Latest news with #Miami-Dade
Miami Herald
30-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
American Dream mega-mall sued by Miami-Dade over years of construction delays
Stalled and years behind schedule, the planned American Dream Miami mega-mall faces a new problem: a demand for $5 million from Miami-Dade County over missed development deadlines. Once billed by county leaders as a historic economic opportunity, the 175-acre project by the owner of Minnesota's Mall of America is now the subject of litigation by Miami-Dade over a broken agreement in which the mall's developer promised to have development permits in hand by 2020 and a grand opening this year. Neither happened, with the development site still vacant where Interstate 75 meets Florida's Turnpike north of Hialeah. There's also no hint of progress toward the slew of county permits and approvals needed to even start planning construction for the 6-million-square-foot retail theme park complex, according to Miami-Dade's lawsuit. In 2015, Miami-Dade arranged the sale of 82 acres of government land to American Dream Miami developer Triple Five in a no-bid transaction that included a $5 million penalty if the project wasn't on track for a 2025 opening. Instead, Triple Five subsidiary International Atlantic LLC hasn't even filed a site plan with the county, according to the suit, a situation Miami-Dade describes as a 'flagrant disregard of its contractual obligations.' In a statement, a Triple Five lawyer said the developer is making progress on other county requirements in the development process related to the construction of new state roads around the project site. Triple Five says it is using its influence and engineering studies to speed along state construction of a new network of off ramps and wider roads to allow higher traffic volume around the site. Eventually, developer fees from the project will go toward road construction, too. 'While we disagree with the county administration's interpretation of the matter, we are nonetheless working with the administration to resolve this disagreement amicably,' said Miguel Díaz de la Portilla, a Triple Five lawyer and lobbyist and a former county commissioner. Triple Five is already in court with another former ally over the delayed project. Last year, Triple Five sued the Graham Companies, the Miami Lakes developer that provided Triple Five with the bulk of the project site. The suit asked a judge to block the Graham Companies from canceling the original 2014 land deal, which the Graham Companies said was void after Triple Five failed to meet development deadlines. That litigation continues, with Graham refusing to let Triple Five close the original sale on the land, which was under contract but never finalized. 'As the County's lawsuit shows, International [Atlantic LLC] has made no significant progress,' a Graham lawyer, Scott Hiaasen, said in a statement Friday. American Dream Miami won near-unanimous support from Miami-Dade commissioners in 2018, along with a sister residential and commercial project by the Graham Companies next door. That project is also stalled, but Graham owns its development site without the development requirement that Triple Five had agreed to in acquiring real estate from Miami-Dade in 2015. Triple Five had a supporter in Miami-Dade's mayor at the time of the 2018 vote, Carlos Gimenez, whose administration negotiated the disputed land deal. The current mayor, Daniella Levine Cava, was a county commissioner in 2018. She cast the lone vote against approving the mega-mall project, citing traffic, the low-wage jobs another mall would bring, and concerns about water use at an attraction that planned both an indoor ski slope and an artificial lagoon deep enough for submarine rides. Triple Five executives funded a failed effort to oust her in the 2018 commission election, and she became mayor in 2020. Her administration sent Triple Five a March 6 letter demanding the $5 million payment, communication that was the prelude to the lawsuit. The letter states the deadline for applying for the county approvals needed for an opening this year was the spring of 2020. 'The County has found no evidence of [International Atlantic LLC] diligently applying for and pursuing all of the Necessary Approvals,' wrote Francesca de Quesada Covey, chief innovation and economic development officer under Levine Cava, in a letter to Díaz de la Portilla.
