It’s been almost 50 years since Jackie Gleason used to conclude his show by saying “The Miami Beach audience is the greatest audience in the world!” in the theatre that now bears his name. And it’s been decades since the convention center adjacent to the theatre has drawn big crowds like it once did for the Muhammed Ali vs Sonny Liston heavyweight fight (1964) and the Republican (1968, 1972) and Democratic (1972) national political conventions.

Miami Beach’s business community was hoping to regain some of that popularity — and much of the business they have lost to other cities — with a $1 billion demolition and reconstruction project on the site of the current convention center. That was until last month when Miami Beach Mayor Phillip Levine and city commissioners canceled the proposed redevelopment plan deciding to follow a more modest proposal to renovate the existing center, as reported by the Miami Times.

An editorial in the Miami Herald says the commissioner’s vote sends the wrong message to prospective convention business. However, Levine was elected running on the platform that the $1 billion project was too big, and the commissioner’s actions would seem to reflect the will of Miami Beach voters.