Inter-American Center property; transfer to board; continued use for government purposes.

F.S. 253.033
in effect
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(1) All real and personal property presently owned by the Inter-American Center Authority, pursuant to former s. 554.072 or otherwise, and all existing liabilities of said authority are hereby transferred to the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund. However, the liability to the Department of Transportation for road and bridge work is hereby waived and satisfied. Except as provided in s. 4, chapter 75-131, Laws of Florida, all obligations in connection with contracts and bond issues of the authority shall be assumed and performed by the trustees as provided by law or contract. No action shall be taken as a result of this act that will impair the obligations of any such contract or outstanding bonds. (2) It is hereby recognized that certain governmental entities have expended substantial public funds in acquiring, planning for, or constructing public facilities for the purpose of carrying out or undertaking governmental functions on property formerly under the jurisdiction of the authority. All property owned or controlled by any governmental entity shall be exempt from the Florida Building Code and any local amendments thereto and from local zoning regulations which might otherwise be applicable in the absence of this section in carrying out or undertaking any such governmental function and purpose. (3)(a) Except as provided in this subsection, in no event shall any of the lands known as “the Graves tract,” including, without limitation, the land previously transferred to the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County by the Inter-American Center Authority and the lands transferred pursuant to this act, be used for other than public purposes. However, the portion of “the Graves tract” owned by the City of North Miami on the effective date of this act or subsequently acquired by the city shall not be subject to such public purpose use restriction and may be used for any purpose in accordance with local building and zoning regulations. (b)1. Notwithstanding any provision of paragraph (a) or any other law to the contrary, the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund shall convey and transfer to the City of North Miami as soon as feasible that portion of “the Graves tract” described in this paragraph as set forth with particularity in s. 1, chapter 85-201, Laws of Florida, along with that certain additional portion of “the Graves tract” described as follows: Commencing at the center of Section 21, Township 52S., Range 42E., Miami-Dade County, Florida, run South 87°-38′-50″ West, 180.0 feet to the point of beginning of a parcel of land described as follows: run South 87°-38′-50″ West 804.17 feet to the east right-of-way line of State Road #5, thence run South 15°-20′-05″ West for a distance of 206.85 feet, thence run North 87°-45′-31″ East for a distance of 751.20 feet, thence run North 27°-50′-00″ East for a distance of 229.47 feet to the point of beginning, such parcel containing 3.89 acres more or less, except for that certain portion thereof which the Department of Transportation has reserved for right-of-way for transportation facilities. 2. Upon the recordation in the Official Records of Miami-Dade County, Florida, by the Department of Transportation of a right-of-way map for State Road #5, which reserves a portion of the lands described in subparagraph 1., which said portion reserved is within, but smaller than, the portion reserved from the conveyance required by subparagraph 1. as accomplished by instrument recorded in page 30 of Official Record Book 14405 of the Official Records of Miami-Dade County, Florida, as Deed No. 28289, pursuant to chapter 89-246, Laws of Florida, the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund shall convey and transfer to the City of North Miami as soon as feasible that additional portion of “the Graves tract” which consists of: Parcel No. 1, “Interama Tract” Right-of-Way Reservation for State Road #5, together with Parcel No. 2, “Interama Tract” Right-of-Way Reservation for State Road #5 as described in that certain instrument of conveyance referred to in this subparagraph as Deed No. 28289, less and except that certain portion of said Parcels No. 1 and No. 2 which is, after the effective date of this act, reserved for right-of-way for transportation facilities in a right-of-way map or like instrument hereafter filed and recorded by the Department of Transportation in the official records, so that the City of North Miami obtains title to those additional lands which are not necessary to be reserved for right-of-way for transportation facilities. 3. The City of North Miami shall not be required to pay any monetary consideration for the conveyances of land specified in this paragraph, since these conveyances are in mitigation of the loss sustained by the city upon dissolution of the Inter-American Center Authority pursuant to s. 1 of chapter 75-131, Laws of Florida. (4) The Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund may lease to Miami-Dade County approximately 300 acres of land, and approximately 90 acres of abutting lagoon and waterways, designated as the Primary Development Area, and may also transfer to Miami-Dade County all or any part of the plans, drawings, maps, etc., of the Inter-American Center Authority existing at the date of transfer, provided Miami-Dade County: (a) Assumes responsibilities of the following agreements: 1. That certain agreement entered into on June 12, 1972, between the City of Miami and Inter-American Center Authority whereby the authority agreed to repurchase, with revenues derived from the net operating revenue of the project developed on the leased lands after expenses and debt service requirements, the approximately 93 acres of lands previously deeded to the City of Miami as security for repayment of the $8,500,000 owed by the authority to the City of Miami. Title to the land repurchased pursuant to the provisions of this subsection shall be conveyed to the State of Florida. 2. Those certain rights granted to the City of North Miami pursuant to the provisions of former s. 554.29(1)(a) and former s. 554.30 obligating the authority to issue a revenue bond to the City of North Miami, containing provisions to be determined by Miami-Dade County, to be repaid from all ad valorem taxes, occupational license fees, franchise taxes, utility taxes, and cigarette taxes which would have accrued to the authority or the City of North Miami by nature of property owned by the authority having been in the City of North Miami and from the excess revenue after operating expenses, development cost and debt service requirements, of the project developed on the leased lands. (b) Develops a plan for the use of the land that meets the approval of the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund or that meets the following purposes heretofore authorized: 1. To provide a permanent international center which will serve as a meeting ground for the governments and industries of the Western Hemisphere and of other areas of the world. 2. To facilitate broad and continuous exchanges of ideas, persons, and products through cultural, educational, and other exchanges. 3. By appropriate means, to promote mutual understanding between the peoples of the Western Hemisphere and to strengthen the ties which unite the United States with other nations of the free world. Any property leased under this subsection shall not be leased for less than fair market value.
Source: FL Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/Chapter253/AllFetched: 7/8/2026

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