The Miami-Dade Park and Recreation Department (MDPR) and Miami-Dade County District 9 Commissioner Dennis C. Moss invite residents to join them on Saturday, Apr. 9, at 10 a.m., for the grand opening of the new community stadium facilities at Southridge Park, 19598 SW 112 Ave.
The event includes a ribbon-cutting ceremony with county dignitaries and officials, followed by a relay track meet featuring more than 200 youth who participate in MDPR’s sport development program.
“This active community park is a true gem in our Miami-Dade Parks system,” said MDPR director Jack Kardys. “These much needed enhancements will better serve the growing number of neighboring schools who utilize these facilities for their athletic events, as well as the multitude of sports fans who turn out to watch them play.”
Visitors attending the event will see new additions to the east side of the park’s stadium, which include a 5,232-square-foot field building with ticket counters, a concession area and restrooms; bleacher seating for 1,512 sports fans; a lighted parking area with connecting walkways, and a perimeter fence. There also is a new electronic scoreboard with video display and a public address system. These improvements complete the second phase of development for this community stadium project.
MDPR’s design and construction team worked collaboratively with consultants from Architeknics, Chisolm Architects and NAC Construction on this project. The total cost for the project was $3,632,000 and was made possible with funds from Building Better Communities Bond Program (GOB), Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond Program (SNP), the Quality Neighborhood Improvement Program (QNIP) and park impact fees.
The 16.1-acre community park also contains a lighted baseball field; a lighted football/soccer field, encircled by a track, and a similar field building and bleachers on the west side of the complex, which were all installed in 2001.
The stadium development is a direct result of community input in the wake of the wide-spread devastation that Miami- Dade suffered from Hurricane Andrew in 1992, which became part of “The Moss Plan,” a landmark community revitalization initiative sponsored by Commissioner Moss, focusing on needy neighborhoods in South Dade. The track was constructed through MDPR’s partnership with the Miami-Dade County School Board. Future plans include an aquatics facility on the park’s east side, just south of its new parking lot.
“Through its development, Southridge Park has evolved into a significant civic core where residents and their children can gather and enjoy outdoor sports activities,” Commissioner Moss said. “This community and its schools will continue to benefit from this landmark park for generations to come.”
The Miami Spartans minor league football team has practiced at this site for the past two years. The park’s adjoining neighbor Miami Southridge Senior High School also utilize these facilities, as well as a host of other public and private schools from the neighboring area, including Choice Preparatory School, Southwest Senior High School, Felix Varela Senior High School, John A. Ferguson Senior High School, Coral Reef Senior High School, and Solid Rock High School.
The park offers accommodations for a host of youth athletic events and activities from track meets and football games to lacrosse and soccer tournaments. Teams also can rent the park’s softball field.
For more information and directions to the park, call 786-293-4549. For information about MDPR call 3-1-1 or visit online at www.miamidade.gov/parks.
