Lawsuit Seeks To Block Ultra's Thumping Beat From Virginia Key

MIAMI, FL — The Brickell Homeowners Association has filed a lawsuit against the city of Miami seeking to block the Ultra Music Festival from moving to Virginia Key from downtown Miami later this month.

"Virginia Key is an utterly inappropriate venue for Ultra," explained attorney David Winker, who filed the action Wednesday on behalf of the association and Miami resident Christopher B. Mullin.

"The City of Miami circumvented its own laws and disenfranchised its own citizens to force this deal through, a deal that is a disaster for the environment and our residents," said Winker.

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Miami City Attorney Victoria Mendez told Patch in a statement that the city is aware of the complaint.

“We are reviewing the complaint and will defend the city’s interest," she said. The popular electronic music festival is set to take place from Friday, March 29 through Sunday March 31.

After hearing from a chorus of unhappy residents in late September, the Miami City Commission unanimously rejected an extension of Ultra Music Festival's agreement that allowed thousands of electronic music lovers to take over Bayfront Park in downtown Miami each year.

But city officials later approved a plan to move the festival to Virginia Key over the objections of Key Biscayne's newly elected mayor, Mike Davey, whose affluent community is located nearby off Rickenbacker Causeway.

With only one road in and one road out of Key Biscayne, the locals will have to navigate Ultra traffic to get to their homes. Village officials estimate that the event will draw 50,000 people each day — or about four times as many people as the Miami Open tennis tournament, which is moving to Hard Rock Stadium this month.

"My lawsuit asks the judge to declare the license agreement entered into between the city and Ultra void and force the city to follow its own laws regarding competitive bidding and participation of its citizens in the process," Winker added. "We have to be able to expect more from our elected officials."