ORANGES WHICH WE CAN CERTAINLY TALK ABOUT. >> YEAH, AND WE WILL, PROBABLY.
TRENT, THANKS VERY MUCH.
MIAMI BEACH MAYOR DAN GELBER HAS
BEEN AT THE TICH THE ICEBERG AND
THE SPHERE AND THE CALL FOR
CHANGE IN THE CULTURE OF SOT
BEACH.
HE CHAMPIONED THIS CURFEW AND
JOINS US NOW LIVE, MAYOR GELBER,
GOOD MORNING, GLAD TO SEE YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> ALL RIGHT, MAYOR GELBER,
LET’S GET TO KIND OF THE BASIC
QUESTION.
SOUTH BEACH KIND OF, WE JUST SAW
THE REPORT, IT’S VERY QUIET THIS
MORNING.
PEOPLE OBEYED, IT SEEMS, THE
CURFEW FOR THE MOST PART BUT
BUSINESSES ARE ANGRY, THEY HAVE
LOST A HUGE AMOUNT OF REVENUE SO
THERE IS TRANQUILITY BUT BOY, AT
WHAT A COST.
IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED THE
CURFEW TO ACHIEVE?
>> WELL, I THINK WE DIDN’T HAVE
A CHOICE BECAUSE I DON’T THINK
REALLY YOU CAN BALANCE REVENUE
AGAINST PUBLIC SAFETY.
WE WERE TRYING VERY HARD TO
MANAGE SPRING BREAK WHICH I
THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS IS
DIFFICULT MANAGEMENT CHALLENGE.
WE HAD OVER 370 POLICE OFFICERS
OUT THAT DAY, MOST IN SOUTH
BEACH, MOST IN THIS AREA.
BUT STILL WE HAD TWO CONSECUTIVE
SNIETDS OF SHOOTINGS, FIVE
PEOPLE WERE SHOT.
AND WE WERE LUCKY THAT YOU KNOW,
THAT THEY WEREN’T-- THEY DIDN’T
DIE, WE WERE LUCKY THAT MORE
PEOPLE WEREN’T SHOT.
WE HAD SEEN UP TO THAT DAY A
HUNDRED GUNS, SINCE THEN I THINK
WE SEIZED ANOTHER 23, WHEN WE
STARTED THE CURFEW, SO YOU KNOW,
GIVEN THE FACT THAT THIS WAS
HAPPENING NOT WITHSTANDING A
HUGE CONCENTRATION OF POLICE AND
GOOD WILLIAM BAS DORS WE PUT ON
THE STREET, IT FELT LIKE WE HAD
NO OPTION OTHER THAN TO STOP THE
STATUS QUO FROM HAPPENING
BECAUSE THE STATUS QUO IS
RESULTING IN JUST SIMPLY TOO
MUCH DANGER FOR OUR GUEST, I
DON’T THINK WE HAD A CHOICE, I’M
SORRY THAT FOLKS ARE LOSING
MONEY WITH THE POST MIDNIGHT
CROWD.
BUT REALLY, YOU CAN’T BALANCE
REVENUE, RESORT ACCESS AGAINST
PUBLIC SAFETY.
>> YOU KNOW, IT’S WORTH IT,
MAYOR, TO SAY THAT MIAMI BEACH
GOVERNMENT DOES WORK YEAR ROUND
TO TRY TO PLAN FOR THIS, AND
MESSAGE FOR, THIS AND BOY DEJA
VU, IT SEEMS LIKE WE TALK ABOUT
THIS EVERY BIG WEEKEND.
YOU ABOUT I WANT TO REALLY GO
INTO THE ACTUAL ORDER THAT
DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY,
IT’S KIND OF THREE AND A HALF
PAGES OF WHEREAS, WHEREAS,
WHEREAS, BUT I THINK CORRECTLY
IF I’M WRONG, WE CAN BOIL THIS
ALL DOWN TO JUST THE HEADLINE
THAT TOO MANY PEOPLE
OVERWHELMING WHAT IS THE
AVAILABILITY AND CAPABILITY OF
LAW ENFORCEMENT.
WOULD THAT BE ACCURATE, DO YOU
THINK.
>> I THINK IT’S THAT BUT
REMEMBER NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE OUR
COPS, WE HAD A LOT OF METRO DADE
POLICE THERE, A LOT OF FLORIDA
HIGHWAY PATROL.
