Altos Del Mar Park is located east of Collins Avenue between 76th and 77th Street and is one of the few remaining beach front parcels within Miami Beach that is designated park land. In 2014, the City began the process to develop the Master Plan for the park, and on July 23, 2014, following community workshops and presentations, the Commission approved the Master Plan. Subsequent to the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process, the City began the design of the park, including open lawn spaces, expanding walking paths, terraced seat walls, sand volleyball courts, a new restroom building and an area of approximately 4,000 square feet for a future playground.
On June 29, 2016, the City’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board unanimously recommended for the city to explore and build “functional art parks” at various locations, one of them being Altos del Mar Park.
The Historic Preservation Board (HPB) reviewed the Application for Certificate of Appropriateness for the design of a new park, showing a future playground location, and approved it on July 12, 2016. Subsequently, the Design team moved forward with completing the construction documents and obtained permits through various local and state agencies.
On October 18, 2017, Pursuant to Invitation for Bids (ITB) 2017-146-ZD, the Mayor and City Commission awarded a contract to West Construction, Inc., for the construction of the Altos Del Mar Park Project. The Office of Capital Improvement Projects issued the Notice to Proceed for the construction of the Project on April 12, 2018. Construction of the park and restroom building is currently underway.
During the Master Plan, Design and Construction Document phases, the playground component of the park was identified to be completed in the future (Attachment 1). Due to programming and funding constraints, it was not included in the project which is currently under construction. The Altos del Mar Playground project has currently been allocated $350,000.
Given the previous recommendations by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, and stated desire by Commission to provide unique, one of a kind playgrounds at the City’s parks, Altos del Mar Park presents an opportunity to provide a non-traditional thematic playground.
Several delivery methods have been evaluated with the intent of completing the playground in the shortest amount of time, and it was determined that the quickest delivery method would be the utilization of a piggy-back contract for playgrounds. In all cases, a non-traditional, thematic playground will be required to undergo the Historic Preservation Board review process. A summary of the options and project costs, inclusive of shade structure, poured-in-place rubberized safety surface, play features, benches, perimeter fencing and soft costs, are outlined below:
· Option 1, by Miracle Recreation, shows a custom fabrication with a lifeguard tower theme, mimicking some of the design elements of the City’s iconic towers. The total project estimate for this option is $850,000, with $350,000 already allocated, resulting in a funding shortfall of approximately $500,000 (Attachment 2).
· Option 2, by Advanced Recreational Concepts, shows a preliminary concept for a turnkey playground utilizing an oceanic theme and incorporates both cast climbing pieces and built forms, including marine life, lighthouse and shipwreck. The total project estimate for this option is $1 million, with $350,000 already allocated, resulting in a funding shortfall of approximately $650,000 (Attachment 3).
· Option 3, by Southern Recreation, shows a custom fabrication for a lifeguard tower playground theme. This proposal incorporates the aesthetic of the Miami Beach Lifeguard towers and turns them into a play feature. The total project estimate for this option is $900,000, with $350,000 already allocated, resulting in a funding shortfall of approximately $550,000 (Attachment 4).
· Option 4, also by Southern Recreation, shows a preliminary concept for a pirate shipwreck playground theme. This proposal incorporates standard play features in a thematic setting and layout. The total project estimate for this option is $700,000, with $350,000 already allocated, resulting in a funding shortfall of approximately $350,000 (Attachment 5).
The Administration will be presenting the options to the community in order to obtain feedback. Once a selection is made, and any necessary funding is identified, it is expected to take approximately 10-12 months to complete the project, inclusive of the Historic Preservation Board review process.