County considering $13.5M subsidy for Miami Wilds water park project next to zoo
Miami-Dade’s outgoing commissioners are set to take up a $13.5 million subsidy package for the planned $113 million Miami Wilds water park set to go up next to ZooMiami in the southern part of the county.
The economic-development grant received initial approval six years ago in a commission vote, and the agreement on Friday’s agenda represents the final authorization to award the county dollars. Miami-Dade would borrow the money against property taxes under a $75 million bond item reserved for economic-development projects.
In exchange for covering about 10% of the development budget, Miami-Dade would require the for-profit park to hire 403 people for jobs earning no less than an average annual wage of $35,620. Using a county formula assuming a 36-hour work week, that amounts to about $19 an hour for the typical job in a park complex that will include a hotel and restaurants.
The plan puts the pay for the typical Miami Wilds worker above the median hourly wage in Miami-Dade, which is about $17, according to state figures.
The county pays the money once the project is built and the jobs created. Developers said the funds will be used to improve a county-owned parking area that will serve the zoo as well as the for-profit Wilds complex.
Paul Lambert, one of the Miami Wilds developers, said the project represents a good use of economic-development dollars even if the positions being created pay close to what the average worker earns.
“We love the fact that Blackstone’s technology group is coming to Miami, [and] Carl Icahn is relocating his hedge fund from New York,” he wrote in an email response to questions. “But how many residents of South Dade is Blackstone or Carl Icahn going to hire to fill the jobs they are bringing with them?”
Commissioners are set to vote on the Miami Wilds agreement at a special meeting called Friday, days before new commissioners take office on Tuesday.
Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava also becomes county mayor Tuesday, replacing incumbent Carlos Gimenez, who was elected to Congress.
Commissioners approved the $13.5 million award in 2014, pending negotiations of the final deal that’s finally coming before the board Friday. On Oct. 20, commissioners approved the Miami Wilds project, which will go up on leased county land by the zoo.
Al Sunshine is leader of the community group that tried to block the Miami Wilds project by raising environmental concerns over damage to the natural habitat around the zoo. He called the planned subsidy an example of misguided county priorities.
“As a taxpayer, that’s a pretty good chunk of change,” said Sunshine, a founder of the Miami Pines Rockland Coalition. “I question whether, in this day and age, we should be spending all these tax dollars when we have infrastructure needs — and all sorts of other needs.”
This story was originally published November 12, 2020 at 6:26 PM.