New products, location highlight 2016 Miami show
Jonathan Sweet
There was plenty of news, new products and a new location at this year’s Miami International Boat Show.
Some long lines aside, the 2016 show seems to have had a successful move to its new location at Miami Marine Stadium Park & Basin, with more than 100,000 people attending, according to estimates from show organizers.
"Whether it was the gorgeous weather, exhibitors reporting significant sales, attendees having a blast enjoying the outdoor venue and all the new on-water features, or the more than 100,000 people from around the world who not only shopped our show but brought all-important tourism dollars to Miami-Dade—this year’s show was the start of something very big for our industry and for South Florida," said NMMA president Thom Dammrich. "As we expected, we learned a lot with it being the first time at our new home and we made adjustments each day of the show--adding more shuttle buses and relocating water taxis, adding personnel, improving communication and signage, decreasing food service wait times, and much more. This show proved that Miami embraces park and ride—an estimated 85-90 percent of exhibitors and attendees took shuttle buses and water taxis, which kept the Rickenbacker Causeway traffic flowing throughout the show. The plan works, we just need to apply more resources to it, which we’ll do next year."
Most exhibitors Boating Industry talked to reported strong traffic and high buyer interest from consumers at the show, with the only concerns being logistics of moving people to and from the location, along with the aforementioned waits for some services.
"From transportation and signage to restrooms and food service—these are all very do-able and necessary improvements that we’re already looking forward to implementing in our 2017 plans to make next year’s show even better," Dammrich said. "While feedback from exhibitors has been overwhelmingly positive, we encourage all exhibitors to share their feedback with us as we continue to enhance and improve the show. This is the exhibitors’ show—we need their suggestions to help us make it better in the years in to come.”
Here are some of the top stories out of this year’s show. Find more on these and other stories elsewhere on the site.
Boat show director retiring
Cathy Rick-Joule, vice president of boat shows for the National Marine Manufacturers Association and longtime director of the Miami show, announced her retirement.
Rick-Joule had actually planned to step down earlier, but wanted to make sure the move of the show was successful, said NMMA president Thom Dammrich.
She “worked tirelessly” on the move, and deserves credit for building the Miami show and other NMMA shows into the successful shows they are today, Dammrich said.
NMMA executive vice president Ben Wold will fill her role while the association seeks a full-time replacement. Rick-Joule will continue to consult on the show for the next 12 to 18 months.
Groupe Beneteau lays out future for RBH Brands
The former Rec Boat Holding brands -- Four Winns, Glastron, Scarab and Wellcraft -- will now be brought under the Beneteau and Jeanneau umbrellas under a plan laid out by Groupe Beneteau at the show.
"This will offer a new robust organization for sales and marketing, manufacturing and product development," said CEO Herve Gastinel. "By combining our forces, we can invest more."
Under the new sales organization, Wellcraft and Glastron will be under Jeanneau. Andy Gamble will continue as sales manager at Wellcraft, as will Bruce Sargent at Glastron, with both reporting to Nick Harvey, president of Jeanneau of America. Four Winns and Scarab will fall under Beneteau, with Andy Lindsay as sales manager, reporting to Laurent Fabre, president of Beneteau of America.
Roch Lambert, who has served as president of Rec Boat Holdings since shortly after Platinum Equity acquired the brands out of bankruptcy in 2010, will be leaving the company. Beneteau acquired the brands from Platinum Equity, a private equity firm, in June 2014.
Lambert has helped position for its current success, Gastinel said.
"Roch has really turned around the company," he said. "He has created a really strong foothold for the group."
It's natural for dealers to be nervous about the change, Gastinel said, but he stressed that Beneteau will continue to support the former Rec Boat Holdings brands.
"We absolutely want to keep investing in all four brands," he said. "This is very important to us, this is critical to us."
New jet, cruiser engines from Indmar
After introducing its Raptor inboard engines last year, Indmar showed off its new jet and cruiser engine series, along with Strainer Pro, the first sea strainer with a built-in flush kit.
“The response to the Raptor launch was overwhelming. The most frequent comment by far was ‘Please make this engine available in Jet Boats’ or ‘Put this in Cruisers!’ That’s precisely what we are doing now,” said Scott Clack, vice president of Indmar Marine Engines. “The all-new Jet and Cruiser engine series heralds a new chapter in the success story of Indmar and sets new standards in those segments as we position Indmar even more aggressively as a dynamic inboard marine engine brand.”
