Grand Central Park Opening Night Features Ribbon Cutting, Live Performance by Elastic Bond

Omni Parkwest Redevelopment Association Inc's Grand Central Park hosts its first public event, Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and live performance by local musicians Elastic Bond on Friday, January 20th, 2012 at 700 N. Miami Avenue from 5pm – 9pm.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Grand Central Park after end of Major Construction

PRLog (Press Release) - Jan 18, 2012 -
Brad Knoefler, President of Omni Parkwest Redevelopment Association Inc. (OPRA) a 501 (c)3 non-profit corporation in Miami, Florida is pleased to announce Grand Central Park’s Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and inaugural concert by Elastic Bond at 700 N. Miami Avenue this Friday, January 20th, starting at 5pm.  Ribbon cutting ceremony is planned for 5:30pm.

The evening's ceremonies with Free Admission to the public, will feature Miami artists Elastic Bond feature performing bi-lingual Latin rock as well as music from local DJs.  Families are welcome to sample from food trucks including The Cheese Steak Gourmet, Backyard B-B-Q and more.

Grand Central Park is Florida’s first Instant Park, located on the former site of the Miami Arena.   Daily general access to the park will begin Saturday, January 21st to the general public during daylight hours.

A unique public/private partnership was used to construct Florida’s First Instant Park. OPRA received a $200,000 grant from the SE Overtown Park West Community Redevelopment Agency to construct Grand Central Park.

In October 2011, the Omni Parkwest Redevelopment Association (OPRA), began construction of Grand Central Park.  Grand Central Park was 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.

Grand Central Park will be open to the public from 8am until Dusk daily with membership, free online outside of ticketed events.  Upcoming ticket-only events include the Budweiser One Love Nutrifest featuring reggae artists on Saturday, February 18th, 2012 at noon.

"This a concrete example of what happens in Miami when local government works together the community,” said Brad Knoefler, President of OPRA, "Grand Central Park is the largest success of our 'Block By Block' method to revitalize our inner city."

“Grand Central Park is bringing activity and jobs to the neighborhood,” said Mark Lesniak, Executive Director of OPRA, “Providing long desired green space to Overtown and Park West can only make Miami's downtown islands into a community.”

For questions and further information, please visit http://www.grandcentralpark.org or contact Brad Knoefler at 305.527.7332 or brad@grandcentralpark.org. Follow the Grand Central Park twitter account @gcparkmiami for up to the minute developments related to Grand Central Park.  For information about Miami's CRA and Southeast Overtown Park West CRA please visit http://www.miamicra.com or follow @cityofmiamicra

For more about Elastic Bond please visit their website http://www.elasticbond.com or on twitter @elasticbond .  For information about The Cheese Steak Gourmet food truck, please go to http://www.facebook.com/TheCheeseSteakGourmet or follow @CSgourmet

Grand Central Park Groundbreaking today at 5pm - Rain or Shine!

Grand Central Park Set to Begin Construction, Groundbreaking Ceremony to be Tuesday October 18th

Omni Parkwest Redevelopment Association Inc's Grand Central Park Project hosts Groundbreaking Ceremony on October 18th at 700 N. Miami Avenue at 5pm. Construction of Florida’s first Instant Park to begin on the former site of the Miami Arena.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Grand Central Park 700 N Miami Avenue

PRLog (Press Release) - Oct 17, 2011 - Miami, Florida

Mark Lesniak, Executive 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 hold official Groundbreaking Ceremonies with City of Miami District 2 Commissioner Marc Sarnoff and the Southeast Overtown Park West Community Redevelopment Agency chaired by City of Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones at 700 N. Miami Avenue this Tuesday, October 17th, at 5pm.

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 for the park are to be held this Tuesday, October 18th, celebrating the start of construction.

In March 2010, the Omni Parkwest Redevelopment Association (OPRA), a not-for-profit corporation, began Phase I of Grand Central Park with the idea of improving the site in order to improve perception of the area, and residents' quality of life. 

