Miami Voters Reject $80 Million Virginia Key Marina Lease, With 65.22% Voting No
Voters in Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida, rejected a proposal on November 3 to lease city-owned land on Virginia Key to a developer. Ballot Question 3 failed with 65.22% voting no. The proposal would have leased about 27.62 acres on Virginia Key to Virginia Key LLC, a joint venture of RCI Marine Group and Dallas-based Suntex Marinas, for an initial 45 years with two 15-year renewals.
The lease carried about $80 million in private investment to rebuild the existing Rickenbacker and Marine Stadium marinas in an environmentally sensitive way, including boat storage, restaurants, retail and public parking, along with a guaranteed minimum rent of $2.2 million a year. Opponents included Aabad Melwani, the current president of the Rickenbacker marina, who raised multiple objections to the project. Supporters argued private investment would help modernize the aging marina facilities.
Virginia Key is one of Miami's key waterfront recreation areas, and its marinas and Marine Stadium have long drawn boaters and visitors. With the lease rejected, the plan is shelved, and any future marina rebuild will need a new proposal and a new vote.
(Source: USA Today)
Source: USA Today
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：弗吉尼亚礁的迈阿密海洋体育场码头。Wilfredor 摄，CC0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Miami Marine Stadium marina on Virginia Key. By Wilfredor, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