Miami Herald
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Miami boys' volleyball all-star game celebrates 20th anniversary. Plus softball and track
The North came from behind to edge the South 3-2 (20-25, 25-18, 25-27, 25-20, 15-10) in the 20th anniversary of the Miami-Dade High School Boys' Volleyball All-Star Game at Barry University in Miami Shores. The event, organized by Daniel Benitez, features the top high school senior boys' volleyball players in the county. The North showcased Roman Garcia (Barbara Goleman), Nico Delgado-Gonzalez (Coral Gables), Mariano Beytia (Coral Gables), Dante Munecas (Columbus), Joseph Gonzalez (Miami High), Carlos Miranda (Miami High), Evan Alcron (Miami High), Nicholas Navarro (Hialeah), Giovanni Gonzalez (Hialeah-Miami Lakes), Ibrahim Perez (Mater Lakes), Elayan Soto (Mater Lakes), Diego Cobena (Ronald Reagan Doral), Yeison Gonzalez (Ronald Reagan Doral), Santiago Lopez (Divine Savior), Ernesto Alvarenga (JC Bermudez), Lucas Barragan (LaSalle), Christian Bagshaw (LaSalle), Head Coach Josh Garavito (Ronald Reagan Doral), Honorary Coach Camilo Guerci (Columbs - 2006 All-Star). The South showcased Gabriel Perez-Malo (Braddock), Alvaro Perez (Ferguson), Oliver Cerna (Homestead), Jake Bedoya (Palmetto), Lucca Santana (Palmetto), Dereck Ocasio (Southwest), Jaime Dominguez (Southwest), Luke Diaz (Belen Jesuit), Max Klemick (Belen Jesuit), AJ Garrido (Belen Jesuit), Jose Santos (Felix Varela), Luke Ieremia (Felix Varela), Makquiel Velez (Sunset), Uziel Chaparro (Sunset), Head Coach Sebastian Abreu (Felix Varela), Honorary Coach Matthew Kanakis (Palmetto - 2015 All-Star). To celebrate this historic match, 20-years-old, some former all-stars attended, including 2014 - Johnny Benitez - Florida Christian School; 2017 - Daniel Thews - SLAM Miami; 2017 - Alejandro Escobar - Palmetto; 2022 - Charlie Oriana - Felix Varela; 2023 - Thomas Santos - Miami High; 2023 - Elio Martin - Hialeah-Miami Lakes; 2024 - Yusdel Martinez - Felix Varela; 2024 - Lucas Perez-Malo - G Holmes Braddock; 2024 - Matthew Webb - Hialeah-Miami Lakes; 2024 - Seth Bohler - Palmetto. College coaches in attendance included: Pedro Davila (Warner University men's volleyball coach); Imanol Davila (Oakland City men's volleyball assistant coach); Charles Norman (Barry University men's volleyball coach); and Breno Ertty (St. Thomas University men's volleyball coach). Event photographers were John Benitez (@Johnnybenitez_) and Dania Montejo (@themontejos). North d. South 20-25, 25-18, 25-27, 25-20, 15-10: Yeison Gonzalez 14 Kills, 7 Digs, 1 Ace; Carlos Miranda 7 Digs; Nico Delgado-Gonzalez 3 Digs; Giovanni Gonzalez 1 Dig, 2 Assists; Ibrahim Perez 2 Kills, 2 Digs, 1 Assist, 3 Blocks; Santiago Lopez 1 Kill; Elayan Soto 1 Kill, 1 Block; Marianno Beytia 1 Dig, 9 Assists; Diego Cobena 5 Kills, 3 Digs, 1 Ace, 1 Block; Nicholas Navarro 4 Digs, 2 Aces; Ernesto Alvarenga 1 Dig, 5 Assists; Roman Garcia 1 Kill; Christian Bagshaw 1 Kill, 1 Block; Evan Alcron 1 Dig, 2 Blocks; Lucas Barragan 2 Assists; Dante Munecas 3 Kills, 9 Blocks; Jose Santos 1 Dig, 6 Assists; Luke Diaz 3 Kills, 4 Digs, 5 Assists, 1 Ace; Lucca Sant'anna 1 Kill, 4 Digs, 3 Assists; Derek Ocasio 5 Kills, 2 Digs, 2 Blocks; Gabriel Perez-Malo 9 Kills, 1 Dig, 2 Aces; Luke Ieremia 5 Kills, 3 Digs, 2 Aces, 1 Block; Jaime Dominguez 2 Blocks; Max Klemick 2 Blocks; Jake Bedoy 3 Kills, 1 Dig, 1 Block; Oliver Cerna 2 Kills; AJ Garrido 2 Digs; Uziel Chapparo 2 Digs, 4 Assists; Alvaro Perez 1 Kill. State track awards The Florida Diary Farmers announced the state's classification winners for FHSAA