In Miami Beach, the New York City mayoral election is an opportunity : NPR
Florida real estate developer Russell Galbutt believes the election of a democratic socialist as mayor, Zohran Mamdani, in New York is an opportunity to attract wealthy residents and their businesses to Miami Beach.
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Steven Meiner/Facebook
MIAMI — People in New York’s Times Square may have recently noticed, among the many electronic billboards, images of a beach, blue water and a caption: “Miami Beach is open for business.”
The ads are being funded by a Florida real estate developer who believes the election of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani as New York City mayor is an opportunity to lure wealthy residents and their businesses south.
“We haven’t yet seen how the new mayor will react. But there’s no doubt there will be a lot of surprise and shock,” said Russell Galbutt, one of Miami Beach’s largest real estate developers.
Galbutt’s ad campaign builds on Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner’s social media message to city residents unhappy with the election results.
“We’re just pointing out, ‘Hey, if you’re looking for a city with law and order and sunshine and no income taxes, there are a lot of positives that are why you should be here,'” Meiner told NPR. “The mayor-elect describes himself as a socialist and I think there is concern about the freedom of businesses to act as capitalist businesses must. But there is also concern on the part of Jewish residents and businesses.”
Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner said the city’s beaches, sunshine and no income tax should be a draw for New Yorkers ready to leave the city.
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Greg Allen/NPR
Mamdani alarmed some Jewish voters because of his support for Palestinian rights and his critical views of Israel. Exit polls showed Mamdani received about a third of the Jewish vote in this month’s election. His office did not respond to a request for comment on the poster campaign.
Galbutt decided to fund an ad campaign out of frustration with what he sees as economic stagnation in one of Florida’s most popular tourist destinations. After years of spring break violence, which included some shootings, Miami Beach adopted tough measures two years ago that were effective. But a decline in sales tax revenue and business closures since then show something else is needed, the developer said..
“Miami Beach started a whole campaign to tell people we didn’t want any more spring break in Miami Beach,” Galbutt said. “But we’ve never spent five hundred or five dollars on a campaign saying who we want.”
Meiner is more optimistic about the business climate in Miami Beach, pointing to a $30 million revitalization project underway to boost its Lincoln Road business district.
“We have Lamborghini… opening a showroom in Miami Beach. A Swiss watchmaker is coming here,” he said. “There’s a lot of investment coming here. And we’re just emphasizing to people who maybe hadn’t thought about Miami Beach that they should.”
Meiner said he has received mostly positive feedback from residents about his efforts to attract more New Yorkers to Miami Beach. But he acknowledged receiving negative reactions on social media.
“The negatives,” he said, “were really like, ‘Why are you trying to bring more residents here? We already have a lot of traffic.'”
Among Miami Beach residents, an informal survey found they overwhelmingly favored a campaign to attract more New Yorkers to the city. Asked if Miami Beach needed more New Yorkers, retiree Neil Kahanovitz said, “Well, having come from New York, I wouldn’t mind having a few more.”
Kahanovitz came to Miami Beach because he was tired of the “cold, crowds, crime and high taxes.” As for whether electing a democratic socialist mayor would encourage more people to leave the city? “It’s certainly not going to encourage them to stay,” he said.
Michael Sprotzer, another Miami Beach resident, is skeptical that a wave of New Yorkers and their businesses will soon head south. Sprotzer, who works in real estate, noted that some of the investment companies that during COVID moved their offices to South Florida have since returned to New York.
“I think maybe for some people who are considering coming to South Florida, this will be a good impetus for them to do so,” he said. “But I don’t think people who love New York are going to suddenly move here.”
