Commissioners advance a Grand Theft Auto VI marketing deal, 4-3
Plus an independent review of the stalled Five Park bridge and a three-point plan for license plate readers.
Beach chairs and umbrellas, not lifeguard stands. That is roughly the shape of the Grand Theft Auto VI marketing campaign Miami Beach commissioners voted 4-3 on September 10 to move forward with, a proposal expected to bring the city at least $3 million, according to IGN. Vice City branding could appear around the city from October 15 through December 31, though Rockstar Games would not be allowed to advertise the game during Art Basel Miami Beach in December.
Miami Beach commissioners voted 4-3 on September 10 to move forward with a marketing campaign tied to Rockstar Games' upcoming Grand Theft Auto VI, expected to bring the city at least $3 million, according to IGN.
Commissioner Laura Dominguez described the campaign as discreet: Vice City or the Roman numeral VI on beach chairs and umbrellas through the city's marketing partner, Boucher Brothers. Logos would be barred from city property, lifeguard stands among the iconic public spaces off limits, and no game advertising during Art Basel in December. Branding would run October 15 through December 31, and the game is scheduled for release November 19.
City orders an independent review of the stalled Five Park pedestrian bridge
Commissioners voted unanimously to obtain an independent assessment of whether the pedestrian bridge tied to the Five Park residences can be built. Required under a 2018 development agreement and still unbuilt, it would span the MacArthur Causeway at Fifth Street. Developers Terra and GFO Investments have concluded it cannot be built in its current design, and commissioners want the review to confirm or challenge that finding.
The city attorney said cost alone does not appear to release the developer, though the agreement allows a walk-away if no building permit can be obtained.
Commissioners keep license plate readers in place while the city negotiates with the state
City commissioners voted unanimously on Thursday, September 10 to direct officials to develop a three-point plan for the license plate reader cameras on state roads: negotiate with state officials, examine moving cameras onto private property, and strengthen privacy protections before any cameras come down.
An August 31 Florida Department of Transportation memo revoked all general-use permits for automated license plate readers on state rights of way statewide, giving agencies 30 days to remove them. Roughly half of the city's approximately 40 installed readers sit on state-controlled rights of way, per WLRN. Miami Beach is seeking an extension, and the city is due back on all three points at the October 14 commission meeting.
Monroe Hotel lands a $75.1 million recapitalization ahead of a 2027 opening
IPA Capital Markets, a division of Marcus & Millichap, arranged a $75.1 million recapitalization of The Monroe Hotel, an 89-room luxury boutique hotel underway at 3010 Collins Ave. in the Faena District. The redevelopment carries a $125.5 million price tag and is slated to open in 2027.
Nuveen Green Capital put up $44 million through C-PACE, City National Bank $24.8 million of construction debt and Midland States Bank $6.3 million in bridge financing, with PNC Bank supplying historic tax credit equity. The borrower is undisclosed.
Beach cleanup at 73rd Street on Saturday morning
- When
- Saturday, September 19 · 9:00 AM
- Where
- Miami Beach Bandshell
- Price
- Free with RSVP
The Miami Beach Bandshell hosts a beach cleanup Saturday, September 19 at 9 a.m., part of the 41st International Coastal Cleanup, led by the city's Environment and Sustainability Department and the Bandshell. The event is all ages and free with RSVP.
The lot at 73rd Street and Collins Avenue, across from the Bandshell, is no longer free at $2 per hour.
Bass Babies brings toddlers and caregivers into the museum Thursday
- When
- Thursday, September 17 · 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
- Where
- The Bass
The Bass runs Bass Babies on Thursday, September 17 from 11 a.m. to noon, a weekly art program for the museum's youngest visitors and their caregivers built around sensory awareness, creativity and pre-literacy skills. Teaching artist Paloma Duenas leads the sessions, with children working on colors, shapes, patterns, numbers and letters. The series continues September 19, 24 and 26.