Phases

Miami
Miami River to SW 13th Street (Coral Way)

About Phase 1: The first phase of The Underline opened to the public on Friday, February 26, 2021. Named the “Brickell Backyard,” this first segment of the 10-mile linear park and trail is half a mile long and will run from the Miami River to Coral Way, encompassing the northernmost portion of The Underline.

The design for the Brickell Backyard by James Corner Field Operations is organized by a procession of “rooms,” each articulated with a unique program and design intent that directly responds to its immediate context and to the needs of the local community.

Feature areas:
The River Room, offers a unique vantage point to views of the Miami River and includes butterfly gardens and a dog-friendly area, and much needed meditative, open, green space for residents and their pets (between Miami River and SW 7th St)
The Urban Gym, an active recreation space sponsored by Baptist Health South Florida with flex court for basketball and mini-pitch soccer sponsored by Swire Properties has spectator seating and areas for strength training and stretching, and spaces for group classes. A running track wraps around the Urban Gym with a 14-foot fence (between SW 7th and SW 8th Street)
The Promenade, a public walkway with pedestrian and bicycle dedicated paths punctuated by a series of rooms that promote social interaction (between SW 8th St and SW 10th St/Brickell Metrorail Station)
● Game room with individual tables for chess, checkers and dominoes lines the area along the east side of SW 1st Court.
● Dining room featuring 50-foot long communal table seats up to 50 people faces SW 1st Avenue.
● Sound stage plaza sponsored by Florida Power & Light provides comfortable places to gather for community events and programs or a space to watch the activity on The Underline.
The Oolite Room, a lush naturalized area featuring four butterfly gardens with seating of oolite boulders surround the dedicated bicycle and pedestrian paths, which run between the existing large oolite stone formations and directly beneath the Metrorail. (between SW 12th St and SW 13th St)

Goals and Priorities: Phase 2 is built on three key drivers: safe multi-modal transportation, nature, and community. Safety: safe biking and walking paths, lighting and improved crosswalks; Nature: native vegetation including trees, plants and grasses that support The Underline master plan for landscaping with a focus on pollinators supporting birds, bees and butterflies. Part of pre-construction efforts include soil remediation and botanical tree tagging for existing healthy trees.

Features: Phase 1 features numerous amenity areas that connect to the Brickell Metrorail and Metromover stations with numerous free community programs. Plus green infrastructure and below ground drainage that will help with stormwater flooding and runoff. Other notable project components include:
– The addition of 30,000 native plants and trees.
– (Canopy removed: 195,858 square feet, Canopy replaced: 266,700 square feet)
– Resting and seating areas along the paths with oolitic limestone boulders and seat walls.
– Hydration stations at the amenities.
– Bike repair station at the Urban gym
– Bike racks throughout.
– Dog friendly with doggie bag dispensers throughout.
– Trash and recycling receptacles throughout the corridor.
– LED lighting
– Free WiFi service at the Vizcaya and Simpson Park Playground areas.
– Public art
– Programmable areas for numerous public events, cultural, educational and health and wellness programs.

Length
0.5 miles

Progress
Now Open

Total Construction Cost
$16,524,258 

Design
James Corner Field Operations

Miami-Dade County Contractor
Central Pedrail

Construction Funding
$7,688,760 Miami-Dade County
$1,944,000 FDOT TAP Grant
$2,000,000 State of Florida
$4,871,690 City of Miami
$19,808 FDOT

Miami
SW 13th Street to SW 19th Avenue

About Phase 2: Phase 2 of The Underline is a 2.14-mile segment that connects SW 13th St. to SW 19th Ave. Construction began Fall 2021 and is expected to be completed in the fall of 2023.

Amenities: There are three amenity areas in the plan for Phase 2, which include the Simpson Park Playground Area, Vizcaya Station Plaza, and 17th Avenue Plaza. See images of feature areas here.

Goals and Priorities: Phase 2 is built on three key drivers: safe multi-modal transportation, nature, and community. After many presentations, public meetings, surveys, and community feedback, two of the main public priorities are: Safety: safe biking and walking paths, lighting and improved crosswalks; Nature: native vegetation including trees, plants and grasses that support The Underline master plan restoration of the Pine Rockland, Hardwood Hammock, Pollinator and Wet Prairie ecosystems. Part of pre-construction efforts include the removal and relocation of trees along the Phase 2 segment. In preparation for this work, informational tags with QR codes are on trees that are being relocated and removed. Trees that are remaining are protected by orange fencing

Features: Phase 2 will also feature the project’s first of many bioswales, green infrastructure and below ground drainage that will help with stormwater flooding and runoff. Other notable project components include:

– The addition of 100,000 native plants and trees to attract butterflies, bees and birds including 1,000 trees.
– 36% increase in tree shade canopy Tree canopy increase: 36%*
(Canopy removed: 195,858 square feet, Canopy replaced: 266,700 square feet)
– Resting areas along the path with oolitic limestone boulders or benches.
– Hydration stations at the amenities.
– Bike repair station at Vizcaya Metrorail station.
– Bike racks at all amenities.
– Dog friendly with doggie bag dispensers at each amenity area and pet water bowls.
– Trash and recycling receptacles throughout the corridor.
– LED lighting that is Dark Sky compliant.
– Green infrastructure: Bioswale native landscaping with natural infiltration planting.
– Free WiFi service at the Vizcaya and Simpson Park Playground areas.
– Public art
– Programmable areas for numerous public events, cultural, educational and health and wellness programs.

