Months before the Miami Downtown Development Authority approved a controversial $100,000 gift to the UFC, an organization worth around $12 billion, the agency — funded through a special taxing district of downtown, Brickell and Edgewater property owners — gave more than four times as much to one of the wealthiest sports franchises in the world.
Last December, the DDA voted to give $450,000 — or $150,000 a year for three consecutive years — to FC Barcelona, a global brand that is valued at $5.6 billion, according to Forbes, to support moving their U.S. office from New York to Miami.
But they’re not done. On Tuesday, the DDA’s Economic Development Committee will consider giving $175,000 to the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship host committee. That makes a total of $725,000 in gifts to sports entities in just the last five months.
Read related: Effort to dissolve Miami DDA cites ‘bloated’ salaries, redundancy, UFC gift
Proponents will say that the these funds are incentives to bring these events here. That the economic impact they are a huge return on investment and that Miami’s image continues to be broadcast to the world as an iconic location for events. The UFC 
Village on Flager, for instance, drew thousands of people downtown that might not otherwise have gone there. And so what that one of the events organized was at a downtown spot owned by one of the board members? It’s just a coincidence.
The college national championship is expected to have at least a $275 million impact on the community. But it is sponsored already by huge billion dollar corporations like Nike, Amazon, Royal Caribbean and AT&T. Why does it need $175K that can be better spent elsewhere?
Plus, it will already be here. It was announced last month that the title game would be played at the Hard Rock Stadium.
“They’re already coming here. They already have the hotels booked,” said James Torres, the president of the Downtown Neighbors Association, who has been pressing to adjust or eliminate the DDA for month, citing bloated salaries and these “incentive” grants that he says are bogus.
“We are not the Greater Miami Visitors and Convention Bureau,” Torres told Political Cortadito. He calls it “another slap in the face.”
He said the money should be spent on the real issues that face downtown daily — the garbage on the street, the homelessness, the street lights that need repair. “They are supposed to combat blight,” he said of the DDA.
Torres, who ran unsuccessfully or commission in district 2, has asked to be given more than three minutes at the next commission meeting so he can make his presentation for removing homeowners from the taxing district to make the DDA more like a business improvement district — currently, residential property owners pay 58% of the annual $13.5 million budget — or eliminating it altogether. He has proposed putting a question on the ballot in November to let voters decide if it should be changed or dissolved.
“Downtown Miami families are being crushed by rising crime, a worsening condo crisis, homelessness, and double taxation,” Torres wrote in a letter to Mayor Francis Suarez earlier this month, before he even learned about the college championship check the DDA might be writing this week.
“This is not economic development. It is exploitation — not by the brands themselves, but by the DDA, which continues to operate as a taxpayer-funded slush fund, ignoring the needs of the people it taxes,” Torres wrote. “FC Barcelona is not a struggling local business or a neighborhood nonprofit organization. It is a multi-billion-dollar entertainment empire. And yet, while residents walk past graffiti-covered sidewalks, homeless encampments, and shuttered storefronts, City officials have joined the DDA in celebrating this latest handout — as if it were some major community victory. It is not.
“Mayor Suarez, you do not pay into the DDA taxing district, yet you’ve aligned yourself with the PR fanfare while remaining silent as Downtown residents plead for fairness. To your credit, you have worked hard to elevate Miami’s global profile — Ultra, Formula One, international marathons, and much more. That work has helped position our city as a world-class destination,” he continued.
“But here is the truth: Miami doesn’t need to buy prestige. Global brands want to be here.
Read related: Miami DDA gives UFC $100K for event, despite protest from downtowners
“We should not be paying them to show up — especially not with money taken from residents who are already stretched thin in the very neighborhoods being exploited,” he added.
Torres told Political Cortadito that the burden adds to an already crushing condo crisis. His own building has had a $21 million 
assessment. His piece of that is about $12,000, he says. He already pays about $95 to the DDA every year. (Ladra had gotten it wrong earlier when she said it was $1,200).
Ernesto Cuesta, the longtime president of the Brickell Homeowners Association, has also asked for Brickell to be taken 0ut of the DDA taxing boundaries. He says the DDA stands for “Don’t Do Anything” for Brickell.
Both men were interviewed in a segment last week for CBS4 News — and that was before they learned of the college football championship giveaway that will be considered Tuesday. But it was within days of the announcement that FC Barcelona would be relocating here “with the support” of the DDA and Mayor Suarez attended the celebration.
In his letter, Torres asks Suarez to support putting the DDA’s future on the November ballot. “So the broader community can decide whether this agency still has a place in our city. Every day you remain silent is another day our communities are forced to fund a system they didn’t ask for, cannot afford, and no longer believe in.
“How much longer will you allow Downtown and Brickell residents to be held hostage by a bloated bureaucracy that continues to put image over impact?”
