A Skatepark Is The Centerpiece To This Miami Developer’s New Mixed-Use Concept
Miami is slated to get a new mixed-use hangout, with a skate park serving as the centerpiece.
The concept, dubbed SkateBird, will serve as a skating arena, shopping hub, event center and food hall.
The 32K SF facility — located at 533 Northeast 83rd St. in the mostly residential village of El Portal, just north of Little Haiti — is said to be a first for the state.
The open-air venue, set to have a soft opening this month, has a concrete plaza for street skateboarding and a pump track with a roof to protect from sun and rain.
The facility will also have a full-service kitchen and bar, its own skate shop, and pop-up micro-retail spaces — made from shipping containers — where artists, fashion designers or other vendors can sell their wares. It will also serve as a community hub, hosting events and musicians.
Customers can buy memberships for $75 per person, or a VIP membership that covers five people for a year for $3K. Those include access to skateboarding sessions, happy hours and events, plus discounts on food and merchandise.
The project is led by Miami-based Jonathan "Joner" Strauss, also the founder of Skateboard Supercross, or SBSX, a company that helped design 5,000 parks worldwide. With that concept, he aimed to build facilities all around the world, described on the company's website as “mini stadiums that provide a strong sense of community" based on "one of the most marketable and memorable sports in the action sports industry." He’s also envisioned skatepark resorts, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Strauss considers SkateBird to be "the newest concept in sports and entertainment," according to the Miami New Times.
"We're giving the answer as to what is lacking in public skateparks, which is there's never amenities for families to take advantage of, like shade structures, water fountains, or bathrooms," Strauss said to the outlet.
The facility aims to be inclusive with lessons for all ages. It will also sell its own brand of beer.
A grand opening is scheduled for Dec. 3-5, during Miami Art Week.
