Downtown Miami finally gets its park next to American Airlines Arena

Miami-Dade County officially added another chunk of new green space to the downtown Miami area.

Located on a 2.75-acre waterfront plot just east of American Airlines Arena, Parcel B has finally become the park it was intended to be many years ago. The area now boasts 42 new Green Malayan coconut trees, new plantings of cordgrass and sad, park benches, and a new electrical infrastructure designed for a future LED lighting project.

Funded by the county’s Internal Services Department, the park cost approximately $162,500. It’s no Museum Park, a sprawling 30-acre green space a mere football toss away to the north, but it’s long overdue.

The government-owned land previously served as valet parking, among other things, for the adjacent arena, which houses concerts, shows, and the Miami Heat’s home games. While downtown Miami’s green space has expanded greatly in recent years, densely populated areas like Brickell need to creatively ramp up their park game.