ReefLine, Miami’s First Underwater Sculpture Park, On Track To Open Phase One In December 2021

Miami’s first underwater environmental public art project, to be known as ReefLine, is on track to open Phase 1 in December 2021. The project will be built in several phases with Phase 1 spanning one-mile long. The project is designed by OMA / shohei shigematsu in collaboration with a team of marine biologists, researches and coastal engineers whose goal is to protect and preserve the city’s marine life. The installation will feature environmentally-functioning artworks by major international artists and designers. ReefLine will begin in South Beach and run north, providing a critical habitat for endangered reef organisms, promoting biodiversity and enhancing coastal resilience.

The project will span 7 miles underwater and attract both art lovers and eco-friendly tourists to view the underwater sculpture park via a snorkel trail. ReefLine is being developed by BlueLab Preservation Society, led by Ximena Caminos, in partnership with the City of Miami Beach and Coral Morphologic.

Terra And Crescent Heights Break Ground On Canopy Park In South Beach

Terra and Crescent Heights, along with development partner New Valley, have broken ground on Canopy Park, located at the gateway to South Beach at after winning approval from the Miami Beach City Commission last year. The developers are building a three-acre public park, named Canopy Park, alongside a new residential tower at 500 Alton Road. Terra is led by David Martin and Crescent Heights is led by Russel Galbut, both longtime local Miami-based developers.

The three-acre park, located between the 600 and 700 blocks of Alton Road, will include open green-spaces shaded by native tree species, pedestrian and bike paths, an outdoor gym and dog run, a MONSTRUM-designed children’s playground, and public art displays. Canopy Park will be connected to the South of Fifth neighborhood and the Miami Beach baywalk via a new pedestrian bridge over I-395. The pedestrian bridge was designed by artist Daniel Buren and has been dubbed the Miami Beach Canopy. Construction of Miami Beach’s newest world-class city amenity is now underway, with completion estimated for Summer 2021. Canopy Park is located at the site of the former South Shore Hospital which the developers recently demolished.

“Canopy Park will be a gateway for the City of Miami Beach, a destination for visitors, and an everyday amenity for residents, so we’ve taken the time to assemble a team of design, art and planning visionaries who have led some of the most transformational projects in the world,” said David Martin, President of Terra. “The end result will be an active park and design experience that rivals public spaces in the world’s greatest cities.”

“World class cities and neighborhoods are defined by their public spaces, and Miami Beach is home to some of the most desirable parks and open spaces anywhere,” said City of Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber. “Our City’s newest public green space, Canopy Park, will quickly become a welcomed amenity for nearby residents and a favorite gathering spot for our entire community.”

The development team has enlisted an ensemble of artists, designers and architects who will bring the park to life, including architects Bernardo Fort-Brescia & Raymond Fort of Arquitectonica; landscape architect Laurinda Spear of ArquitectonicaGEO; design advisors Daniel Vasini of West 8, Anda Andrei of Anda Andrei Design, and Michael Gabellini and Kim Sheppard of Gabellini Sheppard Associates; and art advisor Lisa Austin. 

A major design component of Canopy Park will feature a “natural play” playground by Danish design firm MONSTRUM, which is famous for creating artistic and architectural playscapes around the world. Standout elements of the playground will include a giant butterfly, a mangrove forest and a caterpillar slide enabling children to jump, climb, balance, and express their inner imaginations.

The Miami Beach Canopy pedestrian bridge, subtitled Walking Under, Along, and On the Colors: work in-situ by Daniel Buren, will complete the Miami Beach Baywalk, creating a safe and seamless connection running from Southpointe Park north to the Lincoln Road District and east to the beachfront. The Canopy will become an instant icon for Miami Beach and a beloved work of public art that guides pedestrians along a rainbow of colorful shadows. Completion of the Miami Beach Canopy pedestrian bridge is anticipated for 2022.

Plans for Canopy Park also include an array of sustainability and resiliency features, including habitat restoration, vegetation, biodiversity, native plant communities, irrigation, water conservation and rainwater management. The park will also serve as an educational resource to inform and inspire the public about resilience and sustainability efforts being made by the city.

