Item O8BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Meeting Date: March 21, 2012
Bulk Item: Yes X No
Division: Administrator
Department: County Administrator
Staff Contact Person/Phone #: Roman Gastesi X4441
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Approval of S5,000 funding to support the Friends of Old Seven
I1nagine07 Design Vision Collaborative project for the Old Seven Mile Bridge restoration and
preservation.
ITEM BACKGROUND: The Friends of Old Seven, Inc. non-profit group has developed a project in
conjunction with Florida International University's College of Architecture and the Arts with the goal
of developing collaborative designs to transform the areas of Pigeon Key, Old Seven Mile Bridge,
Sunset Park and Knights Key into landmarks with new public, environmental, tourist and cultural
attractions. The Friends of Old Seven, Inc. is seeking monetary and in -kind assistance to cover some
cost components of the project.
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION: The BOCC approved Resolution 283-2011 that
recognized Friends of Old Seven, Inc. as the leading partner in a joint venture that is expected to
include Monroe County and various public and private organizations to save, rehabilitate and maintain
the Old Seven Mile Bridge from the City of Marathon to Pigeon Key at the September 21, 2011
meeting.
CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES: Not Applicable
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Approval as requested above
TOTAL COST: S5,000 INDIRECT COST: BUDGETED: Yes No
DIFFERENTIAL OF LOCAL PREFERENCE:
COST TO COUNTY: S5,000 SOURCE OF FUNDS:
REVENUE PRODUCING: Yes No AMOUNT PER MONTH Year
APPROVED BY: County Atty _ OMB/Purchasing Risk Management
DOCUMENTATION
DISPOSITION:
Revised 7/09
Included Not Required
AGENDA ITEM #
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A Design Vision Collaborative Between
Florida International University's
Friends of Old Seven, Inc., College of Architecture and the
Arts
and the
Monroe County/Florida Keys Community
December, 2011
FIU, COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND THE ARTS
ARCHITECTURE & LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENTS
GRADUATE DESIGN STUDIO I SUMMER 2012
PROFESSORS: Claudia Busch (buschc ,fiu.edu) + Roberto Rovira (rovirar@fiu.edu)
PROJECT SUMMAR Y
BACKGROUND
The venerable Henry Flagler built the original seven mile bridge at the beginning of the 20th
Century, as part of the East Coast Railway and the first rail connection between Miami and Key
West. The bridge was later expanded and transformed into a highway, although it was ultimately
decommissioned for vehicular traffic once the Florida Department of Transportation determined,
for safety reasons, that it should be limited only to pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
Although the bridge has a rich history, it has fallen into disrepair and the Florida Department of
Transportation, which is in charge of its upkeep, may end up permanently closing it amid safety
consideration as well as maintenance costs.
In 2011, a group of committed residents founded "Friends of Old Seven, Inc.", a non-profit
501(c) 3 organization with the mission to save, restore and maintain the bridge with the ultimate
goal of converting it into a world -class recreational and tourist attraction facility for the entire
Florida Keys.
PROPOSED GRADUATE -LEVEL DESIGN STUDIO
The ImaQine07 design studio explores the potential transformation of the existing 2.2 mile -long
bridge section between Knights Key (City of Marathon) and Pigeon Key (Monroe County) and
immediately adjacent areas.
It is intended to develop architectural and environmental visions for the bridge and the
immediate areas of Pigeon Key, Sunset Park and Knights Key. The goal is to transform these
sites into landmarks with new public, environmental, tourist and cultural attractions.
The design studio will be held at the Miami Beach Urban Studio, located at 420 Lincoln Road. A
group of up to 15 graduate -level students will work in groups over a 13-week period and in
teams comprised by architecture and landscape architecture students, supervised by their
respective specialization professors.
Their research and expected outputs will focus on the historical, social and economic context,
ecological and structural / building technologies, environmental strategies and precedents, and
other topics. Students will develop their ideas into a series of design proposals that will be
presented and discussed with stakeholders and the overall Florida Keys community.
Students will travel to Marathon and Pigeon Key three times: First for a site visit that will focus
on gaining an initial understanding of the site; secondly to interact directly with the community
leaders and stakeholders, in order to pose questions and receive feedback on initial concepts and
impressions; and finally to present their work at the end of the course.