Like the ROUSHCharged Raptor series (named one of Boating Industry's 2015 Top Products), the two new segments will be built on Indmar's Ford based inboard marine engines.
Ilmor enters the sterndrive market
Ilmor debuted its “One Drive” at the show, available in single- and twin-drive configurations.
“When we crafted the Ilmor ‘One Drive’ package, we wanted to give recreational boaters a driving experience never before offered in gasoline powered boats,” said Ilmor president Paul Ray.
NMMA announces CSI award winners, innovation awards
NMMA named 46 recipients of the 2015 Marine Industry Customer Satisfaction Index Awards for excellence in customer satisfaction at the annual Industry Breakfast.
Starting with this year, CSI award winners are being named at Miami instead of the IBEX show, in a move that the association hopes will put more attention on the awards with consumers.
Award recipients achieved and maintained an independently measured standard of excellence of 90 percent or higher in customer satisfaction over the past program year, based on information provided by customers purchasing a new boat or engine during the period between April 1, 2015 and Dec. 31, 2015. Participating manufacturers must survey all new boat buyers during this period. For this reporting period, the program surveyed nearly 67,000 customers.
“Measuring our customer’s satisfaction lets us know more about what they are thinking, what they are saying, and allows us to learn and adapt, ultimately reaching a point where we have truly earned their praise,” said Robert Newsome, vice president of engineering standards for NMMA. “We congratulate these 46 manufacturers for their commitment to their customers and creating exceptional boat ownership experiences.”
Also at the industry breakfast, NMMA and Boating Writers International (BWI) announced winners of the annual Miami International Boat Show Innovation Awards. This year’s program evaluated 77 products across 31. The judges ultimately selected 17 winners in 16 categories and three honorable mentions for a total of 20 honorees.
The Innovation Awards judging committee is comprised of BWI members who perform product testing throughout the year and have specific expertise in marine products and equipment.
The full list of award winners is available at BoatingIndustry.com.
Garelicks named Freedman award winners
Ken and Rick Garelick, president and senior vice president of Garelick Manufacturing Co., won this year’s Alan J. Freedman Memorial Leadership Award.
Cousins Rick and Ken are the second generation now leading Garelick Manufacturing Co. Their fathers Joe and Saul were brothers who founded the company and handed down the reigns of leadership to Rick and Ken in the late 1980s.
“NMMA congratulates Ken and Rick Garelick on receiving the Alan J. Freedman Award and thanks them for their unwavering dedication, support and passion for the marine industry,” notes Thom Dammrich, NMMA president. “We are proud to work alongside Ken and Rick as innovators who have made substantial contributions to marine manufacturing and continues to help make boating the preferred choice in recreation.”
In November 2015, Garelick Manufacturing was acquired by Brunswick. Garelick Manufacturing is the winner of three NMMA Innovation Awards, the 2003 Motor Boating Magazine Boat Keeper Product Award, 2005 Motor Boating Magazine Best Product Award, 2011 Twin Cities Business Magazine Small Business Success Story and the 2015 National Marine Distributors Association Supplier of the Year.
Key Biscayne files additional suit over Miami boat show
Jonathan Sweet
After failing to block this year's Miami International Boat Show, the village of Key Biscayne has filed a new lawsuit to try to keep it from coming back.
Earlier this week, the village sued Miami-Dade County, claiming the county violated its development rules when approving the boat show for Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin, the Miami Herald reported.
This is the third lawsuit filed by the village in an attempt to block the show. Its suit against the city of Miami is still pending, while a lawsuit filed against NMMA was dismissed by a judge late last year.
NMMA was not able to comment on the suit Friday, a spokesperson said.
According to the paper, the village's new suit says the area is designated by the county for “parks and recreation” use and the show violates that designation as a commercial event. With the show being held at the Miami Marine Stadium site, the public is excluded from using the area, the suit says.
Key Biscayne Mayor Mayra Peña Lindsay told the paper that there is no need for the event to use public waterfront: “There are many, many venues in Miami-Dade County where they would do extremely well,” she said.
The show moved to Virginia Key this year because of long-term construction planned for its previous home at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
Boat show organizers have repeatedly said that no other venue in Miami was large enough to handle the entire show.
