78 Street will be closed just east of the intersection at Dickens Avenue. Westbound traffic will be restricted along this street. Drivers on Dickens Avenue heading north will be detoured west at 77 Street, north on Tatum Waterway Drive and east at 79 Street. Please obey all detour and temporary construction signs that will help you make your way safely around the work zone.

Parking will be restricted along 78 Street between Dickens and Carlyle Avenues. Please observe the “NO PARKING” signs as they will be strictly enforced and your car may be towed at your expense.

Please note that this schedule may change due to extreme weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances.

For more information, please contact Maria Palacios, the Office of Capital Improvements Public Information Specialist, at 305.673.7071 or via email at MariaPalacios@miamibeachfl.gov.

The released schedule through February is as follows.

January 6, 2012 Friday Night Skate 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
January 13, 2012 Friday Night Skate 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
January 20, 2012 Movie in the Park 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
January 27, 2012 Movie in the Park 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
February 3, 2012 Friday Night Skate 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
February 10, 2012 Movie in the Park 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
February 17, 2012 Movie in the Park 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
February 24, 2012 Friday Night Skate 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Starting in March 2012, the city will alternate weeks between the movie night and skates.
For a complete listing of the series and movie titles, visit www.miamibeachparks.com.

Hope to see you this Friday for Skate Night.

North Shore Bandshell
7275 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, FL  33141

In addition, the playwright will be giving a lecture illustrated with photographs and videos on the history of puppet theater in Cuba. The artists will also be conducting a puppet workshop for dhildren and adults. Both events are free and will be held at the CCE Miami.

Friday April 29, 2011 @ 8pm
Conference: Títeres en Cuba 1949 – 2011 – Puppets in Cuba, 1949 – 2011 by Norge Espinosa. FREE!
Will be held at the CCE Miami.

Saturday April 30, 2011 @ 11 am
Workshop for children and adults: Taller de Títeres para niños y adultos, 11am. FREE!
Will be held at the CCE Miami.

Sunday May 1st, 2011 @ 5pm
Puppet Theater/Teatro de Títeres:
Por el Monte Carulé, by Norge Espinosa
At The Byron Carlyle Theater
500 71 st, Miami Beach, FL

Children 10 years and younger are invited to participate in the annual egg hunt that will take place at 11 a.m.  Mr. & Mrs. Bunny will make a special visit as they hop around the lawn handing out treats and taking pictures with everyone. Face painting, arts and crafts, games, music, food, refreshments and prizes are some of the many activities in store throughout the event.

In addition, the City’s Arbor Day Celebration will again be incorporated at this year’s event. There will be a tree planting ceremony along with a reading of the City’s Arbor Day proclamation, informational pamphlets, coloring books and certified arborists to answer your tree questions.

So, be a part of the festivities and don’t forget to bring your basket as we’re sure you’ll have an “egg-cellent” time!

Look for future events and other Miami Beach Parks and Recreation programming in your Recreation Review, call our offices at 305-673-7730 or visit our new and improved website at www.miamibeachparks.com.

This Thursday, October 7th at 6:00 PM, the city will be meeting with residents of Normandy Isle who have been affected by the reduction in available parking as a result of the improvements done to their streets.  In true North Beach form, the city has organized a meeting with residents in the area to discuss the problem and what, if anything, can be done to address the shortage of parking.  The meeting, being organized by the city manager’s office, will have representatives present from various city departments including CIP, Public Works, Parking, Planning and Transportation. Whether you live in the affected area or simply a resident of North Beach that values the importance of this limited resource, you are invited to attend the meeting.

Eventhough it is doubtful that the city will ever be able to provide enough parking to meet the demand, it is important for the city and residents alike to understand and recognize the existing nature of our multi housing, historic neighborhoods and the need to find a balance. With studies showing the average household in these multi housing neighborhoods has less than one car, should the city prioritize parking over beautification of our right of way?

Regardless of your views and opinions, your involvement is essential and your participation is welcomed. Please come and join in the discussion. If you are unable to attend the meeting on Thursday, please post your comments on this site and it will be shared at Thursday’s meeting.

North Beach Community Meeting
Thursday, October 7th @ 6:00 PM
Normandy Isle Park and Pool Meeting Room
7030 Trouville Esplanade

Following the 6:00 PM meeting, the police will host their bi-monthly Community Police Meeting at 6:30 PM. Residents are encouraged to stay and participate in the discussion with the police. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the police and report concerns you have in the neighborhood about crime, speeding, etc.

