Good things are finally happening for our beloved North Shore Park and the entire Bandshell District.

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!