The lawsuit is against the Florida Department of Transportation and FDOT Secretary Ananth Prasad.
The suit, being filed Regalado and Sarnoff as class representatives on behalf of all citizens of Miami, claims that FDOT and its administrators perpetuated a ‘bait and switch’ in order to gain the community support it needed to obtain government funding for the project. It says that government officials, community leaders and citizens were promised a signature bridge but once federal funds were secured FDOT switched the design to a plain, segmental box that carried none of the characteristics signature bridges are known for.
“The people of Miami were promised a signature bridge, along the lines of those found in other major cities including Boston and Tampa,” said Sarnoff. “Miami taxpayers pour millions into state coffers and it’s time that the politicians and bureaucrats in Tallahassee stop spending our tax dollars in other parts of the state and instead make good on their promises to build our signature bridge.”
Regalado added: “The original FDOT plans that I and my colleagues supported were an important step to helping rebuilding and reconnect our Miami communities, and we are asking the court to simply order the FDOT to keep its promise to the people of Miami.”
The lawsuit does not ask for monetary damages but instead demands that FDOT honour its obligations and enjoins it from any action that would be contrary to its promises. The lawsuit is being handled pro bono by Jay Solowsky, whose firm Solowsky & Allen is based in Downtown Miami.
