The Miami Beach Convention Center has just broken ground on a new, 5.8 acre park, which will be the product of a conversion of one of the facility’s surface parking lots. The new park, which is scheduled to be completed this October, will have 500 new trees, open lawn spaces and shade areas and public art pieces, as well as a public restroom facility, walkways and lighting.
The move is the latest part of the ongoing expansion and redesign of the Miami Beach Convention Center. Once finished, the revamped venue’s campus will have a total of 12 acres of new green spaces, including the 5.8 acre park, a recently completed 2.8 acre park on the north side, landscaped medians and streetscapes. All told, the total pervious area of the 25-acre campus will increase by 245 percent, allowing for better absorption of rainwater during storms. The campus will also have a total of 1,330 new trees, including 580 new mangrove trees along Collings Canal.
Just last summer the venue hosted one of its first large-scale events since it embarked on a $620 million-dollar renovation and expansion project, which included a new 60,000-square-foot grand ballroom, 500,000 square feet of exhibit space and 84 breakout rooms. The event, LE Miami, took place from June 12 – 14, 2018.
Looking ahead, during the 2018 midterms voters approved a new convention center hotel, which is planned to have 800 rooms and be located at the intersection of 17th Street and Convention Center Drive.