Allen Morris Company and City of Miami Advance $5 Million Kirk Munroe Park and Fuller Street Improvements

Allen Morris Company and the City of Miami are advancing a $5 million investment in Coconut Grove’s public spaces, bringing new landscaping, recreation areas and pedestrian improvements to Kirk Munroe Park and Fuller Street. The company has announced City approval of the final design plans. The public-private initiative pairs a $3 million City commitment with $2 million in public benefit contributions from Allen Morris Company, according to the announcement shared November 2. Construction is scheduled to begin in January 2027, with completion anticipated in the first quarter of 2028.

The City’s contribution will come through its Capital Improvements Plan under an initiative led by District 2 Commissioner Damian Pardo. Allen Morris Company will serve as development manager, overseeing design, permitting and construction in coordination with the City. Kirk Munroe Park will remain publicly owned and operated by the City of Miami and accessible to residents and visitors.

Portuondo Perotti Architects and Naturalficial Landscape Architecture are leading the design, with Rafael Portuondo and Andres Arcila directing their respective teams. Plans call for more than 100 new native trees, the preservation of mature trees and the park’s banyan, and native oolitic limestone incorporated into architectural and seating elements.

“The strongest communities are shaped by the quality of their public spaces,” said W.A. Spencer Morris, President of Allen Morris Company.

The recreation program includes refurbished tennis courts, two tennis shelters, a hitting wall, a playground and a fitness area. An ornamental pavilion and great lawn will provide gathering space for everyday use, cultural performances, educational activities, wellness classes and community events. New paths, upgraded crossings, enhanced lighting, buried power lines and other infrastructure work are intended to improve accessibility and connections through the park.

Naturalficial is developing the planting strategy with guidance from Dr. Chris Baraloto of Florida International University’s Institute of Environment. Alongside habitat creation and native and adaptive planting, the collaboration will include an educational component focused on the park’s vegetation and ecology.

Fuller Street is planned as a permanent curbless, pedestrian-oriented shared street, with new paving, landscaping, seating and lighting. A suspended paving system is intended to protect the mature tree canopy. According to the announcement, the team has worked with existing businesses on outdoor seating, storefront access and day-to-day operations.

The combined improvements are intended to connect the park, Coconut Grove Elementary School, nearby shops and restaurants, surrounding neighborhoods and the waterfront.

Renderings via Allen Morris Company / Kreps PR.

Inside The Vision to Transform Rickenbacker and Marine Stadium Marinas On Miami's Virginia Key Into A Publicly Accessible Waterfront Destination

Nearly a decade after the City of Miami held a competitive public process to revitalize its aging marinas on Virginia Key and create more access to Biscayne Bay, Miami voters will have the opportunity to move that vision forward this November. The proposal by Virginia Key LLC — a joint venture between RCI Group and Suntex Marinas — would transform approximately 27 acres encompassing the Rickenbacker and Marine Stadium Marinas into a modern, environmentally responsible waterfront destination for all. The plan replaces aging infrastructure, improves marina operations, restores the property as a public asset, and activates the Biscayne Bay waterfront as a destination for residents and visitors.

Virginia Key LLC would fund more than $80 million in improvements through private investment – with no taxpayer dollars needed – and the Rickenbacker and Marine Stadium Marinas would remain City-owned. Public benefits include:

• Over 1,200 linear feet of landscaped waterfront promenade, giving Miami residents and visitors more access to Biscayne Bay.

• Public space to walk, run, bike, paddle, and enjoy Virginia Key – whether or not you own a boat.

• Additional waterfront dining options that will welcome families year-round.

• Improved access to water recreation, with opportunities to paddle, row, gather, and enjoy more of Virginia Key.

• More shade trees and landscaping, including an expanded tree canopy and improved pedestrian areas.

• A new, modernized marina, including 750 dry slips and 202 wet slips, upgraded boater amenities, indoor hurricane-rated dry storage and improvements to replace aging facilities.

• Environmental and resiliency improvements, including a commitment to pursue Florida Clean Marina designation and LEED-certification.

From a Marina for Some to a Waterfront for All

Virginia Key LLC’s plans to revitalize the Rickenbacker and Marine Stadium Marina property date back more than a decade through two competitive City procurement processes. In 2017, the City of Miami issued a public RFP seeking proposals to redevelop and operate the property. A City selection committee ranked Virginia Key LLC — the RCI Group and Suntex Marinas team — as the top-ranked proposer and the City Manager approved the recommendation. After years of litigation, the courts ordered the City to place Virginia Key LLC’s proposal before Miami voters. Most recently, a Miami-Dade Circuit Court judge rejected an effort by the current operator of Rickenbacker Marina and others to block the November referendum.

RCI and Suntex bring decades of experience developing, improving, and operating marinas in Florida, as well as a track record of managing publicly owned facilities. Their South Florida portfolio includes Miami Beach Marina, Bayshore Landing, Bahia Mar, and Haulover, with marinas in their portfolio meeting Florida’s Clean Marina standards — unlike the current operator, whose Rickenbacker Marina is not designated as a Florida Clean Marina. That experience gives the team the expertise and resources needed to deliver significant upgrades long envisioned for Virginia Key.

RCI Group has been family-operated for more than 50 years and is led by boating enthusiasts Robert Christoph Sr. and his son, Robert Christoph Jr. Since establishing a Miami presence in the 1980s, the company has played a hands-on role in developing and managing residential, commercial and marine properties across the U.S., including five marinas in Florida.

