According to the site plan drawings, even the historic, Jim "Sunny" Fitzsimmons tree lined path appears vanished. The 350 to 400 flamingoes that make Hialeah their home will be probalby be shocked and scared off by the massive construction work, dust and debris. The ones that survive will find that their open space and free flights have been replaced and impaired by concrete buildings all around them. The first mayor of the city of Hialeah (James Bright) donated public land for the people. Hialeah Park was public land owned by the city of Hialeah. How our city official handed this park over to the Brunetti family should be investigated by a federal agency. This is OUR park, rightfully so, and no one had the right to give it away. Please help in any way you can on getting the word out about this. Please help stop this massive development plan and let us reconquer our historic park.
Sincerely yours,
Milly Herrera
Hialeah, Florida
herrera101@aol.com
Is this Amelia Earhart park? If so, save the disc golf course!!!
ReplyDeleteHello blogger! I was at the reopening of the track back on Thanksgiving weekend and it was a great turnout, however, returning back this weekend there were only about 300-400 people there. Most of the bars that were open on opening weekend had been closed and the turnout was obviously a lot less. If the city does it the correct way, I believe the hotels and retail shops will probably bring in more money than the track is bringing in now and hotels will bring tourism. Also, it will bring jobs to the people of Hialeah. Of course, like I said, the city has to advertise it correctly and chose wisely on what hotel and shops they'd like to bring in. The surrounding area needs work too. There's a lot to look into but hopefully the city choses what is best for Hialeah and its people.
ReplyDeleteHialeah Park was never public land. The land was privately purchased and developed by Glenn Curtiss and James Bright for profit.
ReplyDeleteIn the 1920s, perhaps a race track in Hialeah could financially thrive on its own. But these are different times, and the park is no longer in the center of a pompous vacation destination for the rich and famous. Hialeah is a different place -- People live here now. It's a place for families, and moreso than ever a place for young professionals. Quarter horse racing is a weak draw. To stay profitable, the park (like any new development) should cater to its audience. It's a shame that locals drive so far for a nice movie theater, bowling alley, restaurant, cafe, bar, or nightclub. While this is great news for the cities of Miami Beach and Pembroke Pines, and great news for their residents, I would like to see the same entertainment options available right here in Hialeah. The people are craving it!
If citizens fight to keep the park "historic" in the purist sense, it will never be truly great again. Without profitability, how can anyone expect John Brunetti to continue investing in the park's restoration? Anyone who's been there recently (like Jessica) can see that there's much more work to be done within the main facilities alone. As for the rest of the land, I see countless benefits to putting it to better use (entertainment and jobs for the people of Hialeah).
I too would hate to see the flamingo colony leave the park permanently. But if the right precautions are taken to keep them comfortable, I think they'll be safe. These are resilient creatures. After all, they survived the dust, wind, and thunder of several hurricanes.
Curtiss and Bright purchased land (this is true), but they also donated land for "profit" in order to bring the rich and famous here and help make money for their cities. The golf course in Miami Springs and Hialeah Park in Hialeah were such pieces of public land. Hialeah Park was owned by the city of Hialeah and "leased" to John Brunetti in 1977 under a contract that stipulated that, should he lose his racing license before the 30-year lease agreement (which he did in 2001), the city could obtain the park back from him. The contact between the city of Hialeah and Brunetti can be requested from the Hialeah City Clerk's office by a public records request (some pages may be missing...). Only an expert in birds can tell us for sure what impact a massive development plan would have on the flamingoes. A good history book on Hialeah, the Internet, various media sources, and older race enthusiasts familiar with John Brunetti and Hialeah Park can offer you valuable information. Also, and as far as I know, the city council nor the citizens of Hialeah ever voted to give up this piece of public land.
ReplyDeleteDEAR HIALEAH RESIDENTS
ReplyDeleteHIALEAH RESIDENTS SHOULD GET INVOLVED IN HELPING TO STOP BRUNETTI, THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR JULIO ROBAINA FROM TURNING THIS HISTORIC PARK INTO A MANGO HILL OR AN AREA THAT LOOKS LIKE WHAT'S WEST OF THE PALMETTO. I HAVE LIVED IN HIALEAH SINCE 1969 AND SEEN THINGS HAPPEN FOR THE WORST. IF THEY OVERDEVELOP, THE TRAFFIC IS ALSO GOING TO BE UNBEARABLE IN THAT AREA. PLEASE CONTACT THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR ROBAINA TO TELL THEM TO PRESERVE THIS BEAUTIFUL PARK. IF THEY DON'T LISTEN TO US, LET'S STAND OUR GROUND AND VOTE THEM OUT OF OFFICE NEXT ELECTIONS!
THANK YOU
LUIS PEREZ
HIALEAH RESIDENT