Right now, the Florida Legislature is on holiday break but soon it will be back in session up in Tallahassee working on one of the biggest jobs to be undertaken:  finalizing the casino bill legislation to allow limited and supervised gambling in Miami and other parts of Florida.

To monitor that legislation, Senate Bill 0710, follow SB-710's site page at the Florida Senate.

Media Takes Notice of Encouraging Economy Boost Due to Genting's Arrival in Miami

The New York Times covered what's happening here in the Miami area with a recent article entitled, "South Florida Poised for Birth of Casino Gambling," which delves not only into the status of Genting's Resorts World Miami and the future of casinos in South Florida, but also points out what we've been discussing for awhile now:

Genting's entry into the Miami metroplex commercial real estate economy has had an almost immediate, positive impact.  Included in the NYT coverage are examples like:

1.  Miami World Center

You can view a very sleek website for Miami World Center online already, even though the "city within a city" has yet to break ground.  Technically, this project has been in the works since November 2008 and predates Genting's Resorts World Miami, but as the NYT reports, Genting has reinvigorated the project with its promise of an economic boost.  

2. Miami Beach Convention Center

The Miami Beach Convention Center may be getting a nice renovation - and expansion - as the local Powers that Be paid Arquitectonica for a study of what it will take to makeover the place. Steve Wynn was interested in footing the bill to redo the Center if he could build his own casino nearby (a big hint, hint to Tallahassee).  

Miami Beach has hit a stumbling block for the moment here, since their Board of Supervisors voted down the proposal to allow gambling there.  Is it over?  We'll see.  

Economic Predictions

Right now, the economists are still doing their statistical studies and crunching their numbers before issuing their opinions on gambling casinos impacting South Florida.  

However, a big group of businesspeople in a number of industries have taken the floor to state their take on things and how this will help them and their people.  For more, watch this video where the Associated Industries of Florida held a press conference to make their opinion known: