Miami Beach Wants Trees Removed From Convention Center Park To Accommodate Furniture Show
Miami Beach has been planning to build a brand new park in front of the rebuilt Convention Center, replacing ugly surface parking lots that have been there for decades.
The problem: Design Miami, an annual five-day furniture fair founded by developer Craig Robins, wants to use the land for at least the next ten years. The currently approved plans for the new park include too many trees, leaving too little space for the fair.
To accommodate Design Miami, city administration officials are recommending a redesign of the park by landscape architect West8. A portion of the tree canopy will be permanently removed to allow more room for the show tents.
Open lawn space will triple in size in part by removing trees, under the revised plan.
Design Miami is proposing to pay $107,000 in rent for the 2017 show, and is asking for a ten-year deal to be approved separately. A redesign of the park could cost up to $355,000, paid for by the city.
For the 2017 lease, Design Miami will occupy the property for about two months, from October 23 to December 21, to allow for set up and removal.
Miami Beach commissioners will discuss the redesign at a commission meeting July 26.
So we all have to suffer because some rich guy wants to use public land once a year for his private show that he will money charge for? Do these people not realize how hot it is in Miami? Do they not realize that the reason no one uses our parks is because there are usually no shade trees? Can we for once have a public space that’s for the public and not for some rich developer?
For those not good at math… $1,070,000 over 10 years for a $335,000 investment is a good thing. Not to mention if it’s difficult for Design Miami it will probably be difficult for other fairs that want to rent it which means more lost revenue
So do you think that they will reduce property taxes because of this? How will residents benefit from more traffic congestion from all this? The money will line the pockets of our corrupt government, not benefit us.
No trees = no park.
The Design Fair can design a pavilion around a park, it should not be the opposite, specially if the Fair is temporary.
Right? I don’t see why both projects can’t be done.
further proof that we live in an oligarchy.
Residents should file civil lawsuits against all officials backing this
No. And have years and years of setbacks because a bunch of rich people vs. NIMBY’s want to fight about trees???
yeah…..youre right….
Keep the trees.. event organizers can get smaller tents!
Keep the original park design !
Miami Beach needs more trees. Commissioners should vote No.
It was probably going to end up being palm trees anyway, the go-to cheap tree for developments down here.
Look at the renderings.
I did. Still will probably end up being palm trees, the go-to tree of South Florida.
Palms are actually quite expensive. It’s just they don’t want decent shade trees like Oaks and Royal Poinciana because they claim the roots will screw up the utilities, but a decent landscape architect understands. Too bad they developers don’t care.
They are just using Art Basel and Design Miami as a reason to VE the park.
They are cutting costs on the park. They kept the veterans plaza but removed the water feature, sculpture wall and the stone column. Only reason to do that is to cut costs.
This is just an excuse to spend less money on the park plain and simple, plus get more money in from Design Miami.
Miami hates trees!! We need more green spaces! MORE TREES!! (We have enough palm trees by the way! We need native trees!!)
With that money the guty could rent a show room for the furniture
The trees don’t need to be out
But Oh ! I forgot
What’s going to happen to the politicians ???
No bribes for them !!!
But look at the renderings. It looks amazing when decorated with trees everywhere. Like an actual park.
I work with developers.. tenders mts are a scam only used to manipulate people into accepting the project. The end result is NEVER as lush as they present it. Just like the people in the renderings… soooo pretty… but that’s not really hiwvthecreaknpeople will be either, right. It’s all a bunch if back door dealings, BS and plain thievery of tax funds.
It’s frustrating because everything and anything grows quickly and lushly here, if you let it. They have to spend a lot of effort keeping a plot of land a barren and sunbleached grass hellhole. Laying a couple of crossed stone paths and planting native trees and shrubs is cheaper than literal dirt and would require such little maintenance, but sadly even the creation of recreation is a scam in this town.
So basically the park will now be a giant soccer field surrounded with a fringe of trees. That sounds like a great public amenity. Why have a park at all?
..on second thought soccer fields wouldnt be a bad idea IMHO….
It isn’t exactly what the residents who voted for the Convention Center expansion were promised, is it? Probably would have never been approved if everyone knew this was going to be part of the deal. Classic case of bait and switch, and poor planning.
Isn’t this the location they are promising to move the Jackie Gleason to? This is where the hotel should be located! Something smells here.
That’s a completely different location.
this city belongs to the residents and not CR. He wants the space for 2 months? and a 10 year deal and the city to pay for the re-design. give us a break. YOUR TAKING AWAY OUR SPACE
Check out the tree palette on page 25…an extremely limited selection, the same tired royal palms, buttonwoods, poinciana, etc. and not a single oak or other native. There are dozens of other beautiful and interesting native trees that would be well-suited to this location – crabwood, stoppers, cinnamon bark, lancewood, and on and on, why would they choose such a limited “same old” selection? Always disappointing when an internationally renowned firm like West 8 comes to town but doesn’t bring their best game. These are the same people that designed the horrible bouganvillea covered insanely expensive metal trellis for SoundStage park when they could have just planted large native shade trees.