As the Executive Director of the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust, I must speak to the long history of capital improvement projects spearheaded by the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust that brought the once desolate and neglected Historic Virginia Key Beach Park back to life and public use in 2008.
To help set the record straight the Trust Board of Trustees, a 9-member volunteer community board, took its responsibility to restore and re-open the Historic Beach Park seriously and started work immediately. In 2002, the Trust contracted Wallace, Roberts & Todd, LLC (WRT) and Judson and Partners, local design firms, to hold public community meetings and build consensus for the Historic Beach Park Master Plan while successfully completing the process to place Historic Virginia Key Beach Park on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 2003 the Master Plan for Historic Virginia Key Beach Park was completed and the groundbreaking for the Phase-1 Renovation and Repair of the historic buildings began.
In 2004 the Trust began a beach shoreline re-nourishment project and beach stabilization project with the Army Corps of Engineers (Section 111).
In November 2004 the Miami-Dade County $2.9 billion General Obligation Bond Program was approved by voters county-wide appropriating $15.5 million for restoration of Historic Virginia Key Beach Park and the construction of a museum on the park property.
2005 was a busy year for the Trust:
- (January) Sanitary Sewer project on Historic Virginia Key Beach Park began, removing the Historic Beach Park from old septic tanks to a modern pump station and sewer lines.
- (June) The county-wide General Obligation Bond program kick-off press conference was held at Historic Virginia Key Beach Park led by M. Athalie Range.
- (August) The Sanitary Sewer project was completed, and the pump station was energized.
- (October) A full list of capital construction projects were identified to prepare for the beach re-opening highlighted by the Board of Trustees’ selection of Lord Cultural Resources and Management, the world’s largest museum design team, to design the museum/cultural center on Historic Virginia Key Beach Park.
- (November) The Army Corps of Engineers (Section 111) Shoreline Stabilization Project is completed.
In 2006 the Trust continued its aggressive progress successfully completing the process to install a State of Florida Historic Marker on Historic Virginia Key Beach Park adding the park property to the State of Florida Heritage Trail.
- (February) The Trust relocated its office from Biscayne Blvd. to a modular administrative office located on the Historic Beach Park construction site.
- (April) Phase-2 of the park restoration was highlighted by the construction of park Circulation Roads and Parking Lot Improvements.
- (May) The City of Miami Planning Advisory Board and City of Miami Commission approved the Virginia Key Beach Park Master Plan completed by WRT, LLC and Judson and Partners for the Historic Virginia Key Beach Park restoration and museum project.
- (August) Miniature Train Corporation (MTC) 16-Gauge Mini Train was purchased and transported to Historic Virginia Key Beach Park.
- (September) Following an intensive search and professional selection committee BEA International is selected as the Design Team for the new Museum Building on Historic Virginia Key Beach Park.
2007 initiated the restoration of the physical landscape with exotic vegetation removal on Historic Virginia Key Beach Park. The exotic removal project involved approximately 40 acres of the Historic Beach Park’s natural area and was completed in November 2007.
The 2007 exotic vegetation project coincided with the start Miami-Dade County’s 40-acre Wetland Restoration and elevated Wetland Boardwalk Project.
- (July) The completion of the Circulation Road & Parking Lot Improvements Project and the Phase-2 Drainage Project along with the finishing touches of the Historic Beach Park’s Renovation and Repair Project. The Renovation and Repair Project restored the historic concession stand building, bath house, restrooms, carousel, and historic picnic facilities to their original 1953 grandeur.
The completion of these large construction projects in 2007 paved the way for the first YMCA Junior Marine Biology Summer Camp and the grand re-opening in February 2008.
Many more park improvements followed the re-opening of the Historic Beach Park along with continuous museum planning projects and efforts that overlaid the construction projects. More to come.
Guy Forchion,
Executive Director of the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust.
