3 March 19-25, 2026 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | ▼ DORAL HELP WANTED TRUMP’S DORAL GOLF CLUB OUTINGS MAY COST $1.2M IN POLICE OVERTIME. BY ALEX DELUCA When he’s not at the White House, President Donald Trump can often be found swinging a golf club or cavorting with power players at one of his many resorts. There’s the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, where the president spends many weekends golfing and holding meetings. There’s Mar-a-Lago, his primary residence and frequent weekend destination for hosting meetings, parties, and, most re- cently, waging war on Iran. And there’s Trump National Doral, which regularly hosts the president and his high-profile gatherings. Ahead of the 2026 state legislative session, the City of Doral requested $750,000 from Florida lawmakers to cover overtime pay for police officers providing security for Trump and “other dignitaries” at Trump National Doral — on top of the $500,000 the city itself intends to spend. If approved, the combined state and local funding for securing the resort would total $1.2 million. “The goal of this project is to secure over- time funding for expenses incurred by the Doral Police Department during President of the United States (POTUS) and dignitary-re- lated events at the Trump National Doral Re- sort,” reads the request. The proposal, known as a local funding initiative request, was sponsored by Republi- can Florida state Sen. Brian Avila, who repre- sents parts of Doral, Hialeah, Miami Lakes, Miami Springs, and Sweetwater. Avila did not respond to New Times’ requests for comment via email. The city of Doral previously received $500,000 from the state to cover overtime se- curity costs at Trump Doral during the 2025- 2026 fiscal year, according to the request. According to the document, the funds will “mitigate the financial impact on the City of Doral resulting from POTUS/dignitary de- tails, which require elevated security levels, enhanced public safety, and coordination with U.S. Secret Service operations” at the re- sort, which it notes “routinely hosts U.S. and international dignitaries and attracts large crowds, protesters, and supporters.” Last weekend, Trump hosted the Shield of the Americas summit at Trump Doral, where he brought together leaders from roughly a dozen Latin American and Caribbean coun- tries. In December, he’s set to host the 2026 G20 summit, an annual event where leaders from the world’s 20 largest economies meet to discuss major global issues. “POTUS/dignitary overtime funding sup- ports enhanced public-safety measures dur- ing high-risk events, ensuring a secure environment for residents and visitors,” the request reads. A spokesperson for the city of Doral didn’t respond to New Times’ calls, text messages, or emails about its request, including questions about whether the security detail covers only specific events, whether it applies when the president is absent, how much the city has spent on overtime security at the resort, and whether the federal government will reim- burse the city for these costs. Doral’s police chief, Edwin Lopez, also did not respond to emails seeking comment. Other communities with Trump proper- ties — like Palm Beach County, home to Mar- a-Lago — have applied for reimbursements by the federal government after footing the bill for these security costs. Palm Beach County applied for reimbursement through FEMA’s Presidential Residence Protection Assistance Grant and via provisions in Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill.” It’s unclear whether the city of Doral would be reimbursed by the federal govern- ment for these security costs. The funding re- quest shows that while the city plans to spend a significant portion of its own money in ad- dition to seeking state funds, it lists a 0 per- cent federal match. [email protected] | RIPTIDE | GET MORE NEWS & COMMENTARY AT MIAMINEWTIMES.COM/NEWS Trump National Doral in Miami Photo by Michele Eve Sandberg ▼ DOWNTOWN MIAMI ALL IT’S CRACKED UP TO BE FDOT RESPONDS TO A VIDEO SHOWING DAMAGE TO MIAMI’S SIGNATURE BRIDGE. BY B. SCOTT MCLENDON T he oft-delayed (and much-maligned) Mi- ami Signature Bridge has justgotten a new addition to its ever-growing list of woes af- ter social media users noticed cracks in what some have called a $860 million vanity project. While Miamians have (metaphorically) ripped the project to shreds, (literal) cracks are starting to show. A spokeswoman from the Flor- ida Department of