"Any other locations that we used would have required the show to be broken up amongst two or three other locations," NMMA president Thom Dammrich said last fall. "And I don’t mean broken up like it was where we have almost everything in the convention center and we had boats over at Sea Isle. It would have been boats in one location, accessories in one location, engines in one location, in-water boats at another location."
Attendance at the Miami International Boat Show, which was Thursday through Monday at its new home at Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin, was up 4 percent with 100,279 attendees.
Mercury Marine launches video on Miami Boat Show success
OutdoorsFIRST Media
Published February 24, 2016
Mercury Marine, the world's leading manufacturer of recreational marine engines, has released a new video highlighting a myriad of product launches and consumer testimonials from the 2016 Miami International Boat Show.
A new location wasn't the only headline from the show as Mercury launched the new Mercury 115 Pro XS which delivers significantly better performance than any other high-output 115hp outboard on the market today. Building on its Pro XS heritage, the new 115 Pro XS was intelligently designed to provide consumers exactly what they've been asking for - an outboard that is light and second to none in performance.
"Miami was a great opportunity for Mercury to introduce a group of industry leading products that are designed to make boating easier," said John Pfeifer, Mercury Marine president. "Our new 115 Pro XS FourStroke is perfect for both saltwater and freshwater and that engine was very popular this year in Miami."
In addition, Mercury also introduced a new side-mount mechanical remote control, next-generation Joystick Piloting System, expanded series of fuel-saving Enertia ECO propeller, Active Trim and new VesselView displays.
"It's the best thing in the world for the consumer. You guys stand behind your product and stand behind your customers, who are my customers," said Skip Braver, Cigarette Racing president.
15 Center-Console Boats 36-Plus Feet at the 2016 Miami Boat Show
Check out some of the biggest, fastest and most expensive center-console fishing boats at this year’s show.
By Doug Olander
For most anglers, the sleek lines of a long, high-powered center console are about as sexy as a hunk of fiberglass and high-tech composites could possibly be. There was no shortage of gorgeous center consoles at the 2016 Miami Boat Show, as you’ll see while scrolling through these images. While this gallery is hardly all of the center console models at the show, it offers a good selection of those up to 35 feet in length from many top manufacturers.
Boston Whaler 420 Outrage
Contender 39 ST
Scout 420 XLF
Scout 255LXF
Yellowfin 39
Hydra-Sports 5300
Pursuit S408
Sea Vee 37
Invincible 39
Grady-White Canyon 376
Everglades 435
Concept 44
Boston Whaler 370
Yellowfin 42
Sea Hunter 41
The first Miami International Boat Show at the Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin drew 100,279 attendees, up by 4 percent over the 2015 show, the National Marine Manufacturers Association reported Thursday.
Exhibitors reported strong sales, with many reporting increases from 20 to 400 percent, NMMA said.
“The Miami International Boat Show was a resounding success for exhibitors, attendees, and South Florida. Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin proved to be the ideal location for the best boat show we have hosted to date,” said NMMA president Thom Dammrich. “Whether it was the gorgeous weather, exhibitors reporting significant sales, attendees enjoying the new on-water features, or the more than 100,000 people from around the world who brought tourism dollars to Miami-Dade—this year’s show was the start of what we hope will be a long, successful run at Marine Stadium Park and Basin.”
Show organizers also said that the show's transportation plankept traffic issues to a minimum. The Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation reports an average of 4,000 additional cars on the Rickenbacker Causeway each day of the event as compared to the same period in 2015 and in line with the 4,000 pre-paid Boat Show parking spaces on Virginia Key. An estimated 80 percent of boat show attendees parking at designated offsite locations and arrived via shuttle bus or water taxi. While long waits were reported for water taxis and shuttle buses, improvements were made each day to keep them flowing more smoothly, NMMA said.
Traffic data collected by Miami-Dade County showed that except for opening day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m, the average travel time from South Bayshore Drive and South 26th Road to MAST Academy was 7 to 10 minutes, just slightly longer than the normal six minutes and fifty seconds. Only for the three-hour period at the show open on Thursday did travel time average 21 minutes, which was reduced to 7-10 minutes after signage adjustments were made.
“Because this was our inaugural event at the Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin, we kept a close watch on delays and issues as they arose, and made adjustments each day of the Show—adding more shuttle buses and reallocating water taxis to improve transportation daily,” said Cathy Rick-Joule, director of the Miami International Boat Show. “Using the lessons learned this first year, we know what we need to do to improve the consumer experience for years to come.”