The DDA Economic Development Committee meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. and can be viewed via zoom here.
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Oh boy, Cristina aka Crespi
All that you wrote is a “one off”
these items are one off’s, also there 2026 budget is slated for 21 million dollars HELLO and that means increase again.
Tell me what the DDA really does for you…..
Have to tell you Torres is right, and I spoke to him and the Board the other day and they showed me the financials and the RBB contract, and the lease to the Citi Building, and if they (DDA) was in the business to combat blight, why didnt they take a spot on Flagler?
Ronnie do I know you ? Because you seem to know me. Who said there is no condo crisis or crime in downtown ?? Not me ! What I’m saying is attributing the blame on this to one agency is unreasonable, and as far as QOL goes the DDA has done quite a bit. They paid for a lot of surveillance cameras in our footprint to assist police, continuously fund activations and entertainment, fund the freebies that people ride for free, assist many locals through their permit clinics to navigate the nightmare of city of miami permitting, provide cleanup on the streets while employing individuals who weee previously unhoused etc. You may not like everything they do and that’s fine but please let’s not throw out the baby w the bath water bc if you think downtowns bad now, wait if god forbid you get your wish and we see downtown without what DDA currently funds for us, it will be A LOT worse
Cristina aka Creapi
Are you saying that there is no condo crisis?
Are you saying that downtown has no crime?
Are you suggesting that Torres is wrong?
That many buildings have raised there HOA? Special assessments.?
And maybe you can change my prospective, please tell me what the DDA does for quality of life
Giving out grants to ufc for what ?
Giving out another grant to FC Barcelona and now College football and they say “they” are bringing “ these things…please this has been sold out for almost a year
Walk over to the hotel and ask and they will tell you …
So once again Creapi please do tell us what the DDA has done just like last year you stoop up and said how great they are you should come down from your ivory tower
Take your glasses off and look around
Lol…Pardo, Christina Crespi is that you under a pseudo name lol.
Hey Ronnie V I do live downtown and probably for a lot longer than you. Sounds like you know James, or at least have been listening to his jibberish ab how police presence downtown or our HOA special assessments have anything to do w what’s under the DDAs purview. Hey Ladra looks like I have Torres preocupado bc he just left me a printout of your response at my front desk as if I couldn’t see it here online. Keep exposing miami corruption but beware of nothing burger stories from politically motivated sources
Dear readers, forgive the error. Torres told me his entire bill is $1,200 and that the DDA part is only $95. It was my mistake to get the two conflated.
I have since fixed it. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
Love, Ladra
Christina
How much is your HOA and special assessment
You live downtown ?
And I know I pay a few hundred bucks myself.so did he mean combined?(hoa/maint/special)
Either way what does the DDA do for you ?
Lots of crime, graffiti,little police presence and the DDA budget is 58% from residents…
You ok with that ?
James Torres should retract his statement that he pays $1200 annually towards the DDA immediately, this is grossly exaggerated and patently false
Ernesto here
and as I have shared ands stated:
DDA stands for Doesn’t Do Anything-
Here in Brickell they are not needed, this s a marketing scam at its best
We want out
The Downtown Development Authority (DDA) has been stealing money from tax payers for decades. Disgraced ex-Mayor Manny Diaz and now billboard lobbyist Marc Sarnoff used the DDA as a slush fund to pay off their campaign supporters. What’s up with the novice Damian Pardo? He should be pushing to stop corruption.
Im surprised how much of a voice you are giving this guy. He doesn’t represent Downtown. A 30 second public search of his property tax assessment shows he pays approximately $95 a year towards the DDA.
The City of Miami has a long and horrid history of giving away tax dollars to billionaires. Marlins Stadium, Melreese, and now these scams.
There should be a law against corporate welfare.
Elvis Cruz
This looks like the DDA Chairman, Miguel Gabela, and the DDA staff are stealing from Downtown and from Brickell taxpayers. Wow. $13 Million in theft.
The City of Miami Gave The Orange Bowl game and Parade To Joe Robbie ,Gave The Lypton Tennis Too, The Miami Arena and The Now Call Kasellas Center and Them Gave The GrandPri for $0 Them Sold The Marlins Park and Did Not Got Any Money , Them Freedom Park ! What A Sockers are WE ?
We’re re being double tax – 13 plus million a year – they’re using “OUR” money to help fund multiple billion dollar corporations – 100k UFC
450k FC Barcelona
now 175K college football – while you’re dealing with rising crime, homelessness, condo crisis, etc – you want out!
And our very own Damion Pardo is silent !
It’s simple “divorce” from the DDA and they can function with out taxpayers money!
We pay 58% of there budget
I think city of Miami and DDA are good target for Doge to investigate tax dollar waste.
I bet Doge will find more waste there than at the federal government.