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Bicentennial Park (Miami)
Encyclopedia
Bicentennial Park is a 30 acre (0.1214058 km²) public, urban park
in downtown
Miami, Florida
. The park opened in 1976 on the site of several slips served by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad
. It was named "Bicentennial Park" to celebrate the bicentennial of the United States
in that same year. Today, Bicentennial Park is maintained by Miami-Dade County Parks and Recreation Department, a public organization that manages all the parks within Miami. The park is bordered on the north by I-395, Metromover
, and the Miami Herald headquarters, on the south by the American Airlines Arena and Bayside Marketplace
, on the west by Biscayne Boulevard and on the east by Biscayne Bay
.
Bicentennial Park is served by the Metrorail
at Government Center Station and directly by the Metromover
's Eleventh Street Station and Park West Station.
Bicentennial Park is host to many large-scale events as the park can hold around 45,000 people. Some of these events include Ultra Music Festival
, a large, three-day music event, numerous rock concerts such as Warped Tour
, various conventions, concerts, as well as boat tours around Biscayne Bay. In March 2009, Bicentennial Park was set to host the Langerado
Music Festival, a large three day festival that was held at the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation every Spring since 2003, but was canceled due to poor ticket sales.
Seven blocks south, is Bicentennial Park's partner park, the 32 acre (0.12949952 km²) Bayfront Park
.
Bicentennial Park is currently undergoing a renovation to be renamed Museum Park for the construction of the new Miami Art Museum
and the Miami Science Museum
. Renovations include a complete revamp of the park as it is currently underutilized for large parts of the year. In December 2010, the Miami Art Museum began construction on its new building, due to be completed in early 2013.
, until it eventually moved to neighboring Dodge Island
in the mid-1960s. The port at what is today Bicentennial Park was then a bustling cargo, trade and passenger port, with the offices of Clyde Mallory Lines at the park. Once the port moved out to Dodge Island, the land was cleaned up of industrial residue from decades of port trade, and the park was designed, finally opening up in 1976, as Downtown's second large park after Bayfront Park
. The name "Bicentennial Park" signifies the bicentenary of the independence of the United States in that same year.
In May 1994, the Omni Loop of the Metromover
opened which brought a Metro station to Bicentennial Park. The station has since been temporarily closed since 1996, due to lack of use. In 2010, construction began on the new Miami Art Museum
in the new "Museum Park".
's Grand Prix of Miami
from nearby Bayfront Park
to Bicentennial Park. A 1.873 miles (3 km) circuit was laid out on park roads and adjacent portions of Biscayne Boulevard. After a hiatus in 1994, the event returned as the opening round of the 1995 IndyCar season. The circuit was run in the opposite direction (to prevent drivers who had raced there in previous years from having an advantage), and the race was won by Jacques Villeneuve
.
Urban park
An urban park, is also known as a municipal park or a public park, public open space or municipal gardens , is a park in cities and other incorporated places to offer recreation and green space to residents of, and visitors to, the municipality...
in downtown
Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The park opened in 1976 on the site of several slips served by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad
Seaboard Air Line Railroad
The Seaboard Air Line Railroad , which styled itself "The Route of Courteous Service," was an American railroad whose corporate existence extended from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line...
. It was named "Bicentennial Park" to celebrate the bicentennial of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in that same year. Today, Bicentennial Park is maintained by Miami-Dade County Parks and Recreation Department, a public organization that manages all the parks within Miami. The park is bordered on the north by I-395, Metromover
Metromover
The Miami Metromover, officially Metromover, is a free rapid transit automated people mover train system operated by Miami-Dade Transit in Miami, Florida, United States. Metromover serves Downtown Miami, Brickell, Park West and Omni neighborhoods. Metromover connects directly with Metrorail at...
, and the Miami Herald headquarters, on the south by the American Airlines Arena and Bayside Marketplace
Bayside Marketplace
Bayside Marketplace is a festival marketplace in Downtown Miami, Florida. It's in between Bayfront Park to the south end, and the American Airlines Arena to the north. As Bayside's name suggests, it wraps along the banks of the Biscayne Bay....
, on the west by Biscayne Boulevard and on the east by Biscayne Bay
Biscayne Bay
Biscayne Bay is a lagoon that is approximately 35 miles long and up to 8 miles wide located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida, United States. It is usually divided for purposes of discussion and analysis into three parts: North Bay, Central Bay, and South Bay. Its area is...
.
Bicentennial Park is served by the Metrorail
Metrorail (Miami)
The Miami Metrorail, officially Metrorail and commonly called the Metro, is the heavy rail rapid transit system of Miami, Florida, United States, serving the Miami metropolitan area. The Metro is operated by Miami-Dade Transit, a departmental agency of Miami-Dade County...
at Government Center Station and directly by the Metromover
Metromover
The Miami Metromover, officially Metromover, is a free rapid transit automated people mover train system operated by Miami-Dade Transit in Miami, Florida, United States. Metromover serves Downtown Miami, Brickell, Park West and Omni neighborhoods. Metromover connects directly with Metrorail at...
