Policy May Force Miami International Airport To Stay Put
By Risa Polansky
Miami-Dade County is considering a formal policy vote to not expand Miami International Airport westward or even acquire more land to the west for future use.
"We want to keep a grip on everything we’re doing at the airport," said Commissioner José "Pepe" Diaz, the measure’s sponsor.
His resolution would ensure the "focus stays on what we have and how to improve it and how to make it more efficient."
Expanding the airport west in the short term is "so far out of reach," he said. "There are a lot of costs involved."
Why grab up and sit on land the airport can’t use now, he said, just to speculate "20 to 30 years ahead" when it may be ready to grow.
Because "there’s a lot of doughnuts" on the maps now, Mr. Diaz said, "I’d rather have the cities" fill in the holes by annexing the land, with the caveat that municipalities are "going to have to respect the future."
The resolution "leaves us a little loophole," he said, in clarifying that "it is not in the best interests of the county or the airport system for MIA to expand its present boundaries that lie on the western side of MIA other than as may be specifically approved in the future by this board."
"This resolution would not hamper the ability to expand westward," Max Fajardo, deputy aviation director, said by e-mail. Though "our strategic master plan report called for the airport to expand westward in the future," he wrote, "we currently do not have the funding or the immediate plans to start any expansion."
Officials say financing the airport’s $6.2 billion capital improvement program, $1 billion over budget, is increasing the cost of doing business there.
"We still retain the future growth of that airport," Mr. Diaz said. But now, "we need to focus on what we need to do." Advertisement
Related Articles
- Wreckage of Airport City may yield Miami…
- Miami-Dade puts new airport in Homestead onto agenda
- Miami International Airport projects rushed in pandemic
- At Miami International Airport, Sola flying solo on upgrades
- Lester Sola: Pilots county’s airports toward $5…
- Miami International Airport due billions in upgrades
- Amazon Air joins Miami International Airport
- International travel up 5% through Miami…
- FYI Miami: February 15, 2018
- Air Force offers county new airport site at Homestead
Most Popular
- Jackson Health to build emergency medical hub in Coral Gables
- City clears roadblock to restoration of Miami Marine Stadium
- New restriction boxes in experimental container home
- County-developer deal around Dolphin Station nears
- Doral transforms parks with dozen-plus sculptures
- To regain magic, Lincoln Road big boxes may be limited
- Coral Gables seeks clean water pearl in native oysters
- Raquel Regalado: New commissioner hatching plans for most county issues
- Miami Beach goes all out to woo Class A office space
- Florida banks ready for a second round of PPP loans
Recent Comments