FIU vs. Youth Fair

It’s disappointing that Florida International University is waging a campaign of disinformation in its quest to get The Youth Fair evicted from Tamiami Park so that it can take over the Fairgrounds.

Unfortunately, some people, local governments and organizations believe the claim that The Fair is moving to South Dade. It is not.

FIU has been conducting presentations around the county about a “South Dade Economic Development Proposal,” built around the premise of relocating The Fair and its exposition business. This proposal must be debunked, along with the implication that The Fair is in agreement with being part of FIU’s proposal.

A massive market research study and two exhaustive economic studies, one co-commissioned and co-funded by Miami-Dade County, FIU and The Youth Fair, have shown that our organization would lose more than 50 percent of Youth Fair and exposition business guests, 100 percent of livestock exhibitors and more than 50 percent of exposition clients and events if we relocated to South Dade.

The board of directors of The Youth Fair twice has voted unanimously to reject this corporate suicide.

FIU is aware of these facts and of our position..

FIU should join Miami-Dade County and The Fair in seeking a viable, acceptable solution that would allow FIU to have additional land without destroying The Fair or violating our lease with the county that is in effect until 2085.

The Youth Fair and the county are actively studying three potential sites for relocation, based on the terms of our lease.

We urge FIU to join us.

This story was originally published February 12, 2016 at 7:03 PM with the headline "FIU vs. Youth Fair."