Miami Pursues 2016 Democratic National Convention
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – After decades of not hosting a political convention, Miami leaders announced Friday the city would pursue the Democratic National Convention in 2016.
Organizers are pushing downtown's AmericanAirlines Arena, reported CBS4 news partner, The Miami Herald.
Early estimates put the cost at $50 million.
The big dollar amount is similar to what Tampa paid when it hosted the Republican convention in 2012 and about $30 million more than the amount floated around during the 2013 pursuit for the Super Bowl.
"There is truly no better place in the United States to host an event of this nature than Miami-Dade County," reads a letter sent out Friday on county Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez's letterhead and signed by Miami Mayor Tomás P. Regalado, Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine and county tourism chief William D. Talbert III. "Our airport is one of the biggest and most modern in the country and our hotel inventory is among the most exquisite in the world."
The letter went to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the Broward Democrat who serves as head of the Democratic National Committee.
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