AIRBALL SPORTS - AWARD

Aviation and Seaport Committee · 2026-07-13 · resolution

Resolution to waive competitive bidding and award a non-competitive revenue-generating lease and concession agreement, Contract No. BW-10479, to Airball Sports II, LLC for a Miami Heat-licensed merchandise retail concession at Miami International Airport (MIA) in Concourse D. Projected revenue is $17,000,000.00 for an eight-year term with one two-year option to renew. The contract replaces Contract No. R-1110-11. Status is Deferred. Introduced 4/13/2026. Deferred by the Aviation and Seaport Committee on 5/11/2026 and again on 7/13/2026 to no date certain. Applicant is Airball Sports II, LLC. Prime sponsor is Danielle Cohen Higgins. The agreement requires Airball to pay the County the greater of 10% of gross revenues or the prevailing Class VI Terminal rental rate. The current contract requires 8% of gross revenues and is month-to-month. The fiscal impact for the initial eight-year term is $13,600,000; with the option to renew, the estimated cumulative value is $17,000,000. The vendor principal address is 201 S. Biscayne Blvd, Ste 800, Miami, FL. The contract manager is Sylvia Novela. The procurement contracting manager is Marie Williams. The Chief Operating Officer is Jimmy Morales. The County Mayor is Daniella Levine Cava. The item is in District 6, represented by Commissioner Natalie Milian Orbis, but the impact is countywide. The Living Wage Ordinance applies. The Small Business Enterprise measures and Local Preference do not apply. The two percent User Access Program does not apply. Due diligence found no adverse findings. No comparable competitive contracts were identified for piggybacking. Market research did not identify any other vendors authorized to operate a Miami Heat-licensed retail store. The agreement is 188 pages. The item requires a two-thirds vote. The resolution authorizes the County Mayor or designee to exercise all provisions of the contract, including cancellation, renewal, or extensions. The contract is for the Miami-Dade Aviation Department. The store offers a full assortment of Miami Heat-licensed merchandise year-round. The concessionaire must ensure compliance with MDAD standards, provide customer service, maintain reporting, and ensure operations reflect the character of the South Florida region. The contract requires Airball to finance, operate, and maintain the retail concession. The existing month-to-month lease will be replaced. The store is fully branded and acts as an attraction point. The vendor principal is Eric S. Woolworth. 91% of vendor employees reside in Miami-Dade County. The item was assigned to County Attorney David M. Murray on 4/22/2026. The item was assigned to Office of Agenda Coordination on 4/13/2026. The item was assigned to County Attorney on 6/2/2026. The item was assigned to Carladenise Edwards on 4/13/2026. The item was sent to Office of the Chairperson on 7/9/2026. The item was deferred on 5/11/2026 to 6/8/2026. The item was deferred on 7/13/2026 to no date certain. The report notes Commissioner Cohen-Higgins requested deferral to no date certain. During consideration of Agenda Item 3I, Chairwoman Cohen Higgins requested a status update on the airport's concessionaire program. Mr. Cutie reported that the Board had approved a 15-year extension of many concession areas the previous April, with a three-year implementation phase. He explained the department was engaged in the first two phases, with concessions under design or construction. One space was completed and another was about to begin construction. The department expected to enter the third phase on May 23. A few areas were slightly behind schedule. The department was finalizing discussions on marketplace concessions and several service contracts. The implementation work would not be complete in time for the World Cup. The department was negotiating the pool of 45 firms, with solicitations to follow for spaces expected to become available.