Bay of Pigs Museum (Kinda) Moves Forward

Bay of Pigs Museum (Kinda) Moves Forward

Miami-Dade officials begrudgingly cleared the Bay of Pigs Museum & Library Monday to inch forward in its pitch to build a new center on a public slice of downtown waterfront.

They did so with marked reservation.

Last fall, museum supporters asked the county to consider handing over nearly three acres of Parcel B to build a five-story, $65 million museum dedicated to the Cuban exile experience. (The New Times wrote about the museum and vets in January.)

On Monday, the recreation & cultural affairs advisory group, which is made up of county commissioners, accepted a report concluding the project “could” be built on the spot. But few sounded like they “would” support a putting museum there – at least not in its current form.

Green space was a top concern. The county report points out that, in the past, Miami residents favored turning it into a park with space for picnicking, shade trees and pick-up soccer games. “The current plan lacks green open space, covering 88.6 % of the lot with building,” the report states.

Commissioner Katy Sorenson suggested supporters investigate other sites. “This makes me a little nervous to be moving along this track,” she said.

A museum board member tried to quell concerns. “We are certainly flexible and willing to incorporate any other uses that are reasonable,” Nick Guiterrez said. “We think it’s about time that residents can actually enjoy Parcel B and we think that our plan is the most inclusive.”

--Janine Zeitlin