Grand Central Park Set to Begin Construction on former Miami Arena site

Omni Parkwest Redevelopment Association Inc's Grand Central Park Project receives permits from the City of Miami, allowing construction of Florida’s first Instant Park to begin on the former site of the Miami Arena.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Sept 30, 2011 – Miami - Grand Central Park received final permits from the City of Miami, allowing construction of Florida’s first Instant Park to begin on the former site of the Miami Arena. Formal groundbreaking ceremonies will be announced shortly.

Mark Lesniak, Director of Omni Parkwest Redevelopment Association Inc. (OPRA) a 501 (c)3 non-profit corporation in Miami, Florida is pleased to announce Florida’s first Instant Park will soon break ground and begin construction.

Rendering of Grand Central Park

Grand Central Park will be built in 30 days according to OPRA’s Architectural plan, leading the movement of rapid deployment multi-use recreational facilities for temporary and permanent use across the State of Florida.

OPRA is a community-based not-for-profit group, founded by Bradley Knoefler in 2009, focused on progressive, low-cost urban renewal projects. Walter Meyer, the Owner of Local Office Landscape, a Landscape Architecture firm located in Brooklyn, New York designed the Instant Park concept, which OPRA will erect on 5 acres of Downtown Miami urban blight.

“OPRA’s instant park concept will be self financing, paying its site rental through events such as concerts and outdoor retail,” said Knoefler,” while allowing Downtown residents to enjoy green space sorely lacking in Miami’s downtown core”

Grand Central Park will provide needed recreational space and activate the area for thousands of new Downtown Miami residents. The park will exist for a minimum period of 3 years, while the final status of the former Miami Arena site is determined.

“We designed Grand Central Park to serve as a platform for sustainable design concepts” says OPRA Executive Director, Mark Lesniak, and “a catalyst for job creation and community activation of the Overtown and Parkwest neighborhoods.”

For questions and further information, please visit www.grandcentralpark.org or contact Mark Lesniak at 305.814.6219 or gcparkmiami@gmail.com or follow the Grand Central Park twitter account @gcparkmiami

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Omni Parkwest Redevelopment Association is a not for profit community organization with a citizen board of directors located in Downtown Miami