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Miami-Dade could be the potential site for a new state prison.

The idea is being proposed by an auditing firm hired by the state to develop a master plan for Florida’s state prison system, which is at risk without the construction of at least one new prison, according to their final report.

Their firm’s final report will be presented to a House panel on Friday. It includes three plans, the most ambitious of which would require three new prisons being built over the next 20 years. The department would also need to build hundreds of new hospital beds for Florida’s projected growing inmate population, according to the report .

After analyzing the labor market and available lands across the state, the auditing firm, KPMG, listed four locations as possible sites for a new 4,800-bed prison. Two of those are in Homestead, which already has nearby correctional facilities.

One area recommended by the auditors is on the western edge of Homestead, about 10 miles from Dade Correctional Institution and 23 miles from Everglades Correctional Institution. The second site is two miles north of that.

The auditing firm also recommends an area directly south of Dade and Homestead Correctional as a place to build a new 600-bed hospital for Florida inmates. The land is currently already under the Department of Corrections’ lease, according to the report.

The other two identified spots for a new prison are in Polk and Bradford County. The land in Polk is currently listed as conservation land, which the Homestead land is not, and the auditors also warn that other prisons nearby in Bradford County have faced trouble filling staff positions.

State lawmakers would not be bound to the auditing firm’s recommendation on where to build a new prison, if they decide to do so.

In order to follow two of the auditing firm’s three recommendations for a 20-year path, lawmakers would have to decide to build a new prison this legislative session, which is scheduled to end in March.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose administration oversees the state prison system and who has the ultimate say on the state budget, would have a say in the matter too. So far, the governor’s budget recommends including money for maintaining existing prisons, but does not set aside money to build a new facility.

HOMESTEAD, Fla. – A bear that was spotted last week roaming around a Homestead neighborhood was captured over the weekend and released in a state forest, officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed.

Home surveillance video captured the bear strolling around the Isles of Oasis neighborhood off Pacific Drive and Southwest 147th Avenue around 10 p.m. Thursday.

A spokeswoman for the FWC said the 200-pound male bear was captured around noon Saturday and was released in the Picayune Strand State Forest in Collier County the following morning.

“During this time of year, bears are more active. Juvenile bears are starting to disperse from their mothers and may be seen in unexpected areas as they make their way to other habitats and typically move away on their own,” the spokeswoman, Arielle Callender, said in an email to Local 10 News.

According to a map provided by the FWC, bear sightings in Southeast Florida are rare, however Callender said a bear sighting in a residential area is not necessarily cause for alarm.

“However, it is important that residents secure food attractants so that bears do not linger in the area. If a bear is not able to find food, it will move on,” she said.

FWC officials warn the public never to approach a bear or feed it.

“The worst thing you can do is turn around and run,” Zoo Miami’s Ron Magill said.

Instead, Magill suggests looking as “big as possible,” speaking firmly and loudly yelling at the bear.

“More likely than not, that bear is gonna run away,” he said.

Neighbors in Homestead were happy to hear that the bear has a new home.

“Our kids ride their bikes and so it is great to realize we don’t have to worry anymore about bears roaming through the neighborhood and worry about the kids,” resident Tikealia Williams said.

To learn more about bears and how to avoid conflicts with them, visit MyFWC.com/Bear or BearWise.org.

If you feel threatened by a bear, see someone harming or feeding a bear, or spot an injured, sick, dead or orphaned bear, call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

Copyright 2023 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

Trappers were called to capture an 11-foot alligator in Homestead after a man encountered the massive reptile while exercising in the early morning hours.

Bodycam video provided by Pesky Critters Wildlife Control shows the enormous reptile lunging and growling at the trappers who were called out to the Homestead Sports Complex early Thursday morning.

The team was quickly dispatched and after a battle caught on camera, trappers captured the gator at around 3:30 a.m.

The incident comes just days after a man lost his arm to a similar-sized alligator in Port Charlotte.

Pesky Critters warns that alligators are highly active right now and Florida residents need to be aware and alert in grassy areas and near bodies of water.

“Alligators are native to Florida so anywhere that you have freshwater, you have a high likelihood of encountering an alligator so whether that’s a lake, a canal, a pond, a river,” says George Reynaud, an officer with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. “And the most important thing is to learn how to coexist with an alligator. So just because I see an alligator doesn’t mean that it poses a threat, or it has to be removed.”

Much of the agency's job is to get that message out, but they say that sometimes, an alligator can pose a risk if it has lost its natural fear of humans because it was fed illegally.

