Miami, Key Biscayne near deals on boat show lawsuits

The Miami International Boat Show’s plans to move to Miami Marine Stadium Basin & Park have been marred by lawsuits and countersuits.

Now, a proposed settlement could clear at least some of those off the docket, the Miami Herald reported.

The village of Key Biscayne has long opposed the move of the show from Miami Beach to the new location and has filed lawsuits against both the city of Miami and the National Marine Manufacturers Association. At the same time, environmental groups have also sought to block the move.

According to a proposed agreement released Monday by the village, Key Biscayne and Miami would jointly operate the stadium and park, with each municipality paying half the cost of restoring it.

The settlement could be voted upon by the Miami City Commission as soon as Thursday, with a vote by the village council Friday. Despite the proposed settlement, city and village leaders still have concerns, the Herald reported.

The deal allows the Miami International Boat Show to be held at the location in 2016 and 2017, but makes no guarantees about the show in 2018 and beyond.

From the Herald:

[The] National Marine Manufacturers Association will still be allowed to host its flagship trade show at the stadium this year. … The show can be held again on the site at the city’s option unless there’s a death directly attributed to the event, an incident in which an emergency rescue patient can’t make it to a hospital, or if there’s a “catastrophic event.”

After 2017, the fate of the boat show would be in the hands of a private conservancy governed by six members, three appointed by the city and three appointed by the village.

The show’s traditional home at the Miami Beach Convention Center is being remodeled through at least the end of 2017, which prompted the original decision to move. Officials at the NMMA have also characterized the Miami Marine Stadium as the “new permanent home” of the show on multiple occasions.