Commissioners agreed that the county dropped the ball.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Commissioner Oliver Gilbert has said the county made a mistake by waiting to negotiate with the buyer instead of the seller.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the very beginning, I told you all that we would be here doing this and it would be more expensive,\u201d he said at Tuesday\u2019s meeting. \u201cIt was nonsensical to believe that we shouldn\u2019t have negotiated with the people who owned the property versus the people who were buying the property, and so now when they make expectations of cost, we can call it unfortunate, we can\u2019t call it unforeseeable.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The fuel depot, which serves Port Miami, is at the center of lawsuits<\/a> brought by the Fisher Island Community Association and the Fisher Island Club. They sued<\/a> the county and HRP Group this year in separate lawsuits.\u00a0<\/p>\n As part of HRP\u2019s deal to purchase the property, HRP agreed to demolish the fuel bunk, remediate the land, and develop luxury condos, as well as convey 4 acres to the Fisher Island Community Association.\u00a0<\/p>\n The county is pursuing the property because if and when it is redeveloped, PortMiami customers will lose access to their primary fuel supply. \u201cThe Port Fuel Facility is essential infrastructure for PortMiami, a major economic engine of Miami-Dade County responsible for over $61 billion in annual economic impact and supporting over 340,000 jobs across South Florida,\u201d a county memo states.\u00a0<\/p>\n Attorney Jason Brooks, a partner in Buchalter\u2019s Real Estate Group, told The Real Deal if the county is successful in eminent domain, it may end up paying \u201csubstantially more\u201d than the $400 million deal that was previously on the table. The appraisal process could be the biggest source of dispute and drag on for years, Brooks added. But he thinks the county will ultimately win.\u00a0<\/p>\n The fuel depot will also require upgrades to bring it up to code, which will be costly. \u201cDoing things in the water and offshore is not exactly easy,\u201d said Brooks, who is not involved in the litigation.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cUnder the Fifth Amendment, the government can seize private property for public use as long as there is just compensation. I do think they\u2019re going to be in for a real fight because of the wealth on the island and the contract that exists,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Fisher Island is home to some of the region\u2019s wealthiest residents<\/a> and is considered one of the priciest ZIP codes in the U.S.\u00a0<\/p>\n Roberto Perez, CEO of HRP Group, has said that and characterized the county\u2019s move as an \u201cunconstitutional seizure of our property.\u201d Perez said in a statement that HRP plans to build One Fisher Island, a luxury condo project, on the island.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe only question now is how much of the public\u2019s time and money the mayor is willing to waste to obscure the numerous poor decisions her administration and the county have made for decades,\u201d Perez said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \tRead more \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Related Group, Russell Galbut part of Fisher Island team at center of fuel depot battle<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n![\"Roberto](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/MIA_Galbut-Cava-200x133.jpg\")
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