Ground Breaks for First Slice of $40M Miami River Greenway

The city set aside $5.1 million to build this section of the greenway, but lacked funds for an architectural and engineering "greenprint." That was obtained by the local office of the Trust for Public Land, which is spearheading the greenway project, in a $2.5-million grant from the James S. and John L. Knight Foundation. "The grant was split among funding for the redevelopment of Overtown, Miami's historic African-American Community; Little Havana and this," Lavinia Freeman, the Trust's program director, tells GlobeSt.com. The foundation is operated by affiliates of the Knight Ridder newspaper chain.

A recently approved Miami-Dade County bond issue will earmark $7.5 million to continue the project. The city has also been awarded $3 million for transportation enhancements, which will go toward the greenway development, and awaits federal congressional approval of $2 million in additional funding, Freeman says. "In coordination with the city and county, we are going after funding wherever we can," she says. The county's initial estimated cost for Greenway was $25 million. "However, that was prior to development of "the engineering 'greenprint'."

"This is more than a matter of planting trees and installing lighting. It calls for overpasses to avert vehicular traffic and other costly engineering features that will provide an uninterrupted stretch of parkland for biking, walking and jogging as well as areas of relaxation. We think the total cost will probably be about $40 million. That's a guesstimate," she concedes, estimating the cost at an average of $770 per linear foot. "Completion will depend on funding," she adds.