Miami Circle Seawall Project

On Friday, June 8, 2007 engineers with the firm Bermello Ajamil and Partners, Inc., working under contract with the Department of Management Services on the design for a new Miami Circle seawall, reported to the Division of Historical Resources that a portion of the old seawall at the site had collapsed. The area of collapse contains fill that was deposited on the property in the 1920s when the shoreline was initially fixed with a seawall. Deposits of fill exist behind the seawall throughout the property, extending horizontally at least 20 feet or more shoreward of the seawall. No archaeological deposits were lost or damaged due to the seawall collapse.

Since the report of the collapse the Division has worked closely with several agencies and governments, including the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the United States Coast Guard, the Florida Department of Management Services, Miami-Dade County, the City of Miami and others to design and implement a remedial plan for removing collapsed portions of the old seawall and stabilize the shoreline. Positive and helpful response was immediate. Bunnell Foundation, Inc. was selected as the emergency marine contractor and completed the remedial work in July 2007. Removal of the fallen portion of the seawall is pending approval from the Army Corps of Engineers.

Plans are underway for construction of a new, permanent seawall and in November 2007 the Florida Inland Navigation District awarded the Florida Department of State $751,175.00 in grant funds to help with construction of the new seawall. Pending legislative approval of funding and issuance of environmental and building permits we anticipate that construction of the new seawall will begin in July or August 2008, with project completion in November or December 2008. The total project cost is currently estimated at $2.3 million and includes construction of the Miami River Greenway pedestrian path.

Everyone involved in this project has worked tirelessly since the news of the seawall collapse to first, ensure the safety of those near the site, including navigation of vessels near the seawall; and second, to ensure that the significant archaeological site is protected and cared for in an appropriate manner. We are committed to preserving the integrity of this valuable historic resource while ensuring the safety of Florida’s citizens. We would like to thank the agencies mentioned above for their quick response to our request for help in making this happen.

Posted January 7, 2008