The Genting group wants to build 4 hotels with 2 residential towers along with a casino, restaurants, a theater, retail shops, a convention center and a lagoon the size of 12 olympic swimming pools. All in the historic area of 1 Herald Plaza in Miami, FL. The company already owns the Miami based Norwegian Cruise Line that it bought 12 years ago. Genting is known as the number one developers of resorts in the Far East, with it's main resort located in Malasia, called Genting Highlands. That resort has 6 hotels, 2 residential buildings and a gold country club.Joe Carolla, a former Miami mayor, says that Genting plans will eat up public land on the Miami Herald property. He has pointed out what Genting has proposed in their promotional video will take over 6 acres of public land and air rights in the sum of millions of dollars. Mayor Carolla is joined by 2 other former mayors that want to block Genting's $3 billion project by bringing forth the companies ties to illegal activities, the fact that $100 million of public land will be given away and the fact that the current mayor recently took a trip to the Far East with his pro gambling side kick. It seems that the FL state representative, Erik Fresen, is creating a bill which will allow Genting to bid on the one of three licenses for casino/resorts in South Florida, despite the negative press Carolla and the others have brought forward about Genting. Will South Florida residents have a new multi billion dollar mega playground in the near future? Not if Joe Carolla has his way!
