After years of conceptual planning and the search for funding, Morningside Park is finally set for renovations, with the City of Miami announcing construction will commence this month, beginning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 4. However, the bayfront park’s anticipated transformation has reignited fierce opposition from the local community, who originally viewed the plan as deeply flawed and are prepared to fight until the end to stop it.
A previous Biscayne Times report detailed final plans for enhancing the park. Yet, opponents are dissatisfied with the proposed removal of green space to accommodate a 15-foot-wide baywalk, set up to 77 feet from the bay, alongside the existing six-foot walking trail closer to the water.
To make way for the baywalk, the plan proposes removing 18,900 square feet of green space, including 750 feet of the grassy median along the park’s loop road, and removing legacy trees. Additionally, the current divided loop road would be merged into a two-way street.
(Paloma Pimentel)
Residents enjoying the bayfront view near Morningside park's shoreline.
RATIONALE BEHIND OPPOSITION
Opponents of the plan argue that it disregards the community’s voice, apparent in past community meetings with the city, where the majority of attendants favored the retention of the loop road and the existing six-foot walkway as the park’s main path.
Commissioner Damian Pardo, a Morningside resident and key leader behind the plan, posted a video on his Instagram on Nov. 18 addressing the baywalk controversy. He stated that despite significant public feedback calling for a six-foot walkway, the city will proceed with the extension for several reasons. One of them is flood control on the park’s east side – an issue that has worsened over the years due to rising sea levels and inadequate drainage infrastructure.
(Paloma Pimentel)
An image of the current medians on the north side of Morningside park.
“There's a three-foot reservoir under that 15-foot bay walk, which is meant to become a reservoir for any excess water, thereby lessening the flooding on that side of the park,” he said.
Pardo added how he is adopting an “expert” (consultants') point of view, where wider baywalks are the new fashion because they provide a shared-use walkway that accommodates more people. Similarly, renderings of the proposed baywalk on the city’s website highlight its ADA accessibility. Still, critics argue that the 15-foot width is an exaggeration and exceeds the 5-foot requirements of ADA standards.
(Courtesy Instagram)
An aerial image of Albert Pallot Park's 15-feet wide walkway in the middle of the park.
Regardless, Pardo explains in his video that renovations must follow Miami 21’s 15-foot baywalk requirement and that the city would need to change city code, a process he is reluctant to overcome.
“Changing city code takes time, several commission meetings, more cost, and delays,” he said, and reflected those in favor of the plan by adding, “And the one thing we heard time and time again in Morningside is, please just do something. We're tired of these constant delays and things not getting done.”
A previous Biscayne Times report on the city’s May 2023 commission meeting, which secured funding for the project, revealed that residents supporting the plan, including Morningside Civic Association (MCA) board members Rachel Furst and Daniel Malland, urged the city to move forward with long-overdue renovations essential for the park’s resiliency and sea-level rise mitigation.
(Courtesy City of Miami)
A rendering of the proposed design plans for the green areas at Morningside Park.
Resident Elvis Cruz, a leading voice in the plan’s opposition, criticized those in favor by saying, “They just want something done, and they don't really care about the details.”
Sandy Moise, resident and board member of the MCA, echoed the opposition’s concerns, explaining that the baywalk’s hard surface is prone to lose permeability over time due to clogging and damage, and would also raise the park’s temperature.
(Courtesy City of Miami)
A rendering of the proposed 15-feet baywalk alongside the existing six-feet walkway at Morningside Park.
“Green infrastructure is more sustainable for filtering out pollutants and toxins before the water reaches the bay,” she said, adding how hard surfaces radiate heat and make the surrounding air uncomfortably warm.
“The city has a habit of installing pavement, hard surfaces, concrete, and fake turf over our parks,” she said, and points to Albert Pallot Park’s as a clear example.
“It used to be very popular for people to go and play soccer until they divided the park with this huge 15-foot wide concrete walkway. Now, it feels like you are going to a parking lot, not a park with desirable green space. It’s also plain hot. We don’t want that here,” she said.
(Courtesy City of Miami)
City of Miami Commissioner Damian Pardo
THE LAST FIGHT
The comment section of the Instagram post was filled with intense backlash as Morningside residents and the larger community condemned Pardo’s decision.
Amid growing tensions, a protest titled “Stop Pardo’s Concrete Monsterpath,” led by community advocate and Downtown Neighbors Alliance (DNA) President James Torres, is scheduled to take place alongside the park’s ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 4.
“This is a quality-of-life issue,” said Torres. “The city should be creating more green spaces, not taking them away from our community.”
He explained how the opposition’s main argument is that the 15-foot baywalk was designed for high-density areas like downtown Miami, not Morningside’s community of single-family homes.
In an interview with Biscayne Times, Pardo said he would consider shortening the baywalk but refuses to make any promises.
“We can look at trying to do something more in the space of 12 feet, which is something that we have always been talking about with the architects and the designers,” said Pardo. “But this idea of a six-foot or an eight-foot wide baywalk is unlikely to happen.”