Crescent Heights Reveals New Renderings of Park Coming To 500 Alton In South Beach

Crescent Heights and Terra has revealed new renderings of the public park coming to 500 and 600 Alton Road, known as the Park on Fifth, as part of their deal to build a 44-story, 553’ tower at the gateway to South Beach. Russell Galbut and David Martin’s proposal was approved with an agreement to transform the former South Shore Hospital site with the tower, which is being designed by Arquitectonica, and the 3-acre park. The JV between Crescent Heights and Terra Group applied for a construction permit in late November 2019 and completion of the new park is expected for 2021. The park will also feature a bridge which will connect the South Pointe Park baywalk with the new Park on Fifth. When complete the tower will be among the tallest in Miami Beach and will feature 410 luxury units which the developer will be allowed to rent as short term rentals with a minimum term of 30 days per rental. Bridge construction will be funded by a $10 million General Obligation Bond which voters approved in November 2018.

The Mess At Melreese Golf Club Gets Worse As Miami Freedom Park Gets Delayed Again

There is just no telling where the supposed deal to bring a professional soccer stadium to Miami will end up after Miami city commissioners voted on Tuesday to continue negotiations with the group, led by Jorge Mas of MasTec, in regards to the projected $1 billion mixed-use office and retail project. Although Miami has a state-of-the-art stadium in Hard Rock Stadium, Inter Miami CF has decided that they need a dedicated soccer stadium to accommodate what are expected to be masses of fans, albeit one that is decidedly much smaller than the capacity Hard Rock Stadium could accommodate. It was proposed to voters that they could “vote to bring a soccer stadium to Miami along with a public park” where the public Melreese Golf Course currently operates, which passed in 2018.

Since then plans have changed significantly. The public park portion has been significantly scaled back to being a nearly non-existent part of the planned development. In fact, the 25,000 seat soccer stadium would potentially not even sit on the same lot if built. What is planned, should negotiations work out, is a massive private office park matched with a retail mall and a hotel. Those negotiations though are getting pushback from commissioner Manolo Reyes as well as local opponents such as Bruce Matheson, who claims the redevelopment of the golf course should have gone through a public competitive bidding process and that the city has continuously misled voters through the process. Numerous other opponents argue that there is no reason to get rid of one of the city’s last remaining public golf courses, all of which are heavily used, irreplaceable and support the local youth with programs such as The First Tee, especially with a state-of-the-art Hard Rock Stadium already built.

Reyes worked to force a vote on the proposed agreement before Commissioner Will Gort steps down at the end of the month as he maxes out his term limits but was shot down by majority vote from the commission which claims that the deal is nearly closed and is just pending 3 fair market value appraisals as well as traffic and environmental studies. Already environmental studies have shown the the ground underneath the golf course is full of toxic material and remediation would be in the range of $40 million.

Beckham first moved to have a stadium built at PortMiami in 2014 before the proposal bounced around 4 other sites including county-owned parking lot in Overtown. Inter Miami CF will play at their new Fort Lauderdale Stadium and Training Complex, which is currently under construction. If Miami Freedom Park is ultimately approved the timeframe for development would extend into 2022-2023.

ArquitectonicaGEO's Wynwood Streetscape Master Plan Presented To Wynwood Business Improvement District

The ArquitectonicaGEO Wynwood Streetscape Master Plan is moving closer to fruition after ArquitectonicaGEO’s Michelle Cintron and John Hutchens presented the proposal at a meeting of the Wynwood Business Improvement District in later February 2019. The proposal calls for transforming Wynwood into a pedestrian-oriented streetscape with public spaces and more tree canopy for shade. The Wynwood BID expects to have the final plans, of which they are considering the public’s input, completed by Summer 2019. The initially proposed plans were first introduced in December 2018. The Wynwood BID has not yet identified a source of funding for the master plan.

