A new website has been launched, showcasing conceptual images of a proposed park on Watson Island. Developers Terra and ESJ Capital, the owners of Jungle Island, are seeking approval to build several hundred condos on the island’s north side.
In exchange, they propose buying or leasing the Jungle Island property, canceling the existing theme park and hotel lease, creating a 13-acre public park, and contributing $15 million toward affordable housing, infrastructure, and other public benefits. The park plans also feature a Biscayne Bay boardwalk and an under-bridge activator connecting to Island Gardens, a development planned for the south side of the island.
A City of Miami referendum is set for November 5, with the following question on the ballot:
Shall Miami’s Charter be amended to authorize the sale and/or lease of 5.4 acres on Watson Island at a fair market value of $135 million to Ecoresiliency Miami LLC for residential and commercial uses, bypassing bidding, and requiring:
- Returning 13 acres to the City to construct a new waterfront park at no cost to the City;
- Cancelling the current theme park and hotel lease; and
- Contributing $15 million for affordable housing, infrastructure, and public benefits?