I APPRECIATE THE STATE SENDS
SOME HELP.
AND THIS HAPPENED ON OCEAN DRIVE
WITHIN FEET OF PATROLLING
OFFICERS WHO RUSHED IN TO THE
SCENE, I WOULD SAY, HEROICALLY,
WITH BULLETS FLYING.
NOT KNOWING EVEN WHO IS FLYING
THE BULLETS.
SO I, THAT IS JUST NOT A
SCENARIO THAT OUR CITY OR ANY
CITY, FRANKLY, SHOULD HAVE TO
ENDURE.
>> SURE, ABSOLUTELY.
SO THOSES OF US WHO ARE SORT OF
WATCHING THIS FULL TIME AND ALSO
DOING NEWS FULL TIME, THE FIRST
THING A LOT OF US THINK ABOUT
HERE IS IF YOU ARE GOING TO CALL
A STATE OF EMERGENCY FOR TWO
SHOOTINGS PUT SOG MANY PEOPLE IN
DANGER, PUTTING OFFICERS IN
DANGER, BOY ALOT OF
MUNICIPALITIES AND CITIES IN
SOUTH FLORIDA, SHOULD THEY BE
CALLING STATES OF EMERGENCY FOR
GUN VIOLENCE?
>> WELL, THIS WAS A LITTLE
DIFFERENT THAN WHAT HAPPENS IN
OTHER PLACES, IN A FEW WAYS.
NUMBER ONE, IT WASN’T LIKE THIS
HAPPENED IN A DARK ALLEY OR IT
HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHAT
HAPPENED TO AT SHOOTERS A COUPLE
OF WEEKS AGO IN FORT LAUDERDALE
WHERE IT WAS A FIELT OVER, YOU
KNOW, A GIRLFRIEND OR SOMETHING.
THIS WAS SORT OF RANDOM SHOOTING
WHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF SPRING
BREAK, DESPITE POLICE, PEOPLE
JUST WERE SO OUT OF CONTROL THAT
THIS WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT
HAPPENED.
THE MIX OF GUNS INTO THIS, HAS
REALLY CREATED A-- I DON’T THINK
IT IS COMMON IN OTHER AREAS,
THIS IS A VERY UNIQUE SCENARIO.
AND I WANT TO ADD SOMETHING ELSE
THAT I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT.
OUR SPRING BREAK, YOU KNOW, WE
DIDN’T RECRUIT IT, WE DON’T
ENCOURAGE IT, IT HAPPENS IN
SOUTH BEACH.
BUT THE AREA WHERE IT HAPPENS IS
A RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY.
LITERALLY SING FAMILY
RESIDENCES, MULTIFAMILY
RESIDENCE, THERE ARE TWO
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN THE AREA
WHERE THE CURFEW HAPPENED, RIGHT
THERE ON WASHINGTON AVENUE AND
SOUTH.
THERE ARE LITERALLY CONDOMINIUMS
WITH PEOPLE IN THEM ON OCEAN
DRIVE.
AND THAT IS A UNIQUE SCENARIO.
PEOPLE TALK ABOUT-- THEY DON’T
REALLY HAVE THAT KIND OF PROFILE
STVMENT REALLY JUST A COMMERCIAL
AREA.
THIS AREA HAS GOT SO MUCH GOING
ON THAT YOU CAN’T-- MANAGING
THIS KIND OF CROWD WITH GUNS
INVOLVED IS JUST SOMETHING THAT
WE COULDN’T ALLOW TO CONTINUE.
>> MAYOR GELBER, A REALLY
CONTROVERSIAL PART OF THE STATE
OF EMERGENCY WAS THE REACTION
FROM SOME BLACK LEADERS IN OUR
COMMUNITY, YOU’RE CERTAINLY
AWARE OF IT.
AND YOU REFER TO IT, IN THE OP
ED THAT YOU WROTE IN THE "MIAMI
HERALD" ON FRIDAY.
ONE OF THOSE LEADERS, STEVEN
HUNTER JOHNSON WHO JUST SERVED
AS THE CHAIR OF THE MIAMI DADE
BLACK AFFAIRS ADVISORY BOARD
SAID THE ONLY EMERGENCY IS THAT
BLACK PEOPLE ARE ON THE BEACH.
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THAT.