Transportation (FDOT) tells New Times the damage is just superficial and represents no cause for safety concerns. In a social media post on X (formerly known as Twitter), former WSVN reporter Joel Franco wrote, “There’s a video circulating online claim- ing to show damage to one of the Miami Signa- ture Bridge’s arches, so I reached out to FDOT for comment.” The video shows the base of one of the arches with visible cracks as someone narrates, saying, “I’m pretty sure freshly poured concrete ain’t supposed to look like that. This bridge that costs damn near a billion dollars, why is it that the foundational block is already breaking apart and cracking?” The project is under construction and set to be completed in late 2029. It’s the product of a joint venture between Archer Western/de Moya Group. Neither company responded to emails or calls requesting comment. FDOT spokeswoman Maria Higgins Fallon, however, responded swiftly to a New Times email requesting comment about the issue, writ- ing, “The I-395/S.R. 836/I-95 Design-Build Proj- ect team is aware of social media posts circulating online that contain inaccurate infor- mation suggesting there are ‘structural cracks’ on the I-395 Signature Bridge arches. “We want to assure the public that this is not a safety issue. The areas shown in the images are not structural cracks, but minor surface fin- ishing inconsistencies that can sometimes occur after concrete is poured and the formwork is re- moved. These surface variations are cosmetic in nature and are not structural components or de- fects. They do not affect the safety, durability, or structural integrity of the bridge in any way. Any surface irregularities are addressed through standard concrete finishing procedures as part of normal construction practice.” B. Scott [email protected] ▼ SURFSIDE THAT’S RICH FORMER STARBUCKS CEO IS THE LATEST BILLIONAIRE TO MOVE TO MIAMI. BY BRITTANY SHAMMAS A dd former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz to the list of ultra-rich guys fleeing other cities for the billion- aire’s playground of Miami. He and his wife have ditched their longtime home of Seattle for South Florida’s sunnier (and more billion- aire-friendly) shores. “We have moved to Miami for our next ad- venture together,” Schultz wrote in a Wednesday post to LinkedIn (where else?), on which the comments are disabled. “We are enjoying the sunshine of South Florida and its allure to our kids on the East Coast as they raise families of their own.” The couple forked over about $44 million for a penthouse at the Surf Club, Four Sea- sons Private Residences, the Wall Street Jour- nal reports in an exclusive piece attributed to “people familiar with the situation.” This was something of a steal: the Journal notes that the condo was first listed in November 2024 with a price tag of $55 million. Opened in 2017, the palatial Collins Ave- nue condo building towers 12 stories over the historic Surf Club, itself a 1930s-era play- ground for the rich. The development — 144 units with floor-to-ceiling windows over- looking the Atlantic — touts itself as having “all the advantages and amenities of living in a grand hotel.” A few of the 14 penthouse units have their own pools. Schultz’s new digs, per the Journal, boast five bedrooms and sprawl 5,000 feet. An LLC called Stock- bridge Holdings paid $18 million for it in 2018, the Journal noted. Schultz, a onetime Xerox salesman, says in his LinkedIn post that Seattle was his home for more than 40 years, having moved there in 1979 with his wife and golden retriever. He started at Starbucks, then a single outpost selling only whole bean coffee, in 1982. Be- fore leaving the company’s board of directors in 2023, he helped transform it into a house- hold name, one that has faced allegations of union-busting in recent years. He toyed with running for president in 2020 as an indepen- dent but ultimately decided against it. In his announcement, Schultz said he and Sheri “have entered the ‘retirement’ phase of our lives.” News of the couple’s move came as Washington state considers legislation that’s been branded a “millionaire’s tax,” the Seat- tle Times notes. The measure, which would impose a 9.9 percent tax on earnings over $1 million to help fund services, passed the state legislature later Wednesday. Schultz did not bring it up in his LinkedIn post, though he did mention hoping “that Wash- ington will remain a place for business and entrepreneurship to thrive.” [email protected]
