Written by Miami Today on April 1, 2026
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FONTAINEBLEAU SLIDES THROUGH: Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill paving the way for several large water slides to be built at the Fontainebleau hotel in Miami Beach. The bill had been criticized by Miami Beach officials because it allows the development to move forward without being cleared by the Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board. The Miami Beach Commission had urged the governor to veto the bill. Under the measure, which took effect immediately, a “large destination resort” can skip the approval process from the Historic Preservation Board, and a local government “must administratively approve” an application for a zoning variance.
HOTEL OUTLOOK BRIGHT: Miami-Dade is expected to see about 1,200 new hotel rooms this year, nearly as many as in the past three years combined, a market report from brokerage Marcus & Millichap says. Despite the added room supply, the firm expects occupancy to hold at last year’s 73.9% level as demand grows, much of it spurred by foreign travelers, and significant traffic related to the World Cup matches being held here. The report sees the fifth-fastest daily room rate increase in the nation, reaching $230.37, while revenue per available room reaches $170.20, also the nation’s fifth-fastest growth. In all, the firm sees hotel demand here rising 4.6%. The weaker U.S. dollar is expected to help propel the demand from abroad.
SILVER BLUFF SLOWDOWN: The City of Miami is working to modify traffic flow at 26 locations in the Silver Bluff area as it studies and then enacts traffic calming, safety improvements and movement restrictions. The total cost will exceed $7.8 million, the Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust was told. The aim is to control cut-through traffic in the area under an agreement that county commissioners approved unanimously in November, said Charles Alfaro, assistant director of the city’s Department of Resilience and Public Works. The accord allows the city to add traffic-calming devices using pre-approved designs without having to get specific county approval each time. Silver Bluff is between Southwest 27th and 12th avenues, bordered by U.S. 1 to the south and Coral Way to the north. The neighborhood encompasses just over a half square mile and is mostly single-family homes.
JOBLESS FILINGS DIP: First-time jobless applications in Florida have dropped slightly, according to U.S. Department of Labor figures, with 5,224 initial unemployment applications filed the week of March 21, down from 5,450 the prior week. The state has averaged 5,436 new claims a week since mid-November.
These are some of the FYIs in this week’s edition. The entire content of this week’s FYIs and Insider sections is available by subscription only. To subscribe click here.