boys' and girls' track & field. Each is eligible for Mr. and Miss Track & Field honors, respectively, representing the best of the best. Coach of the Year recipients were also announced. They are eligible for the state's overall Coach of the Year accolades. Here are locals who won classification honors. ▪ Class 3A Girls' Track Athlete of the Year: Tyra Cox, Senior, Miami Northwestern: The 2024 Florida Miss Track swept the 200-meter (22.99) and 400-meter (51.44) state titles for the second consecutive year. Her time of 51.44 in the 400 meters was the second fastest among USA high school runners in 2025. Signed with the University of Florida. ▪ Class 2A Girls' Track Athlete of the Year: Arianna Garcia, Junior, Carrollton: Swept the 100-meter hurdles (14.09) and 400-meter hurdles (58.97) championships. ▪ Class 3A Girls' Track Coach of the Year: Davidson Gill, Dillard: Led his team to its second straight state title with a 96-85.5 point victory over Miami Northwestern. ▪ Class 2A Girls' Track Coach of the Year: Dylan Hermelee, Carrollton: Led his squad to the school's first state title, edging 2024 champion Montverde Academy by a narrow 65-64.5 point margin. ▪ Class 4A Boys' Track Coach of the Year: Danny Areces, Miami Columbus: Led Columbus to its second straight state title with 74 points. ▪ Class 3A Boys' Track Coach of the Year: Victor Arrieta, Belen Jesuit: Led his team to the state title with 69 points, finishing ahead of runnerup Niceville (67). State softball nominees The Florida Dairy Farmers announced the list of nominees for FHSAA top state softball honors, and the stellar group includes some local athletes and coaches. They are: ▪ 7A: Krystal Martinez (Hialeah Gardens) Sr C .722 BA, 11 2B; 2 3B, 4 HR, 30 R, 31 RBI, 21 SB; Ali Solo (Western) Sr P 18-4, 2.10 ERA, 153 IP, 175 K; .298 BA, 4 HR, 17 RBI; Chloe Junco (Coral Reef) Jr INF .387 BA, 19 R, 28 RBI, .933 Fielding %; Coach John Bradshaw (Western) 20-6 State Final Four; Coach Kyle Davis (West Broward) 18-8 Regional Finalist; Coach Zach Segal (Coral Reef) 20-7. ▪ 6A: Megan Villazone (Doral Academy) Sr P 26-1, 0.63 ERA, 145 IP, 261 K, 39 BB ; .475 BA, 45 RBI; Coach Willie Viruet (Doral Academy) 31-1 State Champion; Coach Robyn Handler (South Plantation) 14-12 Regional Finalist. ▪ 5A: Victoria Brunette (St. Thomas Aquinas) Sr INF .341 BA, 8 2B, 3 HR, 20 R, 22 RBI; Summer Givens (St. Thomas Aquinas) Sr INF .346 BA, 7 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 18 R, 26 RBI; Coach Bryan Baucom (St. Thomas Aquinas) 16-13 State Final Four. ▪ 4A: Lyric Rodriguez (American Heritage) 8th P 14-2, 1.26 ERA, 100 IP, 91 K, 26 BB; Sienna Garcia (Archbishop McCarthy) Sr P 9-5, 2.17 ERA, 113 IP, 169 K, 43 BB; 3 HR, 17 R, 19 RBI; Coach Jason Garcia (Key West) 16-8 Regional Finalist; Coach Sergio Fernandez (American) 15-9; Coach Samantha Banister (American Heritage) 23-3 State Runner-Up; Coach Jean Ferrier (Archbishop McCarthy) 15-8. ▪ 3A: Lydia Berent (Cardinal Gibbons) Jr P 20-6, 1.11 ERA, 157 IP, 243 K, 26 BB; .500 BA, 11 2B, 3 HR, 39 R, 12 RBI, 20 SB; Gio Gurgel (Coral Springs Charter) Jr C/3B .494 BA, 11 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 26 R, 35 RBI; Taylor Rebhan (Somerset Academy Silver Palms) Jr INF .430 BA, 7 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 36 R, 24 RBI, 19 SB; Coach Mark Montimurro (Coral Springs Charter) 23-4 Regional Finalist; Coach Gator Rehban (Somerset Academy Silver Palms) 24-6 State Champion. ▪ 2A: Kinsey Cerda (Palmer Trinity) Soph SS .508 BA, 7 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 29 R, 15 RBI, 24 SB; Gigi