The 2017 Miami International Boat Show will be held at Miami Marine Stadium Park & Basin, February 16-20, 2017.
Traditional powerboat shipments were up slightly in 2015
By Drive news services
Provided by the Miami International Boat Show
The 2016 Miami International Boat Show was a resounding success at its new home - the Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin - with 100,279 attendees, up by 4 percent over the 2015 show.
The National Marine Manufactures Association reported recently that in 2015, wholesale shipments of traditional powerboats were up slightly (0.8 percent) for NMMA’s control group of manufacturers (representing 68 percent of the market) with growth in the fiberglass outboard boat and inboard boat segments.
Corresponding dollars were up 8.7 percent. Personal watercraft shipments were up 16.9 percent year-over-year, continuing to be a high-volume industry growth driver.
The NMMA announced last week that the 2016 Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show was a resounding success at its new home — the Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin.
With 100,279 attendees, up by 4 percent over the 2015 show, attendees from the community and an estimated 35 countries across the globe came out to experience the event, helping bolster tourism and put Miami on an international stage.
Exhibitors reported strong sales, with many reporting increases from 20 to 400 percent. All told, initial data indicate the 2016 event, organized by the NMMA, will likely meet or exceed its $597 million economic impact from previous years.
“From both a business and a resident perspective, the 75th Miami International Boat Show was a huge success,” said Harry Vernon, co-owner of Miami-based Captain Harry’s Fishing Supply. “We exceeded our sales expectations by a wide margin and that’s great news for our business and for our employees.
“As a lifelong Key Biscayne resident, I had no issues with traffic or congestion during the event. I also spoke with many fellow residents who reported traffic was not an issue and the show was a welcome neighbor for the community,” Vernon said. “I appreciate the great lengths the boat show went through to not only ensure that traffic on the Causeway moved smoothly, but also that the show built an environment of excitement and fun, helping to create cherished memories, while injecting significant economic activity into Miami-Dade.”
“We learned a lot this first year at our new home and will be making improvements for 2017 — from decreasing taxi and shuttle bus wait times to adding signage and personnel, and tweaking our hospitality offerings,” said Thom Dammrich, NMMA president. “We’ve begun analyzing what worked and what didn’t and will make next year’s show even better.”
The 2017 Miami International Boat Show will be held at Miami Marine Stadium Park & Basin, Feb.16-20.
80% seeing Miami International Boat Show took transit
John Charles Robbins
Miami city commissioners were impressed last week by details of the mass transit plan put into place for the Miami International Boat Show in February.
Held on the same weekend as the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, critics predicted massive traffic jams and a potential cutting off of Key Biscayne from the mainland with the boat show traffic sharing Rickenbacker Causeway.
Boat show and Miami-Dade County officials said the roads saw a modest increase in motor vehicles but no major problems from the influx of thousands of visitors.
The boat show’s Maintenance of Traffic Plan was reported as effective, ensuring that traffic to and from Key Biscayne flowed throughout the event via lanes designated for Key Biscayne traffic.
Alice Bravo, director of Transportation and Public Works for the county, presented the city commission with a post-event report on traffic during the show. Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado had asked for the follow-up report.
Highlights of the report included: The average travel time on the Rickenbacker Causeway was 6 minutes; average travel speed on the causeway was within the 40 mph range; and camera footage throughout the show showed Key Biscayne travel lanes and the entrance to the causeway had no delays.
The boat show organizer, the National Marine Manufacturers Association, partnered with city and county police to handle the traffic.
Partner agencies included the Miami Police Department, City of Miami Special Events, City of Miami Public Works, City of Miami Capital Improvement and Transportation, Miami Parking Authority, Miami-Dade County Public Works and Waste Management Department, Miami-Dade Transit, the Florida Department of Transportation, SunGuide, and the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority.
More than 53,000 people were transported to the boat show’s new venue on Virginia Key by a fleet of water taxis, representing more than half of the 100,000-plus who attended the event, according to the association.
Another large number of attendees was transported to and from the city-owned site around Marine Stadium on shuttle buses. More than 78,000 people were transported by shuttle bus to the show site from downtown.
Commissioner Frank Carollo said, “A hundred thousand visitors to the area and 80% use mass transit. I think that’s pretty impressive.”
