FYI Miami is a weekly feature of Miami Today, keeping readers ahead of the news. Here are highlights from the most current edition.

OF THE PEOPLE: Peoples Bank of Commerce merged with Boston Bank of Commerce and Founders National Bank of Los Angeles to create what principals say will become one of the largest Black-owned banks in the country, with assets of more than $260 million.
   Peoples, with branches in Miami and Lauderdale Lakes, is the only South Florida bank owned by African-Americans. The merger is subject to shareholder and regulatory approval. It is structured as a stock-for-stock swap with the Boston bank being the surviving entity, say spokesmen.

FILL 'ER UP: B.P. Amoco Oil Co. bought a 60,000-square-foot parcel at Flagler Street and West 24th Avenue for $1.204 million from Mainstream Partners to build a retail gas facility. Larkin Schmidt Commercial was sole broker in the transaction.

CONTAINED SPACE: Codina Construction broke ground on a new headquarters for All American Containers. The 140,000-square-foot office and industrial building is in Beacon Station at Gran Park in Medley. The company, distributors of glass, plastic and metal containers, plans to move from its present quarters at 11825 NW 100th Road late next year.

JOB GROWTH: The Miami area continues to have the slowest employment growth rate among the 20 largest cities in the state, according to September 2000 statistics just released from the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation. Miami's growth rate from September '99 to September this year was 2.6%. In that time, 25,700 jobs were added. At 5.1%, the Orlando area exhibited the highest growth among the areas included in the report.

BAL HARBOUR BOOST: Bal Harbour Village plans to market itself as a cultural tourism destination, says Councilman Jim Boggess, with the aid of consultant Patricia Peretz, who brought ballet superstar Mikhail Baryshnikov to Hollywood Beach for a program calledù"Ocean Dance 2000." Mr. Boggess said the program will focus initially on Brazil.

BUSY BOARD: Miami-Dade County will not have another scheduled commission meeting until Nov. 14. The last meeting was held in the first week of October. This latest hiatus comes after a summer-long break of vacationing and campaigning for some. Last week newly elected and re-elected commissioners gathered at Miami-Dade County Auditorium to be sworn in for another term.

ARCHITECTURE WEEK: The Miami chapter of the American Institute of Architects will host Architecture Week 2000 Nov. 1-12 in various locations throughout Miami-Dade County. Highlights include a program about the construction of the soon-to-be-built Dolphin Mall, historic tours of local sites and an architectural photography competition. The event will feature lectures by architects, including Kenneth Treister, Charles Correa and Emilio Ambasz, promoters said. Details: (305) 448-7488.