Congratulations to Friends of the Underline! Construction has begun on the first phase of their much-anticipated project, the Underline, which will eventually extend from downtown Miami to Dadeland under the Metrorail’s elevated tracks. That initial segment, in the Brickell district, will be a half-mile long, with an anticipated opening date of May 2020.
The 10-mile linear park, a $120 million redevelopment of open space under a span of Metrorail tracks, will link the condos, coworking spaces, and tech offices of the booming Brickell neighborhood with South Miami, in a bid to be a catalyst for community, connection, and safer transit.
When Manhattan’s High Line opened on the west side in 2009, locals and visitors alike flocked to the revitalized railroad trestle to marvel at its transformation into a gorgeous and walkable park. Arguably the most famous urban adaptive reuse project in America, the High Line made industrial reuse cool and prompted a wave of creative development.
Miami’s Coral Gables City Commission voted to direct $15 million from new development impact fees towards construction of the linear park.
The proposal would allow developers adjacent to The Underline to make contributions to the public benefits trust in exchange for bonus building capacity. The funds would be used for construction and maintenance of the 10-mile linear park.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, building a more resilient Miami will involve a concentrated effort to facilitate transit-oriented development, new housing, and employment centers in key districts including Grand Central Station and Brickell Backyard, and the first phase of The Underline.
The 10-mile linear park will be a transportation solution for many Miami residents—connecting southern neighborhoods to downtown Miami and creating a regional network of trails, as well as an urban oasis and living art destination.
Miami’s Metrorail transit system, the majority of which runs above ground, stretches 24 miles from south to north in the city. But the areas underneath the metro’s two lines, covered in dirt, grass, and asphalt, are unused by residents.
On a Sunday morning about a year ago, Robert Lansburgh rode his bike across the MacArthur Causeway. The longtime cyclist was stunned by the view along the way — but also a bit shaken by the cars rushing past him.
Talk of “infrastructure” may be one of the few things—if not the only thing—that comes close to uniting Democrats and Republicans at the moment.
