MEDITATION GARDEN at The Underline Dedicated

On Thursday, December 13th there was a special dedication ceremony of Baptist Health South Florida’s Meditation Garden, an urban oasis of peace and tranquility adjacent to the bustle of U.S. 1 in South Miami.

Baptist Health in partnership with Friends of The Underline created the Meditation Garden near where The Underline trail runs in parallel with U.S. 1 and intersects with SW 62nd Avenue near South Miami Hospital’s East Tower.

Brian E. Keeley, Baptist Health CEO, noted that “Baptist Health South Florida is a proud participant in the development of a 10-mile urban park space for walking and bicycling under the Metrorail, The Meditation Garden we dedicate today is a pleasant, peaceful area intended to provide a serene setting for people to enjoy amid the rush of our everyday lives.”

Founder and President of The Friends of The Underline, Meg Daly remarked to the guests that “The Meditation Garden designed by Baptist Health is an urban masterpiece and evidence of the possibilities when we shift our transportation philosophy to include alternatives such as walking and bicycling in a safe and beautiful environment. Here is a lush park with seating near a high-occupancy highway and under local transit where people can find a place to seek rest and calm. Our dream has become an attainable goal with the groundbreaking last month at the beginning of the trail and the opening of Meditation Park today near the end of the trail. It’s truly gratifying.”

Meg congratulated Baptist Health in creating the first private property installation along the ten mile linear path and trail.  Said Daly, “this reflects on how private property owners adjacent to The Underline can contribute to safe public spaces in meaningful ways.”  Baptist Health worked with Friends of The Underline to align with the shared mission to improve public physical and mental health.

Recently on November 2, 2018, The Friends of The Underline broke ground in the Brickell area on the first half-mile of
The Underline (see /).

The Underline urban trail and linear park is a $120 million project to redevelop open space beneath the aerial Metrorail tracks that extends from the north end of the Miami River to Dadeland.