>> YOU KNOW, IT’S VERY UNFAIR T
IS DEMON STRAABLY UNTRUE, I
CATEGORICALLY REJECT IT YOU
KNOW, WE WERE TRYING TO MANAGE
THIS FOR THREE WEEKS WITHOUT A
CURFEW.
AND ACTUALLY IT WAS RELATIVELY
TAME FOR THOSE THREE WEEKS.
BUT TWO NIGHTS IN A ROW WHERE
FIVE PEOPLE ARE SHOT IS NOT, YOU
KNOW, SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK AWAY
FROM.
FIVE PEOPLE WERE SHOT DESPITE
ANYTHING HUGE CONCENTRATION OF
POLICE AND GOOD WILLIAM BASES
DORS, ALL OF OUR BEST EFFORTS,
ALL OF THE COUNTY’S BEST EFFORTS
AND STILL OVER TWO NIGHTS, FIVE
PEOPLE WERE SHOT,
INDISCRIMINATELY ON OCEAN DRIVE
BY PEOPLE WHO JUST HAD WEAPONS
AND DECIDED THAT FIRING THEM
INTO A CROWD WAS SOMETHING THEY
WANTED TO DO.
FOR WHATEVER REASON YOU KNOW F
WE REALLY WANTED A CURFEW, WE
WOULD, YOU KNOW, AND THAT WAS
WHY, WE DID IT FOR RACIAL
REASONS, WE WOULD HAVE DONE IT
THREE WEEKS EARLIER.
BUT THAT IS NOT FAIR BECAUSE WE
WERE VERY MUCH TRYING TO MANAGE
IT.
AND BY THE WAY, I MEAN ALL
I’M-- THOSE BUSINESSES THAT ARE
BEING HURT, A LOT OF THEM ARE
LOCAL BUSINESSES.
I FEEL TERRIBLE FOR THEM BUT I
FEEL MOSTLY TERRIBLE FOR FIVE
PEOPLE WHO CAME HERE FOR SPRING
BREAK AND INNOCENT BYSTANDERS
END UP IN THE HOSPITAL WITH
BULLET WOUNDS SO IT IS REALLY
UNFAIR TO SAY THIS WAS-- YOU
CAN’T PUT A RACIAL LENS ON THIS
SIMPLY BECAUSE IT’S OBVIOUS WE
DID IT THE MORNING AFTER TWO
CONSECUTIVE NIGHTS OF SHOOTING.
IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT SOLELY AND
ONLY ON BEHAVIOUR OUT OF A
CONCERN FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
I DON’T SEE HOW ANYBODY COULD
SAY OTHERWISE.
>> LET’S PUT A GEOGRAPHICAL
PERSPECTIVE ON THIS.
THE STATS SHOW, AND WE DON’T
HAVE THEM FULLY FOR THIS WEEK
YET.
BUT COMPARED TO LAST WEEK, LAST
YEAR, IT IS ON TRACK THIS YEAR
TO MATCH.
MORE THAN HALF OF THE CRIME
PERPETRATED BY PEOPLE WHO LIVE
IN MIAMI DADE COUNTY, NOT THE
VISITERS WHO COME FOR SPRING
BREAK, NOT THE PEOPLE, THE KIDS
FROM COLLEGES WHO SPEND MONEY,
WHATEVER MONEY THEY HAVE, OR
CAN, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO COME AND
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CROWDS AND
PARTIES AND CRAZY FROM THE-- I
GUESS WE CALL THEM THE CAUSEWAY
CROSSERS WHO COME AND PERPETRATE
CRIME.
AND IN FACT ONE OF THE PEOPLE
ARRESTED IN ONE OF THE SHOOTERS
IS FROM HIALEAH.
SO DOES THAT KIND OF GEOGRAPHY
AND CRIMINAL DATA CHANGE THE WAY
YOU CAN FEBLGHT POLICY TO-- CAN
EFFECT POLICY TO PROTECT THOSE
COMING FOR SPRING BREAK?
>> LISTEN, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR
AN IDEA THAT WE HAVEN’T TRIED
ABOUT HOW TO PROTECT PEOPLE
WHETHER THEY ARE FROM YOU KNOW,
WHETHER THEY ARE FROM
WESTCHESTER, FLORIDA, OR
WESTCHESTER NEW YORK, IT DOESN’T
MATTER TO ME.
WE HAVE TO PROTECT THEM IT IS A
GOOD POINT T ALSO MAKES THE
POINT THAT WE’RE PROTECTING
VISITORS, WHEREVER THEY ARE
FROM.
ALMOST NEVER IS IT A RESIDENT
WHO IS INJURED OR A RESIDENT WHO
SAY PERPETRATOR.
WE ARE POLICING OTHER PEOPLE.
THAT IS WHAT OUR CITY DOES.
WE ACCEPT THAT BURDEN BECAUSE
THAT IS SORT OF THE ECONOMIC
MODEL OF NOT JUST OUR CITY BUT
OF THE REGION.
IT IS A DESTINATION CITY.
BUT THAT’S THE PROBLEM, WHEN YOU
HAVE A SPRING BREAK TENDS TO BE
A RAUCOUS EVENT BECAUSE IT’S SO
YOUNG.
ALL THE SPRING BREAKS HAVE BEEN
LIKE THAT, THE ONES IN FORT
LAUDERDALE AND DAYTONA BEACH.
THEY HAVE ALL BEEN
CAUCUS-- RAUCOUS EVENTS, THAT
THE CITIES THAT HAVE THEM HAVE
THT WANTED THEM BECAUSE IT IS SO
LARD TO MANAGE.
BUT NOW WHEN YOU PUT GUN FLOOS
IT, IT DOESN’T MATTER WHERE THEY
ARE COMING FROM, WHETHER THEY
ARE COMING FROM HIALEAH OR
COMING FROM PHILADELPHIA.
IT DOESN’T MATTER BECAUSE IF
THERE ARE GUNS INVOLVED, IT ADDS
A WHOLE OTHER CHALLENGE FOR US.
AND THERE IS ALSO FIGHTING
INVOLVED VERY OFTEN.
AND A LOT OF THAT IS JUST TOO
DIFFICULT FOR A RESIDENTIAL
COMMUNITY TO ENDURE, EVEN WITH
AN INCREDIBLE CONCENTRATION OF
POLICING WHICH WE HAVE.
>> BUT MR. MAYOR, SOUTH OF
23rd STREET, IT IS MAINLY AN
END ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT,
CERTAINLY SOUTH OF FIFTH STREET
THERE ARE LOTS OF BEAUTIFUL, BIG
CONDOMINIUMS STRKS SNOT REALLY,
YES, I LIVED ON MIAMI BEACH
ABOVE 23rd STREET.
I LOVE LIVING ON THE BEACH.
BUT HERE’S THE POINT I WOULD
LIKE TO MAKE AND GET TO YOU
COMMENT ON.
WHETHER THERREE FROM HIALEAH OR
FROM PHILADELPHIA OR CHICAGO,
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HEARD MOST OF
THESE KIDS COME, THEY TOLD OUR
REPORTERS, OTHER REPORTERS THIS
WEEK HEY, IT’S SPRING BREAK,
ANYTHING GOES ON MIAMI BEACH.
I MEAN THEY BRING THAT
ATTITUDE-- ATTITUDE TO MIAMI
BEACH SO HOW DO YOU STOP THAT?
>> WELL, THAT’S EXACTLY
WHAT-- THAT IS WHY WE DON’T WANT
SPRING BREAK.
I MEAN PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, TO ACT
LIKE THAT SHOW THIS IS JUST LIKE
ALL THE OTHER EVENTS.
ST NOT, ST A YOUNG, RAUCOUS
EVENT.
AND YOU ARE 100 PERCENT RIGHT,
MIKE.
THEY COME HERE WITH AN IDEA
THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS LIKE THAT
IN FORT LAUDERDALE, WHERE
ANYTHING GOES.
IT SAY RITE OF PASSAGE, IS WHAT
IT IS FOR A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.
EXCEPT THAT, YOU KNOW T IS A
RESIDENTIAL AREA.
FLAMINGO PARK IS 100 PERCENT
RESIDENTIAL THAT COMMUNITY.
SOUTH OF FIFTH OF OVERWHELMING
RESIDENTIAL.
AND EVEN ON OCEAN DRIVE WE HAVE
CONDOMINIUMS WITH A LOT OF
RESIDENT THERE, AND COLLINS PARK
DOES AS WELL.
SO ALL THESE AREAS HAVE RESIDENT
THERE.
AND YET IT’S A RITE OF PASSAGE
FOR OTHER PEOPLE.
AND I ALWAYS SAY WHEN SOMEONE
SAYS YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO
UNDERSTAND IT IS A RITE OF
PASSAGE FOR PEOPLE.