He said the success of alternate forms of transportation illustrated that “we can change the culture of using our cars” to get everywhere.
Mr. Carollo said he traveled on that Saturday afternoon to the boat show and saw no problems with traffic.
“There was no backup,” he said. He’s attended the boat show for years, he said, when it was held primarily inside the Miami Beach Convention Center. Mr. Carollo praised the new event space on the water and land surrounding Miami Marine Stadium for being more conducive to a marine-related event.
“It felt like a boat show,” he said.
The coordination plan included:
Public Transportation
•Free shuttle bus from Metrorail stations, hotels and park-and-ride locations.
•Free water taxis from Brickell, Coconut Grove, Downtown and Miami Beach.
•Coordinated Metrorail and Metrobus prepaid 1-Day passes.
•Temporary relocation of bus stop locations.
•Freebies in-town travel in Brickell, Coconut Grove and Downtown.
Traffic Control Plan
•Restricted turning movements.
•Special event traffic signal control.
•Variable message signs directing traffic.
•Dynamic message signs alerting of congestion.
Enforcement
•Police presence at all intersections.
•Pedestrian fence along the beach side to avoid pedestrian crossing at undesignated areas.
•Operation of a central control center for the event.
Parking
•Restricted parking locations at the location.
•Pre-paid parking.
•Park-and-ride locations within the city with free shuttle service.
Officials used traffic cameras, high-tech monitoring devices and on-the-street observations in adjusting law enforcement personnel to various locations and duties with the goal of keeping traffic moving. Tracking devices were placed at South Bayshore Drive and 26th Road, and the traffic signal at the entrance of Mast Academy.
Commissioner Francis Suarez said he would echo the praise from Mr. Carollo.
Mr. Suarez said the traffic management plan that was put in place by the association, the city and the county was “robust” and “on another level.”
Mr. Suarez added, “It’s hard to dispute the facts and images. Kudos to the boat show people for taking it seriously, especially considering the waterborne transportation.”
The association invested more than $800,000 in the comprehensive traffic plan, focusing a large part of the plan on the park-and-ride model, which proved effective with an estimated 80% of boat show attendees parking at designated offsite locations and arriving via shuttle bus or water taxi.
The county study found there was an average of 5,000 additional cars on the Rickenbacker Causeway each day of the event compared to the same period in 2015, a figure that parallels the estimated 4,000 pre-paid boat show parking spaces that were available on Virginia Key and shuttle traffic.
“We are very pleased with the extraordinary joint effort that was put forth by the NMMA, the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County,” said Ms. Bravo. “The success of the boat show traffic plan demonstrates that with good planning, coordination and dissemination of information, multiple agencies and organizations can develop and implement a plan that avoids significant traffic issues. This will be a model for other major events in Miami-Dade County.”
Ms. Bravo was joined by Cathy Rick-Joule, boat show director.
“We demonstrated that you can move a lot of people using mass transit,” Ms. Rick-Joule said.
While long waits were reported for some water taxis and shuttle buses, improvements were made each day to keep them moving more smoothly and the boat show organizers say they will be making additional improvements for the 2017 show to eliminate long waits.
“We were excited to see so much enthusiasm for the park-and-ride service, especially for water taxis. We know that in many cases, attendees waiting for a water taxi were offered shuttle bus rides but were willing to wait to be able to arrive to the show by water,” Ms. Rick-Joule said.
“We came away from the 2016 Boat Show with lessons on how we can eliminate long wait times for next year.”
NEW PERFORMANCE BOATS UNVEILED AT MIAMI INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW
Marine Technology Inc. teases the V57, a 57-foot center console, in Miami.
By Eric Colby
A number of performance-boat manufacturers unveiled new models at the Miami International Boat Show in February, which was held at a new venue on Virginia Key. Marine Technology Inc. (www.marinetechnologyinc.com) had a scale model of its new 34-foot catamaran that will be powered by two of Mercury Racing’s new 400R outboards. The manufacturer also had a short video of its new MTI-V 57, which was powered by four of the same motors, before it was shipped off to make its official debut at the 2016 Dubai International Boat Show.
The 57-footer sports an 11-foot-11-inch beam and displaces approximately 19,000 pounds with the four outboards. Top speed is estimated in excess of 65 mph, and the stepped bottom design should be efficient when it comes to fuel consumption. The MTI-V 57 will be built on a custom basis and can be set up for fishing or with a luxurious cabin, console and seating for cruising. The official introduction for the boat in the United States will be at the 2016 Fort Lauderdale Boat Show.
