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Miami River - Renaissance
After decades of neglect, the industrial Miami River is
now an urban redevelopment hotspot. Lofts, new restaurants
and high rises are transforming its banks. Can a balance
be struck between the historic waterway and the invasion
of urban chic? By Johanna Marmon
On a blustery morning at the beginning of August, a group
of about 40 children – all wearing their summer camp's
same brightly colored t-shirts – line up for roll
call at Bayside Marketplace's marina. After sounding off
to their names, the kids board a double-level tour boat
for a meandering ride along the Miami River, the 5.5-mile
long waterway that runs literally through the heart of Miami.
The tour, arranged by the Miami River Commission –
a 16-member group formed in 1998 by the state legislature
to serve as the river's watchdog – is meant to instill
in these children the importance of the waterway and its
role in Miami 's history.
As the boat churns out of Bayside's harbor and toward the
mouth of the river – where the ruddy water spills
into turquoise Biscayne Bay – it's hard not to feel
that this should be a required activity for any resident
of Miami , not just schoolchildren. It's like seeing the
city from an entirely new perspective, even as the lumbering
vessel slides past familiar landmarks. First there is Brickell
Key, with its cluster of condos and offices. Then comes
the Miami Circle , the ancient native burial ground that
was saved from development a couple of years ago and is
now set (pending a bill in the legislature) to become a
part of Biscayne National Park .
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