Bayfront Park
Encyclopedia
Bayfront Park is a 32 acres (12.9 ha) public, urban park
in Downtown
Miami, Florida
on Biscayne Bay
.
. Today, Bayfront Park is maintained by the Bayfront Park Management Trust, a limited agency of the city of Miami.
Bayfront Park is bordered on the north by Bayside Marketplace
and the American Airlines Arena, on the south by Chopin Plaza, on the west by Biscayne Boulevard and on the east by Biscayne Bay
. Bayfront Park is host to many large events such as the New Year's ball drop, Christmas celebrations, concerts, the Bayfront Park Amphitheater, the Tina Hills Pavilion, as well as boat tours around Biscayne Bay.
Seven blocks north is Bayfront Park's partner park, the 30 acre (0.1214058 km²) Bicentennial Park
.
Mayor Anton Cermak
was shot three times in the chest and mortally wounded while shaking hands with President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt
in front of Bayfront Park by assassin Giuseppe Zangara
. Along with Cermak, who died of his wounds 19 days later, four other people were hit by the gunman, one of whom also died. A serious debate has ensued as to whether Zangara had been actually trying to assassinate Roosevelt instead of Cermak, however no firm evidence has been found out to prove this theory.
, which attracted over 60,000 visitors in 2011. The park also hosts the city's official New Year's Eve party that annually hosts over 70,000 visitors.
Out of date since renovations.
to Bayfront Park began in 1983, when the IMSA GT Championship
began the Grand Prix of Miami
. A 1.85 miles (3 km) circuit was laid out on the park roads and Biscayne Boulevard. IMSA races were held from 1983 until 1985. For 1986, the event moved to nearby Bicentennial Park
.
In 2002, the Grand Prix Americas, a joint CART
Champ Car
and American Le Mans Series
event, revived the Bayfront park circuit. A 1.387 miles (2.2 km) circuit utilized park roads and extended onto Biscayne Boulevard and 3rd and 4th Streets. In 2003, the layout was changed to drop the 3rd/4th Street loop and add a section on Biscayne Boulevard along the north end of the park.
Urban park
An urban park, is also known as a municipal park or a public park, public open space or municipal gardens , is a park in cities and other incorporated places to offer recreation and green space to residents of, and visitors to, the municipality...
in Downtown
Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
on Biscayne Bay
Biscayne Bay
Biscayne Bay is a lagoon that is approximately 35 miles long and up to 8 miles wide located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida, United States. It is usually divided for purposes of discussion and analysis into three parts: North Bay, Central Bay, and South Bay. Its area is...
.
History
The park began construction in 1924 under the design plans of Warren Henry Manning and officially opened in March 1925. Beginning in 1980, it underwent a major redesign by Japanese-American modernist artist and landscape architect, Isamu NoguchiIsamu Noguchi
was a prominent Japanese American artist and landscape architect whose artistic career spanned six decades, from the 1920s onward. Known for his sculpture and public works, Noguchi also designed stage sets for various Martha Graham productions, and several mass-produced lamps and furniture pieces,...
. Today, Bayfront Park is maintained by the Bayfront Park Management Trust, a limited agency of the city of Miami.
Bayfront Park is bordered on the north by Bayside Marketplace
Bayside Marketplace
Bayside Marketplace is a festival marketplace in Downtown Miami, Florida. It's in between Bayfront Park to the south end, and the American Airlines Arena to the north. As Bayside's name suggests, it wraps along the banks of the Biscayne Bay....
and the American Airlines Arena, on the south by Chopin Plaza, on the west by Biscayne Boulevard and on the east by Biscayne Bay
Biscayne Bay
Biscayne Bay is a lagoon that is approximately 35 miles long and up to 8 miles wide located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida, United States. It is usually divided for purposes of discussion and analysis into three parts: North Bay, Central Bay, and South Bay. Its area is...
. Bayfront Park is host to many large events such as the New Year's ball drop, Christmas celebrations, concerts, the Bayfront Park Amphitheater, the Tina Hills Pavilion, as well as boat tours around Biscayne Bay.
Seven blocks north is Bayfront Park's partner park, the 30 acre (0.1214058 km²) Bicentennial Park
Bicentennial Park (Miami)
Bicentennial Park is a public, urban park in downtown Miami, Florida. The park opened in 1976 on the site of several slips served by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad. It was named "Bicentennial Park" to celebrate the bicentennial of the United States in that same year...
.