Khoury (Westminster Christian) Sr 3B .519 BA, 16 2B, 5 HR, 27 R, 26 RBI; Coach Nic Varsi (Westminster Christian) 20-8 State Final Four; Coach Stephen Hager (Florida Christian) 19-9 Regional Finalist. ▪ 1A: Camila Holguin (Miami Christian) Sr P/OF .453 BA, 7 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 24 R, 30 RBI; 3-1, 3.08 ERA; Mia Gonzalez (AIE) Jr SS/P .608 BA, 7 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 32 R, 27 RBI; 4-3, 2.12 ERA; Coach Henry Laurido (Schoolhouse Prep) 15-10 Regional Finalist; Coach Kelly Gonzalez (AIE) 10-8; Coach Pio Herrera (Miami Christian) 16-9 State Final Four. Send sports results For high school and middle school athletes in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, if you have summer sports results and top performers (with stats), email hssports@ They will run in the newspaper and online. Photos accepted, too. No deadline. You will be alerted when it will appear in the newspaper and online. New athletic directors, coaches For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade, if you have new sports administration and/or coaching hires to announce, email hssports@ --- Roundup compiled by Jim Varsallone jvarsallone@
Miami Herald
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Miami High and Mater Lakes' Sydney Wilson is the Dade Girls' Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Sydney Wilson grew up as one of five siblings, all of whom were solid athletes. From a young age, though, Wilson developed the skills that made her stand out and gave everyone an idea she might be a versatile athlete who could excel in multiple sports. Wilson proved to be exactly that once she got to high school, becoming one of the top players in Miami-Dade County in basketball and volleyball. But Wilson's work ethic and excellence isn't limited to sports. She is an accomplished student as well with an academic resume which will give her the opportunity to study at FIU starting this fall. Wilson is the Miami Herald's Miami-Dade County Girls' Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Wilson starred in both of her favorite sports at two different schools. On the basketball court, she was part of two state final four squads at Miami High and earned Miami Herald Co-Player of the Year honors this past season while leading the Stingarees to the regional finals. But in the fall, Wilson starred on the volleyball court for Mater Lakes Academy where she led the Bears to their first appearance in the state final and earned first team All-Dade honors. 'It's just putting in the work early on and getting the fundamentals down,' Wilson said earlier this year. In basketball, Wilson was one of the best point guards in the state averaging nearly eight assists per game. In volleyball, she was one of the most versatile hitters and setters in the state, and finished this past fall with 268 kills, 61 aces, 286 digs and 191 assists. In the classroom, Wilson maintained a 4.51 weighted GPA and scored a 1350 on the SAT. She took multiple dual enrollment classes at FIU during her senior season. Wilson also received the Florida Academic Scholarship tier of the Florida Bright Future Scholarship program, which will cover 100 percent of her college tuition. Wilson also completed over 100 hours of community service while running the concession stand at various Miami High athletic events and others like the basketball league for the Kiwanis of Little Havana Foundation. She continues her family's athletic tradition as her older sister and former teammate, Joelle, was a Miami Herald Athlete of the Year.
