Parking Deal MIA

At year-end, the county celebrated the grand opening of Miami International Airport’s south terminal, part of a long-term plan to upgrade and enhance the airport’s international market position. The terminal includes more than 25 gates, 190 ticket counters, room for 61 restaurants, shopping and concession outlets and a bus station for shuttle service between MIA and the Port of Miami.

New security features include a federal inspection facility that can process about 2,000 international travelers per hour. The terminal is already handling 25% of the airport’s 32 million travelers annually.

Nineteen U.S. and international airlines, including Air France and Luftansa, have relocated to south terminal primarily from the central terminal, which now handles about 10% of the airport’s traffic.

But while the airport celebrates the opening of the new terminal and the ongoing renovation of the north and central terminals, the county is in a heated contract billing dispute with the management company that handles airport parking.

As of Dec. 31, the county’s contract with Airport Parking Associates was due to expire, and the county had made plans to take over the parking operations itself. However, those plans have been put on hold after a billing dispute between the management company and the county. The Office of Inspector General alleges that the county overpaid the parking management company $500,000 based on invoices submitted by Airport Parking. Until the dispute can be settled through arbitration, Airport Parking Associates, a unit of Central Parking Corp., will continue to manage the parking lot on a month-to-month basis.

Tags: Miami-Dade