Miami breaks promise to open waterfront park after boat show
By David Smiley
When city of Miami officials hurriedly embarked on an expensive project last year to create a new home on Virginia Key for the Miami International Boat Show, part of their sales pitch to the public was that for much of the year the 15-acre venue would be converted into a park.
They released images of soccer fields east of the Miami Marine Stadium and displayed a sample of synthetic grass at City Hall. They even inserted language into their agreement with the boat show that they’d cover a portion of the $24 million venue in artificial turf and open it to the public within 31 days of the conclusion of the massive marine industry trade show.
But 31 days came and went on March 17 with nary a blade of fake grass or soccer ball in sight. As of Thursday, the venue was reserved for Miami Open tennis tournament parking.
“We’re right now working on a plan to ask the city commission to do something different,” City Manager Daniel Alfonso said when asked to explain the missed deadline. “Originally there was a plan to cover the entire area with Astroturf. We believe there’s value in leaving some of the area as parking.”
Alfonso said the change in plans has much to do with the rushed job that went into planning the outdoor exhibition space in order to construct and open it in time for the boat show. He said the city is working to come up with a more functional design.
But the administration’s failure to make good on its promise has irked at least one city commissioner, and fueled skepticism from watchdog groups that believe the city has planned all along to use its new venue to host money-making events year-round.
“We have to do what we say,” said Commissioner Francis Suarez. “You can’t do a bait and switch.”
Suarez noted that during the multiple public hearings held to approve the financing and agreements needed to build the space, Miami administrators referred to it as a “flex park.” While plans called for the city to repave the vast area and install drainage and electrical fields, they also called for $2.5 million in artificial turf — enough to cover about seven acres and create an athletic complex.
In April, when it became clear the cost of the project was growing and that the boat show needed more time to set up and break down, city commissioners voted to amend their agreement with the boat show on the condition that the city place in writing that the playing fields would open this month.
The fact that didn’t happen is frustrating but not surprising, said Key Biscayne Mayor Mayra Peña Lindsay, whose government has sued Miami to stop its use of the event venue. Lindsay pointed out that Mayor Tomás Regalado recently announced intentions to steer all money raised by hosting events at the Virginia Key exhibition area toward the renovation of the historic but abandoned Marine Stadium. The city hasn’t yet booked any new events, but acknowledges that planners have made inquiries about the site.
“I really want a thoughtful resolution to all of this,” she said. “But I feel like to a certain extent we've become babysitters because they don’t do as they say they're going to do.”
Alfonso said the city still plans to turn part of the campus into park and recreation space, and said part of the reason administrators are waiting to move is because they want to vet their plans with a newly established committee tasked with reviewing all things on Virginia Key. He said he’s concerned that people will view their slow action as a broken promise, but that’s not the case.
“I’m concerned about that,” he said. “But we still have some concerns about the park.”
Judge: Key Biscayne’s Miami boat show lawsuit can proceed
Jonathan Sweet
A Miami-Dade judge ruled Tuesday that the village of Key Biscayne's lawsuit against the city of Miami over the Miami International Boat Show can continue, the Miami Herald reported.
The judge denied a motion by the city to dismiss a village lawsuit challenging the city’s creation and use of the Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin for the boat show.
The city argued that the suit should be dismissed on the grounds that the village lacks standing and that Key Biscayne's claims were insufficient grounds for a lawsuit. The judge disagreed, the paper reported, and gave the city 20 days to respond to the village's complaint.
The village has also filed an additional suit against Miami-Dade County claiming the county violated its development rules when approving the boat show for Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin. A lawsuit filed against NMMA was dismissed by a judge late last year.
By David Smiley, Miami Herald
In the legal fight over the city of Miami’s new exhibition venue next to historic Marine Stadium, the Village of Key Biscayne is still standing.
A Miami-Dade judge on Tuesday denied a motion by Miami’s attorneys to dismiss a village lawsuit challenging the city’s creation and use of its $24 million event space on Virginia Key.
The city created the venue last year in order to host the Miami International Boat Show and potentially other events, and promised to convert the space into an Astroturf park during down times. But Key Biscayne officials say the city illegally and unconstitutionally constructed the facility, and have asked the court to block the city from turning what they argue is a public park into a commercial venue.
