MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Florida International University unveiled its plan Tuesday to build a state-of-the-art engineering building on the south side of its main campus on a piece of land currently being used by the Miami-Dade County Fair & Exposition.
The unveiling was part of FIU's public push to get the fair to move so FIU can expand near Tamiami Park, but Miami-Dade County Fair chief executive officer Robert Hohenstein said in a statement that it was simply a diversion.
"FIU seeks to generate political pressure to force the county into an unwise and unfunded eviction of the Youth Fair," Hohenstein said. "The youth fair will willingly move if Miami-Dade County follows the termination process in our lease. No more, no less.
- Provide a suitable site, as outlined in the lease
- Reimburse the youth fair for its investment and expenses, as outlined on the lease
- Provide proper notice."
FIU president Mark Rosenberg built his case Tuesday morning for the university's need to expand,especially in the fields of engineering and tech education.
Standing in the way of FIU's expansion is the Miami-Dade County Fair's contract with Miami-Dade County that lasts until 2085.
FIU's effort over the last six years to get the fair to move included a public vote. In 2014, 65 percent of voters supported FIU's expansion and supported moving the fair to another location.
"Even if a suitable piece of land is found, the youth fair's lease with the county stipulates that the fair would have to be given a three-year notice to move," Hohenstein said. "This puts into question how the school under this plan can graduate more engineering students by 2020 if they couldn't even at the very earliest break ground until 2019. Frankly, none of the numbers coming out of FIU appear to add up."
This week, Hohenstein had some critical comments about FIU students and graduation rates, prompting a response from FIU's president.
"Mr. Hohenstein's lack of understanding and his insensitivity to our students, to our families and to our community,and his lack of understanding and sensitivity to our future educational and employment needs, is at the heart of our dilemma," Rosenberg said.
FIU officials have said that an ideal location for the fair to move to would be near the Homestead Air Reserve Base.
Since the fair was initially an agricultural fair, Rosenberg said the move would take it back to its roots.
However, fair officials said the fair would not work in south Miami-Dade County.
"I find it bizarre (and) disturbing (that a) public institution is making plans for property it doesn't own (and) doesn't lease," Hohenstein said.