Lawsuit Against Miami Boat Show Organizer Dismissed

Ongoing legal battles surrounding the relocation of the Miami International Boat Show from South Beach to Key Biscayne, Florida, appear to be winding down this week as a Florida judge dismissed a lawsuit aimed at blocking the move.

The suit, filed earlier this year by the Village of Key Biscayne, states that relocating the largest consumer boat show in the United States from its former venue in South Beach to Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin would lead to unacceptable traffic congestion and represent an environmental threat to local wildlife. On Wednesday, a Dade County circuit court judge dismissed Key Biscayne’s suit against the show’s owner and organizer, the Chicago-based National Marine Manufacturer’s Association, stating that the Village had no standing to sue.

Turmoil has surrounded the Miami show since its host venue, the Miami Beach Convention Center, announced plans to close in 2016 and 2017 for major renovations. The planned closure left the show without a venue; NMMA’s proposal to renovate the shuttered Miami Marine Stadium was seen as an opportunity to not only put more boats in the water and give the event a fresh, contemporary edge, but breathe new life into the former power boat racing facility that had sat unused since being severely damaged by Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

The Village of Key Biscayne has 20 days to file an amended complaint. It is expected to do so, as the village has already filed multiple lawsuits against the show organizers and the City of Miami over the issue.

Scheduled to be held from February 11 to 15, 2016, the 75th annual Miami International Boat Show plans to exhibit more than 1,200 boats on land plus an additional 700 in the water. The economic impact of the boat show is said to exceed $597 million and bring the State of Florida more than $30 million in tax revenues each year.