“In that case, the best thing to do is call FWC, Florida Fish and Wildlife, or we have a program called SNAP which stands for Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program, and that program is designed and dedicated to removing alligators that have become a nuisance or have lost that fear of a person and they get removed permanently from that area,” Reynaud said.

In those cases, you can call 866-392-4286 and they will send a team to remove the nuisance alligator permanently.

The FWC says that most bites can be prevented by staying away from places where alligators may be living.

“If you are walking your pet make sure it’s on a leash and that you don’t bring it near the shoreline or let your pet swim in the water because they do resemble the natural prey of an alligator and that’s going to attract the alligator to the pet,” Reynaud said.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to swim with an alligator?

The American Alligator

Alligators are some of the largest reptiles in the world. They are apex predators. Adult male American alligators average 10 to 15 feet in length and can weigh up to 1,200 pounds.

Their natural habitats include wetland ecosystems from Texas to North Carolina. They are the official state reptile of Florida.

Due to their predatory nature and diet that includes fish, birds, mammals, and other reptiles, being in the close presence of a gator is highly discouraged. Exceptions to this include enclosed and supervised attractions, like alligator parks.

Similar to an alligator park, Everglades Outpost Wildlife Rescue is a non-profit organization and rehabilitation facility. The rescue is located in Homestead, Florida.

The organization was created in 1991. Its main objective is taking in and rehabilitating injured wildlife to be released back into the wild.

In addition, rescue offers the unique experience of swimming with an alligator with its Underwater Gator Tour.

In any other circumstance, swimming with alligators would be incredibly discouraged. These large creatures are incredibly strong and can move and lunge very quickly when hunting prey.

Because of the dangers typically associated with gator interactions, many people have a fascination with the Everglades Outpost’s Underwater Gator Tour.

Swim with Casper

The Underwater Gator Tour is a 30-minute experience. During the experience, guests will enter a 30,000-gallon aquatic habitat.

There is a protective net barrier separating them from Casper the alligator.

Casper is a 10-foot-long, 250-pound friendly gator. He has been trained by a professional wrangler who also runs the experience, Chris Gillette.

In addition to the protective netting, Gillette is also in the habitat (known as the gator pit) in case anything goes wrong.

Rest assured, in the 5+ years he has been running this tour, everything has gone smoothly.

All in all, at $250, guests visiting Everglades Outpost can experience this unique encounter. It is a thrilling experience where they can swim in the gator pit and get near an alligator.

For more information, check out the Everglades Outpost website.

What should you do if you see an alligator in the wild?

Florida alligators can be found in most bodies of water within the state. Knowing what to do if you encounter one can be important for your safety.

If you enjoyed this article about swimming with alligators and are looking for a few other recommendations, check out these suggestions:

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Homestead officials approved an apartment project by the Estate Cos., which has the land under contract from Baptist Health South Florida.

The City Commission granted zoning and site plan approval for Soleste Midtown on Sept. 20. The Estate Cos. is working with Jon Samuel of Miami-based Midtown Group as a partner on the project. Holland & Knight attorney Alejandro Arias said the project was approved for 354 apartments on the rear of the property and six commercial buildings fronting Campbell Drive, centered along a grand promenade. The retail space would total about 43,000 square feet, and the project would have just over 1,000 parking spaces.

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“The project is the first of its kind in the city of Homestead, introducing a new level of highly amenitized multifamily development, as well as vibrant commercial/restaurant offerings, promoting vibrant commercial uses along Campbell Drive,” Arias said.

South Miami-based Estate Cos. has the 20.8-acre site at the southeast corner of Southwest 312th Street/Campbell Drive and Northeast 30th Avenue under contract from the nonprofit health care system. It’s located just south of Homestead Hospital.

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There would be six five-story apartment buildings, plus a 7,000-square-foot clubhouse, a pool and a playground. The apartments would range from 676 to 1,131 square feet.

Miami-based Modis Architects designed the project.

Related: Estate Cos. proposes apartments in Riviera Beach

“Homestead does not have a mixed-use project of this magnitude, and there is no better location or corridor to have it,” Estate Cos. Principal Jeffrey Ardizon said. “This location checks all the boxes we look for, a suburban site that has this much walkability and connectivity. Our future residence will now have some of the best restaurant and dining options in town, including all the existing commercial establishments just a few steps away – from Publix to banks, Walgreens, the hospital, offices, Starbucks, Chik-Fil-A and a whole magnitude of other options.”

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