Miami, Fla. – September 23, 2025 – Greenspoon Marder is pleased to announce Real Estate partner Manuel L. Crespo has successfully represented the owner of a prime commercial office and retail building located in a suburban Miami-Dade municipality. Mr. Crespo obtained substantial concessions from the municipality in the form of valuable exemptions for the owner and the building’s tenants from newly proposed paid street parking fees. These exemptions will remain in place pending implementation of the municipality’s novel master plan for parking along its heavily trafficked commercial corridors, where parking had historically been free of charge.
The outcome is especially significant given the building’s unique history. More than a decade ago, the municipality encouraged the client to develop a larger building than initially planned, despite site constraints that prevented the inclusion of on-site parking and local height restrictions that barred underground parking solutions. As part of the approved development, the client also funded critical surrounding infrastructure improvements, including the installation of street parking, sidewalks, lighting, and landscaping.
When the municipality later introduced an ordinance requiring tenants and owners to pay for street parking, Mr. Crespo vigorously lobbied and argued before the municipal board that such a policy would run contrary to the equities of the original development agreement. He maintained that imposing paid parking obligations would unfairly penalize the client for the very improvements it had already financed and delivered for public benefit.
Following Mr. Crespo’s advocacy, the municipality suspended deliberations on the proposed ordinance and directed its manager and planner to develop a workable, equitable solution. After several months of dialogue and education regarding the history of the development and the client’s substantial investments, the parties reached an agreement on a revised ordinance. The final measure incorporates mechanisms for exemptions from paid parking modeled after systems in other Miami-Dade communities, including decal or plate-based programs administered by local parking authorities.