Miami-Dade County Parks are getting a major boost thanks to the Building Better Communities General Obligation Bond Program.  Park and Recreation improvements, one of the largest components of the GOB, are including projects at 188 worksites throughout the County over the next 15-18 years.  To date, 26 projects have been completed while 74 others are ongoing. Another 88 projects are on the drawing board.  These include projects large and small ranging from new sports fields and playgrounds to marina improvements and a new exhibit at Miami MetroZoo. 

"The Parks and Recreation Department has done a good job in moving its projects forward," said Johnny Martinez, director of the Office of Capital Improvement, which is responsible for the implementation of the bond program.  "You can see the results in parks throughout the County where aging infrastructure, ranging from restrooms and boathouses to roadways and sewer systems have been improved."

The new Amazon and Beyond Exhibit at Miami MetroZoo is expected to open before the end of the year.  The 27-acre interpretive exhibit focuses on wildlife in the tropical Americas and is designed to take visitors on an educational journey through the ecosystem in this part of theworld.  The exhibit will feature more than 1,000 tropical animals and a giant 40,000-gallon fish tank.