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The Miami Heat organization’s sweetheart deal with the county to lease Parcel B 
next to the American Airlines Arena for its overflow parking and event staging — and a suggestion that the team’s owner pay fair market value for the prime waterfront property, instead of the bargain basement way-below market prices they pay now — turned into a territorial pissing match last week between two of our county commissioners.
Apparently, and preposterously, Miami-Dade Commissioner Audrey Edmonson thinks that property is hers. She seemed to indicate Tuesday that because AmericanAirlines Arena and the surrounding county-owned properties lie in her district, only she can make suggestions or decisions about the best use of that Parcel B, which, by the way, is yours and mine as much as it is hers or anyone’s.
In fact, Commissioner Juan “Zorro” Zapata was representing all of us across the county when he brought the item up again last week, an item he has been dragging through the process since last summer, when he first suggested that the county 
(that’s us, by the way, not you, Commissioner Edmonson) get (A) an appraisal and (B) rent that is closer to what the land is worth. Especially in light of the fact that we, the taxpayers who voted for that sports complex to happen, have been screwed for years on the participation rent — as the Heat artificially inflated costs to share less revenue — and especially given that the Heat gave us Parcel B back when they realized they would have to repair the seawall, at a cost of about $6 million.
Read related story: Mayor, Miami Heat bait and switch to ‘better deal’ for who?
The appraisal provided a fee schedule for everything from private parties ($2,500 a day) to carnivals ($18,000 a day) to outdoor concerts ($36,000 a day) and, yes, even valet parking for the Miami Heat ($4,000 a day) and staging for concerts and events inside ($1,100 a day). The proposal seemed to fix a bad deal where we are undercharging right now, as per market value. Zapata’s resolution would have thrown out the agreement we have now — which gives them that land for $80,000 a year to use basically as a surface parking lot that likely generates a tight little profit for ’em — and provide a new one for $230,000 a year.
That’s only $150,000 extra county revenue every year. I bet the Heat can still turn a profit on it.
Ladra can’t help but wonder if that is what the sports organization pays in yearly retainer to lobbyist Jorge Luis Lopez — photographed here with his third NBA championship ring — and if Edmonson wasn’t actually protecting County Hall’s favorite palm greaser rather than the voters in her district, and in the rest of the county as she swore in her oath, who certainly could use the additional funds in our budget. Put it toward books or something.
“If you’re going to do this for one parcel in this community, you need to do it to all parcels in this county. There has not been any kind of fee schedule for any other piece of property,” Edmonson said. “It seems we are singling out one parcel.”
Por supuesto we are singling out this one parcel. This is the parcel where we are currently being robbed.
“This property is unique,” Zapata said, adding that you cannot compare it to any other county parcel because of this situation with the Heat. “This was supposed to be park space. It never became park space. It just became space that was used by other folks for convenience for commercial purposes with not enough benefit to the county,” he said.
Edmonson should have been co-sponsoring this, not fighting it tooth and nail. But being singled out was only her first argument against it. The second was that the proposal didn’t allow the commission to waive fees or provide discounts to non-profits they deem worthy. But it does. Zapata’s resolution
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Heat’s sweet Parcel B parking deal causes commission clash added by Ladra on
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