Miami Worldcenter developers, city sued over street closures

Opponents of the Miami Worldcenter project are suing the developer and the City of Miami in attempt to delay the closure of several streets for the massive downtown development.

Omnipark/West Redevelopment Association and G.C. Lounge LLC, which owns the Grand Central nightclub, filed a petition for writ of certiorari in Miami-Dade Circuit Court’s appellate division requesting it void the city commission’s decision to shut off portions of Northeast Seventh, Eighth and Ninth streets, according to court records. The developer wants to create a promenade and pedestrian walkways as part of the 17-acre project. Grand Central is a tenant at the Worldcenter site.

According to the petition, the street closures should not have been allowed because city staff did not properly notify surrounding businesses and residents about the public hearing in late April, when the developer’s request was approved. The city also allegedly failed to include a condition from Miami’s Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board that required the developer to submit a traffic and parking review plan based on the proposed road closures.

If the redevelopment association, which ran a now-defunct public park at the Worldcenter site, and Grand Central succeed with their petition, the developer would have to resubmit its request to close off the streets, which would delay the project’s construction.

“The City of Miami didn’t follow its own procedures in approving the street closures,” Paul Savage, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, told The Real Deal. “There is a lot wrong here.” — Francisco Alvarado