News – Save Tropical Park

Sept 30, 2022

Political Cortadito: Tropical Park stadium idea is unwanted, unnecessary, unlikely to become reality

Miami-Dade Commissioner Javier Souto had a Sunshine zoom meeting Thursday with county parks officials, attorneys and at least three more commissioners, none of whom were friendly to the idea of a 60-000 seat stadium complex.

Sept 29, 2022

Miami Herald: ‘Very rude.’ Miami-Dade leaders attack lawyer’s push for UM stadium in Tropical Park

It was the first official county proceeding for a proposal by Coral Gables lawyer and mogul John Ruiz to convert part of Tropical Park into a stadium complex for UM’s football team, which plays games at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

Sept 27, 2022

Miami New Times: Save Tropical Park: Residents Dig in Heels to Battle UM Football Stadium Plan

Despite University of Miami athletic director Dan Radakovich proclaiming the university is happy with its football team playing 20 miles away from campus at Hard Rock Stadium, billionaire attorney John H. Ruiz is still all-in for building a 60,000 seat stadium for the UM football team at Tropical Park in Westchester.

While some Miami Hurricanes fans applaud Ruiz’s effort to help the university’s struggling football team, many local residents are mobilizing to prevent development at the park.

“I am 100 percent behind public parks being for community public open space and recreational use,” county resident Amanda Prieto tells New Times. “That’s why we have parks, and with increased density and growth, our parks become even more important.”

Prieto created SaveTropicalPark.com and an associated petition, which has received nearly 3,000 signatures, in opposition to the stadium proposal. She previously had been involved in the “Save Calusa” campaign to block development of the former Calusa Country Club and golf course in West Kendall.

Sept 25, 2022

Political Cortadito: Developers propose giant stadium, two hotels and more in Tropical Park

The pitch is great. UM can’t be a top tier football team school without its own state-of-the-art stadium with luxury boxes and a retractable roof less than three miles — or bicycle distance — from the campus. The university has an agreement to play at the Hard Rock Stadium until 2033.

But the proposal is not just for a stadium, of course.

It’s a repeat of the Miami Freedom Park takeover of the Melreese Golf Course. The plans at Tropical Park also call for not one but two hotels, underground parking for more than 12,000 vehicles and the draining of one of the man-made lakes. There has been talk of a fancy restaurant, some classrooms and a medical complex for UM’s sports medicine program.

All of it on public land.

Sept 23, 2022

Axios Miami: UM Stadium Clash

Miami residents, alarmed at the prospect of losing public parkland, are organizing to fight billionaire John H. Ruiz’s plan to build a football stadium for the University of Miami at Tropical Park.

What’s happening: Residents and neighbors have set up a website, called “Save Tropical Park,” along with an online petition and social media accounts to raise issues about the stadium proposal and pressure lawmakers.

“We’re up to, I want to say, 2,200 petition signatures in about a week,” Amanda Prieto, who is helping spearhead the effort, told Axios.
“Best-case scenario, he moves on to a different property — buys private property, where he could have the absolute best stadium in the world,” Prieto said. “I’m not going to support it on public land.”

Sept 22, 2022

Miami-Dade County District 10 Commissioner issues statement opposing stadium development on Tropical Park.

Aug 25, 2022

Local 10: Big-time Miami Hurricanes booster releases renderings for proposed stadium at Tropical Park

One of the biggest boosters for the University of Miami Hurricanes football team has revealed his stadium dreams.

John H. Ruiz wants to build a 60,000 seat stadium for the Canes at Tropical Park off Bird Road in Southwest Miami-Dade.

The stadium would have a retractable roof, air conditioning and luxury suites.

June 2, 2022

Does UM need an on campus football stadium?

Sept 25, 2022

Political Cortadito: Developers propose giant stadium, two hotels and more in Tropical Park

The pitch is great. UM can’t be a top tier football team school without its own state-of-the-art stadium with luxury boxes and a retractable roof less than three miles — or bicycle distance — from the campus. The university has an agreement to play at the Hard Rock Stadium until 2033.

But the proposal is not just for a stadium, of course.

It’s a repeat of the Miami Freedom Park takeover of the Melreese Golf Course. The plans at Tropical Park also call for not one but two hotels, underground parking for more than 12,000 vehicles and the draining of one of the man-made lakes. There has been talk of a fancy restaurant, some classrooms and a medical complex for UM’s sports medicine program.

