Billionaire Ken Griffin is facing pushback from residents of luxury condo buildings along Biscayne Bay over his plan to add a personal helipad to the private marina he is building in Miami Beach.
Leaders of eight condo buildings near the site sent a joint email to Miami Beach officials on Sept. 1 opposing the proposed heliport, according to a Bloomberg News report. The buildings, home to roughly 2,000 apartments, sit about a third of a mile from the planned helipad.
The heliport proposal was set to go before Miami Beach’s land-use committee at a public hearing Thursday, with other city officials expected to weigh in later this year.
John Stimmel, president of the 42-story Icon condominium, told Bloomberg that Griffin’s team has argued the helicopter model he wants to use is quiet enough that noise won’t bother nearby residents. He said he wasn’t convinced.
“He’s saying that his helicopter is the quietest model, that noise won’t be an issue for us,” Stimmel said. “I asked ChatGPT if landing helicopters that close will be noisy, and guess what? It will be noisy.”
The dispute follows Miami Beach’s unanimous approval last year of Griffin’s plan for a private marina near the Port of Miami, meant to accommodate yachts too large to dock at his Star Island compound. The marina is currently under construction and will be able to berth nine vessels, with four expected to dock there regularly, according to Neisen Kasdin, Griffin’s attorney and a former Miami Beach mayor.
“This is almost an extension of his residence, where his larger boats can be berthed,” Kasdin told the planning board last year.
The marina project also includes a two-story building for Griffin’s personal use, featuring a private pool, art gallery and office space, along with a separate facility for yacht crews with a gym and pool.
Griffin is now seeking city approval to add a helipad at the marina for his Airbus H160 helicopter, a model that sells for $14 million and up, according to Bloomberg. Kasdin has been lobbying city officials and residents on Griffin’s behalf, telling Miami Beach Commissioner Joe Magazine that the H160 is among the quietest helicopters on the market, Bloomberg reported.
A consultant hired by Griffin’s team concluded that helicopter noise on nearby condo balconies would be no louder than “normal conversation between two people,” according to a presentation prepared for the city.
“Experts confirmed any sound impact would be negligible, and certainly less disruptive than frequent cruise ship horns in the area,” a spokesperson for the marina project told The Post.
The marina itself drew scrutiny during last year’s approval process, particularly over Griffin’s request to host events for up to 300 people. The planning board ultimately approved the project unanimously but attached conditions limiting traffic and amplified sound, and requiring authorization from the nearby U.S. Coast Guard base for certain gatherings.
A Citadel spokesperson said at the time that the project reflected Griffin’s “long-term commitment to Miami” and was aimed at improving “an industrial section of Terminal Island.”
Griffin has invested heavily in the city, including a $2.5 billion headquarters project for his hedge fund Citadel. Work on that building was paused this week after a drill rig collapsed onto traffic below, damaging vehicles and injuring four people.
