Hello Dade County

Miami commissioners passed one of the most controversial zoning issues in years Thursday, giving developer Mark Siffin the green light to build a pair of towering electronic signs that will hover almost 500 feet over downtown.

The two-hour discussion was filled with speeches from unemployed union members in favor of the project — and residents concerned about the visual pollution they say it will bring.

In the end, the commission’s decision came down to money.

It voted 4-1 to allow the twin electronic towers, a parking garage they will sit on, and, ultimately, a retail center with outdoor cafes on Biscayne Boulevard next to the Adrienne Arsht Center for Performing Arts and facing The Miami Herald. That influx will mean millions of dollars in new revenue for the cash-strapped city. Full Article