County May Seek New Bookstore After Borders Rejected For Airport

Written by Risa Polansky on May 3, 2007

By Risa Polansky
Miami-Dade County commissioners are to see a resolution May 8 to advertise for a bookstore and café at Miami International Airport after rejecting a contract falsely awarded to a retailer last year, says airport spokesman Greg Chin.

In responding to a request for proposals for the five-year, $1.7 million, one-store retail package in the airport’s soon-to-open South Terminal, Borders Group earned points from the aviation department’s selection committee through its Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprises program, ranking the company above the only other group that submitted a proposal.

AMS of South Florida, the other applicant, filed a protest Aug. 8.

A letter Borders sent to the Miami-Dade aviation department the following September said its management group "mistakenly attributed the 100% ACDBE ownership status of its 40% owner to the rest of the limited-liability company."

Because of the error, the county commission voted last month to reject both proposals.

If the resolution to re-advertise is approved by the commission next week, the request for proposals would be open for at least 45 days before the selection committee again would choose a bidder, Mr. Chin said.

From there, the award recommendation would need county commission approval.

"The whole process is about six months," Mr. Chin said.

Borders has a bookstore and café in the Central Terminal.

The airport’s South Terminal, set to begin operating in August, is to house more than 60 food and beverage, retail and duty-free stores, Mr. Chin said.