Mayor vs. mayor in the battle over Miami Circle

Archaeologists think the Miami Circle could be the ruins of a ceremonial temple or council house of the Tequesta Indians RELATED VIDEO CNN's Mark Potter reports on the mayors' different stances on the historic area Windows Media 28K 80K

February 22, 1999
Web posted at: 10:36 p.m. EST (0336 GMT)

MIAMI (CNN) -- Miami Mayor Joe Carollo said Monday he would fight efforts by Miami-Dade County to seize a developer's property in order to protect a mysterious carved stone circle.

Known as Miami Circle, the 38-foot-wide circle of holes is on 2.2 acres of prime real estate.

The developer had begun clearing the site to build luxury high-rise condominiums when the ancient circle was discovered two months ago.

County officials have gone to court seeking the right to seize the property and pay the owner a price determined by a jury. The ruins are actually within the city of Miami, but the county's eminent domain invocation takes precedence.

The filing, made in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court, also brings with it a temporary restraining order against any continued construction on the site.

"To just literally pave over our past like that, without any sort of respect to what happened here -- that could have been a sacred monument of some sort -- I think that would send a very bad message," said Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas.

But to seize the property would send an even worse message to people who could bring money into the city, according to Miami's mayor, who plans to oppose the county in court.

"My concern is the profound effect, the chilling effect it would have on other major projects that are coming to the city of Miami," said Carollo.

Carollo is also opposed to the county's effort to halt construction of the complex, saying such a move would hurt the financially strapped city.

"We would lose $1.1 million of property tax every year, plus millions of additional dollars that new residents who move to this project would be spending in city businesses," Carollo explained.

He would prefer to either move the circle or to convince the developer to build around it. But Carollo said he is also concerned that no one can say with certainty that the circle is truly a sacred ruin.

The circle is believed to be 500 to 700 years old, and archaeologists think it could be the ruins of a ceremonial temple or council house built by the Tequesta Indians.

The Tequesta, a tribe of about 10,000, lived in South Florida before they were wiped out by disease and war in the 1500s.

The developer paid $8 million for the property, and it is believed that compensation could reach $50 million. If a compensatory deal cannot be worked out, then it could be decided in court by a jury.