Miami Wilds waterpark near Zoo Miami still up in air

Beetles, bats and butterflies have crept, flown and fluttered into plans to open Miami Wilds, a water park, hotel, shops and restaurants project at the front door of Zoo Miami.

Miami Today reported a 2024 opening back in September. Paul Lambert, principal manager for Lambert Advisory, said the opening has been pushed to mid-2025, “principally because the lease was not fully executed until late June of this year.”

Mr. Lambert said the park remains “sensitive to nearby natural areas,” planned for 27.5 acres on public land adjacent to Zoo Miami. The project is “outside the environmentally protected areas,” he said.

While environmental groups first raised survival alarms for 26 endangered or threatened species, that concerned has been narrowed down to three: the Florida bonneted bat, Miami tiger beetle, and Bartram’s scrub-hairstreak butterfly.

Miami Today previously reported that the park next to Zoo Miami “would cost over $100 million and include a lazy river attraction, wave pools, slides of all sizes, kiddie pools, and a beach with shady landscape, a 200-room hotel, 15,000 to 20,000 square feet of retail, and large parking areas.”

The timeline previously aimed for opening prior to June 2024, but delays in a release of deed restrictions from the National Park Service and signing of a lease with the county changed the schedule.

The developer, MiamiWilds LLC, planned to begin construction in July or August 2023. “The county fully executed the lease agreement package on June 23,” Michael Zimmer, spokesperson for the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department, confirmed to Miami Today.

The county expects $120.7 million in positive fiscal impact during the initial 40-year term of the lease agreement, which includes $37.3 million from the water park, $8.4 million from the retail development area, $13.8 million from the Phase I family hotel, and $61.2 million from Zoo Miami visitor parking revenue, a memorandum from Chief Operations Officer Jimmy Morales says.

“All of the construction will be on land now used as Zoo Miami parking” Mr. Lambert confirmed. No protected areas will be infringed upon, he said. An audio survey is underway to determine impact on Florida bonneted bats and a protected and area for tiger beetles is being explored.

Elise Bennett, with the Center for Biological Diversity, doesn’t see the project as a done deal.

“There are many rare and imperiled species in the area,” she said, and “it has one of the largest feeding sites for bonneted bats.”

A month ago, the center filed its intent to sue the National Park Service. “The NPS was supposed to look at direct and indirect impact on species” in an around the development area. “That hasn’t been done,” she said.

According to the project’s website, miamiwilds.com, the water park “will feature a lazy river attraction, wave pools, slides of all sizes, kiddie pools and a beach area for relaxing with shady landscaped areas.”

The hotel, according to the website, “would be a 200-room family lodge hotel designed for out-of-town families who want to spend a night or more in the area to visit South Miami-Dade attractions.”

The retail area, “Mercado,” would include “small unique retail and specialty shops,” the site said, and “a variety of restaurants…” from quick service to sit-down venues.”