Miami’s newest major development will allow residents to ride their bikes, connect neighbors, promote a healthier lifestyle, provide easier access to exercise and transportation, and encourage artistic expression.
The Underline will be a 10-mile linear park underneath Miami’s metrorail which will allow residents to go for a walk, take a bike ride, play basketball on a court, workout in an outdoor gym, and much more.
Spread over 100 acres, the park is inspired by Miami’s natural beauty and will be filled with lush greenery from native vegetation, waterfalls, butterfly gardens, and orchids.
The Underline is situated on the north end at the Miami River near Brickell Avenue, Miami’s growing financial district, and on the south end by Dadeland South Metrorail Station serving one of the country’s highest grossing malls.
The hallmarks of the master plan include: to create a multimodal corridor, have recreational amenities, improve intersections, connect to the larger trail network, establish green corridor based on vegetation, develop guidelines for transit-oriented development, and use the space as a platform for public art.
Created by the nonprofit organization, Friends of the Underline, the idea first came to fruition when the digital marketer, founder, and president of the organization, Megan Daly, broke both of her arms five years ago.
Not being able to drive, she decided to take the Metrorail and then walk to her appointment.
Daly commented, “Maybe because I was walking and experiencing it for the first time, it made me think, ‘Why don’t we do something like this, a park below Metrorail, inspired by the High Line?’ as reported by Curbed.
The Underline was designed by the popular landscape architecture firm, James Corner Field Operation, which also happens to be the same that designed The High Line in Manhattan.
Corner himself notes the distinct difference between the two developments. While The High Line is a slow-moving promenade, The Underline functions as a fast-paced environment for fitness and constant activity.
Inevitably, the linear park is a $120 million redevelopment that will connect condos, apartments, coworking spaces, and offices throughout the Brickell neighborhood.
Broken up into 8 different phases, the first being Brickell Backyard, which covers the Miami River to SW 13th Street.
Spread over 0.5 miles, the first part of construction began in Dec 2018 and the overall project cost was $16,524,258.
Funding for construction was given by: Miami Dade County, FDOT TAP Grant, the State of Florida, the City of Miami, and FDOT.
When detailing the masterplan, the nonprofit organization states, “The Underline will become: an alternative mode of transportation; a significant social and civic backbone for the area; a linear experience of inviting spaces that foster connectivity and engagement, enhance value, improve social exchange, and promote a healthier lifestyle.”