Site of assassination of Anton Cermak
On February 15, 1933, ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
Mayor Anton Cermak
Anton Cermak
Anton Joseph Cermak was the mayor of Chicago, Illinois, from 1931 until his assassination by Giuseppe Zangara in 1933.-Early life and career:...
was shot three times in the chest and mortally wounded while shaking hands with President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
in front of Bayfront Park by assassin Giuseppe Zangara
Giuseppe Zangara
Giuseppe Zangara was the assassin of Chicago mayor Anton Cermak, though United States President–elect Franklin Delano Roosevelt may have been his intended target. Roosevelt escaped injury, but five people were shot including Cermak.- Early life :Zangara was born in Ferruzzano, Calabria, Italy...
. Along with Cermak, who died of his wounds 19 days later, four other people were hit by the gunman, one of whom also died. A serious debate has ensued as to whether Zangara had been actually trying to assassinate Roosevelt instead of Cermak, however no firm evidence has been found out to prove this theory.
Events
Bayfront Park holds the city's annual "America's Birthday Bash" on Independence DayIndependence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
, which attracted over 60,000 visitors in 2011. The park also hosts the city's official New Year's Eve party that annually hosts over 70,000 visitors.
Notable people
- Caesar LaMonacaCaesar LaMonacaCaesar LaMonaca was the director of the Caesar LaMonaca Band which began performing concerts in 1926 for the city of Hollywood, Florida. After a hurricane hit the city of Hollywood, LaMonaca was hired by the city of Miami. His band gave concerts at Bayfront Park from 1929 until 1978...
, was a composer and band leader for the City of Miami. His band gave musical performances in its Bayfront Park from 1928-1978. LaMonaca ended his lengthy tenure as the city’s musical maestro in 1978, after falling from the podium during and breaking his hip.
Facilities
The Bayfront Park Amphitheater has a seating capacity of 10,000 people: 2,672 fixed benches and 7,328 in the lawn. The Tina Hills Pavilion is an open air pavilion with a seating capacity of 1,000 people: 200 fixed seats and 800 in the lawn.Out of date since renovations.
Racing circuit
Promoter Ralph Sanchez brought auto racingAuto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
to Bayfront Park began in 1983, when the IMSA GT Championship
IMSA GT Championship
IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States and occasionally in Canada.-History:...
began the Grand Prix of Miami
Grand Prix of Miami (IMSA)
The Grand Prix of Miami was an IMSA GT Championship race held in Downtown Miami, Florida, from 1983 until 1993. The race utilized a circuit in Bayfront Park from 1983 until 1985, and then moved to Bicentennial Park from 1986 until 1993.-Results:...
. A 1.85 miles (3 km) circuit was laid out on the park roads and Biscayne Boulevard. IMSA races were held from 1983 until 1985. For 1986, the event moved to nearby Bicentennial Park
Bicentennial Park (Miami)
Bicentennial Park is a public, urban park in downtown Miami, Florida. The park opened in 1976 on the site of several slips served by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad. It was named "Bicentennial Park" to celebrate the bicentennial of the United States in that same year...
.
In 2002, the Grand Prix Americas, a joint CART
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
Champ Car
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
and American Le Mans Series
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
event, revived the Bayfront park circuit. A 1.387 miles (2.2 km) circuit utilized park roads and extended onto Biscayne Boulevard and 3rd and 4th Streets. In 2003, the layout was changed to drop the 3rd/4th Street loop and add a section on Biscayne Boulevard along the north end of the park.
