SoBe West July Newsletter - July 13, 2026
IN CASE YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THIS YET: Local VFW 650 West Avenue & MB Garden Club recently installed a raised flower garden in Canopy Park in recognition of Blue Star & Gold Star Memorial. Nice job!
SOBE WEST COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER - July 12th, 2026
Dear Local Residents and Small Businesses,
We hope you’re all having a great summer and enjoying the energy of FIFA in our wonderful city. Please find below an important community update and a resident social announcement.
Regards,
SoBe West Board
ANNOUNCEMENTS/NEIGHBORHOOD UPDATES
CAFECITO WITH THE COPS: Come join SoBe West, Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce, and MBPD for complimentary “Cafecito with the Cops.”
When: Wednesday July 15th from 9 – 10 AM
Where: Pura Vida, 959 West Ave. (Thank you Pura Vida for hosting.)
PUBLIC MEETING - 5TH STREET PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE: The City of Miami Beach Public Safety and Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee (PSNQLC) and Finance and Economic Resiliency Committees (FERC) will hold a public meeting ’s will hold a public meeting to discuss the feasibility of replacing the planned 5th Street Pedestrian Bridge with an over water connection linking the Baywalk south of 5th Street with the Baywalk north of 5th Street. Residents are encouraged to attend either in person or via Zoom.
When: Wednesday July 15th from 9 – 12 noon
Where: Miami Beach City Hall, 1700 Convention Ctr Dr, 3rd floor or view via the PSNQL Committee Zoom link by clicking here.
Background/History
As part of the Development Agreement for the 5 Park project, TCH Alton, LLC (the project’s developer) committed to designing, permitting, and constructing a pedestrian bridge spanning 5th Street and West Avenue to connect the Baywalk south of 5th Street with the 5 Park site and the Baywalk north of 5th Street.
As described in this March 30, 2026 post on the SoBe West website, the developer has experienced a series of delays in constructing the bridge, most recently due to the presence of duct banks housing FPL transmission lines, which prevent drilling necessary to install the bridge’s foundation on the 5th Street span.
Purpose of Meeting: Given these engineering challenges, SoBe West has asked the PSNQLC and FERC to consider the possibility of an overwater route as an alternative solution which may provide a safer, and/or more cost-effective solution. Topics to be discussed:
Engineering feasibility of an overwater connection as an alternative to the bridge;
Permitting considerations, including state and federal regulatory implications;
Potential impacts on navigation, shoreline protection, and the Baywalk system;
Comparative cost estimates; and
Timelines for construction.
WEST AVE PHASE 2/LINCOLN ROAD UPDATE: As the contractor was about to start working on the harmonization and raising of the streets on the northern part of Bay Rd, several unknown connections from private properties to the City storm water drainage system were discovered.
As of now, at least 11 of these connections have been identified. We are expecting this pattern to be similar with the rest of West Avenue Phase 2 and the project team will address the issue accordingly to prevent further delays.
The regulating county agency (formerly known as DERM) asked the construction team to find out the origin of each of these previously unknown connections as the water collected through the system will end up in the Bay. A smoke test at each affected private property will be needed to confirm that none of these connections are delivering polluted water to the storm water and the bay. The county agency will make the determination per property to see if these connections can be maintained as is or will require additional filtration.
A separate agreement between the City of Miami Beach and the contractor is required to handle this additional work. Both parties came to an agreement in principle about how to move forward but the formal agreement is still not finalized.
The project team already scheduled site visits at several private properties to try to identify the origin of these unknown connections.
The team is also planning on moving forward with the remaining part of the storm water system in the 1400 block of Lincoln Rd and on Lincoln Ct probably as soon as next week (week of July 20).
The harmonization and raising of the streets originally scheduled to start with the dead end of Bay Rd on the canal is likely to shift to start with the West End of Lincoln Rd (sea wall area) and move eastward.
Following requests from SoBe West neighborhood association, the contractor is going to address low points at the intersections that prevent pedestrians from crossing the streets after a rain event.
