Alligator Alcatraz Site Transitions: Miami-Dade Recovers Airport, Mayor Proposes Everglades Park

Miami-Dade County authorities have officially regained control of the Dade-Collier Airport, marking the definitive closure of state operations at the facility previously used as the Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention center.

The airport, which had been repurposed to house the detention center, is now poised to return to its original function: serving as a training and landing practice site for pilots. While the prison facilities have been dismantled, the airport's runways and taxiways require a final inspection before flight operations can fully resume. The county's Aviation Department is currently overseeing site access to ensure security, but the exact date for the recommencement of pilot activities remains uncertain, with the runway expected to be closed until September.

Following the center's decommissioning, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has put forth an ambitious proposal to protect the surrounding 17,000 acres of county-owned wetlands. Her plan involves evaluating the sale and transfer of these lands to the National Park Service (NPS) to create a federal park dedicated to the restoration and conservation of the Everglades.

"We will have the opportunity to permanently protect these lands for the restoration of the Everglades and ensure their conservation for generations to come. That is the legacy we must leave," Mayor Levine Cava stated. The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, officially announced the closure of Alligator Alcatraz in late June. However, the mayor's ecological vision would necessitate cooperation from state authorities and likely face significant regulatory and financial hurdles.

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We will have the opportunity to permanently protect these lands for the restoration of the Everglades and ensure their conservation for generations to come. That is the legacy we must leave.