The City of Miami Beach, in collaboration with the Sabrina Cohen Foundation and Miami-Dade County, is in the process of developing the Sabrina Cohen Foundation Adaptive Recreation Center at 5301 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida 33140, which will consist of a building for community wellness and recreation programs focusing on persons of all abilities, along with associated public, outdoor facilities and amenities.  

The Sabrina Cohen Foundation Adaptive Recreation Center will be unique in Florida and the United States as it will provide access to the beach as well as a state-of-the-art health and wellness facility for City residents, tourists worldwide and visitors living with disabilities and mobility challenges.

The Sabrina Cohen Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to developing adaptive fitness and recreational programs that provide a better quality of life for individuals living with paralysis and various disabilities since 2016.  The Foundation has hosted Adaptive Beach Days twice a month to provide access to the beach and ocean for the public, including disabled individuals, veterans, children with special needs, and the elderly.  The project will be developed in two phases, consisting of the outdoor public access space and amenities as Phase 1 to allow for year-round access to the beach, and the Center as Phase 2.  The Center and outdoor public access space will be equipped with adaptable playgrounds, picnic areas, accessible walkways, exercise equipment and additional quality of life improvements for the community at large.  The Center and surrounding outdoor public space will put Miami Beach, Miami-Dade County, South Florida, and Florida on the map as a welcoming and accommodating destination for those with disabilities and their families.  The goal is to improve the quality of life and make the County an accessible place for residents and visitors.  The project will, most importantly, be an invaluable amenity and service to County residents and visitors that are physically disabled and will allow them to enjoy the beach.

On April 20, 2021, this Miami-Dade County Board of County Commission approved Resolution No. R-257-21 allocating $577,000 to the City for the design and construction of the public infrastructure improvements associated with Phase 1 of the project.  On June 23, 2021, the City Commission adopted Resolution No. 2021-31751 allocating up to $2.5 million to match future donations for the design and construction of the Center in phase 2.  On September 13, 2021 the City Commission adopted Resolution No. 2021-31853 approving the submittal of an Appropriations Request to the State for the project.  To date, the Foundation has raised nearly $700,000 in individual donations and continues to aggressively fundraise.  The design and construction of the Center in phase 2 is projected to cost $10.5 million; and the success of the project is contingent on securing additional funding. 

Based on the aforestated Analysis, the Administration recommends that the Mayor and City Commission adopt this Resolution urging the United States Congress and the Florida Legislature to provide funding for the Sabrina Cohen Foundation Adaptive Park and Recreation Center and affirm their full support for the project.