Battered by conservation groups, Miami Wilds water park ‘dead’ after county vote

Miami-Dade commissioners unanimously turned on a Miami Wilds water park that once enjoyed broad support in County Hall, voting to abandon a lease modification needed to keep the deal alive.

“This horse is dead,” said Oliver Gilbert, chair of the 13-member board.

READ MORE: At Zoo Miami, Ron Magill draws a crowd. This time, to fight a zoo project: Miami Wilds

Conservation groups fought the attraction planned for Zoo Miami parking lots, arguing the project would eliminate vital nighttime feeding ground for endangered bats that live in the surrounding forest. On Monday, federal wildlife regulators backed that argument, notifying Miami-Dade the county-owned acreage was environmentally sensitive.

Tuesday’s vote to formally withdraw the lease modification from consideration leaves the stalled Miami Wilds project with a 2022 lease that requires construction to begin by the end of this month.

That’s not possible, given Miami Wilds hasn’t sought the county permits or zoning changes needed to build.

With the deadline sure to be missed, developers lobbied for an extension that Mayor Daniella Levine Cava initially supported but now opposes. Her administration has notified Miami Wilds the lease needs to be rescinded and is taking legal action to end the agreement unilaterally.

The legislation that passed on a 9 to 1 vote would have modified the lease to give Miami Wilds more time. The one no vote came from Raquel Regalado, who wanted the board to go farther and vote to kill the deal outright. “The purpose of more time is to somehow resuscitate this,” she said.

Now both sides are preparing for a court fight over Miami Wilds’ claims that the county unfairly scuttled the deal over political pressure. “Not probably,” said Gilbert, a lawyer. “This is going to be litigated.”

Miami Wilds rejects the claims about environmental harm, saying its project would help the zoo financially and boost the South Dade economy. In a statement after the vote, the development group said the commission “failed to take up a simple amendment to its lease with Miami Wilds” that would have given time for a formal federal review of environmental considerations for the project.

“While very disappointed,” the statement said, “Miami Wilds will continue to operate and defend the project under the existing lease and act as any prudent business would.”

Tuesday’s vote was a triumph for conservation groups, who for years were unable to dent Miami Wilds’ support among commissioners and two administrations.

The board approved the original development deal in 2020 under then-Mayor Carlos Gimenez, then Levine Cava negotiated the formal lease needed to start construction. Commissioners approved the lease last year.

The project stalled amid court fights by Bat Conservation International, the Tropical Audubon Society and others warning of risks to endangered species living near the parking lots.

In court, the National Parks Service conceded it erred in not sparking a federal environmental review of the project planned for land once owned by the federal government and still subject to oversight from Washington.

A turning point came when Ron Magill, the zoo’s locally famous spokesperson, came out publicly against the project this fall. He said he arrived at the Stephen P. Clark Center at 6 a.m. to snag a front row seat in the chambers for the vote.

“We’ve got to stand up for what we believe in,” he said afterwards. “This is the most inspiring, encouraging day that I have ever had working for the zoo.”

Multiple commissioners cited Magill’s comments in supporting sponsor Kionne McGhee’s request to withdraw the legislation needed to keep the Miami Wilds in compliance with its county lease.

“Where Ron Magill goes on this, I go,” Commissioner Micky Steinberg said.

This story was originally published December 12, 2023 at 4:36 PM.