County HallWednesday, November 11
A county committee deferred the Seaquarium lease with a Dec. 30 deadline looming
The 5AM Miami team
If you've been following the Seaquarium's next chapter, it hit a snag Tuesday. A county committee voted 3-1 to defer developer David Martin's lease after it landed on the agenda Monday evening. Commissioner Marleine Bastien said she was "gravely concerned" about waiving rules that give the public a month's notice and require two appraisals. Commissioner Raquel Regalado, whose district includes the site, voted against waiting.
The Seaquarium lease by the numbers
- 295
- slips in the planned Biscayne Bay marina
- 249
- pages in the lease added to the agenda Monday
- 99 years
- length of the proposed lease
- 3-1
- committee vote to defer
Sources: Miami Herald, WLRN
Martin's side says time is short. Lobbyist Brian May warned that a bankruptcy judge could award the lease to someone else if Martin misses the Dec. 30 deadline, and attorney Gene Stearns said the creditors financing the property "they've run out of money." The deadline stems from the bankruptcy of former operator MS Leisure Co. Environmental groups want changes: the Save the Manatee Club calls for a smaller marina, and Miami Waterkeepers wants more study of seagrass and water quality.
- Martin's pitch: no dredging, floating oyster beds, a living seawall
- The new attraction: an aquarium with no marine mammals, free baywalk access
- Commission Chair Anthony Rodriguez can call a December meeting
The lease faces two more dates
- Nov. 10A county committee votes 3-1 to defer the lease.
- Nov. 17Commission holds its final scheduled meeting of the year and elects a new chair.
- Dec. 30Deadline to present an approved lease to the bankruptcy court.
Sources: Miami Herald, Florida Politics
Sources: Miami Herald, WLRN, Florida Politics