Race results
| Season | Winning Driver | Car | Team | Series | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 1983 IMSA GT Championship season The 1983 Camel GT Championship season was the 13th season of the IMSA GT Championship auto racing series. It was for GTP class prototypes and GTO and GTU class Grand Tourer-style racing cars... |
 Al HolbertAl Holbert Alvah Robert "Al" Holbert was an American automobile racing driver who was a five-time champion of the IMSA Camel GT series.- Life and career :... |
March 83G March Engineering March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from the United Kingdom. Although only moderately successful in Grand Prix competition, March racing cars enjoyed much better achievement in other categories of competition including Formula Two, Formula Three,... -Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
Holbert Racing | IMSA GT Championship IMSA GT Championship IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States and occasionally in Canada.-History:... |
|
| 1984 1984 IMSA GT Championship season The 1984 Camel GT Championship season was the 14th season of the IMSA GT Championship auto racing series. It was for GTP class prototypes and GTO and GTU class Grand Tourer-style racing cars... |
Doc Bundy Doc Bundy Doc Bundy is an American former race car driver who competed in the International Motor Sports Association. He drove in the 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans in a David Price Racing Panoz Esperante GTR-1...  Brian RedmanBrian Redman Brian Herman Thomas Redman is a British racing driver from England.... |
Jaguar XJR-5 | Group 44 | IMSA GT Championship IMSA GT Championship IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States and occasionally in Canada.-History:... |
|
| 1985 1985 IMSA GT Championship season The 1985 Camel GT Championship season was the 15th season of the IMSA GT Championship auto racing series. It was for prototypes in the existing GTP class and new, smaller Lights class, as well as Grand Tourer-style racing cars which ran in the GTO and GTU classes... |
Al Holbert Al Holbert Alvah Robert "Al" Holbert was an American automobile racing driver who was a five-time champion of the IMSA Camel GT series.- Life and career :... Derek BellDerek Bell (auto racer) Derek Reginald Bell MBE is a former racing driver from England who was extremely successful in sportscar racing, winning five times at Le Mans. He also raced in Formula One for the Ferrari, McLaren, Surtees and Tecno teams... |
Porsche 962 Porsche 962 The Porsche 962 was a sports-prototype racing car built by Porsche as a replacement for the 956 and designed mainly to comply with IMSA's GTP regulations, although it would later compete in the European Group C formula as the 956 had... |
Holbert Racing | IMSA GT Championship IMSA GT Championship IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States and occasionally in Canada.-History:... |
|
| Bicentennial Park Bicentennial Park (Miami) Bicentennial Park is a public, urban park in downtown Miami, Florida. The park opened in 1976 on the site of several slips served by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad. It was named "Bicentennial Park" to celebrate the bicentennial of the United States in that same year... (1986–1995), not held (1996–2001) |
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| 2002 |  Cristiano da MattaCristiano da Matta Cristiano Monteiro da Matta is an auto racing driver, winner of the American CART Championship in 2002, and former Formula One driver with the Toyota team.-Origins and early career:... |
Lola-Toyota | Newman/Haas Racing | CART Champ Car Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race... (report 2002 Grand Prix Americas The 2002 Grand Prix Americas was the sixteenth round of the 2002 CART FedEx Champ Car World Series season, held on October 6, 2002 on the Bayfront Park street circuit in Miami, Florida... ) |
|
 Frank BielaFrank Biela Frank Biela is an auto racing driver, mainly competing in touring cars and sportscar racing. He has raced exclusively in cars manufactured by the Audi marque since 1990....  Emanuele PirroEmanuele Pirro Emanuele Pirro is an Italian former Formula One driver and five time Le Mans 24 hour winner.- Biography :... |
Audi R8 Audi R8 Audi R8 can refer to*Audi R8 *Audi R8 *Audi R8R, a Le Mans prototype built by Audi for the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans*Audi R8C, a Le Mans prototype built by Audi for the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans... |
Audi Sport North America Audi Sport North America Audi Sport North America is a title used by auto manufacturer Audi for their sports car racing efforts in the American Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Two teams have raced under this title:... |
ALMS American Le Mans Series The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC... (report 2002 American Le Mans Challenge The 2002 Cadillac American Le Mans Challenge was the ninth round of the 2002 American Le Mans Series season. It took place on a temporary street circuit in Miami, Florida, on October 5, 2002.-Official results:Class winners in bold.-Statistics:... ) |
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| 2003 |  Mario DomínguezMario Domínguez Mario Domínguez is a Mexican racing driver. He has competed in the CART and CCWS Champ Car series and later the IndyCar Series.-Early career:Domínguez first began racing in 1987 driving go-karts... |
Lola-Ford Cosworth | Herdez Competition | CART Champ Car Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race... (report) |
|
 JJ Lehto Johnny HerbertJohnny Herbert John Paul Herbert is a British racing driver from England. He competed in Formula One, winning three races, and also in sports cars winning the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1991 driving a Mazda 787B... |
Audi R8 Audi R8 Audi R8 can refer to*Audi R8 *Audi R8 *Audi R8R, a Le Mans prototype built by Audi for the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans*Audi R8C, a Le Mans prototype built by Audi for the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans... |
ADT ADT Security Services ADT Security Services, originally American District Telegraph, now also known as simply ADT, is a division of Tyco International and a worldwide supplier of electronic security systems, fire alarm systems, communication systems, and integrated building management systems.-History:There were many... Champion Racing Champion Racing Champion Racing is a sports car racing team based in Pompano Beach, Florida, USA. Founded in 1994 by Dave Maraj as the motorsport wing of the Champion Motors car dealership, the team has campaigned various Porsches and Audis in North American road racing series... |
ALMS American Le Mans Series The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC... (report) |
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