“My best memories growing up involve being on the water with my family. Biscayne Bay is special, but there are too few places in Miami where families can truly connect with the water. It’s time to open more access to the Virginia Key waterfront,” said Robert W. Christoph Jr., president of RCI Group. “For decades, this incredible public asset has been underutilized and difficult for many Miami families to fully enjoy. We have an opportunity to change that with more than $80 million in improvements funded entirely by private investment — not a single dollar from Miami taxpayers. Our team will create a destination where families can walk along the bay, friends can meet for lunch, and people can kayak, paddleboard, or simply enjoy the view.”

Suntex Marinas is one of the nation’s largest owners and operators of marinas, with more than 30 properties in Florida. The company specializes in the development and management of marinas, with extensive experience investing in and revitalizing publicly owned properties.

“As a City of Miami resident, I know how blessed we are to have Biscayne Bay in our backyard,” said David Filler of Suntex Marinas. “Virginia Key should be a place where more people can enjoy that waterfront. The Rickenbacker and Marine Stadium Marina should be world-class and accessible, rather than off-limits, outdated, and underutilized. Our plan will create a place where families, residents and visitors can enjoy the bay, walk the waterfront, and experience Virginia Key. The marina will remain the anchor for our project, with the waterfront becoming accessible to far more people than it is today.”

1,280 New Jobs and More Than $200 Million in Revenue for the City of Miami

If voters approve the referendum, Virginia Key LLC will enter a 45-year lease with the City of Miami that will generate significantly more revenue for the City. The agreement guarantees Miami at least $2.2 million in annual base rent — more than six times the current operator’s base rent. In addition, the City will receive 6 percent of all gross revenues generated by the improved Rickenbacker and Marine Stadium Marina, bringing projected annual rent to approximately $3.8 million — more than double the current rent. Over the initial 45-year term, Miami will receive more than $200 million in revenue, while the project will create 1,280 jobs during construction and long-term operations.

The November ballot language reads as follows:

Shall City lease approximately 27.62 acres on Virginia Key to Virginia Key, LLC, for:

• 45-year initial term with two 15-year renewals;

• Minimum annual guaranteed rent to City of $2,200,000 (with escalations) totaling approximately $203,980,000 over the initial term plus 6% of gross revenues;

• Approximately $80,000,000 privately funded investment to redevelop existing Rickenbacker and Marine Stadium Marina in an environmentally sensitive manner, including boat storage, restaurants, retail, and public parking?

Past PROFILEmiami articles about Suntex Marinas & Virginia Key:

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Adler Group's Nexus Riverside Mixed-Use Multifamily Approved In Downtown Miami

Adler Group’s mixed-use Class-A multifamily project Nexus Riverside has been approved by Miami’s Planning & Zoning Department. Located at 230 SW 3rd St., Nexus Riverside will be a multi-phase project in which Phase 1 will feature 428 apartments units, 278,379 square feet of office, 4,000 square feet of retail and 1,307 parking spaces. The office component will be used by the City of Miami and will replace their existing adjacent Miami Riverside Center. The residential tower will rise 38-stories, 430’, and the office tower will rise 20-stories.

The multifamily component will offer residents over 40,000 square feet of amenity space split between two amenity decks. Amenities include an oversized rooftop pool providing 360° unobstructed views of the Miami skyline, a state-of-the-art fitness center with on-demand training and a yoga/spin room, a social club, media lounge, game room, co-working-style business center, and a meditation garden.

Adler Group is currently awaiting their construction permit which they initially applied for in December 2020 to commence construction.

Some Outraged Downtown Residents Have Made A Move Against The City of Miami For Ultra & Formula 1 Proposal

Not everyone can always be happy, no sooner then Miami had made strides on the world stage to host the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix in the streets of Downtown Miami, had a group of 11 residents moved against the city. Some Downtown Miami residents have teamed up and sought legal council combatting the city hosting Ultra Music Festival in Downtown's Bayfront Park and the city's bid to bring a Formula 1 race to the streets of Downtown and PortMiami as early as October 2019. The residents, who live in 50 Biscayne and Epic, have sent a Cease and Desist letter to the city. The proposed 2.57-mile course would run through Downtown Miami's Biscayne Boulevard, American Airlines Arena and PortMiami. The letter alleges that both the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix and "mega events" such as Ultra Music Festival and Rolling Loud Festival, all violate the City of Miami's noise ordinance, which in turn negatively affects the health of nearby residents and their property values. 

Ultra Music Festival has garnered much attention for the city of Miami, helping aid to boost property values and tourism. If looking at cities such as Monaco, property values on the race course have been boosted by popularity and a condo-hotel such as Epic benefits greatly from major events in near proximity. The noise ordinance clause has been used against other Downtown venues including the nightclubs behind Marquis Residences, Ten Museum, One Thousand Musuem, 900 Biscayne and Marina Blue. The difference between the two cases is one targets events which bring millions of dollars of benefit to the city and its taxpayers, typically operating during the day, while the clubs in question operate at late night hours with resident complaints coming between the hours of 2 am and 6 am with private prosperity. 

Ultra Music Festival was sold out in 2018 with a record-breaking attendance of 165,000 and over 30 million online streams. Ultra Music Festival is renegotiating their lease for hosting the festival in Bayfront Park, with Miami commissioners asking for rent to rise to $2 million. Ultra Music Festival currently pays around $1 million annually to host the festival at the site. Formula 1 does not yet have a deal in place, although city commissioners approved the race in a unanimous 5-0 vote in May 2018. Formula One has 500 million global fans and currently hosts 21 races across five continents which are broadcast to over 1.8 billion viewers. Hosting a Formula 1 Grand Prix's economic impact on Montreal is around $65 million and Formula 1 claims the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix could produce over $700 million annually for the city. Set-up time could take up to 3 months while clean up would take 2-3 weeks. The city expects to be sued over the matter.