There is a makeover underway at Miami Marine Stadium in advance of the Miami International Boat Show.
Organizer Cathy Rick-Joule calls it a brilliant location, "It is a perfect environment for us."
Key Biscayne Mayor Mayra Lindsay disagrees, "Of course, we have environmental concerns."
For decades, the Miami Beach Convention Center hosted the boat show. Because of renovations there, the boat show needed a new venue. Organizers tout the millions in economic impact.
"100,000 people visit from all over the world. We are probably the best ambassador the City of Miami has ever had. We bring all of these people here every year and they come back with their families," Rick-Joule said.
Giant tents will house vendors. Boats for sale will be docked in the water. It's not what Mayor Lindsay envisioned, saying the master plan calls for a park with plenty of public access.
"When a park is closed for 90 days, almost a third of the year, and the public cannot access it, it is logical to say it is no longer a park. It is a commercial venue," Mayor Lindsay said.
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The backdrop will be the iconic stadium, shuttered for years. Don Worth hopes the exposure will jump-start renovations.
"More people are going to see the Marine Stadium during the five days of the boat show, then have seen it in the last 23 years since Hurricane Andrew," said Worth, Marine Stadium advocate.
"You're putting in hundreds of boats and there you are bringing in chemicals. You are creating shading with the docks for several months. All of this impacts this incredibly sensitive ecosystem," Mayor Lindsay said.
"Give us a chance. I think we have demonstrated at a very high-level our willingness and our desire to be good neighbors. We are doing everything in our power to make sure we don't impact their traffic into mitigate any concerns they have had," Rick-Joule said.
The Miami International Boat Show runs Feb. 11-15, but the debate will likely last for years.