Length
2.14 miles

Progress
Under Construction

Public Meetings & Webinar
Public Meeting #1 12/9/20 presentation here and Poll results here.
Public Meeting #2 5/25/21 presentation here and Poll results here.
Webinar Landscape meeting #3 1/19/22 presentation here.

Phase 2 Fact Sheet here

Construction Advisories:
Advisory 1 Detours here
Advisory 1 here
Advisory 2 here
Advisory 3 here
Advisory 4 here
Advisory 5 here
Advisory 6 here
Advisory 7 here

Total Construction Cost
$20,115,110

Miami-Dade County Contractor
Lead Construction

Link to Miami-Dade County Underline Phase 2 page here

Contacts:
Underline staff: info@theunderline.org
Underline Phase 2 Construction information: theunderline@miamidade.gov
FPL undergrounding transmission lines: Nick Howard at (239) 994-7770.

Construction Funding
$8,572,243, State of Florida
$8,000,000, Miami-Dade County
$3,572,243 City of Miami

Miami, Coral Gables, South Miami, Unincorporated Miami-Dade County
SW 19th Avenue to Dadeland South Metrorail Station

About Phase 3:
Phase 3 of The Underline is a 7.36-mile segment that connects SW 19th Ave to its terminus at the Dadeland South Metrorail station Kiss and Ride Facility. The construction contract between Miami-Dade County and NV2A Central Joint Venture was approved for award by the Board of County Commission on October 18th, 2022

Amenities: There are a number of planned amenity areas that will be reviewed at a series of public meetings.

Goals and Priorities: Phase 3 is built on three key drivers: safe multi-modal transportation, nature, and community. These priorities were created through a series of public and community input meetings during the Master Plan, Phase 1 and Phase 2 design processes.
Safety: safe biking and walking paths, lighting and improved crosswalks;
Nature: native vegetation including trees, plants and grasses that support The Underline master plan restoration of the Pine Rockland, Hardwood Hammock, Pollinator and Wet Prairie ecosystems.

Scope of Work:
This project involves the completion of The Underline from SW 19th Avenue to its terminus near the Dadeland South Metrorail Station Kiss and Ride Facility. The Underline, upon completion of this contract, will be a 10-mile linear mobility corridor below the Metrorail. Design-Build services for the Project are required for approximately 7.36 miles of improvements running within or parallel to Miami-Dade County Metrorail’s Right-of-Way (ROW) and sometimes within adjacent municipality ROW that includes separate paved off-street bicycle and pedestrian paths, two pedestrian/bicycle bridges over small waterways/canals, native landscaping, site furniture and equipment, wayfinding signage, pavement markings, intersection improvements, lighting, drainage, environmental remediation, Wi-Fi and security infrastructure, and reconfiguration of parking lots. Services will include, but are not limited to: civil, landscaping, electrical, and drainage design, surveys, geotechnical, permitting, signage, leading public meetings, including their coordination and participation, coordination of all utilities with the Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW), Water and Sewer Department and utility companies, soil remediation, air monitoring plan, air monitoring during construction, reporting, dust control plan, health and safety plan, soils management plan and documents required by the Department of Environmental Resources Management’s Pollution Remediation Section, coordination of aspects of the design with the DTPW, Friends of The Underline, City of Miami, City of Coral Gables, City of South Miami and Miami-Dade County, construction and any ancillary tasks necessary to design and build the Project and comply with the commitments submitted to the Federal Transit Administration in the project’s National Environmental Policy Act checklist.

Tree protection, relocation, or replacement: Part of pre-construction efforts include the removal and relocation of trees along the Phase 3 segment. In preparation for this work, trees that remain are protected by orange fencing. For trees being relocated or replaced, informational tags with QR codes will be on those trees prior to any project work.

Features: Phase 3 will also feature numerous bioswales, green infrastructure and below ground drainage that will help with stormwater flooding and runoff. Other notable project components include:
– The addition of 400,000 native plants and trees to attract butterflies, bees and birds including 3,000 trees.
– Resting areas along the path with oolitic limestone boulders or benches.
– Hydration stations at the amenities.
– Bike repair stations in various locations,
– Bike racks at all amenities.
– Dog friendly with doggie bag dispensers at each amenity area and pet water bowls.
– Trash and recycling receptacles throughout the corridor.
– LED lighting that is Dark Sky compliant.
– Green infrastructure: Bioswale native landscaping with natural infiltration planting.
– Free WiFi service
– Public art
– Programmable areas for numerous public events, cultural, educational and health and wellness programs.
– Micromobility hub.
– Improvements to 24 intersections along US1

Length
7.36 miles

Progress
Project Awarded to Design/Build Team: NV2A Central Joint Venture, Contract # CIP235-DTPW20-DB on 10/18/2022 by the Miami Dade Board of County Commission.
Total Work days from Notice to Proceed 973 days

Total Construction Cost
$92,975,389.50

Public Meetings
Phase 3 Public Meeting Cycle #1
Thursday, December 8, 6:30-8 PM Vizcaya Village Garage: meeting recording here.
Saturday, December 10, 10-11:30 AM Coral Gables Museum: meeting recording here.
Public Meeting Cycle #1 final report here.

Construction Funding:
$50,549,394.50 Miami-Dade County
$22,360,552 – USDOT Build Program
$7,585,443 City of Miami Park Impact Fees
$7,380,000 City of Coral Gables Park & Mobility Impact Fees
$4,500,000 FDOT
$600,000 Developer Fees/Contributions