150 public parking spaces open in North Beach
The 67 Street garage is open, Citizens rates are down, and a Sunset Harbour restaurant is on the way.
One hundred fifty public parking spaces are now available in the garage at 260 67 Street in North Beach, with vehicles entering on 67 Street. The ribbon-cutting was held Friday, July 17. Miami Beach residents signed up for resident parking rates pay $1 per hour and nonresidents pay $2 per hour, and the garage is open 24 hours a day. Only electronic payments made through the ParkMobile or PayByPhone apps are accepted, and no cash is permitted. Residents registered in Residential Parking Zone 26 may use the garage for overnight parking on a first-come, first-served basis. The 150 spaces are half of 300 public spaces planned under a development agreement between the city and developer Terra, which intends to build the next iteration of the Deauville Hotel on the property that once housed the Deauville Beach Resort, demolished in 2022. (City of Miami Beach)
Citizens homeowners rates fell an average of 8.8%
Citizens Property Insurance is reducing rates for homeowners multiperil policyholders by an average of 8.8%, under rates set by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. Wind-only homeowners policyholders see an average 5.5% reduction, and all Citizens personal lines policyholders receive a cut of at least 2%. The new rates took effect July 1 for new policyholders and apply to existing policies as they come up for renewal. (Citizens Property Insurance)
The city's tourism marketing contract is on hold until December
Miami Beach's finance committee deferred final negotiations on a new tourism marketing contract with the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau. In its place, the committee approved a month-to-month extension of the existing deal through December 31, 2026. Structural concerns about the proposed incentive model in the new contract were flagged as the reason the overhaul was put on hold. (Miami Beach Journal)
Genghis Cohen is taking the old Sardinia space on Purdy
Genghis Cohen, the Los Angeles Chinese-American restaurant open for more than four decades, is coming to Sunset Harbour at 1801 Purdy Avenue, taking over the former Sardinia space. It will be the restaurant's first location outside Los Angeles, with an opening slated for late 2026. The menu brings longtime favorites including crab rangoon, oversized egg rolls and the restaurant's queen chicken, served alongside tiki-inspired cocktails in a retro setting. (Miami New Times)
The Bass picked an architect for its Collins Park expansion
In April, The Bass selected Los Angeles firm Johnston Marklee to lead its planned expansion in Collins Park. The new pavilion would be built on roughly 22,000 square feet currently used for parking, next to the museum's existing Art Deco building. The expansion is set to add gallery space, a patio and an outdoor event area. (The Art Newspaper)
A transit bus struck a building on Harding Avenue
A Miami-Dade County transit bus crashed into a building in Miami Beach early Monday, July 20, closing roads and prompting an evacuation. Police said the crash happened at about 4:12 a.m. in the 8600 block of Harding Avenue, and that the bus came to rest against the building at 315 86th Street. In doing so it struck the building's gas piping and caused what police described as a possible gas leak. Roads in the immediate area were closed while crews responded. (NBC Miami)
A manhole explosion injured three people and closed streets
A fiery manhole explosion in Miami Beach sent three people to the hospital and closed nearby streets on Monday, July 13. Emergency crews treated the incident as a possible explosive emergency while they secured the area. The initial report described panic at the scene and did not establish a cause for the blast. (WSVN)
A Future Cities design lab runs at The Bass today
Dream Builders – Design Lab: Future Cities is on the calendar at The Bass for Thursday, July 23. The session runs under the museum's Dream Builders programming in Collins Park. (The Bass)
Ten comedians take the Bandshell Friday night
The Comedy Vybez Festival lands at the Miami Beach Bandshell on Friday, July 24 at 8 p.m. The night pairs live music and art with a lineup of ten comedians. It is billed as an evening of laughter and soul. (Miami Beach Bandshell)
Mari Froes brings MPB to the Bandshell in September
Brazilian singer and songwriter Mari Froes is booked at the Miami Beach Bandshell for Sunday, Sept. 13. Her billing places her among the newer generation of Música Popular Brasileira. No start time has been posted for the date yet. (Miami Beach Bandshell)