Key Biscayne mayoral candidates advance, Miami green-lights Riverside Wharf project

Two Key Biscayne mayoral candidates are heading for a runoff on the November ballot.

Former Mayor Joe Rasco pulled ahead of his two opponents Tuesday night. Rasco chairs the Virginia Key Advisory Board and is the former director of Miami-Dade County’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.

Former lobbyist Fausto Gomez was in second place as of 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. Gomez appeared poised to join Rasco on the November ballot, although less than 100 votes separated him from third-place candidate Katie Petros, former Key Biscayne Village Councilor.

So far, the village of approximately 15,000 residents has tallied the votes from about 2,000 ballots.

Key Biscayne’s charter requires the two candidates who earn the most votes during the primary to advance to the regular election, even if one candidate wins the majority.

That means in November, Key Biscayne voters will decide who will be their next mayor for a two-year term. The mayor will be eligible to run for another consecutive two-year term in 2024.

Outgoing Mayor Mike Davey, elected in 2018, reached the term limit. In a recent interview with the Miami Herald, he called this election “the first true battle we’ve had for how we’re going to operate as a village.”

Miami referendum on wharf lease

Miami voters passed a referendum authorizing a 100-year lease for the private development of the downtown Riverside Wharf project, with all of the 209 precincts reporting as of 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The vote paves the way for developers Alex Mantecon and Guillermo Vadell, in partnership with Driftwood Capital, to build a nightlife venue on the north bank of the Miami River. Their plans include a $185 million luxury hotel and a 16,000-square-foot restaurants complex with a nightclub, rooftop day club and event hall.

The deal also raises the private investment minimum requirement to $30 million from $7 million, and it increases rent, which will be paid to the city, by 50%. The developers must also construct a new seawall and a publicly accessible riverwalk.

Golden Beach capital improvement bond

Golden Beach voters overwhelmingly passed a $7 million general obligation bond, preliminary election night results show.

The approval gives the city funding for proposed and upcoming projects, including a Wellness Center; improvements to Tweddle Park that include the addition of a clay tennis court, accessible restrooms and a stroller track; and energy-efficient lighting for palm trees along the A1A highway, “which would be both easy on the eyes and easy on the planet,” the city wrote in its bond brochure.