A lawsuit that Key Biscayne filed against the National Marine Manufacturers Association as part of an ongoing effort to block the Miami International Boat Show’s move to Miami Marine Stadium and its surrounding area was dismissed.
Circuit Court Judge Antonio Marin ordered that the suit filed in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court be dismissed per a motion from the NMMA.
On April 10 Key Biscayne demanded that the NMMA produce all of its records related to a license agreement between the trade group and the city of Miami, citing Florida’s Public Records Act.
The NMMA rejected the request seven days later on the basis that it is not subject to the public records law. The village sued to compel disclosure on April 22 and amended its complaint on Nov. 5. That day, the NMMA moved to dismiss the case.
“This motion was heard on November 16, 2015, and since the village does not show that NMMA is the city’s agent, and thus subject to FPRA, the motion is granted,” Marin said in the dismissal order.
“We are pleased that the court agreed with the NMMA and dismissed the village of Key Biscayne’s lawsuit,” NMMA president Thom Dammrich said in an emailed statement. “The court rejected each of the arguments advanced by the village. The NMMA plans to continue its preparation and we look forward to celebrating the 2016 Miami International Boat Show at Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin.”
Yachts Miami Beach — formerly known as the Yacht & Brokerage Show in Miami Beach — has completely separate ownership and is not affected by the legal dispute between the NMMA and Key Biscayne. Although many attendees assumed the two shows were one and the same, they have always been separately owned and operated.
Yachts Miami Beach will be held along Collins Avenue, as always, and at the Island Gardens Deep Harbour superyacht marina on Watson Island. It will be the only boat show that takes place in Miami Beach.
Key Biscayne leadership has long opposed the Miami International Boat Show’s move to the land on Virginia Key, saying it will congest traffic and create parking hassles for Key Biscayne residents, and that it threatens the environment.
After elected officials for the village showed up at a Miami-Dade County Commission meeting, commissioners opted to delay a decision on issuing a permit to the NMMA needed for the in-water portion of the show.