The Plan Z proposal finally became public, but Miami-Dade keeping toll hikes a secret

The Plan Z consortium’s unsolicited proposal to redevelop the Rickenbacker Causeway finally became a public document this week, but that doesn’t mean the secrecy has ended.

Naked Politics obtained a copy of the Feb. 16, 2021 proposal from the group headed by local star architect Bernard Zyscovich, who allied with former Miami-Dade County Parks Director Jack Kardys and private-equity investors to pursue the $498 million project.

It remained confidential under Florida law until Miami-Dade made a decision on accepting or rejecting the plan. After Key Biscayne leaders objected to the concept as too focused on upgrading cycling and not enough on traffic, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and commissioners opted to kill the bidding process and start over. That vote occurred Jan. 19, ending the confidentiality protections.

But the copy of the 117-page document released by the County Attorney’s Office redacted the heart of the proposal: how much Plan Z wanted to raise tolls during the multi-decade deal to both pay for the upgrade and generate profits to investors. When it was facing pushback over the secrecy, Plan Z in December made a partial disclosure, saying the regular $2.25 toll would rise $2 under the proposal.

County lawyers said the redactions come from Plan Z declaring financial information — including how much motorists would pay to drive over the county-owned causeway — “trade secrets” that should be exempt from Florida’s open-records law. (Your Naked Politics correspondent has objected to the redactions, so stay tuned.)

You read the proposal by clicking on the document below.

This story was originally published January 27, 2022 at 11:27 AM.