DEVELOPING STORY: After six years of back and forth and what can only be described as stonewalling and foot dragging by Miami-Dade 
County on the fate of the once-ballyhooed Airport City, Odebrecht USA could sue the county for reimbursement of all or part of $11 million they say they have spent on the project so far.
In a letter sent Monday to Mayor Carlos “Cry Wolf” Gimenez, Odebrecht CEO Gilberto Neves is sure to emphasize repeatedly that his firm is still very interested in completing the $512 million project. In fact, it reads a little like legal blackmail — “Let’s get the ball rolling or else” — and Ladra is just not too sure how that will work with Gimenez, who has shown repeatedly how he can dig his heels in, even if it hurts.
It could even backfire.
Neves states in five pages — with a three page addendum on the summary of negotiations — that the company entered in good faith into the procurement process in 2008 and, after it won the bid seemingly fair and square, in negotiations with the county to design and build the hotel and amenities on MIA property.
Last year, Miami-Dade Aviation Director Emilio Sanchez recommended that the county take back one of three parcels in the project footprint for future aviation purposes. But Odebrecht was still interested. Several times since May, 2013, the letter states, Miami-Dade Aviation officials “have shaken hands with Odebrecht executives stating ‘We have a deal.’ Each time, however, MDAD would later reverse course and articulate new, always changing reasons for not moving forward.”
Claiming “unprecedented transparency” on their part, they say they county has put up one “pretext” after another to stall the project.
The latest pretext, according to the letter, came just last month when Gonzalez said new information made them reconsider the public/private partnership approach to the project. that made the county rethink the project and perhaps look at having the county build and operate the hotel itself. Neves said in the letter he questions this “new” information Gonzalez got in a span of months. His quote marks, not mine.
Basically, he is saying that the pretexts are just excuses for the real reason, which became evident last February when some commissioners tried to go back to square one and direct the mayor to seek new proposals or other uses for the site. The motion was made by Commissioner Esteban Bovo, who takes issue with Odebrecht’s parent company doing business in Cuba.
That coup attempt failed in a tie vote that exposed ethnic tensions on the dais. Commissioners instead passed another, competing motion that directed the mayor to start negotiating with Odebrecht to make Airport City happen.
Read related story: Airport City coup fails; but true colors (Cuba) revealed
Sources tell Ladra that the mayor — who has been busy with the budget, beating down county workers’ morale and his obsession with sports stadiums — has not moved on it at all and has very little motivation to. Apparently, Nieves believes the letter can light a fire under his, er, chair. Some sources say Gimenez may be reluctant because the competing bidder — his good old friend Jorge Munilla — wants another stab at the half billion dollar project.
Who wouldn’t?
That’s why Odebrecht still wants to complete the project, Neves said over and over in his carefully-worded letter. He can’t just say they’ll sue because that would halt the process completely. So he has to say that they could and hope that jump starts the process.
And the letter may have at least gotten him a little spark.
Ladra hears that Commissioner Dennis Moss — the firm’s biggest champion on the dais, whose motion passed in February — might bring this up this afternoon at the Aviation Committee meeting.
Stay tuned.
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These politicians would not last a day in the private sector,they always have some type of scam going.
If MCM (Munillas) get the bid they will not put a penny of their money, and it stays in the family, for it should be known that they are related to the little wife. He has proven to us that he takes care of his family ( or better, the tax payers take care of his family ). Watch very closely and see the bonds shift direction so MCM (Munillas) can build.I don’t have complete picture but it has been said that close to 10,000 jobs will be lost if Odebrecht leaves. People forget that they were the ones who straighten the faulty garage at the airport (on their dime) and when no one could make the roof at the Performing Art Center work, not even the architect, they were called in as an emergency and fixed it (keeping the outrageous cost down). This is just proof that the commissioner and the Mayor have their favorites at different times, RIGHT NOW IT MCM (MUNILLAS)!!!!
Of course Gimenez wants to bid this contract once again. Can you imagine the size of the kickback Gimenez woukd get if Munilla is awarded the contract?
Well the commission should have done there homework before they gave this company the bid. Here is again a waste of tax dollars if Odebrecht sues and wins. And county personnel pays the price for miss management of tax funds. All of them should be removed from office. O wait but we the people are to lazy to go out and protest and have them removed. What a JOKE, we deserve to be call the Banana Republic!!!!!!!!!!