Deputy Miami City Attorney John Greco told Judge Jerald Bagley Tuesday that the city lawfully created and used the facility. But his primary purpose in court was to argue that even had it not, the village couldn’t prove it had any special injury to bring its lawsuit against the city, and therefore its suit should be dismissed on the grounds that the village lacks standing. He added that even if the judge disagreed on that point, the village’s assertions that the city had illegally and unconstitutionally created the event remained insufficient grounds for a lawsuit.
But Bagley denied the motion in its entirety, and gave Greco 20 days to respond to Key Biscayne’s amended complaint, which if successful could prove problematic for the Boat Show’s planned return to Virginia Key in 2017. Meanwhile, other related lawsuits filed by the village against the city, National Marine Manufacturers Association and Miami-Dade County are pending.
Key Biscayne Mayor: Miami Politicos "Were Bull****ting All Along" About Promised Park
By Jessica Weiss
For the past two years, the City of Miami has tried hard to persuade the public and politicians in Key Biscayne to back its plans for hosting the Miami International Boat Show on Virginia Key. Central among the city's pledges was to create a public park on part of the waterfront land developed for the event. The "Flex Park" was to be built within 31 days of the show’s end, Miami vowed.
But 46 days have passed since the boat show, and the space remains a slab of asphalt. And Village of Key Biscayne Mayor Mayra Lindsay has her own theory about the supposed park: It was bunk from the beginning.
“I think what we see here is they’re trying to go through the backdoor and create what they had intended all along: a year-round exhibition space for commercial use,” she says. “They were bull****ting all along.”
The flap is the latest simmering controversy around an event that led to mangled mangroves during construction and allegations that a boat killed a protected manatee during the event.
Lindsay isn't alone in slamming Miami. After the city missed its March 17 deadline, Miami Commissioner Francis Suarez demanded answers for failing to deliver. He noted that $24 million of taxpayer money was used to prepare the space for the boat show.
In response, City Manager Daniel Alonso has said that the city does indeed plan to develop a park but that the administration has run into logistical issues and is “rethinking” its plans.
But Lindsay doubts that. She was among the most outspoken activists against bringing the boat show to Virginia Key, a critical natural habitat, and spent many months heading deliberations with the city. During those meetings, she argued that any commercial use of the land should also create dedicated space for public use.
During multiple public hearings held to approve the financing and agreements needed to build the space, the city made pledges to create the park next to Miami Marine Stadium. Plans called for the city to repave 15 acres and install drainage and electrical fields, as well as cover about seven acres with artificial turf, creating sports fields.
But Alonso says an official agreement was never inked with Key Biscayne.
"Key Biscayne had the opportunity to enter into an agreement with the city and walked away from negotiations," he wrote in a statement to reporters. "So there is no agreement between the City and the Village of Key Biscayne or the Boat Show regarding artificial turf fields at the Flex Park on Virginia Key."
However, he said, there is “an intention... to put turf on the property.”
“There are different uses being considered,” the statement reads. “A plan will be presented to the City Commission and the Virginia Key Advisory Board to allow for a variety of uses for the Flex Park including sporting fields, event space, and parking.”
Lindsay says that regardless of a written agreement, she is “stunned” the administration is failing to comply with what it was instructed to do by the commission, and she rejects the claim there was no deal.
"All models used a park site and showed parkland, period, full stop," she says. “The City can’t just do whatever they want — they have a responsibility to residents and taxpayers, not to their friends who want to host conventions.”
In the end, the issues may be decided in a courtroom. The Village of Key Biscayne is suing the City of Miami over the use of its waterfront land. That could complicate the City's plans to hold the Boat Show at Marine Stadium in 2017.
Environmental activist and Friends of Virginia Key founder Blanca Mesa says the delay should be considered an urgent opportunity to try to build something better in a city woefully lacking public parklands. The safety of artificial turf fields, which are cushioned with recycled tires, is questionable. And activists say a "park” is a farce if the public won't have access to it during private events.
“It wasn’t going to be a real park to begin with,” Mesa says. “So let’s tear up all the asphalt and create a real one.”
I'm going to have to do some digging. I thought the grant to the city of Miami, by the estate of the family who owned the property, was that the property had to be used for boating purposes.
