Center for Coastal Conservation voices support for Miami boat show
The Center for Coastal Conservation lent its backing to the Miami International Boat Show Friday, urging its members to support the show as it moves to its new home at Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin.
Center president Jeff Angers wrote in a blog post that industry supporters need to fight efforts by the village of Key Biscayne to block the show’s move from the Miami Beach Convention Center to the park. The convention center will be undergoing renovations for the next few years.
“The City of Miami has invested $20 million to reinvigorate the Miami Marine Stadium Park for community use, but now local politicians — the Mayor of Key Biscayne and her leadership — have pulled out all the stops in an effort to keep the Boat Show from using the facility.
“Basing their N-I-M-B-Y (“Not-In-My-Back-Yard”) argument on trumped-up environmental claims, the Mayor and her cohorts are trying to stop the Boat Show over a handful of days of traffic, risking an economic nightmare for South Florida in the process. …
“Every year, the show creates annual economic impact of $597 million — more than the Super Bowl — and directly supports at least 6,500 jobs in South Florida. Small wonder, as the Show’s 100,000 attendees spend a combined $83 million and book 200,000 room nights at Miami area hotels over the five days of the Show.”
Click here to sign the petition supporting the show.
