History of Miami Parks
- 1897 Royal Palm gardens are created primarily for guests alongside the Royal Palm Hotel. A park, used by locals for baseball is created north of the hotel.
- 1905 Florida Supreme Court rules in favor of Miami residents led by Judge Worley and gives bayfront land to the people of Miami for public park use.
- 1910 Lummus Park created on the Miami River
- 1922 Land that would later become Bayfront Park (47.1 acres) is purchased by the city from the FEC for $1,000,000.
- 1924 150,000 cubic yards per month of soil is dredged to create Bayfront Park. The park is dedicated in November 1924.
- 1933 President Roosevelt is the subject of assassination attempt in Bayfront park resulting in the death of Chicago Mayor Anton J. Cermak.
- 1941-1945 During World War II Bayfront Park and Marina become a major training ground for sailors as well as others from allied nations.
- 1948 Crandon Park is established on Key Biscayne.
- 1949 City commission chooses land in Bayfront Park for new Library.
- 1951 Library dedicated in Bayfront Park.
- 1960 City of Miami buys land that would later become Bicentennial park.
- 1970 Miami is chosen by the National Bicentennial Commission as one of the sites for a multi-city celebration in 1976.
- 1972 Parks for People Bond Issue is passed by the voters providing millions of dollars for the purchase and enhancement of local parks.
- 1974 Miami City Commission approves plan for Bicentennial Park
- 1976 Bicentennial park opens: subsequent murder in the park dampens its
use.
- 1980 Miami Commission endorses a plan to build a maritime museum in Bicentennial Park.
- 1982 City and Miami Motorsports (controlled by Ralph Sanchez) agrees to allow the use of Bicentennial Park for Miami Grand Prix.
- 1983 A new agreement allow Miami Motorsports to use $600,000 in Highway General Obligation Bonds. - Knight Ridder (owner of Miami Herald) pays City of Miami $100,000 “For the purpose of constructing a pedestrian overpass across I-395 from the Miami Herald building to Bicentennial Park. If construction does not begin with in three years, the money is to be used for creating of improving pedestrian access, park and recreation facilities in the general area.” By 1985 there was $115,000 in the account. What happened to the money?
- 1984 Miami Dade Community College has five year lease on ballfields in the park. Eduardo Pardon states that the park is "the most beautiful field in the country."(Miami Herald, Feb 16, 1984)
- 1985 City of Miami dedicates a fountain in Bicentennial park to its sister city of Cali, Columbia. - Bayside agreement finalized between the Rouse Co. and the State's Internal Improvement Fund (including Governor Bob Graham). It takes away public parkland for Bayside in return for creation of a Bayfront Trust Fund to assist in purchase of city bayfront properties. The so called Barnacle Addition (now the Cloisters project), between Peacock Park and the Barnacle in Coconut Grove, was slated to become the first purchase. The money has never been used and the Barnacle property is presently being transformed into a series of luxury townhouses. The public remains largely in the dark about this as state and local officials do little to advance public ownership of the land.
- 1986 Miami Dade Community College Vice President Eduardo Padron complains that "We are not getting adequate water supply for our fields. With the construction, Miami Motorsports had to cut the water lines for the track....If our fields do not get adequate water, all of the field preparation will be destroyed. There seems to be a pattern developing which is of concern to us. That is of lack of access to our fields without any consultation or advance notice. On January 14, College personnel attempting to provide service to the fields were denied access due to Miami Vice's filming without any advance notice. One official wrote that "while the city's contract with Miami Motor Sports calls for specific race dates, of which we have agreed to lack of access, we were recently told by City of Miami employees on site of other days when we would not be permitted access. These dates include times where we have officially scheduled games on these fields." - 17,000 people attend Jamaican Awareness Day Festival at Bicentennial Park. Following the event, a city staff person reports that "Bicentennial Park is no longer the 33 acre open-space park it once was. It has evolved into an athletic facility with limited areas for special events. Therefore, events should be restricted to those with an expected draw not to exceed 1,500 participants, with the exception of car shows, art and craft shows and/or similar events which may be adequately supervised and restricted to designed areas of the Grand Prix Track or small green belt areas of the park." (August 13, 1986 memo from Dianne Johnson to Kirk Hearin, Administrative Ast, Park Dept).
