The Virginia Key Outdoor Center has been in business for seven years, and now they have until Sept. 13 to get out.
On Aug. 12, City of Miami officers and code enforcement informed the owner that her lease with the city was terminated.
“I’m toward the end of my lease. The city had a right to get rid of me if that’s what they wanted to do, but the way that they’re doing it, the way they are going about it," said Esther Alonso, the owner of the Virginia Key Outdoor Center. "I mean, I’m a kayak shop, and they’re like prosecuting me through Twitter at 10:30 at night on a Friday."
The City of Miami sent the following statement to NBC 6, "The Virginia Key Outdoor Center (VKOC) was indefinitely shut down for several code violations including operating without a Certificate of Use (CU), or a Business Tax Receipt (BTR). Both documents are required to operate a water-related business in the City of Miami. In addition, our Real Estate Asset Management currently estimates that the VKOC owes more than $140,000 in past due rent. VKOC has also failed to provide financial statements as required by their month-to-month lease. The City has made several attempts at discussing the future of the operations including a possible RFP as well as a resolution to the aforementioned issues with the tenant since earlier this year to no avail."
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Alonso believes the timing of this shutdown is no coincidence. She has been vocal about her opposition to the homeless encampment proposal — spearheaded by Commissioner Joe Carollo — to build 50-100 tiny homes for the homeless on Virginia Key.
On Aug. 8, Mayor Francis Suarez and Carollo announced the controversial plan was on hold for at least six months due to pushback from the county government.
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"When I saw some of our colleagues in the county come out attacking the city of Miami, but never before have they come out and said a word about all the homeless on the streets of Miami," Carollo said.
The issue is gaining traction on social media, with some accusing the commissioner of retaliation and using the city’s code enforcement department to shut down the outdoor center.
"Is this really about a homeless encampment, or is this really just about opening the door for development on this very desirable piece of real estate?” Alonso said.
NBC 6 made multiple attempts to get a statement or comment from Carollo and did not receive a response.