's Eleventh Street Station and Park West Station.
Bicentennial Park is host to many large-scale events as the park can hold around 45,000 people. Some of these events include Ultra Music Festival
Ultra Music Festival
Ultra Music Festival is an annual outdoor electronic music festival that occurs in March in the city of Miami usually during the annual Winter Music Conference. It is held in Downtown Miami in Bicentennial Park. It was a 1-day festival from 1999-2006, a 2-day festival from 2007-2010, and was a...
, a large, three-day music event, numerous rock concerts such as Warped Tour
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...
, various conventions, concerts, as well as boat tours around Biscayne Bay. In March 2009, Bicentennial Park was set to host the Langerado
Langerado
Langerado Music Festival is an annual music festival, taking place in early spring in South Florida, first organized in 2003 by Ethan Schwartz and Mark Brown. In 2008 the festival was held at the Seminole Big Cypress Indian Reservation in the Everglades...
Music Festival, a large three day festival that was held at the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation every Spring since 2003, but was canceled due to poor ticket sales.
Seven blocks south, is Bicentennial Park's partner park, the 32 acre (0.12949952 km²) Bayfront Park
Bayfront Park
Bayfront Park is a public, urban park in Downtown Miami, Florida on Biscayne Bay.-History:The park began construction in 1924 under the design plans of Warren Henry Manning and officially opened in March 1925. Beginning in 1980, it underwent a major redesign by Japanese-American modernist artist...
.
Bicentennial Park is currently undergoing a renovation to be renamed Museum Park for the construction of the new Miami Art Museum
Miami Art Museum
The Miami Art Museum is an art museum located in Downtown Miami, Florida, in the United States. It was founded in 1984 as the Center for the Fine Arts, and in 1996 became the Miami Art Museum...
and the Miami Science Museum
Miami Science Museum
The Miami Science Museum is an attraction located in the city of Miami, Florida USA. The museum itself also contains the Space-Transit Planetarium, Weintraub Observatory and a wildlife center. The museum is currently working to transplant the museum from its current location to Park West at...
. Renovations include a complete revamp of the park as it is currently underutilized for large parts of the year. In December 2010, the Miami Art Museum began construction on its new building, due to be completed in early 2013.
History
From the early 1900s to the mid-1960s, Bicentennial Park was the location of the Port of MiamiPort of Miami
The Dante B. Fascell Port of Miami is a seaport located in Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida, United States. It is connected to Downtown Miami by Port Boulevard, a bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. The port is located on Dodge Island, which is the combination of three historic islands that have...
, until it eventually moved to neighboring Dodge Island
Dodge Island
Dodge Island is an artificial island in downtown Miami, Florida, United States. It contains the neighboorhood of Port of Miami and the port Port of Miami, the largest cruise ship port on earth....
in the mid-1960s. The port at what is today Bicentennial Park was then a bustling cargo, trade and passenger port, with the offices of Clyde Mallory Lines at the park. Once the port moved out to Dodge Island, the land was cleaned up of industrial residue from decades of port trade, and the park was designed, finally opening up in 1976, as Downtown's second large park after Bayfront Park
Bayfront Park
Bayfront Park is a public, urban park in Downtown Miami, Florida on Biscayne Bay.-History:The park began construction in 1924 under the design plans of Warren Henry Manning and officially opened in March 1925. Beginning in 1980, it underwent a major redesign by Japanese-American modernist artist...
. The name "Bicentennial Park" signifies the bicentenary of the independence of the United States in that same year.
In May 1994, the Omni Loop of the Metromover
Metromover
The Miami Metromover, officially Metromover, is a free rapid transit automated people mover train system operated by Miami-Dade Transit in Miami, Florida, United States. Metromover serves Downtown Miami, Brickell, Park West and Omni neighborhoods. Metromover connects directly with Metrorail at...
opened which brought a Metro station to Bicentennial Park. The station has since been temporarily closed since 1996, due to lack of use. In 2010, construction began on the new Miami Art Museum
Miami Art Museum
The Miami Art Museum is an art museum located in Downtown Miami, Florida, in the United States. It was founded in 1984 as the Center for the Fine Arts, and in 1996 became the Miami Art Museum...
in the new "Museum Park".
Racing circuit
In 1986, promoter Ralph Sanchez moved the IMSA GT ChampionshipIMSA GT Championship
IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States and occasionally in Canada.-History:...
