We’re excited to give an update on the Multipurpose Recreational Facility coming to Coral Reef Park and to announce how we are commemorating the stately Coral Reef Park oak tree! In fact, soon, “oak tree” will no longer be how we refer to the 100-year-old specimen. 

The proposed multipurpose facility is in the latter phase of design. Construction documents and the permitting phase will be the next step. Once completed, this building will be a hub that connects many of the existing elements at the park and provides a beautiful new venue to host community events such as summer camps, classes, workshops, school events, senior events, and much more! The new facility will stand in the same location as the park’s former recreation building, which was over 40 years old when it was removed for safety reasons in 2017.

Palmetto Bay contracted the firm of Bermello Ajamil & Partners, Inc. to design a new building that will provide the amenities residents want while maintaining Coral Reef Park’s natural beauty. Initial plans for the building were discussed at our two Parks Master Plan Public Workshops in 2022, where four possible locations for the building were shown on a map of the park. Alfredo Sanchez, the Senior Planner and Operating Project Manager for the design firm, told the audience at our second workshop that his firm had closely studied how the tree canopy and green spaces at all the proposed locations would be impacted.

“We analyzed the impact to vegetation, accessibility, and open spaces,” Sanchez reported, “and we decided that only the site of the former building would be considered. It’s the most logical place and it consolidates the activities around it. This is the only site that will meet what the community expressed and what makes sense in a park of this nature.”

While the site of the former building was deemed best overall, it did require the removal of several trees, including a mature oak. After receiving input from residents, the Village consulted our design firm to see if the proposed building could be moved slightly in order to spare the tree. Following an inspection by an arborist, the Village was excited to learn that by moving the footprint for the new building ten feet to the north, the venerable oak will only require slight pruning to remain standing tall and healthy at its current location.

Palmetto Bay has a long history of making the planting and care of our trees a priority. We were first named a “Tree City USA” by the Arbor Day Foundation in 2008 and have received the designation every year since then; we’ve given away free trees to residents each year during Earth Month since 2011, and trees are planted on Arbor Day by the winners of our Environmentalist of the Year awards; we’ve hired professionals to plant and restore endangered pine rockland areas throughout the Village; in 2023, 51 new trees were planted in District 3 and a majestic gumbo limbo tree that was removed during a Miami-Dade County road project was successfully replanted at Coral Reef Park; and in 2024, we launched a Tree of the Year program to recognize meaningful trees in our community.

Preserving the stately oak tree at Coral Reef Park continues our tradition of responsible conservation, and we believe a tree so beloved by its community deserves its own name. We welcome all residents to vote for their favorite choice! Please click the button below and vote by 5 pm this Friday, June 14, 2024! The big announcement will be made during the Zoning Hearing scheduled for Monday, June 17, 2024, at 7 pm.