Mutually Exclusive
A recent
article in the Sun about the new home for the Parrot Jungle in Miami
bears an uncanny resemblance to what may happen in Punta Gorda with
the current Charlotte County Auditorium. The property may be lost to
the public if the Charlotte County commissioners follow in the
footsteps of the city of Miami.
The
old tourist venues that were an integral part of Florida's allure as
a tourist destination are fading by the wayside. Our nearby Cypress
Gardens is currently struggling to see if it can arise from the ashes
of financial losses, but may fall by the wayside as did Miami's Rare
Bird Garden, the Musa Isle Indian Village and many, many more. Of
Miami's remaining attractions, only the Parrot Jungle, with city and
county assistance of course was able to negotiate a leap to the 21st
century.
The
old location of the Parrot Jungle in South Miami on Red Road, was
becoming an increasingly upscale residential neighborhood. The Parrot
Jungle traded locations with the city of Miami for a prime location
on Watson Island. The new location, directly across from where the
cruise ships dock on Dodge Island. was called "a really barren
island" by Ben Levine, a veterinarian and one of the owners of
the Parrot Jungle.
I
disagree. My daughter learned to sail there, as did many other kids
since the inception of the Miami Yacht Club in 1927. We sat many
times under the beautiful yellow Tabebuia trees on the weekends with
many other families playing next to the old Japanese Gardens.
The public boat ramps
between the working class MYC and the Miami
Outboard Club were always filled with regular people who couldn't
afford to live on Hibiscus or Star Islands, not far from the ramp,
but who enjoyed the waters of Biscayne Bay. The "really barren
island" is divided by the six-lane MacArthur Causeway, where
countless sightseers still park next to Government Cut to watch the
cruise ships.
We
knew developers had their eyes on the marvelous piece of property
when the city of Miami forced the Goodyear blimp off the island. The
"dangerous" blimp base immediately became a helicopter
landing area. When the state of Florida deeded the spoil island to
the city of Miami. in the 1980s, the city, under mayor Maurice Ferre
immediately went after the remaining occupants of the island.
Miami wanted a grandiose
theme and amusement park to rival Disneyland. Deed restrictions on
the grant for the Japanese Garden and opposition from MYC and MOC
stopped that deal. but the loss was only temporarily delayed.
Today,
the huge brown monstrosity that is the Parrot Jungle parking garage
all but blocks the sun from little MYC. The island once famous for
Chalk's Airlines and the Goodyear blimp has added a $47 million
attraction that will soon prove whether or not the city of Miami
acted in the good faith of its citizens. Whatever happens, the
property will never return to the citizens who played in the
beautiful park that once was.
George Mindling ©
2003
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