It was clear from watching the Miami City Commission’s Thursday meeting that commissioners were confused about the proposed sale of public waterfront land on Watson Island to developers.
The commission did the wise thing: postpone the vote on the $29 million deal with IG Luxury, a subsidiary of developer BH3 Merrimac, which plans to build two luxury high-rise hotel and condo towers. The project was approved by voters in a 2024 referendum, so the question isn’t whether to sell the land but whether taxpayers are getting a fair price for real estate overlooking Biscayne Bay.
And there are reasons to wonder. Critics are calling the transaction a “giveaway.” From what the Herald has reported, they might be right. Thankfully, on Thursday, some of the commissioners also felt that might be the case as they peppered developers with questions. The new vote is expected on Dec. 11…