- 1987 Exploration Plaza at Bicentennial Park is planned by businessmen.
- 1992 Port of Miami becomes major cruise and shipping capital and
attempts to transform Bicentennial Park into port facilities. - Miami Herald editorial, April 30, 1992: "Bicentennial Park has failed from the outset. It's a victim of a poor design, constructed access, nearby urban blight, and unconscionable neglect by the city of Miami.”
- 1994 Judge Clyde Adkins ordered the city to set aside part of Bicentennial Park as a place for homeless people to sleep and stay. Later court cases and agreements reinforce the basic human rights of the homeless. - Bayfront Park Trust under the leadership of Commissioner J.L. Plummer takes control of the maintenance of Bicentennial Park. Subsequent maintenance of the park continues to deteriorate.
- 1996 Dan Paul, Jorge Espinel, Alex Penelas and Greg Bush were among the 20 people who protested plans for a new $165 million waterfront basketball arena for the Miami Heat. After Penelas won election as Mayor of Dade County he switched gears and made a deal with Heat owner Mickey Arison. A referendum in favor of the Heat Arena passed following issuance of confusing ballot language and $3.5 million promotional campaign by the Heat. This campaign saw the beginning of what became known as the Urban Environment League, originally headed by Jorge Espinel, which spearheaded the opposition to the stadium along with attorney Dan Paul. -Dade County manager Armando Vidal confirms that the city of Miami, struggling to cover a $68 million budget shortfall, is considering selling to the county Bicentennial Park and an adjacent waterfront parcel where the county and the Miami Heat want to build a new basketball arena and cruise ship terminals. (Miami Herald Nov 21, 1996)
- 1997-98 The Port of Miami unsuccessfully attempts to take over Bicentennial Park to expand its operations. The Urban Environment League forcefully opposes Port actions. Port Director Carmen Lunetta was later indicted and the port re-assessed its strategy for expansion.
- 1999 Marlin owner John Henry decides that the Marlins desire to appropriate prime public space at Bicentennial Park for a new stadium to be paid for in large part with public funds. -The American Airlines Arena opens with little of the previously promised landscaping and public access/recreation areas.
- 2000 -January; The Urban Environment League leads a series of Walks of Renewal for Bicentennial Park and are joined by Comms. Arthur Teele, Joe Sanchez , Johnny Winton, County Comm. Jimmy Morales and former Mayors Ferre and Suarez. -March; UEL holds a public design charrette -Bayfront Park Trust votes to redesign Bicentennial Park -Spring: State Legislature meets and considers tax on cruise passengers as a means to fund baseball stadium. Cruise line interests rally to defeat the tax. Governor Bush threatens a veto of the cruise tax and the Marlins effort collapses. The Legislature creates Municipal Improvement Authority to seek ways and means to fund a stadium in South Florida. -April; City of Miami Commission unanimously passes resolution sponsored by Comm. Joe Sanchez to design Bicentennial Park as a "premier public park." -July-December; Bicentennial Park/Waterfront Renewal Committee is formed under the leadership of Commissioner Johnny Winton. Vice Chairs are Gregory Bush, President of the Urban Environment League and Elizabeth Plater Zyberk, Dean of Um School of Architecture. Coordinator is Bob Weinreb. Subcommittees formed are a Baywalk Committee, a Neighborhood Linkage Committee, a Finance Committee and a Design Committee. $200,000 is appropriated by the Commission to further the work
of the Committee, including hiring consultants. December 2,000: Mayor Penelas and Marlins owner John Henry sign a sixty day agreement with funding ideas for a baseball stadium in downtown Miami. The Mayor calls it a sketch. Community
Improvement Authority begins its meetings with subcommittees including a Site Location committee, a Financial Committee and a Public Comment Committee.
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