MIAMI BEACH, Florida. – Miami-Dade County voters weighed in on a county parking issue affecting Miami Beach residents in Tuesday’s primary election.

These voters overwhelmingly approved the construction of a new fire station in part of Flamingo Park.

The proposal received 75.71% of the votes in favor, or 197,381 of the 260,723 votes cast.

Daniel Ciraldo, executive director of the Miami Design Preservation League, said the proposal contradicts the demolition of the historic South Shore Community Center, which the city had considered as a site.

“This has upset many residents because our seniors use the center, there is a daycare center, so it’s not a perfect solution,” he said. “But the community is asking that the community center be saved and the fire station be relocated so that both can continue to exist, because both are very important.”

Miami Beach Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez is part of this community.

“Since 2017, I’ve been fighting to save the South Shore Community Center with the day care, which includes a senior cafeteria that was closed during COVID. So it really is a case of it takes a village to save this community center,” she said. “This is really a win-win for everyone. We’re saving the community center, the day care, keeping the senior cafeteria and getting a new fire station.”

Commissioner Tanya Katzoff Bhatt said election results showed that the majority of votes included voters from every Miami Beach precinct, even the Flamingo Park neighborhood.

The Commissioners unanimously approved the project proposal in June.

“Now the design work begins,” said Katzoff Bhatt. “Ideally, we will do it in such a way that we do not have to relocate the athletics facility and can thus make optimal use of the green spaces and the park design.”

The design discussion is scheduled to begin next month.