The city of Miami Beach recently filed court papers opposing Malaysia-based Genting Corporation’s proposed multi-billion-dollar casino resort in the Omni downtown area. Previously Genting sued Miami-Dade County and local State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle to require the state to approve the casino-resort proposal. City officials claimed Genting’s casino would negatively impact the social and economic well being of the area, would cause tourists to leave businesses in other neighborhoods and lead to an increase in crime and traffic.
In 2011 Genting purchased the site of the former Omni mall and hotel, plus the Miami Herald’s former headquarters for $236 million. Then Genting signed an agreement with Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino in Hallandale Beach allowing the racetrack to move its parimutuel license to the Omni site, where Genting would build and operate a casino. In 2014, state regulators blocked that move.
Genting’s legal action is seen as an attempt to bypass the 2014 ban. In court papers, Resorts World Omni, Genting’s Miami-based real estate division, asked a judge to allow Gulfstream Park to operate a casino at the Omni site. Earlier, Genting and Gulfstream Park signed a $1 lease agreement with Resorts World Omni for a 7,500 square foot space at the site of the former shopping mall and hotel. In legal filings, Genting used that agreement as grounds for requesting the judge to allow the proposed operation.
