Premature ballot item = pressure on Youth Fair/FIU land deal

Premature ballot item = pressure on Youth Fair/FIU land deal
  • Sumo

In what seems like a classic case of putting the cart before the horse, Miami-Dade Commissioners will discuss on Wednesday the possible Screen shot 2014-09-01 at 1.12.40 AMballot language for a question on the future and uncertain FIU expansion into land now used by the Dade County Youth Fair an expo, which would be moved to another location without using county taxes.

The question is actually whether or not voters would allow FIU the same non-park use of the county land now afforded to the Youth Fair.

But what’s really happening is that the university and the PAC representing the special interests that stand to benefit from the expansion, want to pressure the non-profit Youth Fair, which really has no desire to move anywhere, with a public referendum.

“An ugly war,” is what someone at County Hall called it. And the ballot measure is seen as an offensive front from FIU, which is becoming frustrated, sources say, with protracted negotiations.

Because this isn’t a new idea. The school and the Fair Expo people have been talking about a “land swap” for four years. But any plan is contingent upon two things: Finding a site that is suitable for the Youth Fair Expo’s needs — “equal to or better than” the current location, according to their written-in-stone lease — and paying the cost to move them, estimated by Youth Fair folks (maybe someone else should check) to be at $230 million.

What’s new is the urgency to get the question on November’s ballot? That deadline is Wednesday and the commission chambers will line up with FIU honchos and their 27 lobbyists all of whom will  tell our electeds how wonderful this major institution has become, a pillar of the community even, and that all they really want is to “give the people the opportunity to decide” and blah blah blah.

But all that would still be true — truer, even — after they nail down some more details, wouldn’t it?

Don’t let them lull you into a false sense of security. They’ve already set up a PAC called Friends of Higher Education that will bombard voters with catchy, one-sided propaganda in a vacuum of any real details or opposition — aka the School Board bond and the Jackson Memorial Hospital bond.

The ballot question language draft so far is very limited and shockingly lacks any real detail.

PROPOSED BALLOT QUESTION TO BE CONSIDERED WEDNESDAY:

“The Dade County youth fair site at Tamiami Park is exempt from the public park purposes use restrictions and construction limitations in Article 7 of the charter. Shall the charter be amended to:

• Extend this exemption to Florida International University (FIU) for its expansion onto up to 64 acres of such site upon relocation of the youth fair; and

• Provide that no county funds be used for FIU’s expansion and the youth fair’s required relocation?”

“This is way far, far too premature,” says Youth Fair CEO Robert Hohenstein, who told Ladra they would just as soon stay on the site they have been on for 43 years and have a lease lock on through 2085.  “We’ve been in conversations for four years with the county and FIU over the possible relocation, but we haven’t found a site. Nobody has identified funding.

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4 Responses to "Premature ballot item = pressure on Youth Fair/FIU land deal"

  1. For a good number of years, FIU was making strong strides raising student standards. But no more! The new school president arrived about 4-5 years ago and decided that FIU was a school “para la gente” … and, now it’s back to everyone gets in. That’s why they need the additional space! It’s not because they are offering a quality education, but rather because anyone and everyone can obtain a cheap degree from FIU.

  2. Over the years, FIU has made room on campus for a public elementary school, the National Hurricane Center, and now the Miami-Dade Health Dept. You cannot argue the institution has not been generous with its space in benefitting the broader community. For years I have been shocked and offended that the county fair grounds would be leased out for unregulated knife and gun shows that enable more killings. (Sorry, Ladra, I know you like to shoot at things). As an educator (22 years at FIU) I see greater value for the community in furthering FIU’s successful mission of higher education, research, and community service.

  3. Many years ago I worked for the fair and watch Darwin Fuchs take it from a little county agfest and school projects expo to the largest grossing midway in the country.
    I also watched FIU go from a couple of buildings off some old airport runways to the institution it’s become, seemingly overnight.

    The fairgrounds in any city are always out in the boondocks. The reasons obvious. However in this case while University may be better land use for a one time cowpasture, the taxpayer pays for both sides of this development, twice over.

    Darwin build the original fairgrounds out of the gross receipts, the county rent was based on net proftis after construction, so indirectly we already paid to develop the fairgrounds once. it’s not clear if the FIU proposal even generates increases property tax revenue from the current land use.

    And as Ladra points out the engine driving this are lobbists and special interests not higher education

    FIU should continue the model most state and private universities use, developing areawide campuses or specific schools in satellite locations served by infrastructure and mass transit. West kendall has already been over developed, the slums of tomorrow, built today. not to mention world-class traffic gridlock.

    Certainly do not ask tax payers to spend millions to move the fairgrounds then millions more to expand the campus. Build where we don’t have to pay to relocate the tenant.

    Where does the BCC always get the mindset that unless it’s county UMSA taxes they aren’t really public dollars?

    Lastly, ENOUGH OF THIS MONTHLY DRUMBEAT TO DEVELOP OUR PUBLIC PARKS!

  4. KEEP THE FAIR WHERE IT IS!

    The Fair property was designed and constructed from a master plan (43 years ago) with a vision toward the future. The entire fairgrounds are now paved with all utilities underground. It serves the community in many ways beyond The Fair.

    In order to expand into the current state-of-the-art facility, The Fair constructed buildings for Miami-Dade Park & Recreation at other locations.

    The students who enter their projects in the annual fair win trophies, cash prizes, scholarships and more. They are future college students and graduates. The fair Encourages Excellence in Education.

    The Fair accomplishes all of this at NO COST TO THE TAXPAYER.

    KEEP THE FAIR WHERE IT IS!

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