Miami to vote on transferring Olympia Theater to Pitbull-founded SLAM Academy
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The Olympia Theater in April. Photo: Ivan Apfel/Getty Images
Miami commissioners are expected to vote this week on whether to transfer ownership of the historic Olympia Theater and its adjoining 80-unit building to SLAM Academy, the charter school system co-founded by rapper Pitbull.
Why it matters: The downtown landmark, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has fallen into disrepair in recent years, WLRN reports.
Catch up quick: The city is proposing to give the property at 174 E Flagler St. to SLAM to convert it into a public charter school called Miami Innovation & Arts Academy.
- In exchange, the new owner will be required to make "all necessary interior and exterior repairs" to bring the building up to code within five years, reads a summary of the commission agenda item.
- The city, which was gifted the theater in 1975 by philanthropist Maurice Gusman, hopes the proposal can help settle a pair of lawsuits filed by the Gusman family accusing the city of violating the terms of the donation and failing to maintain the property.
The latest: After commissioners and residents raised concerns about the proposal, a vote was deferred at the June commission meeting so the city could host a series of public meetings to further discuss plans.
- SLAM's chief administrative officer Millie Sanchez said at a meeting last week that the theater will be activated with community programming at least 180 days a year and that classrooms will be built in the adjoining building, according to CBS Miami.
- The renovations will cost an estimated $50 million, the outlet reported.
What they're saying: City manager Art Noriega said at the June meeting that the city could not afford to renovate the theater itself.
- "The city has never had the resources to maintain this building. It will never have the resources, and it needs a good steward. The totality of this opportunity will be an incredible public benefit."
The other side: Critics of the proposal have questioned why the city is giving away a property valued at over $5.47 million and have called for a competitive bidding process to find other suitors.
- Commissioner Joe Carollo said at the June meeting that a lack of political will, not insufficient funds, is to blame for the theater's decline.
- "Any city in America would love to have a jewel like the Olympia Theater."
Orlando Alonso, a Miami concert pianist who has proposed an alternative adaptive reuse plan for the theater that includes a hotel project, has questioned the city's handling of public assets.
- "It's not just about the Olympia — it's about public trust," he said in a statement. "Miami residents deserve a fair process, not a rushed decision."