Plans for active park 'grow with city'
By Bari Auerbach

From a 12,000 square foot recreation center and a 10,000 square foot indoor gymnasium to a little league baseball field for a big population of youths and additional parking spaces, plans for a two-acre active park, located at North Bay Road and 181st Drive, have grown along with the City of Sunny Isles Beach.

At a recent City Commission meeting, a resolution passed approving a consulting agreement between the City and Miller Legg & Associates for landscape architectural services to redesign the active park located at North Bay Road and 181st Drive in the amount of $288,220.

City Manager Christopher Russo explained, "On a very positive note, we're very excited to be able to bring this project back to [the Commission] taking into account all of the changes in this City [that have occurred] over the four years since the last concept was approved.[Thankfully], we didn't move forward that quickly because of drainage and other issues.

"In light of Census information on the number of school children and young people in the city; in consideration of placement of a school; as well as sensitivities to the people in the neighborhood - we have come up with what we believe is 'an extremely fantastic better plan' for the active park site."

Russo said the active park will feature a little league ball field enabling Sunny Isles Beach to participate in baseball programs with sister city North Miami Beach. He also noted the park's recreation center has been enlarged from about 4,000 square feet to 12,000 square feet; and that in lieu of a previously planned outdoor multi-purpose court, the park will now have a 10,000 square foot indoor gymnasium. "The indoor gymnasium will be multi-functional, providing indoor space that can be used in a myriad of ways throughout the years - not the least of which is for [children attending] a future school adjacent to the property."

Highlighting the city's initiatives to bring an elementary school to Sunny Isles Beach, Mayor Norman Edelcup noted, "If everything goes along the ideas [the City Commission and city staff] are trying to plan.this whole concept includes hopefully, in the not too distant future, a school immediately adjacent to the park. The park could then [serve as] a playground and activity center for the children at the school."

While presenting schematics of the park to the City Commission, project director George Puig of Miller Legg & Associates reiterated, "Before [the park] used to have just a regular basketball court and now that will be an indoor gymnasium. What's really exciting about that is the north side will have a glass wall [enabling] kids in the playground or parents watching the kids to see the activity inside the gymnasium. Also, the people inside the gym can look out at the garden, tot lot and playground structure.

"The recreation center building is still in the same location - but now it's going to be two stories with 12,000 square feet. The uses will vary from multi-purpose rooms to offices for staff. The second floor will also have multi purpose rooms [available] for different summer camp activities. The landscaping and the surrounding uses remain more or less the same as before as does the playground structure in the middle."

Complimenting the active park plans, Commissioner Lewis Thaler said, "This has come a long way.If one looks at the improvements and the growth of the complex, it's much nicer [including] a much needed [baseball] field in Sunny Isles Beach."

TOP