Today, UNIDAD of Miami Beach is celebrating the groundbreaking of its long-awaited North Beach Oceanfront Center, right next to the North Beach Band Shell on 73 Street and Collins Avenue.

Soon, the bandshell itself and the park surrounding it will also undergo a renovation, together creating a community campus for arts, culture and social services. At the other end of Ocean Terrace, the newly forming Altos Del Mar Sculpture Park will help anchor the entire district as a cultural destination for the entire community and visitors.

The convergence of these projects could not have come at a better time.

For years, the park area between 72^nd and 73^rd streets has been less than desirable – consisting of a broken-down building now boarded up, a run-down band shell with a glorious past, and a bus shelter from which riders and pedestrians can contemplate the traffic whizzing past a vast parking lot, or the homeless encamped around the empty facilities behind them.

Only on those nights when the bandshell is activated can you experience a bit of North Beach magic on display as couples and families fill the band shell and the lawn outside, listening to music often heard nowhere else in Miami before wandering off to grab a bite to eat or stroll the new beachwalk.  The installation of the volleyball courts and the free yoga classes on Monday and Friday mornings has also provided a vision for what this park could be for our community.

But in the next few months, a slew of public projects will ensure that the magic lasts for more than one night.

The two-story North Beach Oceanfront Center, built in partnership with the City of Miami Beach on the former site of a historic U.S. Coast Guard’s House of Refuge, will house an array of services for seniors. Services will include nutritious meals, employment training and placement, counseling, support groups, health screenings, and assistance with immigration-related issues. The Center will also provide cultural enrichment and fitness classes. The building itself, designed by architect Rene Gonzalez, will be suiting tribute to MiMo architecture and include a terrace on the second floor providing a spectacular ocean view.

Hand in hand with that exciting development, the city will also soon begin renovating and restoring the former glory of the North Beach Bandshell, which was built in the early 1960s by famed architect Norman Giller. The contractor is expected to begin work on this project soon, with a completion date of next Spring.

We’re very excited about this one, which will not only fix up the bandshell and emphasize all the original features that made it a MiMo classic, but will also add capacity to make it a more attractive venue for community events and entertainment.

New features will include renovated bathrooms, enhanced dressing rooms, an extended stage, sound system and a movie projector and screen.

Right now, the North Beach Bandshell Trust is raising money so that when the renovations are done, the bandshell can offer programs for the community at least once a week, such as movies, small concerts, skate night, and other performances.

Not only that, but the city is also planning a complete renovation of the entire park area from 72^nd to 73^rd streets, taking out the old bus stop and adding new landscaping that will make it feel more like a real park and less like a highway rest area. There will be new walkways, paths and lighting along with an electronic marquis for the bandshell that will announce community news and events.

The only thing that’s missing from the first phase of renovation is a walkway connecting the 72^nd Street entrance to the newly constructed beachwalk. This may happen later, but it is disappointing to see this important connection left on the sidelines. With the upcoming pedestrian improvements along 72nd Street that are part of the Capital Improvement Project for the North Shore Neighborhood, we will be inviting individuals to come to this park only to be guided to 73rd Street to access the beach.

Now is your opportunity to weigh in on the renovation plans for the park. There is a Community Design Review Meeting scheduled for Thursday, July 22^nd @ 6:30 PM at the North Shore Youth Center (501 72^nd Street). Please attend and let the city know what you think!

This is a long awaited project that will have a lasting impact on our community. “After almost a decade of hope, inspiration and hard work, we are about to embark upon the construction of UNIDAD’s Senior Center, an example of public-private partnerships at their best. We are excited; this new building will offer an array of services to local residents and the community at-large” says Margarita Cepeda-Leonardo, Executive Director for UNIDAD.

The Oceanfront Center is just one of three separate projects that encompass the complete renovation of Bandshell Park. On Thursday, July 22nd, there will also be a Community Design Review meeting for the plans to Bandshell Park. The community is encourged to attend this important meeting and provide their input for the proposed North Beach Bandshell Park plan. 

Thursday, July 22nd 6:30 PM
North Shore Youth Center
501 72nd Street

Additional information will be published later this week on the detailed plans for the park.

North Beach Bandshell Proposed Park Plan - High Resolution