Private funds were used to hire local workers and indigents to improve the site. OPRA received a $200,000 grant from the Community Redevelopment Agency to complete Phase II.

OPRA has also received in-kind contributions of material and labor from a variety of sources. Walter Meyer of Local Office Landscape and Urban Design, a landscape design firm based in Brooklyn, NY, designed the Instant Park Concept for 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.

"Every corner of the City of Miami deserves to have public park space that residents can utilize. Grand Central Park will not only serve that purpose but it also will begin to alleviate the blight this area has suffered under for far too long," said Commissioner Marc D. Sarnoff.

OPRA is a community-based not-for-profit group, founded by Bradley Knoefler in 2009, focused on progressive, low-cost urban renewal projects. Grand Central Park will be operated by OPRA and it's community Board of Directors led by Executive Director Mark Lesniak.

“Grand Central Park will bring activity and jobs to the neighborhood,” said Mark Lesniak, Executive Director of OPRA, “It can also serve as a pilot project for other temporary uses of vacant land in downtown Miami,” 

For questions and further information, please visit http://www.grandcentralpark.org or contact Mark Lesniak at 305.814.6219 or gcparkmiami@gmail.com. Follow the Grand Central Park twitter account @gcparkmiami for the most up to the minute developments related to Grand Central Park.

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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

OPRA Executive Director Mark Lesniak Featured on WLRN

OPRA is pleased to announce that our new Executive Director Mark Lesniak has been featured on the radio by Miami's WLRN in conjunction with the Miami Herald.   

 

Mark explains the concepts of Weed Bombing and "Tactical Urbanism"

 

You can listen to the story live on the Miami Herald website currently.

 

Downtown Miami's weed makes you see colors (ARTICLE)

 

On WLRN's blog post:

Weed Bombing in Overtown

 

The podcast and permanent link is below:

 

Downtown Miami's weed makes you see colors ( PODCAST)

"Building by building, block by block, we can implement low cost ideas to improve this city." - Mark Lesniak

Follow us on twitter @gcparkmiami and @weedbombing

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

PARK(ing) Day #Miami, Friday September 16th, 2011: Grand Central Park

The Omni Park West Redevelopment Association (OPWRA) is pleased to announce a new PARK (ing) day location in a dilapidated area of Downtown Miami.  The former site of the Miami Arena, a five acre parcel slated to become Grand Central Park www.grandcentralpark.org. 

Several hundred trees slated for planting in the Park will be staged in 15 metered spaces directly in front of the site, where the tree canopy was cut down to build the former Arena.  OPWRA also intends to install for a temporary period a dumpster "parklet" as recently seen in San Francisco.  Come out and support us and enjoy some down home ribs by Brother Frazier..

Miami street artists participate in “weed bombing”

Miami street artists are beautifying a dilapidated neighborhood, one weed at a time.

Miami, FL September 12, 2011 — In an area mostly devoid on any color except for black asphalt, Miami street artists are brightening one of the most dilapidated areas of Downtown Miami, one weed at a time.

   Weed bombing is the act of converting overgrown weeds into works of street art by painting them various colors, thus adding a vibrancy to the neighborhood that did not exist before.  Bradley Knoefler, founder of the Omni Parkwest Redevelopment Association (OPRA), which organized the event stated “we used to cut the weeds ourselves, but it’s much more beneficial to beautify them and convert them into street art.  Unlike traditional graffitti, weed bombing doesn’t damage private or public property and has immediate benefits to our quality of life.”

“The idea is gaining traction among local street artists,” said Gregg Rivera, one of the participating artists “Wynwood has its graffitti walls, and Downtown we have our weeds.  They both are a blank canvas that street artists can use to practice their art.”  Knoefler hope the idea will catch on and traditional taggers will paint weeds instead of buildings.  “This way we can beautify the neighborhood through street art as opposed to degrading it.”

Follow: @WeedBombing and www.WeedBombing.com for more information