Referendum 3 is a major measure on the ballot for City of Miami voters regarding the future of Virginia Key.
Voters will decide what becomes of almost 30 acres of waterfront property, framed by supporters and developers as a way to revitalize the area located in front of Biscayne Bay.
“Miami, this November, voting yes will turn a marine for some into a waterfront for all,” said a Save Virginia Key political advertisement.
“This marina is dated, and the infrastructure is dated,” said David Filler, chief development officer for Suntex Marinas.
However, critics have their concerns, mostly in regard to the environmental effect the project will have.
“Our public waterfronts are vital to our community. Out-of-state developers are trying to take it from us,” said a Preserve and Protect Miami political advertisement.
“The impact to the environment is not reversible. They’re very intense; they don’t consider a master plan for all of Virginia Key,” said Adam Gersten, owner of Gramps Getaway, a restaurant in Virginia Key.
“We’re at the tipping point in Biscayne Bay. We need to protect our seagrass and water quality, and when you dredge for bigger boats, and you expand marinas, it’s an impact to seagrass,” said Laura Reynolds with Friends of Biscayne Bay.
Approving the referendum would mean allowing the Virginia Key land to be leased to Virginia Key LLC, a joint venture between RCI Group and Dallas-based Suntex Marinas, for a 75-year maximum term including a 45-year initial term and two 15-year renewals.
Miami would be paid an annual rent of $2.2 million.
Developers also promised $80 million of privately-funded investments to redevelop the existing Rickenbacker and Marine Stadium marinas by adding boat storages, restaurants and retail.
“Very few people here know too much about this marina, because the only people that can use it are the boaters that are tenants of this marina. When we redo that marina, it’s going to be completely open with restaurants, larger promenades,” said Filler.
“This is the marina at Virginia Key today. Now, imagine what it could be. Imagine this neglected waterfront becoming a place to walk along the bay, meet friends for dinner, launch a paddleboard, watch the sunset,” said another Save Virginia Key political advertisement.
Developers promised hundreds of jobs, the building of public spaces to walk, run and cycle, and to do it all in an “environmentally sensitive manner.”
Opponents are worried that this will come at the cost of Biscayne Bay’s health.
“It hands out one of the last public stretches of water we have left and shuts out middle class Miamians,” said another Preserve and Protect Miami political advertisement.
“The area is much larger, so we’re talking about attracting huge mega yachts to a bay that really can’t handle large boats,” said Reynolds. “We are a shallow estuary, and if we try to accommodate large mega yachts, we’re ultimately going to end up having to dredge and fill places, and that’s going to hurt the bay bottom.”
Developers said these problems are already at risk with the current marina.
“What’s behind us is an improper mangrove restoration and also improper cleaning of the area,” said Ron Schultz with Edgewater Group. “The storm water I mentioned filtering for, the wash-down areas for the boats, the oil, gas solvents, anti-fouling paints are all going straight into the bay right now. The biggest thing you can do to protect the bay is to build a new marina.”
Although Referendum 3 is only on the ballot for Miami voters, this issue will impact all of South Florida voters because Virginia Key is an area many people use.
