Miami commissioners to discuss funds for Freedom Park

A last-minute agenda item for Thursday’s Miami City Commission meeting is raising concerns over a proposed shift in public benefit funds tied to the controversial Freedom Park development deal.

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The agenda item includes a resolution directing and authorizing the city manager to establish a new special review account titled “Park Fund for Miami Freedom Park,” appropriating and allocating $20 million to be used exclusively for improvements and maintenance of the 58-acre public park to be developed by Miami Freedom Park.

Former Miami City Commissioner Ken Russell, who was in office when the $20 million deal was approved, said the funds were initially meant to be split between the 58-acre Freedom Park and new public parks across the city.

However, the new proposal would direct the full amount to the developer for use exclusively at Freedom Park.

“You can read the minutes from page 72 just before the final vote. They all agreed to the split of $10 million for Freedom Park and $10 million for new parks,” Russell said.

Some officials and residents are raising red flags about the legality of the proposed shift, citing the ballot language from the 2018 referendum, which stated the funds should be allocated for the 58-acre park or other green space.

“This is the term sheet on which the lease was based. This was given to us before the April 28, 2022, meeting where the supermajority vote changed and specified that it be split $10 million for Freedom Park, and $10 million for the development of four specifically identified new parks,” Russell said.

Critics fear the change could lead to a situation similar to the underutilized park behind the Kaseya Center, which is mostly used as overflow parking for Miami Heat events and is not widely recognized as public space.

Russell pointed to discrepancies between the resolution signed in 2022 and the amendment voted on at the dais.

“This is the lease item that was passed on April 28, 2022. Something is fishy here. It does not reflect the very specific amendment that was voted on the dais,” he said.

The commission’s discussion on the issue in 2022 was marked by heated debate, underscoring the controversy surrounding the project.

The city commission is expected to take up the matter at its meeting Thursday.

Local 10 viewers can take a look back at the Miami City Commission meeting from April 2022 in the video at the top of this page.