's Grand Prix of Miami
Grand Prix of Miami (IMSA)
The Grand Prix of Miami was an IMSA GT Championship race held in Downtown Miami, Florida, from 1983 until 1993. The race utilized a circuit in Bayfront Park from 1983 until 1985, and then moved to Bicentennial Park from 1986 until 1993.-Results:...
from nearby Bayfront Park
Bayfront Park
Bayfront Park is a public, urban park in Downtown Miami, Florida on Biscayne Bay.-History:The park began construction in 1924 under the design plans of Warren Henry Manning and officially opened in March 1925. Beginning in 1980, it underwent a major redesign by Japanese-American modernist artist...
to Bicentennial Park. A 1.873 miles (3 km) circuit was laid out on park roads and adjacent portions of Biscayne Boulevard. After a hiatus in 1994, the event returned as the opening round of the 1995 IndyCar season. The circuit was run in the opposite direction (to prevent drivers who had raced there in previous years from having an advantage), and the race was won by Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve, , is a Canadian musician and automobile racing driver. He is the son of the late Formula One driver Gilles Villeneuve, and is the namesake of his uncle...
.
Race results
| Year | Date | Winning Driver | Car | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IMSA GT Championship IMSA GT Championship IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States and occasionally in Canada.-History:... |
||||
| 1986 1986 IMSA GT Championship season The 1986 Camel GT Championship season was the 16th season of the IMSA GT Championship auto racing series. It was for GTP and Lights classes of prototypes, as well as Grand Tourer-style racing cars which ran in the GTO and GTU classes... |
March 2 |  Bob WollekBob Wollek Bob Wollek , nicknamed "Brilliant Bob", was a race car driver from Strasbourg, France. He was killed on March 16, 2001 at age 57 in a road accident in Florida while riding a bicycle back to his accommodation after the day's practice sessions for the following day's race, the 12 Hours of...  Paolo BarillaPaolo Barilla Paolo Barilla is a former Formula One driver who raced for the Minardi team. Paolo is one of the heirs of the vast Barilla pasta empire.Barilla started racing in 1975 and won the Italian 100cc karting title in 1976... |
Porsche 962 Porsche 962 The Porsche 962 was a sports-prototype racing car built by Porsche as a replacement for the 956 and designed mainly to comply with IMSA's GTP regulations, although it would later compete in the European Group C formula as the 956 had... |
Bayside Leven Racing |
| 1987 1987 IMSA GT Championship season The 1987 Camel GT Championship season was the 17th season of the IMSA GT Championship auto racing series. It was for GTP and Lights classes of prototypes, as well as Grand Tourer-style racing cars which ran in the GTO and GTU classes... |
March 1 |  Elliott Forbes-RobinsonElliott Forbes-Robinson Elliott Forbes-Robinson is a road racing racecar driver. He is known for his race wins and championships in many different series, including the American Le Mans Series , Super Vee, Trans-Am Series, CanAm, IMSA GTU, and the World Challenge. He is known in NASCAR circles as a road course ringer...  Geoff BrabhamGeoff Brabham Geoff Brabham is an Australian racing driver. He is the son of three-time Formula One World Champion Jack Brabham. Brabham spent the majority of his racing career in the United States. He raced successfully in CART early in his career. In ten appearances in the Indianapolis 500, with a best result... |
Nissan GTP ZX-T | Nissan Electramotive Engineering |
| 1988 1988 IMSA GT Championship season The 1988 Camel GT Championship season was the 18th season of the IMSA GT Championship auto racing series. It was for GTP and Lights classes of prototypes, as well as Grand Tourer-style racing cars which ran in the GTO and GTU classes... |
February 28 | Price Cobb Price Cobb Price Cobb won the 1990 24 Hours of Le Mans together with John Nielsen and Martin Brundle in a Jaguar XJR-12. He also owned an Indy Racing League team in 1998 and 1999 for Roberto Guerrero and Jim Guthrie...  James WeaverJames Weaver (racing driver) James Weaver is a British former racing driver. He began his career in the European F3. In 1982 he was the Eddie Jordan Racing team's primary driver, but in 1983 he went back to the European F3. He debuted in the British Touring Car Championship in 1989 at the Oulton Park circuit in March that year... |
Porsche 962 Porsche 962 The Porsche 962 was a sports-prototype racing car built by Porsche as a replacement for the 956 and designed mainly to comply with IMSA's GTP regulations, although it would later compete in the European Group C formula as the 956 had... |
Dyson Racing Dyson Racing Dyson Racing is a professional sports car racing team based in Poughkeepsie, New York in the United States. Founded by Rob Dyson in 1974, the team is one of the longest-running and most successful privateer racing organizations. Over the years, it has competed in IMSA GTO and GTP, SCCA Trans-Am,... |
