Levine Cava avoids crisis — for now — after a self-inflicted PortMiami fuel mess | Opinion

The Miami-Dade Commission on Tuesday helped Mayor Daniella Levine Cava avoid a crisis for her administration — at least for now. By an 11-1 vote, commissioners agreed to let the county pursue eminent domain to try to seize a privately owned fuel yard on Fisher Island that’s crucial for PortMiami.

The vote was the result of the Levine Cava administration’s own missteps.

Commissioners on Tuesday were frustrated that the county failed to try and purchase the fuel yard when it was put up for sale two years ago. The property’s new owners have plans to close the yard and build a luxury condo complex at the site, the Herald reported. That would leave PortMiami with no way to keep ships fueled after next year, making the future of one of the county’s largest economic engines “precarious,” Jason Liberty, chief executive officer and chair of Royal Caribbean, told the commission.

The administration has been trying to negotiate a deal with the new owners — a group that includes prominent Miami developers Russell Galbut and the Related Group. But Levine Cava is not happy about the reported price tag of $400 million, which would be paid off over 20 years. None of that money would come from property taxes because the port’s revenues and expenses are segregated from Miami-Dade’s core budget. But that doesn’t mean the county shouldn’t be judicious with those dollars.

Some commissioners were upset that, just last year, the owners purchased the land for about $180 million. Commissioner Keon Hardemon called the $400 million price tag “prohibitive.” Commissioner Oliver Gilbert accused the developers of trying to flip the property for an excessive profit.

At this point, it seems inevitable that the county has decided to play hard ball and pursue a forced sale through eminent domain. The legal proceeding requires the county to declare it needs the land for a public purpose and go before a jury to decide how much it should pay for it. The appraisal for the 10 acres ranges from $25 million to $430 million depending on its designated use, the Herald reported.

There’s no guarantee eminent domain will work in Miami-Dade’s favor, and the developers are certain to fight it in court. Even some of the commissioners who supported the measure on Tuesday fear what could happen if the county cannot seize the property. Commissioner Raquel Regalado, the sole “no” vote on the proposal, said the county is rushing into a risky legal fight and equated it to running “into a burning building without getting all the facts,” the Herald reported.

Commissioner Chair Anthony Rodriguez said the county could lose the fuel depot if it cannot force a sale. The port then would need to find other alternatives, including the possibility of a fuel barge anchoring off PortMiami to keep cruise ships running. The county could also scrap current port expansion plans to clear land for a fuel facility, the Herald reported. None of these alternatives areideal.

“I just hope that we’re successful,” Rodriguez said.

No one must be hoping that more than Levine Cava. She already ousted two top officials in her administration over the fuel yard negotiations — her chief operating officer and PortMiami’s director. Her team’s failure to purchase the 10-acre Fisher Island property when it had a chance wasn’t just a lost opportunity; it risks becoming the mayor’s biggest flop since she was elected in 2020.

It’s unclear what Levine Cava’s political ambitions may be once she leaves office in 2028, but this is the type of crisis, involving one of the world’s busiest cruise ports, that could follow her.

The mayor’s reputation aside, it’s crucial that this matter be resolved. PortMiami needs a fuel yard and the county must pull all levers to make that happen, but we have a feeling Miami-Dade is still a long way from a resolution.