South Florida's largest business group, the Miami Chamber of Commerce, voted in favor of casinos here under a few conditions, The Miami Herald reported.
In a closed session of the chamber, a majority of its members supported bringing casinos to the area as long as the new gambling taxes would go to local governments, according to the newspaper. They also required that the casinos hire 75 percent of their staff locally and that they fund money for damages that may arise as a result of the casinos.
The new owners of the Miami Herald property released a statement after the chamber's announcement.
The decision "demonstrates the strong consensus that exists among business and civic leaders who recognize the benefits these projects will bring to our community," Resorts World Miami said in a statement to the Herald.
The Genting Group paid $235 million for the building and 10 acres of surrounding parking lots to build a gaming resort, but the resort can only be constructed if a casino bill is passed in Tallahassee. The bill would allow up to three mega-resort destination casinos in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
Other groups, like the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Disney, are against the casinos, the Herald reported.
Some Miami Beach commissioners have voted against bringing destination casinos to Miami because they think they are a threat to city life, and other preservationist groups want the Miami Herald building declared a landmark.