USA Today
29-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Iowa women's basketball contending for UCF transfer portal wing
Iowa women's basketball contending for UCF transfer portal wing Iowa women's basketball is one of a trio of schools that have emerged as reported contenders for UCF transfer guard and forward Emely Rodriguez. Prep Girls Hoops lead scout and women's basketball insider EJ Arocho reported that Iowa joins Indiana and Oklahoma as one of three schools that have emerged as serious contenders to potentially land the UCF transfer. Rodriguez just completed her freshman season at UCF where she averaged 11.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 40.9% from the field, 33.3% from 3-point range and 75.3% from the free-throw line. Despite missing five games with injury, Rodriguez notched 16 double-figure scoring games, including a career-high 21 against Iowa State on Feb. 25. The 6-foot wing registered a double-double against Montana State and collected five or more rebounds in 17 contests. Rodriguez was named to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team. Originally from La Romana in the Dominican Republic, Rodriguez came to the United States in 2021 to chase her basketball dream. Rodriguez was recognized as the Miami Herald's Miami-Dade County Girls' Basketball Player of the Year for Classes 4A-2A in March of 2023 when she averaged 26.5 points per game and led Horeb Christian with 15.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. Then, Rodriguez joined Central Pointe Academy for her senior season and helped lead her team to bring home the SIAA State Championship and the NISAA Championship. Rodriguez received offers from UConn, South Carolina and Florida State before signing with UCF. Iowa has already signed one player via the transfer portal, former Georgia Tech point guard Chazadi "Chit Chat" Wright. A 5-foot-4 guard from Atlanta, Georgia, Wright appeared in all 33 games and started 12 with the Yellow Jackets, averaging 7.2 points, 2.6 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game while shooting 37.1% from the field, 32.3% from 3-point range and 88.6% from the free-throw line. Wright was a four-star signee in the 2024 class for Georgia Tech. According to ESPN, Wright was the nation's No. 49 player overall and its No. 12 point guard. The Hawkeyes signed guards Addie Deal and Journey Houston in their 2025 class and return Taylor McCabe, Kylie Feuerbach, Teagan Mallegni and Taylor Stremlow in their backcourt. Here's a look at some of Rodriguez's highlights versus Kansas State in the Big 12 Tournament: Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnREF
Miami Herald
04-04-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Miami-Dade's investment in FIFA 2026 will be worth it
As co-chair of the FIFA World Cup 26 Miami Host Committee and someone who had the privilege of chairing three Miami Super Bowl Host Committees, I have seen firsthand the transformative impact major sporting events can have on our community. Miami is poised once again to shine on the world stage as one of just 11 U.S. cities selected to host the FIFA World Cup. 2026 A Miami Herald editorial on March 27, 'Not a good look: Miami-Dade warns of budget cuts while asking for more World Cup dollars,' fails to acknowledge that we, as a community, made a commitment on the world stage that we must now fulfill and underestimates the significant economic and cultural benefits of this event. Miami-Dade's investment in the FIFA World Cup is not just sensible; it's crucial. Economic impact Historically, events like the 2020 Super Bowl generated an economic impact of $572 million, and the Formula1 Miami Grand Prix, with a $350 million impact, demonstrated how these investments pay off. The World Cup, is expected to generate over $1.3 billion in economic impact and support thousands of jobs, will dwarf these figures. Let's be clear: the additional $10.5 million in funding is an investment in Miami's future — not in FIFA. These funds are essential for public safety, infrastructure and ensuring Miami delivers on its commitment to host a world-class event. Furthermore, the editorial implies a lack of transparency in the funding process. I want to assure the public that all financial planning and expenditures related to the World Cup are being handled with the utmost transparency and accountability. Police and fire The FIFA World Cup 2026 Miami Host Committee is working in close collaboration with county officials to ensure that all decisions are made in the best interest of our residents and with a clear understanding of the financial landscape. This investment will cover essential services like police, fire rescue, and transit, which are crucial for managing an influx of visitors and ensuring that Miami-Dade not only meets but exceeds expectations. Every host city is securing public investment to meet operational demands. Why should Miami be the exception? We should be setting the gold standard, not falling behind. International Miami Miami has a legacy of successfully hosting international events and making them beneficial for all. This isn't just about a series of games; it's about seizing a generational opportunity to elevate Miami as a premier global destination. The long-term gains in tourism, business growth, and international prestige will far outweigh the costs. Let's come together to ensure Miami delivers a safe, memorable, and lucrative World Cup experience. The eyes of the world will be watching and we must be ready to show the best of what our city has to offer. Failing to invest in these necessities would be the 'real bad look' — a failure of leadership that puts Miami's reputation and public safety at risk. Rodney Barreto is the co-chair of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Miami Host Committee.
