Government

Government

City Approves Ocean Drive Closure for FIFA World Cup 2026

The Miami Beach City Commission on March 18, 2026, approved a resolution directing the administration to close Ocean Drive to vehicular traffic during the FIFA World Cup 2026 games in Miami. The resolution, sponsored by Commissioner Monica Matteo-Salinas and co-sponsored by Commissioners Joseph Magazine and Tanya K. Bhatt, stems from a February 20, 2026, Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee recommendation.

Journal Staff Mar 22, 2026

Government

City Expands "Forever Proud" Banners, Adds Israeli Flag Initiative

The Miami Beach City Commission voted 7-0 on March 18, 2026, to expand the "Forever Proud" lightpole banner initiative into additional corridors within the Art Deco Cultural District, while also directing staff to explore a companion banner program featuring Israeli flags near the Wolfsonian museum. The item, R7K, was sponsored by Commissioner Alex Fernandez and co-sponsored by Commissioners Laura Dominguez, Monica Matteo-Salinas, and Tanya K. Bhatt.

Journal Staff Mar 22, 2026

Government

City Commission to Explore Naming Rights Deals for Capital Projects

The Miami Beach City Commission is set to discuss naming rights opportunities for city facilities and public spaces as a potential funding mechanism for unfunded and underfunded capital projects at its March 18, 2026 meeting. The item, designated R9X, is sponsored by Commissioner Monica Matteo-Salinas and applies citywide.

Journal Staff Mar 18, 2026

Government

City Board to Weigh Seawall Variance for Flood-Prone Property

The Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board is scheduled to consider a variance request from Zachariah Cohen of ZCLL IX LLC for the property at 1835 Michigan Avenue, a 1931 Med-Revival single-family home in the Palm View Historic District. The applicant seeks to repair the existing seawall while maintaining its current elevation of 4.48 feet NGVD — more than a foot below the city's minimum required height of 5.56 feet NGVD.

Journal Staff Mar 12, 2026

Government

Miami-Dade Seeks Approval to Replace 11 Venetian Causeway Bridges

Miami-Dade County's Department of Transportation and Public Works is seeking a Certificate of Appropriateness from Miami Beach's Historic Preservation Board to demolish and replace 11 of 12 bridge structures along the Venetian Causeway, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The application, designated HPB25-0681, is scheduled for review at the board's March 17, 2026 meeting as Item 5.

Journal Staff Mar 12, 2026

Government

Miami Beach Moves to Direct $7,500 in Private Philanthropy Toward Senior Bingo Programs at Four Residential Communities

A $10,000 donation from a prominent real estate billionaire's foundation could soon translate into expanded recreational programming for elderly Miami Beach residents — but questions linger about how the remaining funds will be allocated and whether the distribution formula is equitable across all participating communities.

Journal Staff Mar 12, 2026

Government

Miami Beach Eyes $8.4M Contract to Replace Aging Marine Patrol Hub — But Is the City Getting a Deal?

When Miami Beach's City Commission convenes on March 18, 2026, one of the more consequential capital improvement decisions on the table involves the future of the city's Marine Patrol operations — a project that would demolish and replace a decades-old, 2,500-square-foot facility with a modern, three-story complex nearly four times its size.

Journal Staff Mar 12, 2026

Government

City Commission Eyes Artificial Turf for Two North Beach Dog Parks

The Miami Beach City Commission is set to consider a referral directing the Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee (FERC) to evaluate replacing natural grass with artificial turf at two North Beach dog parks. The item, sponsored by Commissioner Tanya K. Bhatt, targets Allison Park Dog Park and the dog park at the intersection of Rue Vendome, Biarritz Drive, and Brest Esplanade.

Journal Staff Mar 12, 2026

Government

Miami Beach Moves to Formalize 25 MPH Residential Speed Limits — But a Critical Agreement Has Been Missing for Years

Nearly seven years after Miami-Dade County first approved slower speeds on Miami Beach's residential streets, city officials are finally seeking to put the legal framework in place that should have preceded the signs already posted on neighborhood corners across the island city.

Journal Staff Mar 12, 2026

Government

Miami Beach Commission Set to Vote on "Pride Street" Co-Naming, Expanding City's Street Designation Criteria

A stretch of 12th Street between Washington Avenue and Ocean Drive could soon carry a second name — "Pride Street" — if the Miami Beach City Commission approves a proposed ordinance at its March 18, 2026 meeting. But the path to that symbolic designation requires something more fundamental: rewriting the city's own rulebook on how streets get named in the first place.

Journal Staff Mar 12, 2026

Government

Press Conference Tuesday to Announce Spring Break Safety Plans

The City of Miami Beach will hold a press conference Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. at Police Headquarters to unveil its Spring Break safety measures and event plans for March. Mayor Steven Meiner, city commissioners and police officials will join representatives from the Miami-Dade County Sheriff's Office to outline coordinated public safety efforts.

Journal Staff Feb 23, 2026

Government

City Considers Historical Marker for Parish Centennial

The Miami Beach City Commission will consider a resolution directing city administration to apply for a state historical marker commemorating the 100th anniversary of St. Patrick's Catholic Parish. Commissioner Alex J. Fernandez is sponsoring the measure, which would honor the parish established in 1926 as Miami Beach's first Catholic church.

Journal Staff Feb 19, 2026