American Dream moves along without any ifs, ands or buts

American Dream moves along without any ifs, ands or buts

As expected, the American Dream megamall project passed its first hurdle — if one can even call it a hurdle — at Wednesday’s meeting of the Miami-Dade County Commission as they voted to move forward with a proposd change to the county’s Comprehensive Development Master Plan that would allow the development of the massive retail […]

Miami Lakes mayor wants a piece of American Dream pie

Miami Lakes mayor wants a piece of American Dream pie

Miami Lakes Mayor Manny Cid believes the American Dream mega mall have a bigger impact on his town than anywhere else. And, so, he thinks they should be compensated. Cid wrote a letter last month to Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Chairman Esteban Bovo stating his desire to have not only 100 percent of the impact […]

American Dream megamall seeks first county approval

American Dream megamall seeks first county approval

Plans for the Amerian Dream megamall — billed as the largest retail center/amusement park in the U.S. — will go before the Miami-Dade County Commission for the first time Wednesday as they seek changes to the county land use and development master plan maps. And the two big topics will be traffic and tax breaks. […]

Gimenez man Jesse Manzano gets board absences excused

Gimenez man Jesse Manzano gets board absences excused

It’s good to have palanca. Just ask Jesse Manzano-Plaza. The political consultant and strategist, who ran the campaign of Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez (at least until the mayor was forced into a runoff when others were brought in), got a break Tuesday when the members of the Bayfront Park Management Trust Board voted to keep him […]

Ladra predicts Dan Gelber files for Beach mayor in February

Ladra predicts Dan Gelber files for Beach mayor in February

Former State Sen. Dan Gelber will file for the Miami Beach mayoral seat in February. Oh, he hasn’t committed. But after a short chat with Gelber Tuesday night, Ladra is predicting that he will, indeed, file for the seat very soon. My guess is he’s just waiting for the beginning of the month so he […]

Miami Beach: Anonymous email attacks Michael Grieco

Miami Beach: Anonymous email attacks Michael Grieco

Miami Beach Commissioner Michael Grieco, who is running for mayor this year, may not have an opponent yet. But he’s already the target of negative attacks trying to link him to a new shady PAC collecting big donations from people or companies with interests in the city. Whoever sent the email Tuesday that makes Grieco […]

Segovia flowers will be on the ballot — or a campaign issue

Segovia flowers will be on the ballot — or a campaign issue

Coral Gables Commissioner Jeannett Slesnick is going to ask her colleagues Tuesday to put the future of a controversial sculpture of flowers on Segovia Street in the hands of voters, with a referendum on the April ballot to relocate the $1 million work of art to almost any place else. But it’s an uphill battle. […]

The Cortadito Calendar for week of Jan. 23 — busy, busy

The Cortadito Calendar for week of Jan. 23 — busy, busy

It’s the last week of the first month of the new year — and there’s lots going on. From the megamall discussion at the Miami-Dade Commission to an upzone request in Doral to a town hall “brainstorming session” (read: campaign event) in Coral Gables — this is where and when we watch our government and […]

Commission term limits don’t really mean new faces

Commission term limits don’t really mean new faces

Municipal and state candidates wait in the wings If anyone ever made an argument for term limits, it was Miami-Dade Commissioner Esteban Bovo just last week when he was sworn in as the new chairman of the board and talked about actually making decisions in the next two years because, after all, this is his last term and […]

Chairman Bovo wants more meat from Miami-Dade auditor

Chairman Bovo wants more meat from Miami-Dade auditor

Reports would include data on no-bid contracts Three days after he was sworn in earlier this month, new Miami-Dade Commission Chairman Esteban Bovo sent a couple of memos to all the commissioners and several staffers telling them this is his show now and we’re doing things a little differently. Not because he flagrantly doled out […]