MIAMI SPRINGS, Fla. — If you live in Miami Springs, you may have noticed some increased police presence Wednesday.
Miami Springs police confirmed to Local 10 News that after receiving an uptick in complaints about people parking in a disabled parking spot without a proper placard, they decided to launch a concentrated effort through 5 p.m., utilizing public service aids and motorcycle officers.
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A local business owner told Local 10 News that police are often there enforcing proper compliance with handicap parking.
Police confirm they are often there to make sure people are following the rules. On Wednesday afternoon, a spokesman for the police department said they had issued more than two dozen citations citywide.
Just last month, the Homestead Police Department also cracked down on drivers parking illegally in disabled spaces.
Back in January, Miami Springs police posted a message on social media to the public, saying they want “motorists to do better in 2026 as they step up parking abuse at Handicap Parking spaces.”
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Christina Vazquez
Christina returned to Local 10 in 2019 as a reporter after covering Hurricane Dorian for the station. She is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist and previously earned an Emmy Award while at WPLG for her investigative consumer protection segment “Call Christina.”
Two men accused of using fake credentials during the Brazil and Scotland World Cup match at Miami Stadium were arrested, deputies said.
Stanthony Ballard, 43, and Kareem Thomas, 38, are both facing several charges, including uttering forged instruments and trespassing a sport/entertainment event and soliciting.
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, on Wednesday, deputies responded to a request to check for fraudulent credentials at section 135 at Miami Stadium, which was filled with approximately 65,000 fans in attendance.
When deputies arrived at the section, four witnesses stated that they had been led into the stadium by the two men in exchange for $1,000 each.
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When the two men were asked to show their credentials, they showed fake credentials to a different sporting event, deputies said.
Court records show this isn’t Thomas’ first run-in with the law at a major South Florida event. He has an open case for allegedly selling Ultra Music Festival tickets back in 2017.
Both men were two of the seven ejections at Miami Stadium on Wednesday. They were taken to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Thomas’ bond was set to $3,500, and Ballard’s bond was set to $5,000.
NBC6 has reached out to FIFA and the stadium for comment.
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The curtain is coming down on Hard Rock Cafe’s Bayside Marketplace location after more than three decades on the downtown waterfront.
The rock ’n’ roll themed restaurant will close its doors August 19 after its lease with the city came to an end and will not be renewed, the Hard Rock confirmed in an email to The Real Deal. A spokesperson for the Hard Rock did not immediately respond to why the lease was not renewed or disclose the square footage and seating capacity.
A spokesperson for the City of Miami-owned Bayside Marketplace said the space will be redeveloped for another concept. The next tenant was not disclosed.
New York-based Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation holds the ground lease for Bayside Marketplace. A representative for Ashkenazy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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In 2020, Ashkenazy filed an eviction lawsuit against the Hard Rock Cafe alleging over $300,000 in unpaid rent amid the pandemic. The case was dismissed with prejudice in 2022, court records show.
At the time, the lease required the restaurant to pay $500,000 in base rent annually plus a percentage of its sales, according to court records.
More than 100 employees will lose their jobs as a result of the closure, according to a WARN notice filed by the Hard Rock Cafe. The stand alone waterfront building includes a main dining room, mezzanine, patio areas and event spaces.
Founded in 1971, Hard Rock Cafe opened its Miami location in 1993. The restaurant is part of Hard Rock International, which has been owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida since its 2007 acquisition of the company and operates cafes, hotels, casinos and live entertainment venues worldwide, plus naming rights for the Miami Dolphins’ home stadium.
Bayside Marketplace was one of the hardest hit retail centers in South Florida during the pandemic. The Hooters there closed in 2021 and was taken over by sports bar Black Market Miami, the Miami Herald previously reported. Other retailers and restaurants that have closed include Sun & Sea Brazilian Bikinis, Bavaria Haus and Express, which emerged from bankruptcy in 2024.
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The waterfront retail and restaurant hub is heavily reliant on tourists. Margaritaville opened there in 2024, and popular fast-casual Mexican chain Coyo Taco opened this month. Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, Chili’s, Foot Locker and Victoria’s Secret are longtime tenants.
Downtown Miami’s retail market is showing signs of softening, according to Colliers. Retailers in the downtown submarket shed 44,430 square feet of space, and vacancy reached 6.3 percent. Developers remain bullish on the downtown core, with nearly 64,000 square feet of retail space under construction and asking rents averaging $52.50 per square foot.
The Miami Worldcenter has been a major recent driver of much of that retail development and leasing.
Total inventory square footage for the downtown area is more than 3.4 million square feet.
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