FYI Miami: June 27, 2024

Below are some of the FYIs in this week’s edition. The entire content of this week’s FYIs and Insider sections is available by subscription only. To subscribe click here.

REVENUE-SHARING CHANGE: Miami-Dade County has made a deal with its vending machines contractor for it to pay $300,000 to settle conflicting claims in which the county sought $1.6 million for default on monthly guaranteed revenue-sharing payments to the county of $40,080. Bettoli Trading Corp. stopped making payments as covid set in and its revenues plunged as many county employees worked from home and didn’t patronize the vending machines. Bettoli’s 10-year agreement with the county expires Sept. 30. Staff say that all new vending machine contracts include a payment to the county of a fixed percentage of revenues as opposed to a minimum monthly guarantee that does not take into account increases or decreases in sales. County commissioners approved the settlement agreement 11-0.  

OFFICE BUILDING ACQUIRED: BEC Realty Trust has purchased the Dadeland office building formerly occupied by the International Money Exchange and plans to replace it with a 23-story building with 373 apartments and 3,600 square feet of retail. Miami Har LLC headed by George Dancea sold the circa-1994 building at 9480 S Dixie Hwy. vacant for its $9.2 million asking price. International Monetary Exchange had moved from the 32,218-square-foot building to 40,298 square feet in nearby One Datran Center. BEC plans to lease the vacant space while it works through its plans to redevelop the site, said Blanca Commercial Real Estate, which with MSP group represented Miami Har.   

SUIT FOR SEAQUARIUM EVICTION: Miami-Dade County sued on Tuesday to evict The Dolphin Company from the Miami Seaquarium on Virginia Key after serving a notice of termination of the company’s lease with the county on April 22. “Our ultimate priority has always been to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the hundreds of animals in the Seaquarium’s care, and it’s critical that we proceed in a manner that best protects them,” said a media statement jointly issued by Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and areas county commissioner Raquel Regalado.

SOUTH MIAMI FREEBEE: The county’s Transportation and Mobility Planning Committee has indefinitely deferred action on a proposed agreement to allow the City of South Miami to offer free on-demand transportation by Freebee, a service totally funded by the city using its share of the county’s transportation surtax proceeds. Similar surtax-funded service is provided by other cities, but the five-year agreement with South Miami would be its first. The proposed agreement is retroactive to Dec. 3, 2020, when the service began.