An outspoken critic of Nikki Beach, the current operator of Miami Beach’s Pier Park in the South of Fifth neighborhood, has been appointed by the City Manager to an evaluation committee.
Keith Marks, the recently appointed president of the South of Fifth neighborhood association in an uncontested election and the president of the Continuum Master Association, has been appointed to this committee which will assist in the evaluation of proposals received.
His appointment was made public in a letter to the Commission on July 13th.
On June 14, an RFP for a “high-end beach establishment” on 1.5 of the nearly 3.5 acres of Pier Park in the South of Fifth neighborhood was issued. Responses are due by August 15, 2023. The term of the new agreement would span at least 10 years, and could extend up to 30 years.
This shortened bid period of only 60 days was at the request of the City Commission.
Marks voiced his opinions about the current operator at two recent Commission meetings.
On April 28, he referred to Nikki Beach as a “horrible operation” and stated that they “should not be given any consideration.”
And at the May 17 Commission meeting, he labeled them a “30-year nightmare.”
The City Manager is expected to issue a recommendation to the Commission in the fall, potentially as early as the September 13th meeting.
The neighborhood has experienced a recent influx of high-end restaurants, with nearly 1,500 seats approved in the past year.
No alternative uses for the site are currently being considered, and the previously recommended appraisal of the land has not yet been released.
The RFP notes the city’s comprehensive plan future land use designation of the site is “Recreation and Open Space” and that the current use of the property is “non-conforming.”
The full RFP can be viewed here.