www.ambiente.us AUGUST / AGOSTO 2008
OPEd: The Theft of Bicentennial Park - The Disturbing Facts!
By Steve Hagen, Community Activist
Please help liberate this park from the clutch of the Museums! Per the law, place museums
elsewhere and improve the park naturally as the people want, or have a vote.
Upon the insistence of the respected Urban
Environment League, a day long public
meeting called a charette was held by the
City of Miami in February of 2001. Over 300
people participated to determine how
Bicentennial Park should be improved as it
had been under landscaped since its
creation in the mid 70’s.
The DVD of that charette clearly shows 75%
of the tables (ten or more people were at
each of 28 tables) wanted the park to be
improved naturally with lots of shade trees
and typical features found in great parks.
The participants suggested that perhaps one “modest sized” water dependent maritime museum or
aquarium might be built. Only 25% of the tables drew or suggested two buildings. Some called them
museums. They drew the buildings no larger then one acre each. The Diaz administration refuses to
provide the list of participants and other valuable information concerning this issue and many other park
issues.
When the charette ended, so did public input as meetings went behind closed doors. Only the Urban
Environment League was allowed to meet with the many hired contractors, the museums and city staff, but
the UEL was finally excluded from the meetings. During this time, both the Parks Advisory Board and the
Bicentennial Park/Waterfront Renewal Committee were dissolved, eliminating any input from them! Is it any
surprise the Commission approved a plan called Museum Park ignoring even the name of Bicentennial
Park. The eight acres the museums will occupy (with more land for access roads) would not exist today if it
were not for Black precincts in 1972 which voted 100% in favor of taxing themselves to purchase the land for
a park as the same bond issue had previously failed. It is evident museum interests, Mayor Diaz, certain
Miami Commissioners and even a few pillars of the community don’t care about voter legacy, history or the
need for preserving green space in Miami which ranks 54 out of 54 cities in terms of park space per resident.
After many protests about lack of public input, in late 2007 and early 2008 the City brought the concrete laden
finalized Museum Park plan to the residents. Many design and costs questions were left unanswered at the
three 90 minute meetings. Operation and construction budgets should have been determined first with
designs to follow as is normally done with parks and gardens, but Miami does things different. The
museums have failed to provide clear information to the public on their fundraising. New museum operating
costs are projected far beyond current costs, so where are those dollars to be found? The City has not
considered the operating cost of the park. In the spring of 2008, the plan ostensibly got a boost by being
included in the “Global Plan” and another boost July 10, 2008 when the City Commission approved 6.8
million dollars for more design fees. Final park costs range from 48-68 million, far above the original
estimates and sadly less then five million is for trees and plants!
And what about the law? At the end of Mayor Carollo’s term, an ordinance was passed which protects Miami
waterfront property from being leased to non water dependent organizations, unless there is a public
referendum. A similar ordinance exists at the County level. Art, Science and History museums are not water
dependent. That is why the museums, assisted by Mayor Diaz have resorted to the shell game of placing
this park land inside the Miami Exhibition and Sports Authority so they can avoid a vote. Museum advocates
now remind voters that we have already voted…….twice! Do you remember approving 250 million dollars to
build three museums specifically in Bicentennial Park in a ballot issue, as required by law and was done to
sell the AA Arena site to the County and as the County did to place an amusement park on Metro Zoo land?
If you live in the City of Miami, this is what appeared on the ballot November of 2001: “Shall the City of Miami,
Florida, issue General Obligation bonds for homeland security, neighborhood improvements, capital
projects and infrastructure in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding $255,000,000, with interest
payable at rates not to exceed the maximum rate allowed by law, to be payable from ad-valorem taxes to be
levied on all taxable property in the City provided that the debt millage not exceed the current rate o 1.218.”
This 255 million bond question was approved by the Commission as an emergency ordinance!
This Bond Question number 8 appeared on the county wide ballot in November of 2004: “To construct and
improve libraries, cultural facilities and Head Start learning centers for pre-school children to offer
multicultural educational opportunities and activities, described in Resolution No. 919-04. adopted July 20,
2004, shall Miami-Dade Country issue General Obligation Bonds to pay cost of such projects in the principal
amount not exceeding $552,692,000, bearing interest not exceeding maximum legal rate, payable from ad-
valorem taxes?
Call City and County Mayors and Commissioners and email KeepParksGreen@aol.com to be kept informed.
Steve Hagen, chair of Parks & Public Space Committee of Miami Neighborhoods United 305 754 0099
Copyright © AMBIENTE MAGAZINE. Do not reproduce without citing this source.
