the DNA and other downtown resident organizations likewise fell flat when residents concerns were artfully addressed by Formula One representatives. Their M.O., using the failed Formula E event from 2015, has likewise failed. Anyone knowing the structure of the Formula E event knows that it was put on by the Andretti group (and) is completely separate from the Formula One group headed by Liberty, the FIA and the Stephen Ross organization which will fill the promotional role. Ross, as some may know, was in the running to purchase Formula One along with Liberty. Further issues, such as the area behind the arena, etc. should be addressed locally, no need to drag Tallahassee in. BHW
Oh I agree completely. I did some research into the lobbying firms on both sides, though there are some interested parties that have none yet. I will say that Tallahassee will get dragged in if, like Ross has done many times in the past, he asks for state money in the budget for this event to build things. I remember sitting in the Senate gallery right behind Ross and Roger Goodell one day watching his stadium funding bill blow up before his very eyes. Full disclosure, yes I am a lobbyist in Florida, based out of Tallahassee, though we have clients based all over the state. And there is a small, very hardcore group of us that are devoted F1 fans, so I hope this comes to fruition.
Welcome to the conversation HobbsTC. I will gracefully as possible state that when I said "weasels" I was referring to the lobbyists working on behalf of the ISC, of course. As stated previously, if the ISC/NASCAR tries to thwart the Miami Formula One Grand Prix, they do so at their own peril as the FIA does have sway over NASCAR matters so they'd be well advised to step carefully. BHW
Quite a bit of chatter about this outside the usual circles. Lol, I'm already getting requests for passes. Most are from people I wouldn't consider car/race fans. IMO this bodes well for the event happening considering the positive buzz brewing. Fingers crossed.
Funny you should say that, I'm already getting requests for tickets too! I'm convinced the event will happen, just a few hurdles to clear first. People have to keep in mind it's not happening this October but October 2019 (although March would be the far perferable date after Sebring). BHW
I can't get too angry at Stephen Ross for two reasons: we went to the same high school, and he owns my favorite NFL team.....
Miami Herald articles: http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nascar-auto-racing/article213716809.html Residents want to block Formula One, kick out Ultra, etc... http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ODN/MiamiHerald/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TMH%2F2018%2F06%2F24&entity=Ar3E1&sk=86F1DB73&mode=text BHW