Representatives of homeowners in Downtown Miami, Brickell and Edgewater joined forces last week to respectfully ask the Miami Downtown Development Authority — an agency that focuses on promoting and strengthening the “economic health” of Downtown Miami — not to give $100,000 to the UFC for events at the Kaseya Center, formerly the American Airlines Arena.
The UFC has a reported net worth of $12 billion, according to Forbes, and do not need, nor should they be getting, any taxpayer handout, these leaders said.
And really, what is $100K when you have $12 billion?
“This is beyond wasteful; it’s offensive,” said a joint statement from James Torres, presidents of the Downtown Neighbors Alliance, Ernesto Cuesta, president of the Brickell Homeowners’ Association, and Rick Madan, president of the Biscayne Neighborhoods Association, posted days before the meeting took place Friday.
But they were ignored.
In a post on social media, the DDA said that the resolution passed by the board of directors will “keep UFC 314’s Fight Week in Downtown Miami.” The events in April reportedly benefit local charities, offer free “family friendly” activities and deliver a big economic impact to local businesses.
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Commissioner Manolo Reyes, who chairs the DDA, did not respond to calls from Political Cortadito, as usual. But a DDA spokesperson — and the agency has one of Florida’s top PR and crisis management teams on retainer — told Ladra this week that the UFC event in 2023 sold out at 19,000 fans and produced more than $47 million in economic impact for Miami-Dade. They apparently also were going to go somewhere else this year without the, er, um, incentive. Las Vegas was courting them, hard. But it’s difficult to imagine that another city wouldn’t pay $100K for a $47M return.
The $100,000 is to bring the UFC “fan village” so that people will have reason to hang out downtown — and spend their money — before and after the fights.
The DDA is governed by a 15-member board of directors — three public appointees and 12 downtown property owners, business owners, and/or residents. The board sets policy direction, which is then implemented by a multi-disciplinary team under the oversight of an executive director. “As an autonomous agency of the city, the Miami DDA advocates, facilitates, plans, and executes business development, planning, capital improvements, and marketing and communication strategies,” states the city website.
It has a budget of about $13.5 million through a special tax levy on properties within its district boundaries in downtown, Brickell and Edgewater. But those community leaders question the benefit they get in return.
“Instead of prioritizing real improvements, the DDA continues to waste taxpayer money on frivolous spending while ignoring the pressing needs of our community,” their statement last week read, recommending a dissolution of the agency. “The solution is simple: Downtown and Brickell residents should not be taxed at all for a redundant agency that prioritizes waste over the well-being of the people who actually live here.”
On Tuesday, Torres doubled down with an op-ed calling for the “outdated” agency’s dissolution and detailing some of the expenses reported most recently. That includes $3.85 million spent annually on salaries and benefits and another $3.35 million on “special initiatives,” with no further details about what those are. Close to $2 million are spent on sponsorships, like the UFC’s $100K.
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The DDA also gave at least $80,000 in grants to businesses suffering the construction chaos on Flagler Street. Each business received a grant valued up to $5,000, which doesn’t seem like a lot. According to the agency, it has distributed $622,000 in grants to downtown businesses since 2021.
The $100K would be better spent on public safety, the neighborhood leaders said in their joint statement. They said aggravated 
assaults are up by a whopping 225% in Downtown Miami, while robberies have doubled, thefts have gone up by 61% and vehicle break-ins are up by 50%.
And that wasn’t completely ignored. The DDA on Friday also allocated $550,000 for additional police services in the Central Business District and Brickell areas. According to their social media statement, the board plans to expand additional police patrol services to Edgewater and has committed $1.2 million to this effort.
“But crime isn’t the only crisis downtown and residents are dealing with,” the joint statement said. “Rampant homelessness, overflowing garbage, and worsening cleanliness issues are degrading our quality of life while the DDA ignores these urgent problems. Instead of addressing the real needs of our community, they continue wasting money on corporate sponsorships, lavish offices, and bloated staff expenses,” the statement reads.
“Downtown Miami has no shortage of venues or major events—Formula One, Ultra Music Festival, marathons, concerts, and conventions flood our streets every year. Downtown sells itself—we don’t need to bribe global corporations to come here. That money should go to crime prevention, beautification, and public safety—not corporate welfare.”
Miami DDA gives UFC $100K for event, despite protest from downtowners added by Ladra on
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