Mega Miami mall wants a do-over based on fairness. What about fairness to taxpayers? | Opinion
“Here we go again,” we can hear Miami-Dade residents muttering.
That’s an understandable response to the news that developers of the long-delayed American Dream Miami mega-mall project off Interstate 75 — which we’d nearly forgotten about — may be seeking government subsidies after all.
As voters may remember, back in 2018, when the vast mall complex received county zoning approval, there was a caveat attached by the county that was quite specific: No county subsidies were to be used.
As Commissioner Rebeca Sosa, who voted for the wildly unpopular 2009 public financing deal for Marlins Park, said at the time of the American Dream vote: “I learn from past mistakes. All I want is to make sure no public funds are used.”
But now Miami-Dade Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez, who currently represents the area where the mall would be built, has brought up the idea of a partial do-over. The developer, Triple Five, wants the commission to lift the restrictions barring it from seeking government subsidies.
The issue being raised? Fairness.
“Let me make it clear that I’m not suggesting that we use taxpayer dollars now, but I want to make sure that Triple Five was fairly treated. And if they were treated differently than other malls, then we should take a fresh look at the deal,” Bermudez told the Editorial Board. “It’s not so much about their mall; it’s that we need to move forward with getting economic development rolling in the area and roads built.”
It’s true that rival malls in the area were the ones who asked the county for the restrictions in 2018, seeing stiff competition from a mega mall and entertainment center that would feature not only retail stores but also an artificial ski slope and a submarine lake. The American Dream mall now says it will be less about retail stores and more about being an entertainment center, minimizing its competition with other malls as a shopping destination.
In the six years that have passed, shopping malls and brick-and-mortar stores have felt pressure from discount and online retailers, including Amazon. Do we need another mall — even an entertainment center/mall — in Miami-Dade?
Perhaps the developer is banking on our usual short memory in Miami-Dade. No one on the current 13-member commission was in office when the deal was struck — although the lone “no” vote was Daniella Levine Cava, now county mayor. But we remember: At the time, then-Mayor Carlos Gimenez said the developer had asked for government subsidies during negotiations — and the mayor turned down the requests.
One thing is sure: A project once pledged to be open by 2025 and employ an estimated 5,000 people is still a long way off. The developer, owner of Minnesota’s Mall of America, hasn’t gotten final construction permits.
Bermudez, who said American Dream’s local attorney Miguel Diaz de la Portilla approached him to get the issue before the commission, is eager to see development on the tract of land. The original agreement required Triple Five to first pay for and complete road systems connecting the development’s property to main highways and thoroughfares, including new interchanges and road widening, important issues. Diaz de la Portilla could not be reached for comment.
If we’re going to talk about fairness, let’s talk about fairness for the residents of Miami-Dade County. The county commission at the time agreed to allow this massive development — despite protests from Miami Lakes residents worried about a flood of traffic — with the simple restriction, on behalf of taxpayers, that there should be no county government subsidies.
Trust in government is shaky at best among Miami-Dade residents. Voters need to be able to have faith that their commissioners — or commissions in the future — won’t go back on their word simply because someone influential asks.
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