Residents of North Beach have long known that this part of town is Miami Beach’s best kept secret. Before long, the rest of the world will be let in on the secret. The Altos Del Mar Sculpture Park has taken one more big step from dream to reality.

The park, the brainchild of Altos Del Mar residents Peter and Marlene Saile, will feature world-class sculpture from established artist of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries inter-mixed with a shaded garden oasis and cultural programming. The exhibitions will be in rotation – large sculptures every 18 months while the small to midsized sculptures will rotate every 12 months – offering visitors something new to see. The park will be open to the public 365 days a year and admission will be free. It will be located just north of the North Beach library on 76th Street, nestled between Collins Avenue and the beautiful beach boardwalk.

When fully opened to the public in November 2011, the park will focus the eye of the international art world on North Beach , providing a stimulus for other wonderful dreams to come true in this under-developed neighborhood.

In May, Miami Beach City Manager Jorge M. Gonzalez signed off on the preliminary plans for the park, which were designed by Les Beilinson of Beilinson Gomez Architects. The park is located on land owned by the city and currently is mostly just open field. The City Commission approved the initial concept in previous meetings, giving permission for the city to enter into a long-term management agreement with Altos Del Mar Sculpture Park to build and run the park and its rotating exhibits.

The city manager got a very early glimpse at what the park will look like in these initial plans. Beautiful, full-color renderings illustrated the Butterfly Vivarium, the Entrance Pavilion, the Tree Allées, the Lawn and the Pergola among others. You can check additional images at Altos Del Mar Sculpture Park.

City staff helped make the plans even better by suggesting reorienting the pavilion and parking lot to allow for the tree-lined walkways to grow better and provide a better flow for pedestrian wandering.

The next step for the Altos Del Mar Sculpture Park will be a review by the Historic Preservation Board, expected to occur in July. The HP board will be looking at the latest plans, which include a full landscape design created by landscape architect Orlando Comas.

Comas, a visionary landscape architect noted for his lush tropical designs. Comas’ vision of creating enchanting and soothing outdoor oasis will work hand-in-hand with the overall concept of ArquitectonicaGEO’s Margarita Blanco. Blanco had the brilliant thought that the park should incorporate the look and feel of its surrounding environment on a limestone and sand barrier island on the ocean.

In line with this concept, the park is divided into natural “rooms”: the Dunefield, the Maritime Garden , the Tree Allées and the Lawn. Within this stimulating outdoor museum, people can meander along different-colored pathways, discovering sculptures from the 19^th – 21^st centuries along the way.

All paths eventually lead to the park’s center, where the community programs will take place. These programs will include free community art classes, fitness, entertainment, and social services aimed at the community, including outreach services for the homeless and unemployed.

At the entrance the park will feature a touchable, playful sculpture resembling a jungle gym that will be commissioned by ADMSP as its logo.

Comas is currently hard at work choosing the mix of trees for the Tree Allées, the maritime planting palette for the Maritime Garden, the grass for the Lawn, the dunes and their coastal plantings for the Dunefield. He is also picking recyclable, sustainable landscaping materials that will be used to create the pathways and sculpture display areas.

“I’m absolutely thrilled that the city came forward in partnership with the professionals, entrepreneurs, community leaders and activists who have been working to make the Altos Del Mar Sculpture Park a reality since 2004,” said ADMSP chairman Peter Saile.

“Without the energy and support of the city manager and his staff and the Mayor and Commission, this incredible opportunity to literally transform a neighborhood through culture would not be possible.”

The ADMSP group is now launching a social media campaign called “This Focus Focus (not Hocus Pocus!)” to raise awareness about the park project. Visit the ADMSP  social media site to stay informed and and to participate in the development of the park.  The group is also embarked on a very promising fundraising campaign which is already proving successful.

“ADMSP would like to thank Jorge M. Gonzalez, the city staff, Les Beilinson, and everyone else involved in the collective effort to achieve yet another milestone in its development towards achieving its mission,” Saile said. “I can’t wait to see what happens next.”

Here is a peak: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opF4zQozSgA[/youtube]

Here are some images: