![\"Virginia](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Grant-col.-Virginia-Key-Renderings-07-Boardwalk-m.jpg\")
Rendering of proposed Virginia Key development boardwalk<\/p>\n Rendering of proposed Virginia Key development boardwalk<\/p>\n
City of Miami voters will be asked on Nov. 3 to decide the future of Virginia Key. Question No. 3 on the ballot asks voters to approve a development on public land next to Miami Marine Stadium.<\/p>\n
The plan calls for a public waterfront path, outdoor gathering areas, public parking, restaurants, retail, improved boat ramps and launches, wet slips, dry storage and upgraded marina facilities.<\/p>\n
Let me tell you where I stand. Miami Community Newspapers supports this proposal and recommends voting \u201cyes\u201d on Nov. 3.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t say that lightly. We have looked at the numbers, looked at the proposal and looked at what Miami gets out of the deal. My conclusion is simple: Virginia Key needs investment; it needs improvements, and it needs a long-term plan. This proposal provides all three while the City of Miami keeps ownership of the land. To me, that is a deal worth supporting.<\/p>\n
I have been covering Miami for more than 40 years. I have watched this city change dramatically. I have watched neighborhoods change, businesses come and go, and I have watched Miami become one of the most important cities in the country. I have also seen something else over those years \u2014 Miami can take forever to get things done.<\/p>\n
We talk. We have meetings. We have studies. We have lawsuits. We have arguments. And sometimes, years later, nothing has changed. I don\u2019t want Virginia Key to become another one of those stories.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s start with the biggest misconception. The City of Miami is not selling Virginia Key. The city keeps ownership of the approximately 27.6 acres of waterfront. What changes is the operator and the investment. The proposal calls for approximately $80 million in private investment into city-owned property. That is private money, not taxpayer money. It\u2019s not another city-funded construction project. Someone else is putting up the money to improve a city asset. In today\u2019s Miami, where every taxpayer dollar matters, I think that deserves serious consideration.<\/p>\n
And Miami gets substantially more money in return. The current operator\u2019s guaranteed base rent is approximately $360,000 a year. The new proposal guarantees at least $2.2 million a year, with annual increases. The city also receives 6 percent of gross revenues. Based on projected revenues, the initial annual rent is estimated at approximately $3.8 million.<\/p>\n
During the first 45 years, the city is guaranteed approximately $204 million in rent \u2014 before the percentage rent is added. Those are not small numbers. That is real money going into the City of Miami.<\/p>\n
Now let\u2019s talk about the \u201cgiveaway\u201d argument. I have heard it. I have read it. And I think voters need to look past the political language and look at the actual numbers. Yes, the procurement process started years ago. But the market valuation did not.<\/p>\n
The city commissioned an independent appraisal in 2026. The appraisal found that the proposed annual rent of approximately $3.516 million was 4.7 percent higher than the appraiser\u2019s market-rent conclusion. That is above market.<\/p>\n
So, when someone says this is a below-market giveaway, I have a simple question: Where is the evidence? Because the independent appraisal commissioned by the city doesn\u2019t say that. It says the proposed rent is above the appraised market value.<\/p>\n
And let\u2019s put the rent increase in plain English. The existing guaranteed base rent is approximately $360,000 a year. The proposed guaranteed base rent is at least $2.2 million. That is more than six times the current guaranteed amount. Then you add the percentage rent. Then you add the annual increases. Then you add approximately $80 million in private improvements to city-owned property. You do not have to be a financial expert to understand that the city is getting substantially more out of this property than it gets today.<\/p>\n
The long-term lease expired in 2016. Ten years ago. Since then, Virginia Key has continued under a short-term arrangement based on an outdated agreement. I keep coming back to that because it matters. Ten years is too long.<\/p>\n
How much longer are we going to wait? Another five years? Another 10? At some point, you must stop asking what might happen and decide what should happen. Somebody is willing to make an approximately $80 million private investment. That\u2019s an opportunity Miami should not casually throw away.<\/p>\n
And I don\u2019t want to hear that improving Virginia Key means taking it away from the public. That is not what this proposal does. The city keeps ownership. The plan calls for a public waterfront path, outdoor gathering areas, public parking, restaurants, retail, improved boat ramps and launches, wet slips, dry storage and upgraded marina facilities. I want families there. I want residents there. I want boaters there. I want paddlers there. And I want people who do not own a boat to have a reason to visit Virginia Key and enjoy the waterfront.<\/p>\n
The Rusty Pelican is outside the proposed lease area and would remain in place. Project proponents have also said they want Gramps Getaway to remain part of the improved waterfront destination. That is the kind of Miami waterfront I want to see \u2014 active, accessible and welcoming, with businesses and public spaces working together.<\/p>\n
Now let\u2019s talk about a \u201cno\u201d vote. Because voters need to understand what \u201cno\u201d actually means. It means this proposal is rejected. It does not mean another $80 million investment is waiting around the corner. It does not mean a better financial agreement automatically appears.<\/p>\n
It means the city still needs to figure out what comes next while the property remains under a short-term operating arrangement. Maybe something better comes along. Maybe it doesn\u2019t. But after 10 years, I\u2019m not interested in another decade of \u201cmaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
I have spent more than four decades in the community newspaper business. I have learned that you must ask tough questions, look at both sides and then decide.<\/p>\n
I believe this proposal is good for Miami. The city keeps the property and gets substantially more guaranteed revenue. The city receives a percentage of revenues. And approximately $80 million in private money goes into improving a city-owned waterfront property.<\/p>\n
Miami has some of the most valuable waterfront in the world. We should improve it, not leave it sitting in limbo.<\/p>\n
Virginia Key has waited long enough.<\/p>\n
On Nov. 3, Miami Community Newspapers supports \u201cyes\u201d on #290, and I urge Miami voters to vote \u201cyes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s get Virginia Key moving<\/p>\n
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ABOUT US:<\/p>\n
For more Miami community news, look no further than Miami Community Newspapers. This Miami online group of newspapers covers a variety of topics about the local community and beyond. Miami\u2019s Community Newspapers offers daily news, online resources, podcasts and other multimedia content to keep readers informed. With topics ranging from local news to community events, Miami\u2019s Community Newspapers is the ideal source for staying up to date with the latest news and happenings in the area.<\/p>\n
This family-owned media company publishes more than a dozen neighborhood publications, magazines, special sections on their websites, newsletters, as well as distributing them in print throughout Miami Dade County from Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Brickell, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, South Miami, Kendall, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay and Homestead. Each online publication and print editions provide comprehensive coverage of local news, events, business updates, lifestyle features, and local initiatives within its respective community.<\/p>\n
Additionally, the newspaper has exclusive Miami community podcasts, providing listeners with an in-depth look into Miami\u2019s culture. Whether you\u2019re looking for local Miami news, or podcasts, Miami\u2019s Community Newspapers has you covered. For more information, be sure to check out: https:\/\/communitynewspapers.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you have any questions, feel free to email Michael@communitynewspapers.com<\/a> or Grant@communitynewspapers.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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