FYI Miami: June 19, 2025

PAY TO HOLD ALIENS: Miami-Dade County would be reimbursed $50 apiece for up to 48 hours of detention of aliens who are being held based on an immigration detainer by US Customs and Immigration Enforcement, or ICE, under an agreement the county is being asked to sign with ICE. The legislation, brought by Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez, was to be heard at the June 9 meeting of the Policy Council, but the meeting was canceled because the committee didn’t have a quorum. A vote on the agreement instead goes to the June 26 county commission meeting for final action. 

MORE JUDGES EN ROUTE: Florida lawmakers Monday night approved a plan that would add 22 circuit court judges and 15 county court judges. The 11th Judicial Circuit, which is Miami-Dade County, would receive three new circuit judges, and there would be four additional Miami-Dade County Court judges. The bill faces final action by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

POSITIONING MIAMI OFFICES: Miami’s office vacancy rate was second-lowest among the nation’s 15 largest office markets in the first quarter of this year, a new report from Colliers brokerage shows. Miami’s 11.6% vacancy was near the 11.2% rate of Manhattan. San Francisco was highest of the 15 with a 30.6% office vacancy. Miami vacancy actually rose a bit from 11.2% in the fourth quarter of last year, as office space absorption declined by 81,019 square feet in the first quarter. The average vacancy among the 15 largest office markets was 20.1%. Manhattan had the highest average asking rent for Class A space at $81.76 per square foot, with Miami second at $76.02. Among the 15 markets combined, the average Class A asking rent was $44.02.

SHARING IN FEDERAL GRANTS: Three Miami-Dade communities will share in a combined $1.2 million in grant funds to advance environmental cleanup, economic revitalization and community resilience. The funds from the US Environmental Protection Agency will be funneled to the communities from the South Florida Regional Planning Council. The brownfield assessment grant will help the City of Miami Department of Real Estate and Asset Management deal with the potential contamination in West Coconut Grove; address environmental barriers to redevelopment and support the creation of multi-family housing in Liberty City; and aid a multi-purpose community center and community resilience hub in Allapattah that will provide entrepreneurship training, a community kitchen and emergency services in extreme heat. 

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