As promised in the last couple of weeks, Miami-Dade Commission Chairwoman Audrey Edmonson moved Wednesday to block development of a Cuban Museum of History or anything else on the last few remaining 
slivers of vacant waterfront land downtown behind the AA Arena.
“The residents want this because this is one of the last pieces of waterfront property left undeveloped,” said Edmonson, who also promised to find a site for the Cuban museum organizers had hoped to build there.
But is she protecting public land or the arena operators’ spill-off parking and event-staging area?
According to the resolution that passed unanimously and is now headed to the full county commission, Parcel B, as the 2.76 acres plot of land between the arena and Biscayne Bay is called, would be preserved as an open space park for an increasing number of downtown residents to enjoy Frisbee, family picnics and pick-up soccer games. It would be renamed Don Paul Plaza after the late longtime advocate of open, green, public spaces.
Wait a minute. Plaza? A plaza is not a park. A plaza is, well, a public square or marketplace in most U.S. cities and also could mean a shopping center here. So what gives?
Read related: Mayor, Miami Heat bait and switch to ‘better deal’ for who?
It seems part of the deal includes allowing Basketball Properties Ltd, which 
operates and manages the American Airlines Arena, to continue to use at least part of Parcel B for overflow parking and those big trucks that need to come in for concert equipment and catering on an “agreed-upon” number of days. The resolution only prohibits any “permanent vertical structure,” which means that temporary trailers are a-okay. In one version of the park renderings, according to an inside county source, there is a designated space for up to 70 cars and staging vehicles.
Ladra guesses that loose soccer balls and wayward Frisbees could be a liability on agreed-upon days.
The American Airlines Arena was built by the Miami Heat organization on the 
former Florida East Coast property that was purchased by the county in 1998 after voters approved a referendum in 1996. A key point of the Heat campaign back then was a promise that part the property would be turned into a waterfront open space park. This condition– as well as a youth academy that has also not materialized but which Edmonson seems to forgive — was a crucial deal breaker to many county voters. Campaign insiders from that former Mayor Alex Penelas period have been quoted as saying that it was a key strategy message to get the Anglo votes.
After failing to produce a park — or, rather, realizing that it would cost $6 million to repair the seawall — the Heat gave the land back to the county in 2003, but continued to lease it for extra parking and staging at special events. That way, we taxpayers were responsible for the wall, but the arena operators — who continued to rip us off by inflating expenses to reduce participation rent — could keep using the land as needed.
Parcel B sprung back into the news in 2014 when became embroiled in Plan B for international soccer star David Beckham‘s desired Miami MLS franchise stadium, which, if you remember, just had to be waterfront and just had to be in the downtown — two requirements since abandoned. After the first location scouted at the Port of Miami was scrapped, the Beckham group proposed filling in the boat slip between Museum Park and the arena to create space for a waterfront stadium. That idea was nipped in the bud by then Mayor Tomas Regalado of Miami, which owns the boat slip.
Months later, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez was instructed by the commission to negotiate with the Cuban Exile History Museum board to lease the land, and county staffers began drafting a 55-year lease was that would provide public land only at a ridiculous price and no other subsidies.
Read related: Picnic in Parcel B ‘park’ defies county stance, Heat padlock
In 2015, activists with the Urban League, Emerge Miami and other groups 
basically took over the property and staged a picnic protest — complete with a sign naming it Dan Paul Park (not plaza). There were areas that had been paved over for a street race and the lot was padlocked when the activists first arrived.
Fast forward three years when, as recently as last February, the commission instructed Gimenez to enter into a license agreement with Basketball Properties Ltd. as the manager and operator of the American Airlines Arena, “for its use during agreed-upon days of the property commonly known as Parcel B for parking and staging for arena events.” They didn’t want to keep asking for permits every time so they got a license.
The county started installing grass and trees in the lot.
Then in June of last year, the 55-year lease for the Cuban museum was briefly on the draft agenda, but — even though renderings for the museum include park space — it was pulled because there was not enough support and because the museum board failed to raise enough funds for construction.
And maybe because their renderings did not include overflow parking and event staging space for the arena? (Editor’s note: Commissioner Esteban Bovo has reported that the Cuban Exile History Museum design did accommodate the arena’s need for overflow parking and a staging area.)
Read related: Heat’s sweet Parcel B parking deal causes commission clash
Who is Edmonson really representing? In 2015, when another commissioner suggested that the Heat and anyone else who wanted to lease the land pay market rates with a fee schedule for different events, Edmonson balked, intimating that because the waterfront property is in her district, it’s her say.
On Wednesday, she also proposed and passed an ordinance — which is much stronger as an actual law as opposed to just an expression of the desire, which is what a resolution is — that requires a two-thirds commission vote for any future private development of waterfront land.
Doesn’t that mean the plaza isn’t permanent? It can be undone with a two thirds vote? Are we right back where we started?
