Miami-Dade County voters will make the final decision on replacing the county courthouse and whether FIU will expand into the current home of the youth fairgrounds.
The Miami-Dade County Commission gave approval for both items to be placed on the November 4th general election ballot, according to the Miami Herald. The County Commission voted to approve the items after the legal community pushed for the courthouse and FIU bused students in to support the expansion of the school, according to the Herald.
The ballot question on the courthouse would give commissioners the legal authority to increase property taxes to pay for a $393 million replacement civil courthouse. Commissioners voted 11-2 in favor of giving the voters the final say on replacing the civil courthouse, the Herald reported.
As for the FIU question, the plan currently has the school expanding into part of the fairgrounds on 107th Avenue in Miami-Dade County, home of the Miami-Dade County Youth Fair. The youth fair poses a hurdle for the county allowing FIU to expand.
According to the Herald, the county would have to find another site for the fair and a consultant estimated the total cost to be upwards of $230 million for construction, road and service improvements.
The commission still voted the measure through with only Commissioner Lynda Bell voting against the proposal.
