Resolution: 1250 West Avenue

For the reasons discussed below, the Board of Directors of SoBe West Neighborhood Association has determined to support the redevelopment of 1250 West Avenue by JDS Development Group. This support is conditioned upon completion by the Developer of a “Good Neighbor Agreement” with its neighbors, Monad Terrace.

Our decision to support this project has not been taken lightly. In addition to listening to the current residents of 1250 West Avenue, our focus has been on the impact to the neighbors directly affected by the redevelopment. We listened to proposals by the Developer, first presented in August 2024, and have encouraged them to engage with these neighbors and listen to their concerns. Over the course of this time, we have engaged with the City and Elected Officials and the developer. We have encouraged residents to ask questions, state concerns, and discuss the pros and cons of redevelopment. We have participated in numerous meetings with the Developer and with the City, where we pushed back on the height of the proposed building and sought maximum public benefits. 

Our support for the redevelopment is based on:

• The relief it provides to present condominium owners of 1250 West Avenue, who are also our residents.

• The public benefits that will be provided to our neighborhood. Most notably, this includes the purchase of the Bikini Hostel, which has been the single most disruptive property in our neighborhood for some time and more recently has been used as a homeless shelter bringing significant safety concerns to our residents.

• The willingness of the Developer to engage with the buildings in the immediate vicinity, listen to resident and City concerns, and adjust its proposal. This has resulted in a development with less height than surrounding buildings and an agreement to limit food operations at the redeveloped site.

Current owners at 1250 West Avenue

We support the project for the relief that it provides to present condominium owners of 1250 West Avenue, who are also our residents.  The new Condominium laws put them under severe financial distress for many significant improvements that would have been required for their welfare and safety in a building that was developed many decades ago originally as a healthcare facility, not as a condominium.  In addition, we are pleased to note that the Developer has agreed to provide renters in the building, who are also our residents, with financial assistance for their relocation.

The Public Benefits for our neighborhood

The purchase of the Bikini Hostel by the Developer is a critical Public Benefit.  Although Bikini Hostel has been a long-standing nuisance in our neighborhood, its conversion to a homeless shelter last November has created significant problems with more than 150 homeless people who are packed in rooms with numerous bunk beds and inadequate space to address their needs. Many residents have expressed fears of walking on the sidewalks of our neighborhood with dozens of homeless people loitering throughout the area.  Businesses have complained about the increase in aggressive behavior towards their patrons. We believe that a large-scale homeless shelter in our neighborhood is inconsistent with quality of life for our residents and owners of restaurants and other businesses in the West Avenue corridor. 

Contrary to what other people have suggested, we believe there is no other solution to the problems posed by the Bikini Hostel.  No one has offered any other solution because there is none. We held extensive discussions with City and Elected Officials about the homeless situation at the Bikini Hostel and they informed us that they had exhausted all potential options to deal with what had materialized there.  The purchase of the Bikini Hostel by the Developer with a humane relocation of its homeless residents is the only option available and will be a significant benefit to our neighborhood. With the input of our residents, we welcome the City’s ultimate conversion of this property to some other use.

The other major Public Benefit that will be provided by the Developer is the construction of all missing and underfunded segments of the Bay Walk along Biscayne Bay.  Once completed, our neighborhood will have a continuous pathway from Lincoln Road to the future 5th Street Pedestrian Bridge, linking our neighborhood to the walkways South of Fifth to the Beachwalk and parks throughout the City.  Although completion of these segments is on the priority list for the City’s 2018 GO Bonds, time and experience have called into question when these segments can be finished, if at all.  Completion of these segments at the Developer’s expense will enhance the vitality of our neighborhood immensely.  We have provided input to City Officials regarding how the Development Agreement should govern the completion of the segments as well as the conversion and conveyance of the Bikini Hostel property and important provisions of the Good Neighbor Agreements.  We believe this input is necessary given past experience with other projects in our neighborhood.

The willingness of the Developer to listen to our neighborhood

We note the Developer reduced the proposed height significantly during the time we expressed our concerns about the project. The height being proposed is now less than other buildings nearby, including the Waverly and Flamingo, and the density is significantly less than what exists under the current configuration. We support the height as approved by the City Commission.

SoBe West efforts during this time has resulted in an agreement by the Developer to limit food operations at the redeveloped site to daytime hours, with no alcohol, no outdoor seating and limited capacity. Without our efforts, these operations would have led to numerous nuisances for our neighborhood including unwanted noise, traffic, deliveries, additional garbage pick-ups and vermin. The Developer or any subsequent owner cannot apply for liquor or entertainment licenses, or extension of hours.

At our request, the Developer has completed a Good Neighbor Agreement with its direct neighbor to the south, Bayview Terrace. We encourage the Developer to complete a Good Neighbor Agreement with the Waverly.

Finally, we respect the Commission’s wisdom and vote at the first reading of the proposed legislation. We support and stand behind the Commission as they continue to engage in the process of making final decisions with regard to the proposed legislation and the related development agreement.