Museum Park Design Team against stadium in park
The Museum Park Design Team is against the boat slip downtown being filled in for a soccer stadium.
They talk about great shared spaces of civic price, quite the opposite of a privately owned soccer stadium that won't be used more than 25 days out of the year.
Just like the baseball stadium was rejected in 2000, when that was being proposed for the parkland, so should the soccer stadium.
The public at that time demanded public space added to the waterfront. It's still mind boggling to many as to why anyone would hand over public space to a private enterprise. No one is against soccer, people are against the stadium being built on free public land, which should be a park. People are drawn to parks, they're a destination, and with all the new residents moving into the new condos downtown, more park space is needed.
The Design Team letter states, "Allowing a private venture to take over the last remaining waterfront site in Downtown Miami for use as a stadium reduces quality open space, obstructs public views of the waterfront and disrupts waterfront recreational uses. It also radically changes the vision of a 21st Century premier park that the citizens of Miami deserve."
It's not lost on me that there are two museums in the park blocking waterviews, but the soccer stadium will not be used much and it will destroy what we have left in the way of water views and access.
County Mayor Carlos Gimenez was on tv talking about cities that have stadiums on public waterfronts, just the fact that he sought these few places out makes it apparent that his mind is set, but I find his statements misleading. He stated that Candlestick Park in San Francisco, which is AT&T Park now, is on the water, which is true, but it's not in the city center, it's in an industrial area. And knowing San Francisco, if the stadium was to be built today, it would not be on prime waterfront.
I'd like to see them try to build a stadium in Central Park in NY or the Public Garden or Boston Common in Boston and neither of these parks is even near the water. People don't even want a condo built on Grove Isle, do these politicians really think we want them to hand over prime land to David Beckham? It isn't even prime land yet, they are bending over backwards to make something out of nothing to accommodate their starstruckness. Is that a word?
Here's the Museum Park Design Team letter at the Crespo Gram.
They talk about great shared spaces of civic price, quite the opposite of a privately owned soccer stadium that won't be used more than 25 days out of the year.
Just like the baseball stadium was rejected in 2000, when that was being proposed for the parkland, so should the soccer stadium.
The public at that time demanded public space added to the waterfront. It's still mind boggling to many as to why anyone would hand over public space to a private enterprise. No one is against soccer, people are against the stadium being built on free public land, which should be a park. People are drawn to parks, they're a destination, and with all the new residents moving into the new condos downtown, more park space is needed.
The Design Team letter states, "Allowing a private venture to take over the last remaining waterfront site in Downtown Miami for use as a stadium reduces quality open space, obstructs public views of the waterfront and disrupts waterfront recreational uses. It also radically changes the vision of a 21st Century premier park that the citizens of Miami deserve."
It's not lost on me that there are two museums in the park blocking waterviews, but the soccer stadium will not be used much and it will destroy what we have left in the way of water views and access.
County Mayor Carlos Gimenez was on tv talking about cities that have stadiums on public waterfronts, just the fact that he sought these few places out makes it apparent that his mind is set, but I find his statements misleading. He stated that Candlestick Park in San Francisco, which is AT&T Park now, is on the water, which is true, but it's not in the city center, it's in an industrial area. And knowing San Francisco, if the stadium was to be built today, it would not be on prime waterfront.
I'd like to see them try to build a stadium in Central Park in NY or the Public Garden or Boston Common in Boston and neither of these parks is even near the water. People don't even want a condo built on Grove Isle, do these politicians really think we want them to hand over prime land to David Beckham? It isn't even prime land yet, they are bending over backwards to make something out of nothing to accommodate their starstruckness. Is that a word?
Here's the Museum Park Design Team letter at the Crespo Gram.
posted by Tom Falco at 5:00 AM
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8 Comments:
Just wanted to provide some color to the San Francisco stadium talk. Candlestick Park, which is on the water in an industrial area, is going to be demolished (it's where the 49ers were more recently playing but they are moving to San Jose).
AT&T Park is where the SF Giants currently play and is also on the water, but it is actually in the city (not in an industrial area). Actually it's quite a wonderful park with amazing views of the water.
That being said, I agree that Miami is in need of parks and public spaces. And let's be honest, this is more of an experiment.. we don't know how successful the soccer team will be here. In SF, the Giants are highly appreciated and that stadium is used often (games, concerts, other events, AND has convenient public transportation for everyone to enjoy the venue without inundating the streets with more cars than there are parking spaces).
How much are the politicians getting, or what "favors" will they get from Big Business interests behind this aberration?
That's the real question, and therein lies the only reason behind this circus.
why is the commissioner for this district and the grove mute on this issue ? whats the story here ? does anybody know ?
The $$$ green $$$ commissioner
Local commish needs $$$ motivation to make a decision. Check his Campaign Accounts, Foundation, wife's acct... Downtown residents gap mouthed at lack of support.
Future posts and references to the site should refer to it as the "Historic FEC Slip" rather than the mundane "boat slip". Historic in that it is the site of the original Port of Miami where Flagler's railroads and steamship lines interconnected. also, historic in that it is the former WWII US Navy base for anti-submarine operations. It has now become common to refer to the park as "Museum Park" but this also does a disservice to the history of that site originally designated Bicentennial Park in honor of our 200 year celebration.
Email and call Commissioner Sarnoff, Mayor Regalado and the other commissioners and tell them to speak out on this issue now and stop this this "taking" of public lands.
IE SAT IN THE PLOT OF LAND MANY TIMES.iT IS UNDER USED AND IN NEED OF SOMETHING. PERHAPSE IF PEOPLE FOAUGHT TO USE THE LAND BEFORE TAL OF A STADIUM IT WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED NOW.CURRENTLY PEOPLE UST TAE THERE DOGS TO THE GRASS AND LET THEM USE THE BATHROOM WITHUT PICKING IT UP.I AM NOT FOR MORE STADIUMS BUT A PLOT OF WATER WITH NO BENCHES, NOTHING AROUND IT EXCEPT TRAFFIC , AND THE PORT LOOKS UNDERDEVELOPED.I SAY MAKE THEM PAY FOR IT ALL AND GUARENTEE A PLAN FOR YEAR ROUND REVENUE ALONG WITH SHOPS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE STADIUM.ALSO THE SIDE FACING THE WATER HAS TO BE OPEN FOR BOAT VIEWING.
Hmm. Sarnoff refused to support residents again. Finally comes out with a Press Release AFTER Mayor Regalado killed the deal. Hmm.
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