Miami Assistant City Manager Larry Spring, the city’s chief financial officer, announced earlier this month that he was resigning from his position, but it’s not like he has to pack up any boxes.
He doesn’t really plan to go anywhere.
The city commission could tell the city manager at Thursday’s meeting to enter into a contract with Spring as a consultant for his “expert services” on an “as needed basis.”
City rules prohibit any Miami employee, or former employee, from entering into a contract or transacting any business with the city or an agency acting on behalf of the city for two years after leaving the job. Spring’s last day is Aug. 22. The contract would become effective that very day at 5 p.m.
The city commission can waive that provision with a four/fifths vote if it is in the best interest of the city, “as in this case,” reads the resolution.
Read related: Miami CFO Larry Spring resigns from city job — for a private sector gig?
We should have seen this coming. City Manager Art Noriega made a haughty “goodbye” speech to Spring at the July 10 meeting, but hinted that maybe he would hang around City Hall in some capacity.
“The city plans on retaining Mr. Spring as an expert consultant for the City Manager’s office in order to contribute his expertise and knowledge, and assist in city budget matters, city financings, and other city projects that require his expertise,” the resolution states, adding that he will continue to work at Achievement Consulting Group, which he is listed as president of in the Florida Division of Corporation records. He’s been with the company, which “specializes in real estate development, government relations, and financial consulting services.”
So, let’s get this straight. He’s going to be — or has been — heading a company that lobbies for real estate deals while moonlighting for the city as a consultant on those very deals?
“Mr. Spring has held several executive management positions in healthcare, commercial banking, municipal government, real estate, and economic development; and… the city will benefit from Mr. Spring’s, expertise in municipal government, real estate, and economic development,” the resolution says.
You know what the resolution doesn’t say? How much Mr. Spring will be paid for his “as needed” consulting services.
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The post Larry Spring could get consulting gig in Miami even before he retires as CFO appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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The historic structure could become a charter school
DEVELOPING STORY (more reporting is being done): Miami commissioners are about to give themselves an extra year in office, and everyone is talking about that. But nobody is talking about the giveaway of the historic Olympia Theater on Flagler Street to developers of the largest charter school company in the state, maybe the country, with more than 200 schools across the U.S.
They may also be giving away millions of dollars worth of “transfer development rights” — or “air rights” from above the downtown Miami property — that could be sold to developers nearby.
This is a no-bid deal on Thursday’s agenda. It has no sponsor, which means it was cooked up by Mayor Francis Suarez and the city manager through the Department of Real Estate Asset Management. The manager would be authorized to “negotiate” and execute the sale with a “quit claim deed” of the Olympia, built in 1926 as a silent movie palace, to the owners of Academica to use for their Sports Leadership and Management charter school. You know? The one that is hyped by Miamis own Pit Bull.
Expect him to be paraded out at the public hearing, like a show pony, for public comments.
This needs four out of the five commissioners to vote approve this. None of them have said a word since the agenda briefing, which means they may not really care. Maybe it’s a horse trade. They’re thinking, “Francis wants it and what the heck?”
Read related: Complaint vs Miami Mayor Francis Suarez may show Sunshine Law breach
What the heck is that it is one of Miami’s most treasured — and last — historical gems. Former City Commissioner Ken Russell — who is running for mayor and is the only one that brought it out into the public light — calls it Miami’s “greatest cultural asset.”
Political Cortadito was unable to reach any of the commissioners but left messages with commissioners Miguel Gabela, Damian Pardo and Ralph Rosado. Ladra tried to reach DDA Director Christina Crespi, but was told she was not working and referred to the agency’s public relations firm. A call to Gary Ressler, a board member of the Miami Downtown Development Authority was not returned. Neither was a call to the Flagler Business Improvement District.
There are “restoration requirements” quoted in the agenda item, but no details. They are also sprinkling in the mention of Miami-Dade College for “educational programming” — because the college is an excellent steward of historic properties — but there are no details or guarantees. But none of that should matter because this is a secret, backroom deal to turn the theater over to a serial campaign donor with no real public discourse. There could be better things to do with the property. We don’t know. Because it has not been an open, competitive process.
“The city is moving too fast,” said James Torres, president of the Downtown Neighbors Association and onetime candidate for the District 2 commission seat. “Everything the city does should go through an RFP process. Enough of the giveaways.”
“This stinks of a bro deal to me,” Russell said. “Nobody has spoken up publicly about this, so they’re trying to do it quickly and quietly.”
Russell told Political Cortadito that the city should throw away this deal and start a new request for proposals. He is certain that the city can get a serious offer from someone who can build a boutique hotel or something more appropriate than a school and simultaneously operate the theater. The city also still has $60 million or so from the Miami Forever bond monies for cultural projects, which could be used to partner with someone for the restoration of the facility itself, he said.
“So, when they say there’s no money, that’s a lie. When they say there are no interested parties, that’s a lie,” Russell said.
The fate of the Olympia Theater has been in the air for years. There used to be a non-profit that operated and programmed the city-owned property. But that’s gone. A deal for Miami-Dade College to operate the theater died with former President Eduardo Padron. Then, the Related Companies submitted an unsolicited bid to build a hotel, which was also a surprise and came onto an agenda without any previous knowledge. It was withdrawn. In 2022, a request for proposals ended in failure — probably because the city wasn’t willing to put any of their own funds into the restoration.
Just last year, the city got another proposal from Orlando Alonso at OAMusic Production and Management to operate the theater and develop a boutique hotel on the property. The Cuban American actor and producer formed a team of developers and professional theater operators from his experience and contacts in New York at Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center and has worked for six years to develop a plan. They met with city officials and commissioners twice in 2024 and made their presentation.
“But there was no incentive or support from the city whatsoever,” Alonso told Political Cortadito. “I have a team that is ready to present a plan, but I think this opportunity has nothing to offer now that they have worked something out in secret.”
Ladra would go so far as to say that the city was already secretly working with Academica on a plan last June when they met with Alonso. In fact, it was about a year ago that Suarez had Fernando Zulueta, the owner of Academica, on his podcast, where he called Zulueta a “genius” and “someone who has revolutionized education.”
He is also a serial political campaign contributor, though Ladra could not immediately find contributions directly from him to Suarez’s political action committee.

Alonso plans to speak at Thursday’s commission meeting. “It’s going to be another school auditorium, which is what it’s been for the past 25 years,” he said about the charter school plan.
The Olympia is one of several venues that hosts the Miami Film Festival. But, this year, there were only two or three movies shown there. He compared the Olympia to the Lyceum Theater or the Apollo in New York City and said it has great potential.
“It should be having 300 concerts a year and full time operation and not only a three day film festival,” Alonso said. “It could have comedy acts, ballet, cinema, orchestras. It is not a one pony show.”
“Where is the artistic vision? I’m not saying the Olympia could not collaborate with an educational institution, but that doesn’t seem to be the case here.”
His proposal is not a pipe dream. He said in an op-ed published in the Miami Herald — published a couple hours after Political Cortadito posted this story — that Howard Herring, president of the New World Symphony had “formally endorsed the proposal” and offered to lend his support to make it happen.
This story will be updated as new information is obtained and digested.
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