Developers say Miami's $80M Virginia Key plan costs taxpayers nothing; opponents say the environment pays the price

Environmental advocates are ramping up opposition to a proposed waterfront redevelopment project on Virginia Key, warning that the plan could further damage Biscayne Bay as Miami voters prepare to decide the issue in November.

Referendum 3 is a ballot measure that would allow the City of Miami to lease nearly 28 acres of public land to private developers for an initial term of 45 years in exchange for improvements to the Rickenbacker Marina and Marine Stadium Marina.

The project would use an estimated $80 million in private fund to expanded marina facilities and waterfront dining on almost 28 acres of city land.

Opponents, including the owner of Gramps Getaway, argue the proposal is part of a larger wave of development that threatens a fragile ecosystem already under stress.

"This referendum would be devastating for our business and other multigenerational businesses here," said Adam Gersten, owner of Gramps Getaway. "Even more important is something you can't replace, which is the environment."

The marina proposal is one of several major projects planned for Virginia Key, including a redevelopment proposal for the former Miami Seaquarium property.

Laura Reynolds, an ecologist and member of the Friends of Biscayne Bay Advisory Board, said officials are failing to consider the cumulative environmental effects of multiple projects moving forward simultaneously.

"It seems like all three of these projects are moving forward in a silo and no one is thinking about the cumulative impact to Biscayne Bay," Reynolds said.

Reynolds said Biscayne Bay has lost approximately 75% of its seagrass since 1983 and warned that additional marina development could accelerate the bay's decline.

"We are not opposed to development," Reynolds said. "We think it needs to be coordinated and it needs to be reasonable."

The proposal has been under consideration for more than a decade and ultimately landed on the ballot following a legal challenge. Former Miami Commissioner Ken Russell, who previously voted against the project, said the city should prioritize public access to waterfront land over maximizing development.

"We don't have to take everything to the maximum profit dollar of overdevelopment, especially on city land," Russell said. "Sometimes it's good to have accessible waterfront places for our residents."

The development team, Virginia Key LLC, a partnership between RCI Group and Suntex Marinas, sent a letter to Gramps Getaway last month. The company said it wants the restaurant to remain at the site.

"For decades, this incredible public asset has been underutilized and difficult for many Miami families to fully enjoy. We have an opportunity to change that with more than $80 million in improvements funded entirely by private investment — not a single dollar from Miami taxpayers," said RCI Group President Robert W. Christoph Jr. "Our team will create a destination where families can walk along the bay, friends can meet for lunch, and people can kayak, paddleboard, or simply enjoy the view."

The group said the redevelopment could generate approximately $3.8 million in revenue each year.

Gersten said many residents opposing the referendum are focused on protecting the area's natural character.

"There are just a bunch of people who want to see this referendum fail because they want to preserve this pristine environment and build around it and with it, not on top of it," he said.

Miami voters will decide the fate of Referendum 3 in the November election.