Miami Beach officials to scout hotel sites in wake of killed plan

Miami Beach Convention Center rendering and Ed Tobin
Miami Beach Convention Center rendering and Ed Tobin

Although Miami Beach commissioners nixed the 52-acre convention center project last week, the city is not giving up on building a hotel to compete with the tourism offerings of other South Florida destinations. Mayor Philip Levine said the next move is to pinpoint other sites for a convention center hotel.

“I think if we’re going to spend the money to have a competitive convention center and don’t do a hotel component, we’re making a mistake,” Commissioner Ed Tobin said last week at a meeting.

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The South Beach ACE development team had won the bid to build the center last summer. The city plans to restart the bidding process, but just for the renovation of the convention center.

Despite the vote to scrap the redevelopment, commissioners said they are in favor of an enhanced convention center. A new bid proposal for the convention center is expected in March, with a proposal for the hotel project to follow in April. [Miami Herald]Mark Maurer