Last month, a committee appointed by the City of Miami Manager ranked two teams – Marina PARC and Virginia Key LLC – within five points of one another in a competition to redevelop the Rickenbacker Marina. On the surface, both teams proposed similar plans including public bay walks, ‘living shorelines,’ and revamped retail and commercial offerings. But a closer look at the two plans reveals material differences that have raised concerns about the RFP and led our team to file a formal bid protest.
At the center of the debate is a piece of land adjacent to the marina which the City deemed off-limits when setting the boundaries for the RFP. Marina PARC followed the rules and excluded this land from its plans. Virginia Key LLC failed to heed the City’s directions and instead included the land in their site.
By incorporating the excluded property in their design, Virginia Key LLC was able to plan for more commercial space, more parking and more boat storage.
The result? Virginia Key LLC’s revenue projections are artificially inflated and the legitimacy of the team’s proposal has been challenged.
If the Virginia Key LLC proposal is found to be non-compliant with the City’s development parameters, then Marina PARC could be awarded the City bid by default.
Delving into the proposals in depth would take hours upon hours, but we’ve saved you the time by breaking down a comparison of the two proposals below.
Overall, the Marina PARC plan calls for less commercial development, fewer boats, and a more realistic financial picture:
Marina PARC’s exclusive partnership with Tifon S.A., a global leader in automated boat storage, earns the distinction of being the only proposer in the Virginia Key Marina RFP that has a proven track record of designing, building, and operating automated boat storage facilities. Marina PARC’s boat storage building will be a fully-automated, LEED Gold certified structure housing 582 boats, totaling more than 20,000 linear feet of boat storage.
Automated cranes will be capable of retrieving and storing vessels of up to 40,000 pounds. Marina PARC is providing for fewer but larger slips in order to both lessen the project’s environmental impact as well as address the most under-served segment of the local marina market: increasingly larger vessels. In reducing the amount of slips, Marina PARC takes into account that other required uses such as a new public boat ramp and expanded transient dockage will draw an unprecedented amount of new vessels to the site – thus impacting the surrounding resources and adding to the permitting constraints associated with the marine development of the site.
Marina PARC has partnered with Tifon because the company is a proven leader in the automated storage space, with fully-operational facilities in Argentina already up and running – accounting for over 1500 automated dry slips. Boaters will have the option to make reservations 24-hours a day, either in person or by phone, tablet or computer. Tifon will interface with Rockwell Automation, a US publicly traded company and world leader in industrial automation that will breath life into our state of the art system.
Take a look at the future of Marina PARC’s boat slip system.
Raymond Jungles, a home-grown Miami entrepreneur, knows a thing or two about growing. Inspired by the lush beauty of Miami’s natural landscapes, Raymond has made a career out of following his passion. He is the founder of the Miami-based landscape architecture firm, Raymond Jungles, Inc. (RJI), recognized for excellence in the design and implementation of public and private sector projects. Raymond applied his lifelong passion for landscape architecture soon after graduating with a degree in landscape architecture from the University of Florida in 1981, founding the firm in 1982.
Lucky for us, he is bringing that passion to Marina PARC. He is working with us to embrace a moral responsibility for sound, sustainable environmental stewardship through the marina, by investing in the “living shoreline.” In Raymond’s vision, the entire marina will be pedestrian friendly, with open spaces and a lush native tree canopy with unfettered waterfront access.
Keep reading to learn more about what made this ‘Made in Miami’ entrepreneur the success he is today, and how Marina PARC will benefit from his passion.
Q: How did you get interested in landscape architecture?
A: I’ve always had an appreciation for natural and built environments, and landscape architecture molds both of them together. Early in my career, I was influenced by Yosemite National Park, the architecture of Luis Barragan and the gardens of Roberto Burle Marx.
Q: When you’re not at work, where can we find you?
A: My work is my passion, so what I do generally does not resemble what most would define as ‘work’. I love being onsite doing the layout, interacting with the participants, and seeing a vision come into being. I’m also very curious, so I love research, books, travel, a walk in the Grove or at Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, riding my bike. I love spending time with my wife, Gina and people I enjoy. But mostly, I’m a creator. It is what I do for work and for pleasure. As Burle Marx said, you should always “do what you like.”
Q: You could have picked anywhere in the world – so why did you choose Coconut Grove as the place to open your office?
A: I feel very comfortable in “the Grove”. It has that effect on people. Bjarke Ingels’ initial design intent was to re-Grove the Grove. It is a grove of mature canopy trees and palms. The adjacent bay, the high ground, and the public amenities. Tree covered paths and roadways, the Barnacle State Park, the Kampong, its parks, libraries, schools, churches, the parks, marinas, boat launches, Bayshore Drive, seeing my projects. The waterfront, restaurants, the sidewalk cafes, the stops, the movies. The Grove has it all.
Q: What makes South Florida’s landscape unique and how do you ensure that your projects speak to that?
A: We are at the flat end of a very large peninsula that juts into the ocean. We are surrounded by the majestic Florida Everglades, and Caribbean islands. Our sky is impressive and varied. We have a gentle climate with abounding greenery so it’s like a permanent vacation. We have clean air, for a major metropolitan area. Our gardens promote the use of native plants, creation of habitat, and conservation of the earth’s valuable resources. By using species that are encouraged to mature as nature intended, we eliminate the need for countless hours of pruning. We prefer softer, looser order of plant volumes; gardens that harmonize with local ecosystems; gardens that appear almost subversive. Built interventions are minimal and sculptural, complementing through contrast the soft plantings. Color and texture are generously applied.
Marina PARC’s living shoreline designed by Raymond Jungles
Q: What is your inspiration for the design behind Marina PARC?
A: My inspiration came from the setting. The serene boat basin, marine stadium, surrounding vegetation and dramatic offsite views make this marina one of the most remarkable sites in South Florida. Bringing residents and visitors closer to nature, creating space that is inspirational, advancing curiosity, knowledge, and appreciation of the relationship between people, nature, and art – this has been my inspiration for all of my projects and this site makes the perfect canvas for the next.
Q: How will the living shoreline incorporate into the bigger plan?
A: Planting native shoreline plant species, as well as mangroves, will enhance the habitat for indigenous flora and fauna. The new Marina PARC will be an urban laboratory for living.
