Ariel Fernandez
Founder & Editor
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The conversation about the neighborhood park and entrance feature in the northernmost part of the City of Coral Gables picked up steam following Mayor Vince Lago’s Trolley Tour to ensure staff was focused on code enforcement and landscaping issues in the Central Business District.
The tour came to a stop in front of an empty lot at 142 SW 37th Avenue, the location where the City of Coral Gables borders the City of Miami on the north. Lago asked staff to contact the owners of the lot again and try to negotiate for the City to purchase the lot.
The lot had remained vacant for several years and the developer who owned the lot had planned a new large-scale development on the site.
Following negotiations, the City was able to secure the purchase of the lot for $750,000 with the intention of eventually adding a new entrance feature and a neighborhood park on the site.
This is part of Lago’s initiative to create entrance features where they are missing and to grow the number of neighborhood parks.
“This location will serve as yet another open green space in the City of Coral Gables that can be enjoyed by the community. The idea to acquire this property from the developer was in response to resident concerns about a proposed development in that parcel. Thank you to my Commission for your unwavering leadership and support!,” said Lago on social media.
At the May 10th City Commission meeting, the Commission unanimously approved the purchase.
I’m so happy to keep this lot as a North Gables City Park. We need to maintain this historic Ponce de Leon neighborhood green areas for our future generations. I want to personally thanks all involved.
Considering its remote location on the northern most edge of a swath of land far disconnected from the main “block” of Coral Gables, I don’t see many actual Gables residents enjoying this park. between this the mobility hub and the ponce circle park this admin is really full of dumb ideas.
What’s the fund source? Do existing projects and facilities get deferred? Don’t hate the idea but every time I hear “there’s no funding” for really important things like safety and livability I cringe at spending like this.
As mentioned by Ms Pardo, the subject site at 142 SW 37 Avenue sits within the Campina Court Historic District. According to the National Park Service, local historic districts enjoy the greatest level of protection legally from any threats that may compromise their historic integrity. Thus, by the purchase of the parcel, the Mayor and Commissioners acted to protect the local landmark designation enacted in 2005 by the City’s Historic Preservation Board. A park or green space in this area will comply with the historic district designation, and uphold its legal protection as per the National Park Service.
Did you know that a coral rock entrance designed by Denman Fink was to be erected in 1924 at this Flagler property? This city purchase will not only establish a neighborhood park, it will also provide residents and visitors with a City of Coral Gables entrance feature as per the original development plans.
Kudos to Mayor Lago. Let the City of Miami get overdeveloped & our Green Gables will increase in value. The North Gables where there is more Density/ People to enjoy the parks makes sense. Please don’t WASTE money on South Gables/ Old Cutler areas. Everyone there has a big yard! They should really be tied to South Miami. Sad that Unity of Title no longer enforced/ done away with in Coral Gables. There are now 2 homes on sites where there were only one home. Pinecrest homes have skyrocketed in price, because people want BIG lots to go with their BIG homes. In the Gables new McMansions going up on small lots or ugly Camelback Additions to insignificant cottages. Maybe the politicians buying lots to appease/ make amends for the variances & overdevelopment?
Thanks to the Mayor for sponsoring this resolution and to the Commission for their unanimous support! The property is a gateway and part of the Campina Court Historic District. A designed green space would support the continued protection and integrity of the Historic District. The new entrance would realize a long awaited vision.
More green space and park features are much appreciated.
Please keep a reasonable budget.
A new entrance but still no dog park??
BRAVO Mayor Lago!!! More green spaces less concrete! You can’t please everyone, that lot had a beautiful big old house and was the first site of my beloved Juanito’s Centro Vasco. When he purchased the Little Switzerland restaurant building on SW 8th St between 22 & 23 Ave and moved, Viscaya restaurant opened on that site and later moved also to SW 8th St where Casa Juancho is today. I welcome & love an entrance & the Park!
You can’t please everyone all of the time.
If we build a park and green area, then we want concrete.
If we build a concrete jungle, then we want more parks.
If we don’t do anything, then we complaint of what we don’t do.
If we do something, then we complaint of what we did do.
Mayor Lago, just keep doing what you’re doing, even if you can’t please all of us all of the time.
I am very pleased with this purchase and applause you for thinking ahead…. Green space is better for us all than more concrete…. Hallelujah !
Really, why replace concrete and asphalt with green grass and tree? Who needs more oxygen instead of more cars and their pollution? Open spaces instead on congestion, what city planner prefers that???
This is great! Another City park instead of another condo or house. The more green spaces the better!
Milton Friedman, Nobel Pride winner in economics:
“If the government is paying for it then it by definition is infeasible.”
Every time the City buys real estate it removes that property from the tax rolls. So the cost, in perpetuity, is immense: the purchase price + property taxes lost + the cost of turning it into a park.
How many more cops could we get instead of this silly, unnecessary outlay?