Miami is working to bring Formula One to downtown. But you still have time to weigh in.

Miami commissioners agreed Thursday to negotiate a contract with international auto racing league Formula One to bring a Grand Prix street race to downtown next year, which has some residents worried about how traffic and noise from the event will disrupt their lives for three days.

In a unanimous vote, commissioners authorized City Manager Emilio Gonzalez to work with Formula One to draw up a contract to stage a three-day Grand Prix event in downtown, every year for a decade, starting in October 2019.

"I think that this is a great opportunity," said Commissioner Manolo Reyes.​

Now Gonzalez has until July 1 to negotiate a deal, which would still need final commission approval later this summer.

The initial proposal has the race running from Biscayne Boulevard in front of AmericanAirlines Arena over to PortMiami and back.

Commissioners supported the concept, saying the race would be an economic boon to downtown.

Commissioners Joe Carollo and Ken Russell acknowledged that the city will have to ease residents' concerns regarding noise and traffic the event will undoubtedly bring.

"We need to look at this very seriously," Carollo said. "We have several thousand new residents that live downtown that we did not have before. And we need to decide how many and which are the activities that we want downtown, because if we're going to be having major activity that disrupts with noise and street closures the lives of all these thousands of residents, we're going to end up being sued.."

The proposal is indeed facing some opposition from downtown residents who are already tired of noise and traffic caused by nearby clubs and events held at Bayfront Park.

“When is enough enough?” said Maria Martinez, president of the resident association at the 50 Biscayne condo tower. She appeared before the commission wearing all black to express her feeling that the city is killing downtown residents’ peace.

“I’m mourning the quality of life in downtown from the poor to the rich and the middle class,” she said.

Two neighborhood associations, the Downtown Neighbors Alliance and the Biscayne Neighborhoods Association, sent the city letters voicing the same concerns.

"Undeniably Formula One is a world class event that can potentially bring a large economic impact to the city of Miami," wrote Cristina Palomo, president of the Downtown Neighbors Alliance. "However, past races such as the Formula E held in 2015 have presented many problems, among them security issues, lengthy traffic disruptions, street closures, and total disruption of pedestrian access to parks and even crosswalks during long setup and tear down periods."

Other racing enthusiasts have posted their support on social media.

Sean Bratches, managing director for Formula One's commercial operations, said in a statement that the exact timing of a Grand Prix in Miami would be a matter for further discussion between the racing league and the city, but the inaugural race could take place in October 2019.

"Formula One in Miami represents a fantastic opportunity to bring the greatest racing spectacle on the planet to one of the world’s most iconic cities, and we are delighted that the journey is underway," he said.

This story was originally published May 10, 2018 at 2:30 PM with the headline "Miami is working to bring Formula One to downtown. But you still have time to weigh in.."