Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago has a new political target in his crosshairs — the Coral Gables War Memorial Youth Center Association, the decades-old civic group that safeguards the land where the city’s youth center now stands. But it’s only because former Commissioner “Coach Kirk” Menendez, who had the guts to challenge him in the last election, is its president.
Just another stop on Lago’s political revenge tour. And bonus: Maybe the city gets to control the property.
The mayor began questioning the non-profit organization only shortly after he was re-elected in April, beating Menendez in the first round with 55% of the vote. Lago says the association has gone dormant, lost its nonprofit status and failed to meet regularly. But the Florida Division of Corporations shows that it files an annual report each year except for one: 2005. It was reinstated in 2006 and filed last year.
This is more than an extended political grudge, a new battlefield for the mayor to blast Menendez. This looks like a land grab.
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That’s why Lago says the reverter clause — the language that gives control of the property back to the association if it is not used exclusively for a youth center — is a “cloud on the title” that needs to be lifted. Y, por supuesto, Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson and Commissioner Richard Lara quickly agreed. That’s their role.
But nobody campaigned on this, which is their excuse du jour whenever they want to force something: They “know what voters want” because they just ran for office and won. But nobody remembers them saying they were going to take on the non-profit that safeguards the Youth Center. And it is hard to believe voters want this.
The beloved youth center is not just a bunch of fields and playground equipment and basketball courts. It is practically sacred ground. It is a community gathering place and an iconic piece of growing up in the Gables. There’s hardly anybody in the city who hasn’t been there for something — a workout, a baseball game, summer camp, a performance, a community civic meeting.
And Menendez is almost synonymous with it. He grew up playing soccer there, turned into a coach and has been a staple on those soccer fields for decades. More people know him as Coach Kirk than Commissioner Menendez.
The association was born out of the post–World War II “living memorial” for veterans. It deeded the land to the city in 1958, but not without the reverter clause that says the property would bounce back to them if the city ever tried to repurpose it. And for almost 70 years, the city has honored that. Well, except for that one time in the 1960s, when they wanted to tear down Coral Gables Elementary for an office building and rebuild the school on the Youth Center grounds. A court upheld the reverter clause and slapped commissioners back in line back then.
Now, Lago wants that language gone for whatever reason. And he’s placing a cloud on the organization.
“I want to see all its documents, and I’d like staff to come up with a plan of action to contact the board and ask for bank records,” Lago said in July, sounding more like an evil king who wants the association’s head on a platter. He asked City Attorney Cristina Suarez to dig through the association’s books, history and bank accounts. She is supposed to report back on Tuesday, but what she may report is that she hit a dead end.
Ladra confirmed that Suarez sent the non-profit a list of documents she wants to see, including tax filings, investments information, internal memos — but there is no indication that she got them.
“We’re a private entity,” Menendez told Political Cortadito. “Like the Coral Gables Community Foundation, Friends of Gables High, a floral shop.”
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“Removing the protective reverter clause in the Youth Center deed would be like getting rid of the security guards and dismantling the security system of a bank because there hasn’t been a bank robbery there for years,” Menendez said.
Because, again, this is really about a land grab. That is why Lago said that “our cherished youth center should not have any cloud on title.” Remember, he’s also a real estate agent.
The real cloud is on Lago’s motives.
If the association were to dissolve or transfer the land, it could potentially make the property — 8.6 acres in a valuable, central location near the downtown — eligible for redevelopment, though the City has publicly stated it has no intention of repurposing the site. For now, anyway.
Lyin’ Lago swears there are no plans to redevelop the property. “The city will never, in my opinion, knock down and build housing there,” he mayor promised. Okay. But what about offices? A theater? Ladra’s heard enough about land deals in this town to know you never say never in Coral Gables.
And who stands to gain if the city got the property free and clear? That’s the multi-million dollar question.
Beyond real estate, a freed-up title could shift political leverage. If Menendez keeps control, he could maintain his influence in Coral Gables civic circles. Conversely, Lago’s push to clear the title may be aimed at cementing his control and undercutting Menendez’s foothold. This isn’t just about property—it’s a battle over legacy, governance, and civic authority. The reverter clause ties into who steers future programming, who decides the site’s purpose, and who has a stake in one of the city’s most visible public assets.
Menendez said that past generations knew what they were doing when they put the protections in place. And it looks like he is not going down without a fight. Last week, the Gazette reported, he made a presentation before the Rotary Club, a good audience for civic pride, nostalgia, and some rare photos — including a 1947 Life magazine cover. His presentation was even titled “The Youth Center, A Coral Gables Story.”
For now, the Youth Center is still open and bustling. Parents drop off kids for basketball, seniors play bingo, and nobody outside City Hall seems to think there’s a crisis. But with a ‘roid-rage-fueled political grudge and a juicy piece of Gables real estate at stake, you can bet this “cloud on title” is going to rain plenty more drama before the storm is over.
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