Museum Park Remediation Underway
September 20, 2010 by Lucas Lechuga
Late last week, I was showing a condo at 900 Biscayne Bay and looked down at the Museum Park remediation work that is well underway. The remediation process should be completed this November. Construction of the Miami Art Museum building will then begin and delivery is scheduled for sometime in 2013. The Miami Science Museum building will break ground in 2011 and is projected to be completed in 2014. Once complete, Museum Park will be a great addition to the neighborhood and should have a positive impact on the values of Park West condos in the area.
Finally. That is great news and the start of good things for that area of town.
Of course the art museum won’t actually show up until 2014-2015, but still great news for that area. The museums will be a powerful valuation catalyst for the 4 buildings in front of it.
What was on that site in the past? was it a toxic waste site or something?They should just throw up another skyscraper condo and be ready for the next R.E. BOOM thats coming!!!!! Anyone agree with that??
The site was home to the original Port of Miami before it was moved to Dodge island. As such its soil is home to all sorts of sludge due to serving as a 1920’s through 1940’s era port (an era not exactly known for strict environmental regulations).
Here is an excerpt from a Miami Herald article on the park:
Soil tests conducted at the site several years ago found elevated levels of arsenic in the soil, as well as some petroleum residue, presumably from the Belcher Oil terminal once located there. Testing also uncovered two abandoned underground gasoline tanks in the park, remnants of service stations once located along Biscayne Boulevard. Both tanks were promptly removed.
Though not alarmingly high, the levels of arsenic in the soil exceeded allowable standards. Its source is unclear, though arsenic often occurs naturally. Another possible source: material used to fill in the ship berths after the Port of Miami moved to nearby Dodge Island.
“It’s likely a combination of factors,” said Wilbur Mayorga, pollution-control chief of Miami-Dade’s Department of Environmental Resources Management. “Some arsenic concentrations are naturally occurring, and there may be inappropriate fill materials used prior to regulation.”
Dave:
A boarder-line superfund site! Next to the ocean! Perfect! Even the turf they removed is hazardous waste under RCRA! Break out the calculators – – the cost just went up and will sky-rocket!
scriv