To date, Senator Garcia has successfully secured 6 million dollars in State funding toward the completion of The Underline.

Miami, Florida —On Wednesday, July 20th, 2022 State Senator Ileana Garcia, who fought to secure 3 million dollars in state appropriations this past legislative session, will be joined by The Department of Transportation & Public Works, the Parks, Recreation & Open Spaces Department with Friends of The Underline for the check presentation.

The 120 acres belonging to Miami-Dade County is being into an innovative world-class 10-mile linear park and urban trail connecting the Metrorail guideway from Miami River all the way to Dadeland South. Set to be constructed in three phases and completed by 2025, the mobility initiative will be developing an open space through outdoor programming, events, and activities for both the community and visitors alike. With an investment of up to $15 million, the project has succeeded in because of the effective legislative work of Senator Garcia to secure a total of six million dollars in the last two years.

“During the last two legislative sessions, I’ve been honored to successfully secure 6 million dollars toward the completion of The Underline. This is an initiative that I have greatly enjoyed fighting for because it’s innovative, tackles a real challenge in our community has a direct impact on the quality of life of hundreds of thousands of families,” stated Senator Garcia. The state funds will go towards funding the necessary acquisition and installation of on-site furniture such as water fountains, signage, bicycle stations, and Wi-Fi. Aesthetically appealing recreational features are also part of the proposal with playgrounds, picnic areas, soccer fields, basketball and volleyball courts, exercise equipment, dog parks, and even an enchanting butterfly garden.

A multitude of benefits can be expected from the expansion. It will improve quality of life starting with decongestion of traffic, boosted safety, and connectivity. Increased mass transit use will also minimize the amount of CO2 levels emitted into the atmosphere and provide the city with over one thousand projected job openings from construction to operations.