Miami-Dade wants Parcel B for an open space park — and parking? added by Ladra on
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[…] 2003, a part of Parcel B required seawall work that cost $6 million to fix. How did the Heat pay for this? They didn’t. They gave the land back to the county, […]
Grass? When?,
Your post like everyone else’s is a great post but I wanted to respond with the obvious which you know and that is that there isnt any money in leaving a field of grass with tree’s thus these self serving con artists come up with one con after another .
Pour cement on grass (sort of speak) and plenty make money in contracts AND kick backs .
I dont know a single Vet in Doral including myself who wanted that Veterans park , we wanted it left as a dog park but no money for the city officials in a dog park .
The old exiles who I call the ” Calle ocho’s ” are a voting machine but in truth other then lip service they have been conned with the ” Cuba libre” Miami scam .
From commissioners , Mayors ,Senators / Congress they have been pulling this trick and taking these people for granted .
This museum is much of nothing but it cons them AGAIN into thinking these parasite Miami politicos are actually doing something for them .
And yes ALL the older members of my family are ” calle ocho’s ” , heck even my younger born in Miami cousins are ” calle ocho’s ” , lol.
Miami has too many failed broke museums. Give the beleaguered taxpayers a break. Miami and Miami-Dade already forced the taxpayers to pay over $3 Billion for the disastrous Marlins scam. Thank Failed Manny Diaz, recalled Carlos Alvarez and nitwit CFO Larry Spring et al. Parcel B? Just remove the asphalt! Now!
The “poor” Heat always finagle their way to screw the residents. On a related note, we don’t need a 2nd failed Cuban museum or a 1st African-American failed museum. Give us the damn park we were promised!
The owner of the Heat must hate the taxpayers because after begging the County to give him the waterfront site he then refused to pay a penny in rent for 16-17 years. While he paid sleazy lobbyists to keep the public off the waterfront site THEY (the taxpayers) owned. Edmonson? Plaza? Why did she let herself get manipulated? A plaza is NOT a green park. Someone should investigate all the broken promises.
Yep,What happened to Lobbyist/Attorney Jorge Luis Lopez with the Miami Heat ,or has there been so much heat he got out of the Kitchen ? There are so many event planners and they use a meet and greet platform to avoid scrutiny. No Federal Agents asking questions ,no Miami Herald doing investigative reporting,no Miami Dade County Ethics board to properly stop this crazy stuff,no Miami Dade County Impector General worth anything. Everyone and Agency keeps kicking the can down the road just like a soccer ball with no repercussions or consequences to anyone.Must be great to be well connected in Miami Dade County? It’s a flat out corrupted system .And law enforcement agencies are handcuffed by people who are put in office to keep the status quo going .
Yep,What happened to Lobbyist/Attorney Jorge Luis Lopez with the Miami Heat ,or has there been so much heat he got out of the Kitchen ? There are so many event planners and they use a meet and greet platform to avoid scrutiny. No Federal Agents asking questions ,no Miami Herald doing investigative reporting,no Miami Dade County Ethics board to properly stop this crazy stuff,no Miami Dade County Impector General worth anything. Everyone and Agency keeps kicking the can down the road just like a soccer ball with no repercussions or consequences to anyone.Must be great to be well connected in Miami Dade County? It’s a flat out corrupted system .And law enforcement agencies are handcuffed by people who are put in office to keep the status quo the same !
I agree, a transparent gift to the Heat…No worries for Edmonson, the sky box seats are waiting, under a third party name of course. However the larger issue is gerrymandering commission districts created by Gene’s lawsuit was to give minorities a seat at the table not for one minority commissioner to demand how a countywide resource is managed just because it lies on the very edge of her district… Eileen Higgins doesn’t get to say how the seaport is used just because it’s located in her district..
I have no problem with the plaza/ parking lot plan, it can be a multi use open space,and a placeholder until something better comes along… but it cost me $15-$20 to park downtown, it should cost the heat the same for the each of the 70 spots, that’s $350,000 a year more revenue than the $0 Heat paid for 15 years..
Wonder If Commissioner Edmonson is Blocking it to Latter Place her Own Black and African Museum in this parcel in the bay > She got $ 250.000. From The Uber Violations Scam for Her Help in Accommodating Uber First in Miami Dade and them Giving them a 75% Discount ?#OURCOUNTY
Good first step by Audrey Edmonson. Evicting the broke promoters of another broke fake “Cuban” Museum was long overdue. Everyone knew one of the promoters was a Cuban architect who wanted a $10 Million fee to design a monster concrete building. Now the key is getting a couple acres of asphalt removed and replaced with grass. Will Edmonson represent Downtown neighbors and tourists or is she working for the Heat?
Excellent summary. Since 1996-1998 the Miami Heat have been scheming and lobbying to keep the public off the taxpayer owned Parcel B. Everyone can see the Heat broke its promise to create a waterfront green park AND worse for years the Heat padlocked the site and used it to park dumpsters, 18-wheelers and garbage all for little or no rent. The site should be the promised open green park NOT some sleazy “plaza” used for dumpster parking.