MIAMI—Less than a month ago, I reported on an unfolding legal drama between a group of developers and the city of Aventura. Privé Developers and BH3 Management, developers of Privé at Island Estates condominium project on an island in Aventura, have filed a $200 million lawsuit against the Miami suburb.

Privé is a twin-tower, 160-residence condominium community planned for an eight-acre island adjacent to Williams Island. Developers estimate the project will create 400 new jobs during construction and provide millions of dollars in new tax revenue that can be used for education and other important projects within the City of Aventura and Miami-Dade County.

It didn't take long for the developers to gain support. The Aventura-Sunny Isles Beach Chamber of Commerce is calling on the City of Aventura to make good on its commitments to allow construction to begin on Privé at Island Estates.

“This is outrageous,” says Chamber president Les Winston. “For the life of me, I don't understand what the City is thinking.  They are restricting commerce which makes no logical sense at all.” The City of Aventura could not immediately be reached for comment.

According to the developers, the legal rights and entitlements to build this project have been upheld nine times by the City of Aventura. These rights have been in existence for 40 years (even before the City of Aventura was formed), yet the developers insist the city is “presently and unjustifiably prohibiting Privé from moving forward.” and recorded legal documents that all allow Privé to be developed.

“By not allowing Privé to proceed with its legal entitlements, the City is hurting the local economy,” says Winston. “This project will create hundreds of jobs and create up to $10 million in new annual and perpetual tax revenue, of which approximately $5.5 million flows directly to the City and the Miami-Dade school system.”

As Winston sees it, the city has exposed its taxpayers to a $200 million lawsuit that developers were “forced to file as a last resort” in order to protect its development rights. He calls the fact that individuals and businesses in Aventura could end paying higher taxes because the City is allowing itself to be influenced by a small group of entitled people who don't want new development next door to them “incomprehensible.”

“The City needs to do the right thing and make good on its promises, so that this project can get built and the residents can start reaping the tax benefits instead of shelling out more for no good reason,' Winston says. You can see all of his comments at www.AventuraBytes.com.