OPEd: The Theft of Bicentennial Park - The Disturbing Facts!
By Steve Hagen, Community Activist
Please help liberate this park from the clutch of the Museums! Per the law, place museums
elsewhere and improve the park naturally as the people want, or have a vote.
Upon the insistence of the respected Urban
Environment League, a day long public
meeting called a charette was held by the
City of Miami in February of 2001. Over 300
people participated to determine how
Bicentennial Park should be improved as it
had been under landscaped since its
creation in the mid 70’s.
The DVD of that charette clearly shows 75%
of the tables (ten or more people were at
each of 28 tables) wanted the park to be
improved naturally with lots of shade trees
and typical features found in great parks.
The participants suggested that perhaps one “modest sized” water dependent maritime museum or
aquarium might be built. Only 25% of the tables drew or suggested two buildings. Some called them
museums. They drew the buildings no larger then one acre each. The Diaz administration refuses to
provide the list of participants and other valuable information concerning this issue and many other park
issues.
When the charette ended, so did public input as meetings went behind closed doors. Only the Urban
Environment League was allowed to meet with the many hired contractors, the museums and city staff, but
the UEL was finally excluded from the meetings. During this time, both the Parks Advisory Board and the
Bicentennial Park/Waterfront Renewal Committee were dissolved, eliminating any input from them! Is it any
surprise the Commission approved a plan called Museum Park ignoring even the name of Bicentennial
Park. The eight acres the museums will occupy (with more land for access roads) would not exist today if it
were not for Black precincts in 1972 which voted 100% in favor of taxing themselves to purchase the land for
a park as the same bond issue had previously failed. It is evident museum interests, Mayor Diaz, certain
Miami Commissioners and even a few pillars of the community don’t care about voter legacy, history or the
need for preserving green space in Miami which ranks 54 out of 54 cities in terms of park space per resident.
After many protests about lack of public input, in late 2007 and early 2008 the City brought the concrete laden
finalized Museum Park plan to the residents. Many design and costs questions were left unanswered at the
three 90 minute meetings. Operation and construction budgets should have been determined first with
designs to follow as is normally done with parks and gardens, but Miami does things different. The
museums have failed to provide clear information to the public on their fundraising. New museum operating
costs are projected far beyond current costs, so where are those dollars to be found? The City has not
considered the operating cost of the park. In the spring of 2008, the plan ostensibly got a boost by being
included in the “Global Plan” and another boost July 10, 2008 when the City Commission approved 6.8
million dollars for more design fees. Final park costs range from 48-68 million, far above the original
estimates and sadly less then five million is for trees and plants!
And what about the law? At the end of Mayor Carollo’s term, an ordinance was passed which protects Miami
waterfront property from being leased to non water dependent organizations, unless there is a public
referendum. A similar ordinance exists at the County level. Art, Science and History museums are not water
dependent. That is why the museums, assisted by Mayor Diaz have resorted to the shell game of placing
this park land inside the Miami Exhibition and Sports Authority so they can avoid a vote. Museum advocates
now remind voters that we have already voted…….twice! Do you remember approving 250 million dollars to
build three museums specifically in Bicentennial Park in a ballot issue, as required by law and was done to
sell the AA Arena site to the County and as the County did to place an amusement park on Metro Zoo land?
If you live in the City of Miami, this is what appeared on the ballot November of 2001: “Shall the City of Miami,
Florida, issue General Obligation bonds for homeland security, neighborhood improvements, capital
projects and infrastructure in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding $255,000,000, with interest
payable at rates not to exceed the maximum rate allowed by law, to be payable from ad-valorem taxes to be
levied on all taxable property in the City provided that the debt millage not exceed the current rate o 1.218.”
This 255 million bond question was approved by the Commission as an emergency ordinance!
This Bond Question number 8 appeared on the county wide ballot in November of 2004: “To construct and
improve libraries, cultural facilities and Head Start learning centers for pre-school children to offer
multicultural educational opportunities and activities, described in Resolution No. 919-04. adopted July 20,
2004, shall Miami-Dade Country issue General Obligation Bonds to pay cost of such projects in the principal
amount not exceeding $552,692,000, bearing interest not exceeding maximum legal rate, payable from ad-
valorem taxes?
Call City and County Mayors and Commissioners and email KeepParksGreen@aol.com to be kept informed.
Steve Hagen, chair of Parks & Public Space Committee of Miami Neighborhoods United 305 754 0099
Copyright © AMBIENTE MAGAZINE. Do not reproduce without citing this source.
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