State of the City

THE CHAMBER INVESTS & THE MAYOR’S ADDRESS

Each year at this time, the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce holds its annual investiture ceremony at the Biltmore Hotel, attended by a who’s who of the business community along with top city officials, including the mayor, vice mayor, police chief, fire chief, and the heads of most city departments. The Chamber honors various business leaders, after which the mayor swears in the Chamber’s Executive Board and then its Board Members at large.

Each year, in a now time-honored tradition, the mayor is also invited to address the assembled Chamber and dignitaries with a State of the City speech. This year’s speech by Mayor Vince Lago was remarkably positive, especially considering the current turmoil at City Hall, which he mostly avoided mentioning.

Lago began by thanking the Chamber for the honor of making his fourth State of the City address “as we stand on the brink of a new century for the City of Coral Gables.” He then recognized Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson for her service, thanked the three absent city commissioners and city manager, and acknowledged Chamber CEO Mark Trowbridge and Chair Addys Kuryla.

The mayor then gave a shoutout to the vision of city founder George Merrick in light of the city’s upcoming 100th anniversary. Merrick, he said, didn’t just create beautiful architecture, but “a city where people could live, work, learn, and thrive,” leaving today’s leadership – public and private – a legacy to “carry forward into the next century.”

Emphasizing the importance of public- private partnerships, the mayor touted the city’s 10-year program with Florida Power and Light to underground power lines in the city – something Lago spearheaded during seven years of negotiation with FPL, and which the power company will fund.

The mayor also noted the increased vibrancy of Miracle Mile, recently named by Time Out as one of the “coolest streets” in the world. This year, the Mile has been visited 3.2 million times, with visitors returning an average of three times. He noted the recent arrival of FIFA, Ryder, Apple, and the Agave Group that built The Plaza Coral Gables, and the fact that businesses pay 27 percent of city property taxes.

Lago discussed his policy of expanding parks downtown, with four new ones scheduled to come onboard – one of them a 20,000-square-foot park on Valencia at LeJeune, when the Publix there redevelops itself. “When I was elected, I realized, as a business owner… that every great city has parks… green spaces that are downtown.” While the residential areas of the city have 300 acres of greenspace, “our downtown was lacking,” he said. He spearheaded the idea of giving new buildings an extra floor in exchange for open space – such as a 10,000-square-foot park next to the new Armando Codina apartment building on Salzedo at Almeria or a 15,000-square-foot park provided by The Plaza Coral Gables project.

The mayor also touted the city’s public arts program, its advances in technology, and its triple-A bond ratings. He promised never to touch the city’s emergency reserves, and to continue to advocate for lower taxes. He then opened the floor to questions, adding, “No easy softballs.” Among those questions were:

WHAT CAN WE DO TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS IN BISCAYNE BAY?

Answer: Form a city, state, and federal alliance to fund the conversion of septic tanks to sewer lines and mitigate effluents that drain into the bay when it rains.

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PROVIDE MORE WORKFORCE HOUSING IN THE CITY?

Answer: Because of high cost of land and construction, one of the only routes is to zone for greater density of multi-family housing in north Gables.

HOW CAN WE INCREASE SAFETY FROM BREAKINS, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS NEXT TO MIAMI?

Answer: In some areas next to Miami, there have been gates installed with cameras, but the best solution is vigilant neighbors, crime watch, better relationships with police officers, and more neighborhood safety aides.


Read more about what’s happening in our City Hall article.