| 1989 1989 IMSA GT Championship season The 1989 Camel GT Championship season was the 19th season of the IMSA GT Championship auto racing series. It was for GTP and Lights classes of prototypes, as well as Grand Tourer-style racing cars which ran in the GTO and GTU classes, as well as a tube-frame American Challenge class during select... |
March 5 | Geoff Brabham Geoff Brabham Geoff Brabham is an Australian racing driver. He is the son of three-time Formula One World Champion Jack Brabham. Brabham spent the majority of his racing career in the United States. He raced successfully in CART early in his career. In ten appearances in the Indianapolis 500, with a best result... Chip RobinsonChip Robinson Chip Robinson is a retired race car driver. He drove in the IMSA Camel GT series and won the 1987 24 Hours of Daytona Chip Robinson (born March 29, 1954 in Philadelphia, PA) is a retired race car driver. He drove in the IMSA Camel GT series and won the 1987 24 Hours of Daytona Chip Robinson (born... |
Nissan GTP ZX-T | Nissan Electromotive Engineering |
| 1990 1990 IMSA GT Championship season The 1990 Camel GT Championship season was the 20th season of the IMSA GT Championship auto racing series. It consisted of GTP and Lights classes of prototypes, as well as Grand Tourer-style racing cars which ran in the GTO and GTU classes, as well as a tube-frame All-American Challenge class... |
October 6 | Geoff Brabham Geoff Brabham Geoff Brabham is an Australian racing driver. He is the son of three-time Formula One World Champion Jack Brabham. Brabham spent the majority of his racing career in the United States. He raced successfully in CART early in his career. In ten appearances in the Indianapolis 500, with a best result... Chip RobinsonChip Robinson Chip Robinson is a retired race car driver. He drove in the IMSA Camel GT series and won the 1987 24 Hours of Daytona Chip Robinson (born March 29, 1954 in Philadelphia, PA) is a retired race car driver. He drove in the IMSA Camel GT series and won the 1987 24 Hours of Daytona Chip Robinson (born... Bob EarlBob Earl Bob Earl is an American former racing driver from Claremont, California. He began racing in Formula Ford in 1972 and was the 1973 national champion... |
Nissan GTP ZX-T | Nissan Electromotive Engineering |
| 1991 1991 IMSA GT Championship season The 1991 Camel GT Championship and Exxon Supreme GT Series seasons were the 21st season of the IMSA GT Championship auto racing series. It was for GTP and Lights classes of prototypes, as well as Grand Tourer-style racing cars which ran in the GTO and GTU classes, as well as a tube-frame... |
April 7 |  Raul BoeselRaul Boesel Raul de Mesquita Boesel is a former racing driver who raced for the March and Ligier Formula One teams and later raced in Champ Car and the Indy Racing League.He won the 1987 World Sportscar Championship and the 1988 24 Hours of Daytona... |
Jaguar XJR-10 | TWR Tom Walkinshaw Racing Tom Walkinshaw Racing , was an auto racing team and engineering firm founded in 1976 by touring car racer Tom Walkinshaw.-History:TWR started by modifying BMW 3.0 CSLs, but soon was contracted to head Mazda's works program in the British Touring Car Championship. The TWR developed RX-7, with Win... |
| 1992 1992 IMSA GT Championship season The 1992 Camel GT Championship and Exxon Supreme GT Series seasons were the 22nd season of the IMSA GT Championship auto racing series. It was for GTP and Lights classes of prototypes, as well as Grand Tourer-style racing cars which ran in the GTS, GTO, and GTU classes... |
February 22 | Geoff Brabham Geoff Brabham Geoff Brabham is an Australian racing driver. He is the son of three-time Formula One World Champion Jack Brabham. Brabham spent the majority of his racing career in the United States. He raced successfully in CART early in his career. In ten appearances in the Indianapolis 500, with a best result... |
Nissan NPT-91A Nissan NPT-90 The Nissan NPT-90 was a racing car developed in 1990 for Nissan Motors by Nissan Performance Technology Incorporated , formerly known as Electramotive Engineering. It was a replacement for the highly successful GTP ZX-Turbo that had won the IMSA GT Championship in 1989... |
Nissan Performance Technologies |
| 1993 1993 IMSA GT Championship season The 1993 Camel GT Championship and Exxon Supreme GT Championship seasons were the 23rd season of the IMSA GT Championship auto racing series. It was the final year of the Camel GTP and Camel Lights prototype categories before they were replaced with the World Sports Car class of prototypes the... |
February 21 |  Juan Manuel Fangio IIJuan Manuel Fangio II Juan Manuel Fangio II is a former auto racing champion and the nephew of legendary auto racer Juan Manuel Fangio.... |
Eagle Mk III-Toyota | All American Racers |
| CART IndyCar World Series Champ Car Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race... |
||||
| 1995 | March 5 |  Jacques VilleneuveJacques Villeneuve Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve, , is a Canadian musician and automobile racing driver. He is the son of the late Formula One driver Gilles Villeneuve, and is the namesake of his uncle... |
Reynard Reynard Motorsport Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy... -Ford Cosworth |
Team Green |