MY RESPONSIBILITY IS ALWAYS THE
SAME.
DO YOU WANT A RITE OF PASSAGE ON
YOUR FRONT YARD.
DO YOU WANT THE NOISE AND THE
DRUNKENNESS AND THE CASCADING TO
FIGHTING AND THEN GUN PLAY.
I MEAN NONE OF THAT IS REALLY
ACCEPTABLE.
AND WE DON’T WANT IT, WE TRY TO
MANAGE IT THE BEST WE CAN.
WE TRY A LOT OF DIFFERENT IDEAS
TO MANAGE IT, BUT THE TRUTH OF
THE MATTER IS THAT IT IS JUST
HARD BECAUSE PEOPLE KEEP COMING
HERE NOT WITHSTANDING.
>> YOU MAYOR HAVE BEEN VERY
CLEAR ON YOUR INTENTION AND
DESIRE TO CHANGE THE CULTURE OF
THE VISITERS TO SOUTH BEACH THAT
IS SOMETHING WE WANT TO TALK
ABOUT AFTER THIS QUICK
COMMERCIAL BREAK.
STAY TUNED.
>> WE ARE BACK WITH MIAMI BEACH MAYOR DAN GELBER TALKING ABOUT THE SPRING BREAK STATE OF
EMERGENCY AND MAYOR WE WERE
TALKING ABOUT A LONGER TERM SORT
OF 30,000 FEET PLAN TO CHANGE
THE WHOLE CULTURE, GET RID OF
THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, THAT
KIND OF WENT PUBLIC IN AN
AWKWARD WAY A COUPLE OF MONTHS
AGO WHEN THESE AUDIOTAPES FROM A
MEETING THAT YOU ATTENDED WITH
SOME DEVELOPERS, FORMER MIME
MIAMI BEACH MAYOR WHERE HE
SOLICITIED DONATIONS FROM PEOPLE
WITH MONEY TO DO NAILT TO
CANDIDATES THAT THEY COULD PULL
THE CONTROLS WITH.
AND GET THINGS DONE.
YOU TOLD THEM THAT WHATEVER
GOVERNMENT NEEDS YOU WOULD
PROVIDE UPDATE THAT EFFORT FOR
US.
>> WELL, I HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS
FOR-- IN NOT JUST THAT MEETING,
EVERYWHERE I CAN FIND PEOPLE WHO
WILL LISTEN THAT YOU NEED TO GET
RID OF OUR ENTERTAINMENT ONLY
DISTRICT.
YOU KNOW, WE’RE NOT THE MIAMI
BEACH OF 20 OR 30 YEARS AGO WHEN
WE NEEDED TO ONLY HAVE ALL NIGHT
PARTIES IN ORDER TO ATTRACT
PEOPLE HERE.
WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE ART AND
CULTURE SCENE, IN LARGE PART
BECAUSE OF THE VALET, ART WITH
BASAL, ALL THESE THINGS HAVE
COME TO OUR CITY AND OF COURSE
JUST OVER OUR BORDER IS ANOTHER
CRITICAL MASS, SO WE HAVE SOLD
OURSELVE SHORT BECAUSE WE HAVE
THIS ENTERTAINMENT ONLY DISTRICT
WHEN WE CAN OFFER SO MUCH MORE
IN TERMS OF HISTORIC
ARCHITECTURE, BEAUTIFUL WEATHER,
BEACHES, SO I DON’T KNOW WHY WE
FEEL LIKE THAT IS WHAT WE SHOULD
DO, SO I HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGING
INVESTMENT IN THIS AREA AND WE
HAVE BEEN VIEWING THAT INSTEAD
OF JUST BARS ALL NIGHT LONG,
THAT WE HAVE OFFICES,
COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL,
GALLERIES, SHOPS BECAUSE I THINK
THAT’S THE DESTINATION YOU
SHOULD BE.
WE MADE SOME PROGRESS TOWARDS
THAT, THERE ARE A LOT OF THOSE
INVESTMENTS COMING TO OUR CITY.
AND I PUT ORDINANCES OUT AND WE
GOT SOME MORE PERCOLATING WHICH
I THINK WOULD ENCOURAGE THAT.
