Bayfront Park

Bayfront Park is a 32-acre (13 ha) public, urban park in Downtown Miami, Florida on Biscayne Bay. The Chairman to the trust is Ary Shaeban. Located in the park is a bronze statue of Christopher Columbus sculpted by Count Vittorio di Colbertaldo of Verona, one of Benito Mussolini’s hand picked ceremonial bodyguards known as the “Black Musketeers.”[1][2][3]

For other areas of the same name, see Bayfront Park (disambiguation).
Bayfront Park
Bayfront Park and Plaza in February 2020, with the Ferris Wheel under construction
TypeMunicipal
LocationDowntown, Miami, Florida, United States
Coordinates25.775°N 80.186°W / 25.775; -80.186
Area32 acres (13 ha)
Created1925
Operated byBayfront Park Management Trust
StatusCompleted
Public transit accessBayfront Park (Metromover station)

History
Historic Aerial Photograph of Bayfront Park in 1940

The park began construction in 1924 under the design plans of Warren Henry Manning and officially opened in March 1925.[4] Beginning in 1980, it underwent a major redesign by Japanese-American modernist artist and landscape architect, Isamu Noguchi. Today, Bayfront Park is maintained by the Bayfront Park Management Trust, a limited agency of the city of Miami, Florida.

Bayfront Park is bordered on the north by Bayside Marketplace and the American Airlines Arena, on the south by Chopin Plaza, on the west by Biscayne Boulevard and on the east by Biscayne Bay. Bayfront Park is host to many large events such as the New Year's ball drop, Christmas celebrations, concerts, the Bayfront Park Amphitheater, the Tina Hills Pavilion, as well as boat tours around Biscayne Bay.

Seven blocks north is Bayfront Park's partner park, the 30-acre (0.12 km2) Bicentennial Park. This park’s name has been changed to Museum Park and it is home to The Perez Art Museum and the Frost Science Museum.

In June 2020, the park's Ponce de Leon and Christopher Columbus statues were vandalized, though it was announced that they would not be removed.[5]

Site of assassination of Anton Cermak

On February 15, 1933, Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak was shot three times in the chest and mortally wounded while shaking hands with President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt in front of Bayfront Park by assassin Giuseppe Zangara. Along with Cermak, who died of his wounds 19 days later, four other people were hit by the gunman, one of whom also died.[6] A serious debate has ensued as to whether Zangara had been actually trying to assassinate Roosevelt instead of Cermak, however no firm evidence has been found out to prove this theory.

Further information: Anton Cermak § Assassination

Columbus Statue
Main article: Statue of Christopher Columbus (Miami)

A bronze statue of Christopher Columbus was placed in the park in 1952, donated by the city's Italian-American community.[7] The statue itself was sculpted by Count Vittorio di Colbertaldo of Verona, one of Benito Mussolini’s hand picked ceremonial bodyguards known as the “Black Musketeers.”[1][2][3] Colbertaldo doubled as the Musketeers's sculptor, producing statutes which commemorated the organization.[8] A second Columbus statue done by Colbertaldo is in Pioneer Park in San Francisco. On June 10th, 2020 the Columbus statue at Bayfront Park was spray-painted with red paint, symbolizing spilt blood, as an act of protest against the continued glorification of a man responsible for ushering in an era of exploitation and slaughter of Indigenous peoples by European colonizers.[9] The action was carried out by individuals protesting the murder of George Floyd and police brutality.[10]

Events

Bayfront Park holds the city's annual "America's Birthday Bash" on Independence Day, which attracted over 60,000 visitors in 2011. The park also hosts the city's official New Year's Eve party that annually hosts over 70,000 visitors. Visitors are encouraged to take public transport for events at Bayfront Park as parking can be scarce and expensive. The nearest Metrorail station is Government Center. From there a connection to the Metromover is available with three stops near the park, Bayfront Park, First Street, and College/Bayside.[11]

It has been the site of the Ultra Music Festival, an electronic dance music event. In 2018, Miami's commissioners barred the festival from being held downtown, citing complaints surrounding noise and the behavior of attendees, resulting in a relocation to Virginia Key.[12] The festival will return to the park in March 2021.[13]

Notable people
The large fountain on Biscayne Bay is a landmark in the park.
  • Caesar LaMonaca, was a composer and band leader for the City of Miami. His band gave musical performances in its Bayfront Park from 1928-1978. LaMonaca ended his lengthy tenure as the city’s musical maestro in 1978, after falling from the podium during a performance and breaking his hip.[14]

Facilities
  • The Bayfront Park Amphitheater has a seating capacity of 10,000 people: 2,672 fixed benches and 7,328 in the lawn.
  • The Tina Hills Pavilion is an open-air pavilion with a seating capacity of 1,000 people: 200 fixed seats and 800 in the lawn.

Auto racing

A series of motorsports events have taken place on a temporary street circuit at Bayfront Park dating back to 1983.

References
  1. "Miami - Christopher Columbus". statues.vanderkrogt.net. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  2. "Calexico Chronicle 21 March 1938 — California Digital Newspaper Collection". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  3. "Santa Cruz Sentinel 26 August 1957 — California Digital Newspaper Collection". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  4. "Public Pulse: Regarding Bayfront Park". Miami Daily News. 31 March 1925. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  5. https://wsvn.com/news/local/columbus-statue-at-bayfront-vandalized-during-march-in-downtown-miami-to-protest-police-brutality/
  6. "Freedom of Information Act : Franklin D. Roosevelt (assassination attempt) [electronic resource]". Retrieved 2008-08-04.
  7. "Miami - Christopher Columbus". statues.vanderkrogt.net. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  8. "Calexico Chronicle 21 March 1938 — California Digital Newspaper Collection". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  9. Christopher Columbus at Bayfront Park in Miami has been vandalized, retrieved 2020-06-11
  10. Christopher Columbus at Bayfront Park in Miami has been vandalized, retrieved 2020-06-11
  11. "Miami-Dade Transit extends service for New Year's celebrations in downtown Miami". Miami-Dade County. December 29, 2011. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  12. "Ultra Music Festival gets new home on Virginia Key for at least one year". Miami Herald. Retrieved 2018-11-22.
  13. "ULTRA Music Festival to Return to Bayfront Park for its 22nd Edition". 25 July 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  14. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-04-29. Retrieved 2010-03-27.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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