Facilities and Construction Committee - Regular Meeting

Welcome to facilities for June 10, 2026. Entertain a motion to approve the minutes from 8-6.

Entertain a motion to bring the F items to the floor. All in favor? Aye. Mr. Perez, how are you? Good afternoon.

To start, I just want to let you know that there's a significant amount of pressure on us. Even though you have more items than usual, I expect us to perform.

Colleagues, any questions on F1? F2, please.

Any presentation or just a reading of the item? No, just a reading of the item. Okay. Colleagues, any questions? Dr. Banos-Mendigo? Yes, please.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is an item that is near and dear to me and my constituents. When we first began discussing the future of these downtown properties, I was very clear that this could not simply become a real estate exercise. These are Miami-Dade County Public Schools assets. and any redevelopment strategy has to begin with our responsibility to students, families, and the communities we serve. That is why I have continued to insist that I-PREP Academy remains central to this work. I-PREP has needed a real long-term solution. It is a successful school with significant potential, but we

Thank you, Dr. Benesmen. Colleagues, any other comments? I'll jump in, see no comments. Excuse me. We've been discussing this for some time, and the more we develop I'm gonna use that term, the more this advances, the more complicated it becomes, right? I mean, one of the things I was gonna ask for is some kind of infographic to keep these pieces, because now all of a sudden, it is parcel seven, it is IPREP moving to another location, it's a fire station, it's an MOU with City of Miami, And one of the things I've been consistent about, whether it's Homestead High School down south, whether it'

Can I pause? One second. Let me pause you right there for a second. So what you're saying is that without the MOU, the property that we're selling to Russell Gobbin, whatever CRA is willing to pledge, because that's a separate conversation in terms of, because it's only a portion of it, whatever incremental financing is available in the ether that they're willing to commit, whether from bond or for direct coffers that they've got, you are anticipating through Justice MOU developing that for, applying that for IPREP.

For the nine and a half acres? For the nine and a half acres. Okay, because part of the conversation is, well, we have a development agreement, or we have a sale with Russell Galveston, with Crescent Heights, right? And we can put whatever conditions we want in that agreement. And so if it's a condition on him with the CRA that those funds could be approved. What I'm seeing is this MOU is becoming like Noah's Ark, where it's supposed to carry everything, everything on it. And what I'm concerned about is that, and look, I've seen this, I've seen it happen, and by the way, Crescent Heights is an

Since I have a similar professional background to the committee chair, through the chair, always, I have some of the same questions. Now, Mr. Perez, you and I had a a long talk about this last week, and I appreciate that you took a lot of time to put kind of a supplemental memo together for me, and it was helpful. I wasn't here when this stuff was initially approved, so I'm still playing catch-up every step of the way, but let me just say clearly, because your last comment was, if this was not approved, I haven't heard any of my colleagues, nor am I saying that this should not be approved and

And what parcel is this we're sitting in?

The most important thing, look, I don't want to delay this or slow it down or have it fall apart or anything. This is a good idea. We have an asset. We're trying to maximize it, and I understand just parcel 7 is like $27 million, right? My only concern is it seems like we're delivering on a significant part of what we're bringing to the table up front right now. And as much as I want to prioritize a location for IPREP, which we're going to need desperately, and doing something appropriate to respect the name, the legacy, and the community of Phyllis Wheatley, I don't want to see us doing all t

Follow up, Mr. Chair. I don't want to take other people's time, but I would just ask, if nothing else, if it could be possible to at least include even in general language, when we describe some of these things that are gonna happen, where we talk about the 100,000, we talk about the term structured parking is used, it says elevators, it doesn't say a thing about it. If we could, I'm not asking for plans, I'm not asking for the count, but if we could at least include In this some between now and next week, not even to delay it, but if they would agree to some kind of more general language, but

Thank you, Mr. Yellen. I just want to address real quick your comment, Mr. Superintendent, and I appreciate that because I understand that there's been ebbs and flows in this conversation with changes of the board and everything else. From my perspective, the flow chart is important because there's not one way to get to IPREP. And Dr. Benos-Mendigal, forgive me for overstepping, it's your school, your district, but there's multiple ways to get to IPREP. And we should be in a position to say, yes, through this model, it'll take five years to get to IPREP. And we should be able to decide, if Dr.

Vice Chair Colucci, do you have one or two to speak? No?

