Miami planning new park near loanDepot Park

A new public park may soon take shape next to the Marlins’ stadium in Miami’s District Three, which has the fewest parks in the city, offering nearby residents and visitors a place to unwind outdoors.

The Miami City Commission is weighing two zoning changes on May 8 to facilitate the park’s creation. The .72-acre site at 1653 NW Fifth St. and 1628 and 1644 NW Sixth St. would be combined with adjacent land already zoned for parks and recreation, forming a 1.18-acre green space next to loanDepot Park, home of Miami’s major league baseball team, in Little Havana.

Currently designated for restricted commercial use, the land must be reclassified to align with its intended use as a park. The first resolution would amend the future land use for the three parcels from medium-density commercial to public parks and recreation. The second would change the zoning from T5-L Urban Center Transect Zone – Limited to CS Civic Space Transect Zone.

The legislative proposal notes that the rest of the lots on the block, as well as the block immediately south, are already designated as public parks and recreation. These parcels would be combined with the newly rezoned land to form the future park.

If approved, the park would be the only one larger than an acre within a 10-minute walk for nearby residents, helping Miami achieve its goal of ensuring that every neighborhood has outdoor recreational space within easy reach.

The city acquired the lots through eminent domain and sales between 2022 and 2023, consolidating them with neighboring lots as part of its No Net Loss Policy for parkland. The initiative is tied to replacing parkland lost from the former Melreese Golf Course, now being redeveloped into the Miami Freedom Park mixed-use project.

The city’s planning department recommended approval of the zoning amendments. The Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board also gave unanimous support with an 8-0 vote on April 16. City staff found the request justified based on the lack of municipal park and recreation space nearby, saying the change would serve residents currently without access to nearby green space.

Some 70% of the surrounding quarter-mile area is residential, with a mix of single-family homes, duplexes and multifamily housing. Office, retail and vacant land make up just 15%, underscoring the area’s identity as a stable residential neighborhood.

An October 2024 letter from City Manager Arthur Noriega to Planning Director David Snow emphasized the need for public outdoor space. “Within a 30-minute, barrier-free walk, there is one existing neighborhood park, General Quesada Morazan Park. While the single-family homes will benefit, the nearby mixed-use developments will greatly benefit from convenient, ‘walk-to’ park and open space,” the letter reads. “A rezoning of the property would enable the city to create a much-needed park and open space plaza in a neighborhood that currently lacks sufficient green space.”

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