History of MAM at Museum Park 1995-2005

Background 1995-2000
In 1995 the Trustees of the then Center for the Fine Arts initiate an extensive community-wide planning process that takes place over six months and involved hundreds of diverse citizens. One of the five goals the community set for the institution is to: "improve the current site and secure, for the long-term, a prime site for a freestanding building, with a sculpture garden, for the 21st century."

From 1997 to 2000, at the request of Miami-Dade County, MAM undertakes a comprehensive site evaluation study and prepares preliminary cost estimates for a new art museum facility, guided by the nationally respected museum planning firm M. Goodwin and Associates.

In 2000, the public's charge to MAM intersects with the Miami Museum of Science and Planetarium’s need to find a new home for the 21st century and the movement to enhance public parks in Miami - particularly Bicentennial Park which had become a desolate, unsafe place. This extraordinary convergence put MAM four years ahead of schedule in its quest for a new site and put into motion a vigorous public process.

January - March 2000
Efforts to redesign Bicentennial Park are initiated by the Urban Environment League (UEL) shortly before the Marlins baseball team announces its desire to use the abandoned park for a new stadium. The UEL persuades the City of Miami's Bayfront Park Trust to initiate a planning process under the leadership of Ruth Greenfield, and oversees the first design workshop on March 2. Several UEL members help write a resolution sponsored by Commissioner Joe Sanchez forming a committee to redesign Bicentennial Park as a "premier public park." It passes unanimously by the City of Miami Commission.

July 2000
On July 2, City of Miami Commissioner Johnny Winton takes charge of the newly formed Bicentennial Park/Waterfront Renewal Committee to help redesign the park. Winton chooses Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Dean of the University of Miami's School of Architecture, and Gregory Bush, President of the Urban Environment League, as Vice Chairs, Bob Weinreb as coordinator, and creates four subcommittees staffed by volunteers.

August 2000
The Trustees of the Miami Art Museum and the Miami Museum of Science and Planetarium sign a formal joint resolution to work together with the City of Miami's Bicentennial Park/Waterfront Renewal Committee to create a vision for Bicentennial Park.

August 2000 - January 2001
Hundreds of citizens, representatives from MAM and the Miami Museum of Science, and dozens of civic groups attend regular meetings about the Marlins' campaign to relocate to Bicentennial Park as well as public hearings convened by the Bicentennial Park/Waterfront Renewal Committee.

February 2001
Hundreds of residents representing every facet of the community come together in a design workshop, or charette, sponsored by the City of Miami to conceptualize uses for Bicentennial Park; 25 of the 28 plans from this process advocate a Museum Park at Bicentennial Park. The urban design firm, Dover, Kohl and Partners, conducts the charette on behalf of the City of Miami.

February - April 2001
The Bicentennial Park/Waterfront Renewal Committee holds weekly follow-up meetings convened by Dover Kohl and Partners. MAM and the Museum of Science representatives attend these meetings.

May 2001
Dover, Kohl and Partners unveil three recommendations to the City of Miami Commission. There is a broad sense that the Museum Park Miami at Bicentennial Park is the best use of the land, if the vision can be made a reality with funding appropriate for a world-class science center, art museum and public park.

June 2001
The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce makes Museum Park Miami at Bicentennial Park a priority goal for 2001-2002 at the unanimous recommendation of the New World Center Action Committee.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation awards Miami Art Museum and Museum of Science grants for planning their futures at Bicentennial Park.

July 2001
Representatives from MAM and Museum of Science are invited to join the New World Center Action Committee of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce.

October 2001
City of Miami issues the Homeland Security/Safe Neighborhood Bond Issue. Miami Art Museum and the Miami Museum of Science work in concert with the City of Miami and Citizens for a 21st Century to energize City of Miami residents to vote in support of this bond issue. More than 100 citizens associated with MAM and the Museum of Science volunteer their time for this important event.

November 2001
The City of Miami residents vote - by a 57 percent majority - to support a $255 million bond issue. This bond issue includes $17 million for Museum Park Miami at Bicentennial Park with $10 million for the park and $3.5 million for each museum with a three-to-one match.

January 2002
MAM engages Cooper Robertson and Partners to serve as its urban planning counsel and to prepare a project timeline. MAM also engages Stephen Helfman of Weiss Serota Helfman Pastoriza & Guedes as legal advisor for the project.

February 2002
Miami Art Museum initiates discussions with Florida International University and the University of Miami regarding the creation of a strategic alliance. The senior leadership of the three institutions appoints an Alliance Working Group to explore ways to enhance collaboration on projects of community-wide importance. The initial delegates are: Miami Art Museum: Lori Ferrell; Rose Ellen Meyerhoff Greene; David Lawrence Jr.; Jorge M. Pérez; and Aaron Podhurst, chair, Alliance Working Group. Florida International University: Ambassador Paul L. Cejas; President Modesto A. Maidique; José J. Valdés-Fauli; and Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. University of Miami: Carlos M. de la Cruz, Sr.; Dr. Phillip Frost; Dr. Phillip T. George; President Donna E. Shalala; and Sherwood M. Weiser.

Building a new Miami Art Museum and a new Miami Museum of Science at Bicentennial Park is cited as a key goal in the Miami-Dade County State of the Arts Address.

April 2002
At the request of Commissioner Winton, MAM and the Miami Museum of Science make a public presentation to the City Commission, and to the Bicentennial Park/Waterfront Renewal Committee, including the timeline for the project prepared by Cooper Robertson and Partners.

May 2002
Museum Park at Bicentennial Park is again voted a priority of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce.