Yes, but I don't know where to begin. And this is not, that's why I've been listening so closely, because this is not definitely, by any stretch of the imagination, my area of expertise. But just following along and listening, it seems like we're going into things, maybe correct me if I'm wrong, without having some sort of an idea, a plan, a framework, and I think that's what Board Member Geller was referring to when he said, you know, we don't have an idea of what we're looking at, and then I feel like we're gonna get further into negotiations And then to come back to the board, and then mayb

So through the chair, basically we're looking at four months, 180 days, correct? No, yes. 180 days is six months. Six months, yes. I'm sorry, my math is off. My brain at this time is... I know, for everyone, I assure you. So we're looking at six months now of more process, which for it to come back to the board to then decide through the chair... For me, and this is just my honest opinion, I like having, and I know you've been gracious and very helpful in communicating with me, but sometimes when I hear the questions of other colleagues that are more well versed, I am better suited to follow u

Excuse me. Yes, yeah, I don't recall anything about a fire station relocation or anything. So those are things that are, like, getting put in there before, you know. Okay, go ahead. Through the chair. You can continue.

I'm done for now. I'm just processing because it's a lot of information.

And I understand and I appreciate how complicated this is. My issue is, for example, and I know there's CRA funding to bear. If Miami goes out for its fire and police bond, there's going to be leverage, there's going to be some monies associated with that. My issue is that, for example, if you do the fire station side, you can't close down that fire station demolition until there's another one in place. Because you need a basic level of service for the area. And so, for example, if it's relying upon the future redevelopment of a building where that's gonna be incorporated in, I'm just saying,

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Glad you asked that question, Madam Chair, because I've asked that when there are meetings, I keep hearing the word we, we, we, and I'm concerned that if my parents were to have met me at the park, They asked me some of these questions. I don't know if I would have been able to answer them to the degree that you are, so I'm going to ask again. When we're having meetings that pertain to items that occur in District 2, my whole staff is in here now, and they will do the calendar bit and Say to me, honorable, you've got to go to a meeting to talk to the parents. I haven't ta

Forgive me. Okay. Well, there's information. There's some homework you guys have for us, and we look forward to receiving it before the board meeting.

Perhaps through the chair, as we go through these negotiations or you go through the negotiations, is there a way that we can be updated throughout so that we don't get to this point where we are going, well, where did this come from? Because that's six months from now. Is that possible through the chair?

Okay. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, everyone. F4, please.

Thank you. This is one of four parcels that we've been thoroughly working through in my district, and so I'm really grateful for all the work done there. I'm glad to see with this month's agenda, we'll dispose at least of three out of the four and hopefully next month the fourth so that we can, everything we're talking about, move into doing it and get these agreements in place and get shovels in the ground. Thank you.

Any other comments, colleagues? Okay, F6.

CHAIRMAN BERNANKE. Perfect. Thank you. Now F41.

I do have one comment, colleagues, if nobody else has anything. Raul, at JCB, we have the change, and again, if you don't have an answer right now, that's fine. You can get it back to me later. We had scoreboards. We had the items listed here, but there was also a conversation about inverting two rooms, the gym and the dance room, which was going to require a change to the flooring because of the way that it was poured, and that was a request from the school, and we discussed it, but Look into it and let me know.

Because I do know that the gym floor was poured, I think, like two inches lower. Yeah, there was a depression.

Okay, cool. Thank you. Colleagues, anybody else want to add 41?

Excellent. Seeing no other comments, entertain a motion for the F items. All in favor? All opposed? Any new business for my colleagues? Yes, Dr. Bernos-Mendigo.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm inquiring about 2111 Northwest 41st Street, 94. 2111. No, I don't think so. 90 Florida 331. Did anyone tell me what's happening there?

Dr. Benesmenig, will that exhaust your comments?

Just a quick congratulations on closing another five projects since last month. I want to see them all closed fast. Thank you.

We're trying, Ms. Santos. Well done, well done. Office of Community Partnership Education and Business Access. Good afternoon, Mr.

You know, Dr. Amica Roberts has the best position, because it's at the literal very end where everyone's like, ya no mas, no more, please, waving the white flag. We're going to move her to the front. We're going to move her to the first. Seeing no other business, entertain a motion to adjourn. Move it. All in favor? Aye. That concludes our meeting.