Mayor Daniella Levine Cava directs County to proceed with eminent domain action for PortMiami fuel facility property

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced today that Miami-Dade County will pursue an eminent domain action to acquire the fuel facility property at PortMiami after negotiations concluded without an acceptable agreement.  

In September 2025, the Board of County Commissioners directed the County to negotiate for the acquisition of the property and authorized eminent domain proceedings if an agreement could not be reached.  

Following months of negotiations, the parties recently concluded discussions and were unable to reach an agreement on acceptable terms. After reviewing the final proposal, Mayor Levine Cava determined the negotiated settlement could not move forward and has directed Deputy Mayor Roy Coley to work with the County Attorney’s Office to initiate legal action consistent with the Board’s prior direction.   

“We pursued negotiations in good faith and carefully considered the proposal,” said Mayor Levine Cava. “The deal included clear benefits, including County ownership of the facility and a structure that would allow the acquisition to pay for itself over time without spending taxpayer dollars. But in the end, the price was simply too high. Even when taxpayer dollars are not directly involved, we have a responsibility to be good stewards of public funds and protect the public interest. We remain committed to ensuring PortMiami has the reliable fuel supply it needs to continue its operations, support jobs for our community, and remain one of Miami-Dade County’s most important economic engines."  

The administration will provide confidential briefings to members of the Board of County Commissioners while certain confidentiality provisions remain in effect.