SoBe West also requested to speed up the process so that parking spaces in the street and in existing lots could be reopened to the residents as soon as possible.
We would like to thank developer David Berg and his team who agreed to allow the use of the old Epicure site to free up space for the contractor and help release valuable parking spaces to the residents.
Several SoBe West board members met with the project team regarding the improvements scheduled for the sea wall, which is going to be raised according to new regulations. The final height of the sea wall is expected to go up by a little less than 3 feet. As Lincoln Rd and the Parklet will also be raised, the difference of elevation between the sea wall and the parklet/Street elevation will not be as substantial.
This part of West Avenue Phase 2 (Segment 2 and 3) was supposed to be finalized by last month. The delays encountered, including the unknown connections mentioned above, will likely result in a finish date later on this fall.
Unfortunately, the reopening of West Avenue between 16th Street and 17th Street is going to have to wait until the signalization at the Lincoln/West intersection is finalized with new support poles and the street is raised. Some of the connections to underground work have been raised to meet the future street elevation and will not allow temporary car traffic. This will most likely not take place until Lincoln Rd is fully harmonized with the new elevation.
CANOPY PARK HOMELESS/LANDSCAPING UPDATE. Feedback from MBPD along with residents responding to the survey has been positive. Special thanks to Officer Rodriquez, Captain Lozano, Park Rangers, MB Homeless Outreach team, and SoBe West board member Valerie Navarrete for their collaborative efforts towards addressing this community issue. Additional information on this topic can be found in the SoBe West June Newsletter.
Additional Canopy Park landscaping and mulching was completed recently per SoBe West request. Thank you, MB Parks Department team, for your efforts here. Next up is new sodding.
Also, the MB Green Space Management Division will be cleaning and pruning landscaping at the 10th & West Ave Parklet.
Front view of proposed Bank of America building located at 1414 Alton Road.
Rear view of proposed Bank of America building located at 1414 Alton Road.
PROPOSED PLANS FOR NEW BANK OF AMERICA ON ALTON RD: Bank of America proposes to replace and redevelop the existing ageing building with a new modern two-story bank building consisting of 8,294 square feet and two drive-through lanes. The proposed design will enhance the site's integration with the surrounding pedestrian environment by eliminating the existing wide driveway along Alton Road and relocating all vehicular access to Alton Court.
Demolition of existing 6,007 square foot bank building from 1974
Construction of new 8,294 square foot two-story bank branch
Installation of two drive-through lanes
Relocation of vehicular access from Alton Road to Alton Court
Installation of four signs including building identification sign, two wall signs, and one detached sign
Landscaping with native and Florida-friendly plants
Implementation of storm water retention systems
Installation of hurricane-proof impact windows
Click here to learn more.
REMINDER –PLEASE USE MIAMI BEACH GOVERNMENT APP TO REPORT AND TRACK NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES: This a friendly reminder that all businesses, condo buildings, and homeowners are responsible for maintenance and upkeep of the grassy median between the street curb and sidewalk in front of your property. Your assistance and regular scheduled upkeep would assist our neighborhoods’ appearance. Overgrown grass, trash, and landscaping debris is not acceptable, and Code Compliance will provide a citation for ongoing issues. See picture below for an example of debris that should not be placed there.
Also, if you see any trash or maintenance issues in the public right of way, please download and use the Miami Beach Gov (MB eGov) app for reporting. Here is the link to download:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/miami-beach-gov/id883739690
About the Miami Beach Gov (MB eGov) app: It is especially useful when:
Reporting issues such as potholes, graffiti, broken streetlights, illegal dumping, code violations, and park maintenance concerns (with photos and GPS location).
Tracking the status of service requests after they’re submitted.
Viewing Miami Beach trolley locations in real time.
Checking beach conditions and weather-related information.
Watching MBTV live and accessing city news.
Viewing city commission and board meeting calendars.
Paying certain city fees and invoices.
Example of landscaping debris left in a grassy median that violates local code.