Audio By Carbonatix
On June 25, Miami Police launched a zero-tolerance policy to crack down on the lucrative racket that is parking in downtown’s entertainment district. Police announced lots that didn’t have proper licenses, or proper business receipts — stiffing the city of millions of dollars — would be shut down and their owners arrested.
Three weeks later, a whopping seven lots have been closed, including the one lot in the area that wasn’t charging drivers any money: nightclub Grand Central‘s dusty lot on NE Seventh Street. Riptide has the other locations, so read up on them before you go out this weekend.
Miami PD’s zero-tolerance policy came about because of heavy competition among downtown parking lot owners, which has recently become aggressive. One lot operator stole Grand Central’s free parking sign in May, according to a police report, because the club was siphoning away customers.
In addition, a report from the city auditor said that 14 percent of 70 parking facilities audited didn’t keep proper financial records, resulting in some $1.2 million in unpaid parking surcharge fees to city government.
Brad Knoefler, one of Grand Central’s owners, says his lot has been unfairly shut down, and he’s fighting to get it re-opened. He also charges that the cops have let other lots without business receipts or licenses remain open. It’s unclear if there are other lots without proper paperwork that police haven’t targeted, although the city auditor’s report suggests there are. Miami Police did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
The department did send the locations of the six other lots that have been shut down over the past month:
1. 44 NW 11th Street
2. 30 NE Tenth Street
3. 129 NE Tenth Street
4. 73 NE 14th Street
5. 1011 S. Miami Avenue
6. 1011 NE Second Avenue
[Map]
