Virginia Key Redevelopment: Your Questions and Concerns Answered

After our first Virginia Key episode, we got flooded with questions and concerns from viewers — so we brought the team back to answer every single one. David Filler of Suntex Marinas and Bobby Christoph of RCI Group sit down with us again to address the biggest concerns: Gramps is staying, there will be no dredging or mega yachts, and they are not out-of-state private equity.

They also reveal that the current marina is not even a certified clean marina and has been polluting the bay, that the current operator has sued the city three times, and that the city has lost an estimated $15-20 million from delays in this process. Plus a surprise visit from Monty Trainer himself, who shares his blessing for the project and drops some legendary Miami history.

City of Miami residents vote November 3rd.

A Day in Miami Website:
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Manny Alfonso:
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Kiko Suarez:
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Eduardo Moya:
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Produced by: Ben Schwede
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benthecreatorrr/

0:00 Intro
3:16 Introducing the Guests
4:20 Why They Wanted to Preserve Monty’s
6:16 Will Gramps Getaway Be Preserved in Their New Project?
7:40 Dredging and Mega Yachts?
9:45 First Won Bid in 2017
12:58 Why It Was Rejected Later by the Commission
13:55 2nd Request For Proposal (RFP)
16:37 Shady Process and Current Operator Losing the Bid Twice
19:00 The Process Summed Up
19:56 Current Operator Proposed Bigger Scale Project
21:22 Environment Concerns
23:50 Development on Virginia Key Will Happen Anyways
25:58 Benefits of the Deal to the City
28:29 Current Operator Getting Sued by the City
31:02 Are They Out-of-State Private Equity Bros?
32:33 How He Feels About the Comments
35:06 How Independent Court Decided that City Commission Was Wrong
37:27 Why They Didn’t Give Up Even After City Commission’s Shady Practices
39:18 Monty Joining the Show
39:48 Monty’s Working Since 1969
40:36 Hurricane Andrew
42:03 Relationship with Suntex Marinas
46:23 Monty Being on Board of Virginia Key
46:59 Why Monty Believes in Their Saving the Virginia Key Project
49:18 Events on Monty’s Boat and Buying Bayfront Park
53:32 Manny Summing Up the Save Virginia Key Process
56:20 Monty’s Legacy
57:15 Monty’s Started Outdoor Dining in Miami
58:40 Outro