Coastal infrastructureMiami Beach pushing beachfront development -- collecting storm-water fees to fight sea-level rise

City planners and real estate developers in Miami Beach are fighting the threat of climate change by continuing to encourage the development of new beachfront properties, including hotels and residential condos. Revenue from real estate taxes and fees will fund a $300 million storm-water project, said Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine. Florida has no income tax, and much of South Florida’s public infrastructure projects are supported by property taxes.

Levine commends private-sector efforts in the local real estate market, as it will help contribute to the sustainability of South Florida. “The biggest investors in the world, the smartest minds in the world… they’re all buying,” Levine told the Washington Post. “They believe Miami Beach has a tremendous future, and they put their money where their mouth is.”

A storm-water fee on property owners and hotels helped Miami Beach save enough money to borrow $100 million to begin the storm-water project. By 2020, Miami Beach will have built eighty new storm pumps which will collect and remove up to 14,000 gallons of seawater per minute back into Biscayne Bay. Construction, which began last February, will reduce sunny day flooding and prepare the city for future sea level rise.

Climatologists question the strategy of building more luxury properties to fight rising sea levels. They claim the existing development already stresses the area’s infrastructure, built decades before concern about sea level rise. “When you consider current hurricane threats, and the sea level rise that could erode these properties… Common sense says no, you shouldn’t do it,” said Florida State University climatologist David Zierden.

The 2014 National Climate Assessment report warns that Miami is extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Sea level around South Florida is expected to rise by three feet by 2100. To make matters worse, researchers predict that hurricanes will gain strength and occur more often as temperatures rise.

City officials see the real estate boom as an opportunity to plan for the future. “The time to put away things for a rainy day is when it’s sunny outside,” said public works director Eric Carpenter. “If you wait until it’s raining, it’s too late.” The storm-water fee charged to all property owners collects $7 for every 791 square-feet for commercial buildings including hotels.

The concerns about climate change seem to have little effect on property investors in Miami Beach. Last year the city collected $128 million in property taxes, an increase from $117 million in 2013. Many of the buyers are from South America, concerned with currency instability in their home countries and looking to Miami Beach properties as investment alternatives. “They want somewhere safe to park their money,” said Peter Zalewski, founder of condo consulting site CraneSpotters.com, whose firm tracks applications. “A lot of buyers here never step foot in the condos. They’ll sell them before the water makes it to the bottom floor of their buildings, anyway.”