MIAMI HEAT — WHERE'S THE PARK?

Thirty years. That's a long time. Thirty years ago, Miami-Dade County made a promise to the people of this community: Build a world-class waterfront park behind the Miami HEAT arena. The land was known as Parcel B. Today, it is Dan Paul Plaza. And after all these years, I have to ask a very simple question: Where is the park? I wrote about Parcel B more than 10 years ago. At the time, I questioned the deal between Miami-Dade County and the Miami HEAT. I questioned why taxpayers were spending millions of dollars maintaining this property while the HEAT was paying rent to use it. Today, I want to be fair about something. The HEAT does pay the County fees when it uses Parcel B for certain event-related activities, including staging and valet parking. County records describe those uses as temporary and event-by-event. Fine. But that raises another question: Are those fees enough to fairly compensate taxpayers for the use of this valuable waterfront property? More importantly, when does the public finally get the park it was promised? Thirty Years of Waiting Because that is the bigger issue. The public was promised a park, and the park never came. Thirty years of plans. Thirty years of meetings. Thirty years of politicians talking about what they were going to do. Thirty years of residents being told that someday this valuable piece of waterfront would become a place for the public. And today, the people are still waiting. This is exactly the kind of thing that makes people lose faith in government. A promise is made, everyone takes a picture, everyone gives a speech, and then the years go by. Nothing happens. Well, I'm tired of waiting. And I know a lot of Miami-Dade residents are, too. We have watched this property sit there while Miami continues to grow and downtown becomes more crowded and expensive. Waterfront land like this doesn't come along often. Once it is gone, it is gone. This isn't some minor development issue that can be pushed to the bottom of the County Commission agenda. This is public land, on some of the most valuable waterfront in our community, and it was supposed to become something everyone could enjoy. The Community Has Spoken The Downtown Neighbors Alliance, led by James Torres, deserves credit for pushing this issue. They went into the community. Thousands of residents responded to surveys and participated in meetings. Town halls were held, and the community's ideas were presented to Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and County leadership. Residents have done what we always ask them to do — get involved, show up and speak out. Now what? At some point, the County has to stop talking and start building. We have seen enough concepts, discussions and promises. The community has made it clear that it wants a real waterfront park. The County owns the property, the community has provided input, and the HEAT is part of the conversation. So what exactly are we waiting for? This Is About Public Land Let me be clear. I like the Miami HEAT. I support our teams. The HEAT is an important part of Miami-Dade County and has been for decades. But this isn't about whether you like or dislike the HEAT. This is about public land. Parcel B belongs to the taxpayers. The waterfront belongs to the people. And the people were promised a park. I'm not asking for another study. I'm not asking for another committee. I'm not asking for another five-year plan. We've had enough plans, delays and excuses. What we need now is a decision, a budget and a construction schedule. Then let's build it. Give Miami-Dade families a place to walk. Give our children a place to play. Give residents a place to sit on the waterfront and enjoy what makes Miami special. Make Dan Paul Plaza a real public destination — not another piece of downtown property that everybody talks about but nobody delivers. A Matter of Trust Because this is bigger than a piece of property. It is about trust. If Miami-Dade County cannot keep a promise made 30 years ago, why should residents believe the next promise? Government doesn't earn trust by making promises. Government earns trust by keeping them. The community has done its job. Now it is time for Miami-Dade County and the Miami HEAT to do theirs. Thirty years is long enough. No more excuses. No more delays. No more promises. Build the park. Have questions or ideas? Email me at grant@cnews.net or call or text me at 305-323-8206. Connect To Your Customers & Grow Your BusinessGrant can be reached at grant@communitynewspapers.com