The City of Miami Planning Department has announced the Virginia Key Master Plan will be going back to City Advisory Boards and the City Commission in July.
The new proposed Virginia Key Master Plan is still a mystery. But the public’s wishes for the island are not.
These were culled over a five year period of public meetings - some decidedly heated -- where many expressed their disappointment, frustration and anger at what they perceived to be incompatible commercial and recreational development proposals.
The area of biggest contention continues to be the Marine Stadium Basin, which city officials and planners have targeted for commercial redevelopment.
But many members of the public who participated in the public planning process envisioned a different future. Here’s one wish list of proposals that restores the area to public uses:
-Restore the Miami Marine Stadium.
-Surround the Miami Marine Stadium with a waterfront park with picnic shelters, play areas and public gardens.
-Build a Virginia Key Welcome Center. This would be the first stop for all cultural, recreational public uses, where visitors pick up maps, sign up for boat tours, learn about the island’s history. The center could include space for permanent and temporary exhibits. It could also include a gift shop and waterfront cafe as a recurring source of revenue.
-Build a public promenade the length of the stadium basin from the Rowing Club to Rusty Pelican restaurant.
-Bring back the public boat launch (it’s there but use is blocked by signs stating the area is closed to public use).
-Build a Boat House where the general public can rent kayaks and canoes to tool around the basin, just like members of the Miami Rowing Club do.
-Provide for bike rentals and bike paths that roll the length of the island, through the North Point peninsula.
-Dock Tour boats and water taxis. The existing marina could dock tour boats for nature tours of Biscayne Bay, extending to Biscayne National Park, including Stiltsville. Water taxis docking in the area could connect to other waterfront destinations, including Coconut Grove, Bayside, Brickell and County and City parks.
What’s on your wish list?
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