Can Miami handle the biggest casino in the world?
That was the question raised Wednesday as local leaders pored over a bill designed to bring three large casino resorts to South Florida, including one by Malaysia’s Genting Group. Genting is the only developer to detail its plans for the Sunshine State, proposing a $3.8 billion waterfront resort that will be larger than any hotel on the Las Vegas Strip and contain four times as much gambling space.
“When you look at the enormous size and scope of some of these projects, it just doesn’t make sense,’’ Phil Goldfarb, president of Fontainebleau Miami Beach, told Miami-Dade commissioners at a hearing on gambling Wednesday. “We’re most concerned about existing businesses.”
The massive scale of Genting’s proposed Resorts World Miami energizes both sides of the gambling debate in South Florida.
Critics see the urban resort scrambling downtown Miami’s ongoing revival and stealing customers from hotels and restaurants from nearby neighborhoods and Miami Beach. Supporters point to tens of thousands of construction jobs needed to build something so large, and the tens of millions in tourist dollars it would generate once open. Story here.
The trouble with Miami Beach is that ownership is short sighted. The Miami location does not have the beach. The Beach is what one does in the daytime. You bask and have a few.
You then provide ferry services to the casino for the evenings.
I can even see a mono rail from the Fountain Blue over 41st Street and over the causeway to the Herald site.
The Beach in the 40s had gambling but not in the major hotels but in Casinos like the one at Sunny Isle or at the tracks.
Wise up Miami Beach this will bring money to you too,,,
Posted by: harvey kane | October 27, 2011 at 11:02 AM
Very well said Harvey!!!! I say Build it! Its time we revise our current corrupt system of casino gambling and get rid of the Seminole's monopoly. This will create jobs and enhance Miami as a tourist destination which will benefit all the other tourism based businesses.
Posted by: Christian Berke | October 27, 2011 at 04:09 PM
many many small hospitality businesses will close,casino will offer a much better product....
Posted by: Michael Wind | October 27, 2011 at 04:13 PM
Are you nuts? This is will be a great thing for Miami by creating over a hundred thousands jobs and bring business here. How can you be against that?
Posted by: John M | October 27, 2011 at 06:55 PM
i am for the casinos,let miami be the next las vegas.
Posted by: Michael Wind | October 28, 2011 at 12:37 PM
Destination Casions mean Jobs Jobs Jobs!
Here's proof.
http://www.news-press.com/article/20111030/NEWS01/111029032/Casino-study-boasts-jobs-Southwest-Florida
Someone please read this to that senile old Norma Braman
Posted by: Jeremy North | October 30, 2011 at 11:08 PM