Student proposals are intended to catalyze possibilities for the Old Seven Bridge and its
adjoining sites. The design visions created by the studio will propose creative possibilities rather
than finished design ideas. The studio will be the first stage of a longer public debate and an
ongoing partnership between Friends of Old Seven, FIU`s College of Architecture + the Arts and
the entire Monroe County..
The final goal of the studio will be to articulate design strategies and visions for specific areas of
the bridge and its immediate areas (Pigeon Key, Sunset Park, Knights Key). Studio content will
be presented to, and discussed with, the community via "charettes", physical and online/web
exhibits, oral and visual presentations.
It is the intent of this project to involve as many segments of the Monroe County/Florida Keys
community as possible, including elementary school and high school students, local businesses
and all stakeholders and parties interested in the vision and ultimate destination of this extremely
valuable resource. Eventual products may include a book, a documentary film on the design
process, one or more brochures, CD/DVDs and web site presentations.
VISIONS FOR THE OLD7 BRIDGE
STRUCTURE
The design studio will be broadly divided into three sections in order to structure the design development.
Students will work in teams of twos, each team generally consisting of one architecture and one landscape
architecture students, all teams to be supervised by the lead faculty. All segments of the design
development will benefit from readings, guest critics, guest lectures, faculty and community presentations
and student reviews and discussions. In order to manage a rich and wide-ranging design inquiry, we will
focus the work on the following topics: Environment, tourism, leisure, ecology, density, mobility, events
(spectacle), land -strategy, development potential, control and structure.
1. SEVEN MILE BRIDGE IN CONTEXT
Goal: Understand and discuss the historical, social, political, regional and economic context of
the 7mile Bridge and its adjoining sites; investigate precedents (i.e. New York's
Highline); document the site and generate site impressions.
Sources: Site visit 1, historic photos, and documentation, maps, readings, guest lectures and
meetings with consultants
Assignment: Information rich visual diagrams charting content from the research themes; two and
three-dimensional concept models
2. DESIGN STRATEGIES
Goal: Explore specific strategies within the given site; develop program, define site extents via
schematic plans, identify constraints and opportunities; modify site impressions; assess
feasibilities
Sources: Site visit 2, case studies, lectures, community presentation, and readings
Assignment: Photographic representation of the site; diagrams articulating site strategy and program,
preliminary sketches, plans, sections, 3D of an intervention on the site; diagrams that
explore structure -environment relationships and opportunities
3. DESIGN VISIONS
Goal: Formal resolution of design proposals, development of a concrete design strategy for the
specific areas of the 2.2 mile bridge and immediate areas (Pigeon Key, Sunset Park,
Knights Key)
Sources: Review at MBUS, guest critic, case studies, lectures, group discussions and readings
Assignment: final design presentation using verbal and visual media, diagrams, plans, sections and
perspectives, publish online
4
PROJECT SCHEDULE
Week 1
05/10
Introduction Project
Week 2
05/15
SITE VISTE 1: Site Impression (one day)
05/17
Research
Week 3
05/22
Research, Group Discussion, MBUS
01/25
Research
Week 4
05/29
SITE VISITE 2: Presentation, Discussions, Lectures (two days)
05/31
Preliminary Design, Group Discussion, MBUS
Week 5
06/05
Preliminary Design
06/07
Preliminary Design
Week 6
06/12
Preliminary Design
06/14
Preliminary Design
Week 7
06/19
Preliminary Design
06/21
Preliminary Design
Week 8
06/26
MID -REVIEW AT MBUS
06/28
Final Design
Week 9
07/03
Final Design
07/05
Final Design
Week 10
07/10
Final Design
07/12
Final Design
Week 11
07/17
Final Design
07/19
Final Design
Week 12
07/24
Final Design
07/26
PRE -REVIEW AT MBUS
Week 13
07/31
Final Presentation
08/02
SITE VISIT 3: Final Presentation (one day)
5
PROJECT COSTS
Total cost is estimated at $12,50p, as follows:
• Contribution to FIU cover of 15 student's tuition -
Summer Semester
• Documentation and Publishing Materials, Brochure
Design and Printing, etc.
• Lodging, Food, Gasoline for FIU faculty and students
in support of field trips
$5,000.00 Cash
$2,500.00 In -kind
5 000.00 In -kind
Friends of Old Seven, Inc. is seeking financial assistance from interested supporters to cover individual
cost components or the entire project.
M