June 2002
New facilities for MAM and the Miami Museum of Science at Bicentennial Park are named priorities in Miami-Dade County's County-Wide Strategic Planning Summit.

July 2002
The City of Miami Commission unanimously adopts a resolution designating Museum Park Miami at Bicentennial Park as its official urban design vision for the future of this underutilized park. This resolution dedicates four acres of the park for MAM's building footprint. The discussions leading to this milestone sanctioned MAM to create a four-acre sculpture park. Equal acreage is dedicated to the Miami Museum of Science. This resolution also instructs the City Manager to obtain the services of professional consultants to create a master plan for the park.

September 2002
The City of Miami engages a consultant to undertake a comprehensive environmental evaluation of Bicentennial Park.

December 2002
MAM announces the leadership of its capital campaign for a new, world-class facility to be constructed in Bicentennial Park. Ambassador Paul L. Cejas, Dr. Phillip Frost, and Jorge M. Pérez will chair MAM's "Art for All People" campaign to raise private donations for phase-one construction of the new facility. "Miami is blessed to have in these volunteers such passion for the visual arts, devotion to our community and a real understanding of the historic importance of this moment and opportunity," said Aaron Podhurst, chair of MAM's Board of Trustees.

January 2003
MAM and the Museum of Science initiate weekly meetings to work together and with the City of Miami's planning efforts for Museum Park Miami at Bicentennial Park.

March 2003
The City of Miami identifies and earmarks funding for a master planner for this project.

April 2003
The City announces a grant in the sum of $1.4 million from the federal government to repair all the bulkheads around the property. The City completes a comprehensive environmental survey of the 29-acre site. The first phase of this study shows no major environmental hurdles.

The Florida Department of Transportation reports on improvements to Biscayne Boulevard.

In the State of the Arts Address, Rosa Sugrañes, Chair of the Miami-Dade Cultural Affairs Council, reaffirms the County's commitment to Museum Park Miami at Bicentennial Park and the role it will take in the long-term economic development of our community.

May 2003
Because of the national significance of the project, Harvard University's Graduate School of Design makes plans to publish an article on Museum Park Miami with landmark buildings for MAM and the Miami Museum of Science in the next issue of its internationally distributed bulletin.

December 2003
City of Miami issues a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to engage a master planner for Museum Park.

February 2004
Ten teams of nationally respected urban planners and landscape architects submit RFQs to the City of Miami.

March 2004
The City of Miami appoints a seven-member Selection Committee composed of civic leaders from MAM and the Museum of Science alongside representatives from the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County governments. The Committee to rank the top teams for the master plan of Museum Park.

May 2004
City of Miami initiates a contract process with the top-ranked team headed by Cooper, Robertson & Partners of New York.

June – July 2004
Miami-Dade County Manager George Burgess presents a proposal for the Building Better Communities General Obligation Bond Program to the County Commission. On July 20, the County Commission votes by a significant majority to approve this GOB program and the eight questions that comprise it. In Question Eight, the County’s GOB program designates $100 million for Miami Art Museum’s new building and sculpture park along with funding for the Museum of Science and Planetarium. The County Commission’s recommendation goes to Miami-Dade County residents for vote on November 2.

November 2004
On November 2nd, Miami-Dade County made history with passage of all eight parts of the Building Better Communities Bond Program.

Question number eight of the Building Better Communities Bond Program, which provides funds to construct and improve cultural, library and educational facilities, including Museum Park, passed by an overwhelming majority of over 65%. The public outreach for the Better Building Communities bond program was truly a grassroots effort in which people from all sectors, including a substantial number of supporters of the arts, came together to support an important initiative for generations to come.

January 2005
MAM begins work with the Paratus Group of New York, project management specialists, and starts crafting a functional building program for the new MAM facility at Museum Park.

April 2005
MAM joins the planning effort for Museum Park under the aegis of the City of Miami and under the professional leadership of Cooper Robertson & Partners.

May 2005
MAM develops a scope of work for its legal counsel needs for growth and expansion.

June 2005
MAM engages Alexander Haas Martin & Partners of Atlanta as capital campaign counsel.

August 2005
MAM hires ConsultEcon, Inc. of Cambridge, Massachusetts in association with Museum Management Consultants of San Francisco.

November 2005
MAM completes a comprehensive draft of its functional building program. MAM completes its expanded 10-year business plan and a thorough development assessment.

MAM at Museum Park: A Private/Public Partnership
The total cost of MAM’s project is $175 million. The County has designated $100 million in GOB funds for MAM’s new building and sculpture park. MAM’s civic leadership is committed to raising $75 million for the project. Of this sum, $60 million is designated for an operating endowment. In addition to $75 million in private sector support, MAM will raise another $26 million in transitional operating support.

The years immediately ahead represent an extraordinary opportunity for MAM and for the residents of Miami-Dade County and of the State of Florida. While cognizant of the scope of the work that lies ahead, MAM’s trustees and staff are committed, energized, and focused on realizing this legacy for our community. At Bicentennial Park, MAM's landmark building and four-acre sculpture garden along with the Miami Museum of Science's new facilities will frame 20 acres of spacious parkland.

Museum Park Miami at Bicentennial Park will be a catalyst for the revitalization of downtown Miami (an urgent need), the centerpiece of urban development on Biscayne Bay. The art and science museums will also create synergy with the surrounding neighborhoods of Park West and Overtown, as well as nearby educational and cultural facilities and tourist sites. At Bicentennial Park, MAM will be an accessible place for residents and visitors to enjoy, discover, and learn about each other and about the visual arts. MAM will be a source of civic pride for all citizens, and a symbol of Miami's unique identity among world capitals.