Miami church wants to close $240M Brickell land sale. What’s blocking the deal?
Miami’s oldest Presbyterian church stands to gain $240 million by selling 2.2 acres to developers who want to build an 80-story condominium tower on the last waterfront property in Brickell.
However, a member of First Miami Presbyterian Church, Cary Tolley, is standing in the way. Tolley, who filed a complaint in October, won a preliminary battle last week before the Presbytery of Tropical Florida, the overseeing body of the church at 609 Brickell Ave.
The Presbytery of Tropical Florida remains determined to close the property deal. Its leader Rev. Daris Bultena called the potential residential tower a “historic partnership” with two developers.
Should the sale eventually proceed, it would clear the way to build more residences in Miami’s financial district. Other developers are rushing to meet demand for high-rise living in the Brickell neighborhood.
Presbytery of Tropical Florida, which has managed the Miami church since 2018 after it faced a $7 million tax lien, lost last week to Tolley in a virtual hearing by a vote of 6-2 of the Synod of the South Atlantic Permanent Judicial Commission, or PJC.
A Miami Herald reporter attended the virtual hearing and later received a copy of the decision.
The Synod of the South Atlantic PJC decided that the church member had “standing” and therefore the right to file a complaint to block the Brickell Avenue land sale.
In its decision, the synod promised to further consider in another hearing whether to void a vote that would allow Presbytery of Tropical Florida to sell the church’s parking lot and school to developers 13th Floor Investments and Key International. They want to acquire a portion of the church’s property to build the 80-story tower. Both developers declined to comment for this story.
The next hearing in front of the Synod of the South Atlantic PJC is slated to happen sometime in the spring in person in Atlanta. The decision will determine whether the church members’ vote last year in favor of selling the 2.2 acres will be voided or approved.
A settlement could occur before that hearing. “As Presbyterians, we believe that you always try to resolve differences in as graceful a manner as you can,” Tolley said. “I want to explore any and all possibilities before we have to go to the hearing.”
Tolley’s goals are to force another vote of the church’s congregation about the land transaction and he wants to see if the developers would reduce the size the condo development.
But another obstacle could scuttle a potential sale — the pending $7 million tax lien on the church’s Brickell property. The Presbytery of Tropical Florida will meet several parties in March, including Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser Pedro Garcia and Tax Collector Peter Can, to dispute the tax lien.
Jerry Gomez, county assistant tax collector, said the office is awaiting a final order or court judgment in order to determine tax amounts due and deadline dates.