IT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN
OVERNIGHT BUT THAT IS WHAT I
THINK IS THE REIMAGINATION OF
THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT AS AN
ART DECO, A TRUE ART DECO
CULTURAL DISTRICT AND I THINK
THAT WOULD HANDLE A LOT OF OUR
ISSUES SO I BELIEVE STED OF A
COLLINS AVENUE WITH JUST
AIRBNB’S AND TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS
OF PEOPLE LOOKING TO PARTY ALL
NIGHT AND DRINK THOSE BIG DRINK,
IT WOULD BE SOMETHING, THERE
MIGHT BE OFFICERS THERE.
-- OFFICES, CONDOMINIUMS, OTHER
THINGS, GALLERIES.
BECAUSE THAT IS REALLY WHAT I
THINK OUR CITY’S PROFILE IS, AND
OUR PROFILE IN OTHER PLACES IN
OUR CITY BUT CERTAINLY NOT IN
CERTAIN AREAS OF SOUTH BEACH.
AND CERTAINLY NOT IN MARCH IN
THOSE AREAS.
>> HAVE YOU HAD, WHEN YOU HAVE
THESE DISCUSSIONS, BECAUSE THE
PROFILE OF THE ALL NIGHT
PARTYERS AND BIG DRINK DRINKERS
RIGHT NOW DURING SPRING BREAK IS
LARGELY A BLACK AMERICAN
AUDIENCE.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE THOSE
CONVERSATIONS WITH BLACK
LEADERS, HOW DO THEY HEAR THAT?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I’M NOT
TALKING ABOUT DOING IT IN MARCH.
I’M TALKING ABOUT DOING IT 12
MONTHS A YEAR, WE HAVE A YOUNG
CROWD, IN MARCH IT TENDS TO BE
HIGHLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN, THAT’S
TRUE.
BUT IT’S A PRETTY DIVERSE CROWD
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
BUT FOR ME, I THINK WHAT WE NEED
TO DO IS TO BE THE ART AND
CULTURE DESTINATION AND THAT WE
BECOME MOST OF THE TIME AND THE
ENTERTAINMENT ONLY DISTRICT JUST
DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE ANY MORE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HEAR, I HOPE
THEY HEAR IT THIS WAY, AND THAT
IS THAT THIS IS A COMMERCIAL
MIXED USE AREA, AS I TALKED
ABOUT EARLIER IN THE SHOW.
AND THAT IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE
TO HAVE AN ENTERTAINMENT ONLY
DISTRICT LIKE TO BECOME BOURBON
STREET ON THE OCEAN.
THAT JUST DOESN’T MAKE SENSE.
I HOPE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHY A
MIXED USE COMMUNITY THAT HAS A
LOT OF RESIDENTIALS AND SCHOOLS
AND CHURCHES AND SIN AGOG INS IT
DOESN’T WANT TO BE AN
ENTERTAINMENT ONLY DISTRICT.
SO IT’S NOT BASED ON ANYTHING
OTHER THAN REALLY THE USES OF
THIS AREA AND WHAT WE WANT IT TO
BE.
AND THAT’S-- IT MAKES SO MUCH
SENSE BY THE WAY, AND BY THE
WAY, I SUSPECT IF IS REIMAGINE
APPROXIMATED T IS GOING TO HAVE
AN INCREDIBLY DIVERSE
ATTENDANCE.
PEOPLE OF ALL TYPES OF PEOPLE
WANT TO BE THERE THAT IS EXACTLY
WHAT WE WANT IT IS TRUE, YOUNGER
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM
DURING SPRING BREAK BUT THAT’S
NOT RACE BASED, OBVIOUSLY,
BECAUSE EVERY CITY IN FLORIDA
THAT HAS HAD A SPRING BREAK HAS
TRIED TO STOP THE SPRING BREAK
BECAUSE MAJOR PEOPLE COMING TO
MAKE A STATEMENT AND HAVE THEIR
RITE OF PASSAGE IN YOUR
COMMUNITY JUST DOESN’T MAKE
SENSE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO THAT’S NOT OBVIOUSLY RACIAL.
WE NEED MORE OF A CULTURAL
DISTRICT AND I THINK WE CAN DO
IT.
AND WE’RE STARTING TO DO IT BUT
IT WILL TAKE TIME.
>> MAYOR GELBER, ALWAYS GOOD TO
SPEAK WITH YOU.
THANK YOU.
I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A DIFFICULT
PERIOD FOR YOU IN THE CITY.
HOPE YOU GET THROUGH IT SAFELY.
>> THANK YOU AND LET’S GO CANES.