Miami-Dade Vice City campaign in peril

Embracing the Vice City label is inspiring some Miami-Dade County commissioners to claim the moral high ground. Now a plan to incorporate some county-owned facilities, including Miami International Airport, into the global marketing campaign for the video game Grand Theft Auto VI, aka GTA 6, is in serious jeopardy.

At their regular meeting earlier this week, a few county commissioners got indignantly self-righteous about Miami-Dade government getting involved in promoting a video game that leans heavily on Miami’s reputation for violence, corruption and unethical behavior.

Mind you, these same politicians don’t show any concern when they’re the ones taking immoral stances.

For instance, just last month, county commissioners trampled over the First Amendment by prohibiting speakers from commenting on a resolution sponsored by County Commissioner Rene Garcia to raise the cap of Miami-Dade’s investment in Israeli bonds from three percent to five percent.

Anyone who attempted to speak out against the legislation by condemning the Israeli government’s mass atrocities in the Gaza War were threatened with removal by police deputies. Last year, the same tactic was used to silence opponents of a detention center agreement between Miami-Dade and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

On Wednesday, Garcia led the attack against an ongoing effort by Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s staff to have Rockstar Games, maker of GTA 6, pay the county to temporarily transform sections of MIA, PortMiami, Metromover stations and other public facilities into Vice City installations. Vice City is the fictional place based on Miami that Rockstar introduced to gamers in 2002 when the company released Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

“I feel really uncomfortable with this whole thing,” Garcia railed, arguing the county should not be collaborating with a “game that's depicting Miami like a crime haven; Miami like a murder capital.”

County Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins noted Miami-Dade policy barring the county from engaging in advertising that promotes pornography, prostitution and violence. She also pointed out that Miami-Dade and the Miami Heat in 2019 turned down a $10 million bid from Miami-based porn company Bang Bros. for the naming rights at the downtown Miami basketball arena now known as Kaseya Center.

“We completely rejected that without consideration,” she said.

What began as a late hour move by County Commissioner Chairman Anthony Rodriguez to have his colleagues vote on granting Levine Cava the power to negotiate a marketing agreement for more than $1 million with Rockstar almost turned into an outright prohibition. County Commissioner Oliver Gilbert delayed a possible vote that would have ended all negotiations with the GTA 6 maker.

It’s manufactured outrage. Garcia, Cohen-Higgins and the other county commissioners who spoke out against the Vice City promotional campaign are more bothered about being frozen out of the discussions with Rockstar and its representatives – and thereby deprived of the opportunity to squeeze the gaming software firm for contributions to their political action committees.

Christopher Hudtwalcker, Levine Cava’s chief of staff, fueled county commissioners’ suspicions by negotiating an agreement with Rockstar and the Miami Heat for a “Welcome to Vice City” sign on the Kayesa Center’s roof that pays the county $975,000. That amount is just below the threshold of $1 million for county contracts that Levine Cava can negotiate and execute without county commission authorization.

“The way that I feel is almost like the Kaseya Center [sign] was negotiated at [$975,000] because it wasn’t going to come back to us, and so we wouldn’t make the vote,” County Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez said during the Oct. 5 meeting. “I’m not saying you did that, but that’s the way it feels.”

Garcia said he had “done some research, and at least a minimum of $150 million, [Rockstar is] spending on marketing.”

“And Miami Dade County negotiated a contract for $957,000?” Garcia said. “It does not make sense.”

On its face, less than $1 million does seem like a low-ball payment. The Kaseya Center’s Vice City rooftop sign is going to get a significant amount of free national exposure during NBA telecasts between now and the end of the agreement seven months from now, especially given the Miami Heat have one of the league's biggest stars, Giannis Antetokounmpo, starting his first season with the team.

In Miami, city officials negotiated an agreement to receive up to $1.2 million in exchange for allowing six temporary banners advertising GTA 6, and Miami Beach officials approved legislation to allow GTA 6 signage on beach concession equipment in exchange for up to $4 million to the city.

The Miami Heat is also partnering with Rockstar to have a Vice City-themed game on Nov. 18, the day before GTA 6 releases, which will bring even more exposure to the rooftop sign. The sign is already receiving a high level of exposure on social media sites due to the GTA franchise's popularity.

The Miami Heat’s business affiliate, Basketball Properties Ltd., operates the taxpayer-owned Kaseya Center on behalf of Miami-Dade. Among its responsibilities, Basketball Properties negotiates advertising contracts, including naming rights deals, for the arena. In addition to the roof sign, the Heat affiliate cut a deal with Rockstar to allow “in-arena advertising as well as promotional external signage.”

Hudtwackler, the chief of staff, did not make himself available for an interview. Instead, the mayor’s office responded to emailed questions from The Miamian. Rockstar covered the production and installation costs for the roof sign and paid Basketball Properties “a contribution,” the statement said. The contribution was part of a “roof facilitation” agreement between Rockstar and Basketball Properties.

In an email in response to a public records request, Assistant County Attorney Michael Valdes said the county is “not in possession of a copy of any roof facilitation agreement between Rockstar and BPL as we are not parties to that agreement.” Rockstar and Basketball Properties spokespersons declined comment.

In its statement, Levine Cava’s office countered that the Kaseya Center sign agreement is limited to a single rooftop display, while the Miami and Miami Beach agreements involve a broader range of advertising assets and locations.

“In determining fair compensation for the rooftop display, the County looked at comparable advertising and marketing arrangements and considered factors including the size and location of the display, its duration, and the overall value of the deal,” the statement said. “The rooftop display is one part of broader negotiations with Rockstar Games.”

One of the comparable agreements was an unexecuted contract with FIFA for the recent World Cup 2026, which featured soccer matches, including the third place game, at Hardrock Stadium in Miami Gardens, the statement said.

The FIFA proposal would have generated between $200,000 to $500,000 in gross revenue per month during a two-month period, depending on the size and location of the promotional display, the statement said.

“The County would have received 50 percent of net revenue after applicable fees, representing a potential $100,000 to $250,000 per month before those fees,” the statement said. “By comparison, the $975,000 Rockstar agreement averages approximately $139,000 per month over seven months, within the range contemplated under the FIFA proposal.”

In less than two weeks, county commissioners will have the final word on whether Hudtwackler gets to negotiate for more money. The county commission next meeting is on Oct. 20.

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