Ken Griffin wants to build a personal helipad at a Miami Beach marina he is developing for his yachts — but nearby rich condo residents are pushing back, according to a report.
The billionaire Citadel founder is facing opposition from the heads of eight luxury condo buildings along Biscayne Bay, who are urging local officials to block the proposed heliport, Bloomberg News reported Thursday.
The condo leaders warn that helicopter traffic near their homes would create unwanted noise and disrupt residents’ quality of life.
The eight buildings, which sit about a third of a mile from the planned heliport and contain about 2,000 apartments, jointly opposed the proposal in a Sept. 1 email to Miami Beach officials, according to Bloomberg.
“He’s saying that his helicopter is the quietest model, that noise won’t be an issue for us,” John Stimmel, president of the 42-story Icon condominium, told Bloomberg.
“I asked ChatGPT if landing helicopters that close will be noisy, and guess what?” Stimmel added. “It will be noisy.”
The heliport plan was scheduled to go before Miami Beach’s land-use committee at a public hearing Thursday, with other city officials expected to consider the proposal later this year.
The fight comes less than a year after Griffin won unanimous approval from Miami Beach’s planning board to build the private marina near the Port of Miami to accommodate yachts too large to dock at his nearby Star Island compound.
The marina, which is under construction, can accommodate nine vessels and is expected to berth four regularly , according to Griffin’s attorney, former Miami Beach Mayor Neisen Kasdin.
“This is almost an extension of his residence, where his larger boats can be berthed,” Kasdin told the planning board last year.
Plans for the complex also call for a two-story building for Griffin’s personal use featuring a private pool, art gallery and office space. A separate facility for yacht crews will include a gym and pool.
Griffin is now seeking permission to add a helipad at the marina for his Airbus H160 helicopter, which Bloomberg reported sells for $14 million and up.
Kasdin has been lobbying city officials and residents on Griffin’s behalf and told Miami Beach Commissioner Joe Magazine that the H160 is among the quietest helicopters on the market, according to Bloomberg.
A consultant working for Griffin found that noise from a passing helicopter would be no louder on nearby condo balconies 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 project itself drew scrutiny during the approval process last year, particularly over Griffin’s request to host special events for as many as 300 people.
Miami Beach’s planning board ultimately approved the project unanimously but imposed conditions on events, including restrictions on traffic and amplified sound and a requirement that certain gatherings receive authorization from the nearby US Coast Guard base.
“Ken is investing to improve an industrial section of Terminal Island,” a Citadel spokesperson said at the time, adding that the project reflected Griffin’s “long-term commitment to Miami.”
Griffin has bet big on Miami, building a $2.5 billion for his hedge fund Citadel. Work on it was paused this week after a drill rig collapsed onto traffic, smashing cars and injuring four.
The Post has sought comment from Kasdin, Griffin and Stimmel.