All of it on public land.

Sept 23, 2022

Axios Miami: UM Stadium Clash

Miami residents, alarmed at the prospect of losing public parkland, are organizing to fight billionaire John H. Ruiz’s plan to build a football stadium for the University of Miami at Tropical Park.

What’s happening: Residents and neighbors have set up a website, called “Save Tropical Park,” along with an online petition and social media accounts to raise issues about the stadium proposal and pressure lawmakers.

“We’re up to, I want to say, 2,200 petition signatures in about a week,” Amanda Prieto, who is helping spearhead the effort, told Axios.
“Best-case scenario, he moves on to a different property — buys private property, where he could have the absolute best stadium in the world,” Prieto said. “I’m not going to support it on public land.”

Sept 22, 2022

Miami-Dade County District 10 Commissioner issues statement opposing stadium development on Tropical Park.

Aug 25, 2022

Local 10: Big-time Miami Hurricanes booster releases renderings for proposed stadium at Tropical Park

One of the biggest boosters for the University of Miami Hurricanes football team has revealed his stadium dreams.

John H. Ruiz wants to build a 60,000 seat stadium for the Canes at Tropical Park off Bird Road in Southwest Miami-Dade.

The stadium would have a retractable roof, air conditioning and luxury suites.

June 2, 2022

Does UM need an on campus football stadium?

Sept 25, 2022

Political Cortadito: Developers propose giant stadium, two hotels and more in Tropical Park

The pitch is great. UM can’t be a top tier football team school without its own state-of-the-art stadium with luxury boxes and a retractable roof less than three miles — or bicycle distance — from the campus. The university has an agreement to play at the Hard Rock Stadium until 2033.

But the proposal is not just for a stadium, of course.

It’s a repeat of the Miami Freedom Park takeover of the Melreese Golf Course. The plans at Tropical Park also call for not one but two hotels, underground parking for more than 12,000 vehicles and the draining of one of the man-made lakes. There has been talk of a fancy restaurant, some classrooms and a medical complex for UM’s sports medicine program.

All of it on public land.

Sept 23, 2022

Axios Miami: UM Stadium Clash

Miami residents, alarmed at the prospect of losing public parkland, are organizing to fight billionaire John H. Ruiz’s plan to build a football stadium for the University of Miami at Tropical Park.

What’s happening: Residents and neighbors have set up a website, called “Save Tropical Park,” along with an online petition and social media accounts to raise issues about the stadium proposal and pressure lawmakers.

“We’re up to, I want to say, 2,200 petition signatures in about a week,” Amanda Prieto, who is helping spearhead the effort, told Axios.
“Best-case scenario, he moves on to a different property — buys private property, where he could have the absolute best stadium in the world,” Prieto said. “I’m not going to support it on public land.”

Sept 22, 2022

Miami-Dade County District 10 Commissioner issues statement opposing stadium development on Tropical Park.

Aug 25, 2022

Local 10: Big-time Miami Hurricanes booster releases renderings for proposed stadium at Tropical Park

One of the biggest boosters for the University of Miami Hurricanes football team has revealed his stadium dreams.

John H. Ruiz wants to build a 60,000 seat stadium for the Canes at Tropical Park off Bird Road in Southwest Miami-Dade.

The stadium would have a retractable roof, air conditioning and luxury suites.

June 2, 2022

Does UM need an on campus football stadium?

Apr 29, 2022

Miami New Times: Miami billionaire John Ruiz wants to build UM football stadium at Tropical Park

Now, four months after his foiled plot to build a stadium at Coral Gables Senior High, Ruiz told New Times in a recent interview aboard his private passenger plane that he has found a new spot for his field of dreams: Tropical Park, in the heart of Westchester.

Feb 9, 2022

CBS Miami: ‘Not Up For Sale’: Miami-Dade Mayor Cava nixes idea Tropical Park could be used for Canes stadium

Dec 10, 2021

Miami Herald: The billionaire lawyer who made a splash with UM stadium pitch has a long Miami history

He’s forayed into high school sports broadcasting, hosted a Spanish-language show on cable TV, worked on hundreds of class-action lawsuits, taken over a famed Miami power boat company and attempted to run a Homestead baseball stadium that was eventually shuttered.