Miami Beach Might Dump Cirque du Soleil Deal for Trump Airport?

Miami Beach September 2006 - City Debate is checking out the rumor that Donald Trump is planning to invest money in Miami Beach. So far just a rumor but who knows?

   It has been said that on a recent trip by the city manager to New York, it has been tipped that he ran into The Donald having lunch. They struck up a conversation where Donald asked if Miami Beach had any unused land available.

    The manager remarked that the Normandy Island golf project renewal was under financed and might be an available site. Since the Beach has an over abundance of unsold condominiums and the Miami airport is being backlogged with passenger lines waiting to be bomb screened, some unique use aiding both could be considered. 

    Trump is sending his upper management to see if the Normandy golf site is long enough for 2 air runways. If so, he would consider buying the golf course and building an elevated airport on the site. The airport would not be open to commercial traffic but only to private planes.

   Below the elevated runways Trump thinks private parking could house private jet owner's limos.   Commissioner Libbin was contacted by the manager to see if he would support such a plan (since Libbin lives a block from the intended runways).

    Libbin first thought the idea crazy but later after much though offered his home as a potential air tower site to guide the planes safely in and out. The west bay front land now vacant, Libbin suggested, could be improved to allow private plane owners arriving by yachts to dock.

   When outgoing Commissioner Bower got wind of this plan she immediately sent Trump her resume requesting that she be hired to fill in for sick plane hostesses. Commissioner Gross felt that the elevated air port would have too much parking under it. He sent a letter to Trump requesting that he be able to build some shops under the runways and have him be the rental manager.

    Commissioner Garcia stated he would be in favor of the idea only if the fireman's union could be given some free office space.

    Commissioner Cruz immediately, on hearing the idea, held a closed door bank meeting with investors and is presently busy putting together a financial plan for the endeavor. 

    Commissioner Steinberg has authored a petition to be signed by the Normandy homeowners adjoining the airport site. The petition reads that the owners would consider accepting the plan if and when Trump buys them out. Attorney Steinberg would do the title work.

     Mayor Dermer, the only resenting vote on the commission, is preparing an ordinance that would state that Miami Beach will not allow any airport to be built within 2,500 feet of any day care center. One of his arguments is that Miami Beach already is full of a lot of hot air and the planes would only contribute to the problem.

     More on this as it develops.