Documents obtained by the Spotlight show city officials estimate the proposed borrowing would ultimately cost $795 million, while future staffing costs for new facilities have yet to be calculated.
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David Villano
Latest from David Villano
Spotlight Exclusive: Escalona Outlines Transparency Agenda for City Hall
Calling City Hall’s culture “damaged,” Miami District 3 Commissioner Rolando Escalona tells the Spotlight he wants to curb undisclosed legislative changes, overhaul public-records practices, and use technology to give residents unprecedented access to government information.
As Tree Appeals Surge, Critics Question City’s Permit Practices
Miami residents are mounting a growing challenge to city-issued tree removal permits, with at least 14 appeals now in process, as critics accuse city officials of adopting an increasingly permissive approach to enforcing Miami’s tree protection laws.
City Launches Salary Portal, But Key Pay Data Remains Hidden
Miami’s new salary transparency website makes it easier to see what city employees are scheduled to earn. What it still won’t show is the full breakdown of compensation behind those figures.
Greenway Bonus Proposal Returns in Expanded Form
After an April hearing at the City’s Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board was canceled for lack of a quorum, Miami officials are bringing back a controversial proposal that would allow taller and denser development near bike trails and pedestrian corridors — but with a significantly larger footprint than originally proposed.
Benefits Boom: How Miami Quietly Turned Bonus Height Into Big Money
As luxury towers rise across Miami, developers are paying millions of dollars into a little-known city fund that trades bonus height and density for cash — fueling parks projects, affordable housing deals and growing concerns about overdevelopment.
City Staff Recommend Scaling Back Grove Carve-Out in Density Transfer Debate
A last-minute recommendation from the City Attorney’s Office would preserve some development rights in Coconut Grove and other protected neighborhoods under Miami’s controversial affordable housing density transfer expansion.
Despite Grove Carve-Out, Density Transfer Program Set to Expand
A revised version of the controversial affordable housing density transfer program would exclude Coconut Grove from some aspects, but other late-stage changes — including a doubling of allowable bonus density — have dramatically expanded the scope of the proposal set for a final vote Thursday.
Miami Quietly Approves $1 Million Stadium Spending Amid $47 Million Budget Expansion
A last-minute substitution memo revealed previously undisclosed spending tied to LoanDepot Park, along with dozens of new city positions and expanded budget powers for City Manager James Reyes — all approved without discussion by the City Commission.
New Lawsuit Targets Grove Bonus-Height Developments
The legal challenge — like a similar lawsuit focused on The WELL — centers on whether Miami officials unlawfully allowed developers to lock in three extra stories under a repealed zoning provision, as well as a separate claim that one of the projects is barred from any bonus-height allowance because of existing restrictions under the city’s Miami 21 zoning code.
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