Inside The DOMO-Designed 15-Acre West of West District Proposed To Transform The Heart Of South Beach

A partnership between Todd Michael Glaser, Jarrett and Sean Posner, Fred Carlton and Charlie Ratner have proposed a 15-acre mixed use project known as West of West District in South Beach. The project is designed by DOMO Architecture + Design and is located between Bay Road and Alton Road and 13th Street and 16th Street on Miami Beach. The development team presented the project to Miami Beach Commissioners earlier this month (February 2019) and it will go up in front of Miami Beach’s Land Use Board in March. The developers are seeking a reduction in setbacks from the city. West of West will be built around a pedestrian concept bringing live/work lofts, restaurants and retail accentuated with landscaped parks and courtyards to the district. DOMO, which is led by Robert Moehring and Francisco Llado, consulted organizations such as the Urban Land Institute in reference to climate change while designing the project. The developers amassed 9 properties in the district for $10 million where there are an estimated 120-140 properties.

Miami Beach Commissioners Vote To Finalize Deal With Crescent Heights At South Shore Hospital Site On Alton Road

Miami Beach commissioners have officially voted in favor of finalizing the proposed deal with Crescent Heights and its co-founder Russell Galbut to redevelop the former South Shore Hospital site on Alton Road in South Beach. As per the agreement Crescent Heights will fund and build a 3 acre park on the Alton Road site in exchange to allow Galbut to up-zone the site where commissioners approved a tower height increase to 519’. The tower is being designed by Arquitectonica and will rise 44-stories, offering 410 luxury units which the developer will be allowed to rent as short term rentals with a minimum term of 30 days per rental. After sale-and-purchase of the condo units the buyers will not be permitted to rent out their condos on a short term rental basis. The park which will be connected to the baywalk which wraps around South Pointe via a taxpayer funded pedestrian bridge. Galbut now has 6-months after the appeal periods to demolish the vacant South Shore Hospital and must complete the park within 2.5 years after the construction permit for the tower is issued, which must be completed with in 8 years. Should Galbut wish to flip the property he must retain 10% ownership.

Check Out The Newly Released Video Of The 3 Acre Park Coming To Alton Road As Part Of Deal With Russell Galbut

Miami Beach has struck a deal with Crescent Heights co-founder Russell Galbut to bring a 3 acre park to Alton Road in exchange to allow Galbut to up-zone the old South Shore hospital site in South Beach. Commissioners approved a tower height increase to 519’, in exchange Galbut will fund and develop the 3 acre park which will be connected to the baywalk which wraps around South Pointe via a taxpayer funded pedestrian bridge. Galbut will have 6-months after the appeal periods to demolish the vacant South Shore Hospital and must complete the park within 8 years after the construction permit for the tower is issued. Should Galbut wish to flip the property he must retain 10% ownership. A subsequent hearing will take place in December.

Miami-Dade Commissioners Vote To Award $14.3 Million Construction Contract For Underline's Brickell Backyard

Miami-Dade commissioners have voted to award a $14.3 million construction contract to build the Brickell Backyard portion of the Underline. The 1/2 mile project will start at the Miami River and will continue through SW 13th Street under the Metrorail and Metromover, helping to bring green vegetation and park space to the dense, urban Brickell neighborhood. Brickell Backyard will feature dedicated pedestrian and bicycle trails, lush landscaping, a gym area with basketball courts and gym equipment, space for group fitness classes and recreational activities, a staging area for concerts and movies, dining areas and a game area with fixed tables and chairs. The project will also include the reconfiguration of the existing bus stations and intersections along the path. Brickell Backyard will be the first portion of the planned 10-mile Underline. Completion is expected in 2020.

FPL To Build Solar Ring In Downtown's Bayfront Park

Miami commissioners have awarded Florida Power & Light a no-bid contract to build a solar ring which consists of solar panels with a retractable Amphitheater roof in Downtown Miami's Bayfront Park. The entire cost of construction will be shouldered by FPL with operation and maintenance costs covered by the public Bayfront Park Management Trust budged at $40,000 annually. FPL will pay the city a $10 annual license fee but the power generated via the solar panels will go to FPL's grid. Completion is expected by 2020. 

“The installation of the [solar ring] will pique the curiosity of the City’s residents and visitors of all ages, encouraging discussion about sustainability and inspiring them to learn more about the benefits of solar energy,” Annie Perez, Procurement Director, City of Miami.