Parents ask Miami commission to revisit park project at center of Alex Diaz de la Portilla case

MIAMI – Public school parents showed up to Miami City Hall Thursday morning advocating for a plan for their students that prosecutors said was sidelined when ex-Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla began taking in tens of thousands of dollars from the owners of a private school.

But supporters of Centner Academy argued that a deal is a deal and they also showed up to be heard at the city commission meeting.

Diaz de la Portilla, who’s facing felony charges alongside attorney and Centner lobbyist William Riley, is accused of sidelining a plan to expand public school iPrep Academy on the site of Biscayne Park, located 150 NE 19th St., in favor of a plan by David and Leila Centner to build a $10 million indoor athletic complex on the same land.

Diaz de la Portilla, who’s called the charges “a work of fiction,” lost his bid for re-election while under indictment in 2023. The Centners were never charged and have maintained that they did nothing wrong.

Wearing pink shirts that said “public land for public schools,” iPrep parents came out chanting in their bid to revisit the vote.

“We were hoping to tell commissioners that we stand and supported the original proposed plan, the master plan, that included iPrep,” parent Lina Carrera said.

They’ve also started a petition.

“Undo this lease so that public land is thought of first and foremost for public good,” parent Benji Power said.

Supporters of the Centners had shirts of their own: green ones, saying “support Biscayne Park.”

“At its core this is a donation from our hearts,” David Centner told commissioners. “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater; this is a beautiful project.”

When Centner Academy students aren’t using the facility, David Centner said it will be open to public for “free or a small fee.”

Miami City Commissioner Manolo Reyes noted, “many people claim that the deal it was tainted because (of) Alex Diaz de la Portilla, but it did pass.”

Commissioners ended up deferring the related agenda item until the next meeting on March 14.

Both sides say a deferment is not a deterrent and expect to be back in force.

“We are going to fight until the right decision is made,” Power said.

“Maybe there is a way for all of us to work together,” David Centner said.

Read the arrest warrant: