The Venetian and Rickenbacker may be privatized. Some Miami Beach residents want out

Residents along the Venetian Causeway asked Miami-Dade County on Wednesday to leave them out of a privatization plan for toll bridges connecting Miami with Miami Beach and Key Biscayne.

“I don’t see why the Venetian is being included in this,” Matthew Gultanoff said during an online evening town hall. “Why the rush?”

The complaints are the latest complication for the years-long effort by architect Bernard Zyscovich to win support for his “Plan Z” blueprint for creating new bike lanes and ramps on the Rickenbacker Causeway and generating millions of dollars to replace the ailing Bear Cut Bridge.

Zyscovich’s proposal to let a private developer take over the Rickenbacker’s toll revenue in exchange for building and maintaining the improvements stalled several years ago. Now it’s been revived, with a twist: Miami-Dade would also let the developer take over the Venetian and improve that network of bridges, too.

Miami-Dade hasn’t released details of how the privatized operation would work or how much toll rates would rise to both pay for the improvements and cover the profits required by privatization developers.

In March, Zyscovich and partners, including Swiss-based private equity firm Partners Group, submitted a proposal to develop both causeways. That proposal remains confidential under Miami-Dade and state law for submissions deemed unsolicited. It’s a process designed for “public-private partnerships” — typically called “P3” projects, or “P3s” — that allow a for-profit company to finance, build and operate a government project, in exchange for decades of public dollars.

Now Miami-Dade plans to invite the Zyscovich group and other developers to submit bids for the kind of project in that proposal, with county commissioners responsible for deciding to award the deal or reject all submissions. That vote could come later this year or in 2022, and Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s administration convened Wednesday’s meeting with local officials ahead of finalizing the bidding documents for the project.

“It’s complex,” said Commissioner Raquel Regalado, whose district includes Key Biscayne. “But I think that it can be done.”

The meeting was divided into segments for each causeway, with county officials declining in advance to answer questions or respond to the speakers.

The Rickenbacker portion of the program saw more positive comments than negative ones about improving the popular cycling route that has also been the site of multiple fatal crashes with cars and bicycles.

“Plan Z would really transform the Rickenbacker Causeway into what it should be and what it pretty much is — Rickenbacker Park,” said Mickey Witte, who helped pass a tougher hit-and-run law in Tallahassee after a fellow cyclist was killed on the Rickenbacker in 2012.

“Back in 2015, my father, Walter Reyes, was hit on the Rickenbacker Causeway and passed away,” Jennifer Reyes said. “The idea of more protection for pedestrians and cyclists means a lot to me.”

Residents opposing the Venetian plan pointed out the causeway is already the subject of a state study that began in 2014 and contemplates a major rehab, with the hope of securing federal dollars for the work. And while the Z Plan hinges on significant improvements to make the Rickenbacker a safer biking destination, the Venetian serves as more of a residential boulevard with neighborhoods on either side.

“We have lots and lots of questions that aren’t being answered,” said Debra Leibowitz, a president of a condo association along the Venetian Causeway. “In no way do these two causeways have anything in common, and we shouldn’t be lumped together.”

This story was originally published August 5, 2021 at 10:19 AM.