{"id":346069,"date":"2026-07-20T15:04:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T15:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/346069\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T15:04:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T15:04:13","slug":"debate-rises-over-grants-for-miami-stadium-bridge-underdeck","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/346069\/","title":{"rendered":"Debate rises over grants for Miami stadium bridge, Underdeck"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Chairwoman<\/p>\n

Miami Commissioner Christine King (left) welcomes newly elected Mayor Eileen Higgins during the first Miami City Commission meeting of 2026 at Miami City Hall on Jan. 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

Pedro Portal<\/p>\n

pportal@miamiherald.com<\/p>\n

Eileen Higgins spent her first few months as Miami mayor quietly championing a $20 million federal grant application that would fund a pedestrian bridge connecting Miami International Airport to Miami Freedom Park, home of the soccer stadium that houses David Beckham\u2019s MLS team.<\/p>\n

After at least two trips to Washington, D.C., this year where she advocated for the project, the mayor finally received some good news. She announced this month that the city was one of 127 recipients<\/a> of a U.S. Department of Transportation grant awarded to transportation infrastructure projects \u201cwith significant local or regional impact.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis project is about planning for the Miami we are becoming,\u201d Higgins said in a July 10 press release. \u201c… This $20 million federal investment helps us improve safety, expand access to transit, and build a more connected Miami.\u201d<\/p>\n

But not everyone in the city was celebrating.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because Miami had submitted competing applications for the same USDOT grant. The other application, for a project championed by Commissioner Christine King, was not awarded funding.<\/p>\n

King\u2019s project \u2014 formerly known as the Underdeck and now renamed the Rev. Edward T. Graham Heritage Trail \u2014 was designed to reconnect Overtown, a once-prosperous Black neighborhood that was devastated decades ago by the construction of Interstates 95 and 395.<\/p>\n

The Graham Heritage Trail would create 33 acres of open space beneath I-395 that would include a 1-mile central promenade and connections to transit networks, \u201ctransform[ing] a dark, desolate, uninviting under-the-highway eyesore into a stunning, world-class community gathering place,\u201d according to the application.<\/p>\n

\"A A rendering of the\u00a0Rev. Edward T. Graham Heritage Trail, formerly known as the Underdeck, a proposed urban park in Overtown. Miami <\/p>\n

The city in 2024 received a $60 million grant for that project under a Biden-era program<\/a> meant to rebuild communities divided by transportation infrastructure. But last summer, following the passage of the Big Beautiful Bill, the Trump administration killed the remaining funds<\/a> in that program, and the money went away.<\/p>\n

For King, the USDOT grant looked like an opportunity to reclaim funds for the Graham Heritage Trail project.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeking this grant was important because it was going to help address a decades-long quality-of-life issue for residents in Overtown,\u201d King said in an interview with the Miami Herald. \u201cEveryone is aware of how the community was almost decimated when the expressway went through the middle of Overtown. Now, there is an effort to reimagine, revitalize the space.\u201d<\/p>\n

The city asked for $25 million for the project; it received $0. Asked if she felt that the city applying for the pedestrian bridge grant jeopardized the chances of the Graham Heritage Trail receiving funding, King said: \u201cIt certainly made it more difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a statement to the Herald after her interview, King put it more bluntly.<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps if the Mayor did not require staff to submit a competing application, and instead used her office to advocate for the residents of Overtown, the outcome could have been very different,\u201d King said. \u201cMy priority remains clear as we move forward: elevating the quality of life for Overtown residents by addressing decades of disenfranchisement.\u201d<\/p>\n

The growing rift between Higgins and King escalated further Monday morning, when the mayor announced that she was designating herself as chairwoman of the five-member City Commission, effectively removing King from the role. King had held the position since 2021, and Higgins reappointed her in December shortly after being sworn in.<\/p>\n

\u2018We obviously didn\u2019t see eye to eye\u2019<\/p>\n

While she\u2019s known for her transit advocacy, the mayor has publicly said little about the city\u2019s recent push for the pedestrian bridge project.<\/p>\n

But speaking to the Herald, Higgins described a concerted effort by the city, in collaboration with Miami Freedom Park, to secure the grant this year. The city previously awarded a 99-year lease to billionaires Jorge and Jose Mas, as well as Beckham, to develop the site. Higgins said Miami Freedom Park\u2019s involvement in the application process included help with grant writing.<\/p>\n

Miami Freedom Park President Devon McCorkle thanked Higgins in a press release last week, along with \u201ceveryone whose partnership and commitment helped make this important project possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

The grant application was finalized in late February, weeks before Nu Stadium\u2019s April 4 grand opening, which was made possible thanks to a special permit issued by the city less than 24 hours before kickoff, as the stadium was scrambling to get a temporary occupancy certificate<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The 26,700-seat stadium<\/a> has brought an influx of fans to Miami\u2019s residential Grapeland Heights neighborhood, which Higgins said \u201ccould be inundated with traffic if we don\u2019t have a safe way to encourage people to use transit.\u201d<\/p>\n

The mayor noted that the Miami Freedom Park site is also the home of the up-and-coming city administration building, which will also house the future City Hall<\/a>. Higgins said the 1,450-foot pedestrian bridge, called the Safe Access Pedestrian Connector Project, will provide residents much-needed pedestrian access to government services from the airport\u2019s transit hub, which includes a Metrorail stop.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis connectivity to transit matters,\u201d Higgins said.<\/p>\n

\"A A rendering of the pedestrian bridge project that will connect Miami Freedom Park to Miami International Airport, included in a one-page fact sheet Mayor Eileen Higgins presented to USDOT officials. Mayor Eileen Higgins\u2019 office <\/p>\n

During trips to Washington, D.C., in March and May, Higgins said she met with USDOT officials and advocated for both the pedestrian bridge and the Graham Heritage Trail project. But during those meetings, Higgins said, it became apparent that there wasn\u2019t an appetite among federal officials to fund the Graham Heritage Trail project.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t have competing grants,\u201d Higgins said. \u201cWe had a grant that aligned with the president\u2019s priorities, and we had a grant that we really want but wasn\u2019t in alignment, nor written in a way that aligned, with the president\u2019s priorities.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I am saddened and disappointed that we\u2019re not allowed to really advance equity projects in this administration,\u201d Higgins continued. \u201cBut that\u2019s the world we live in, and it doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019m not going to draw down federal funds when we have infrastructure projects that we can align with him on.\u201d<\/p>\n

King sees it differently. She told the Herald one project \u201cliterally addresses a quality-of-life issue,\u201d whereas the other is \u201cfor entertainment purposes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think that the residents of Overtown would care how efficiently they can get to a sporting event,\u201d King said, \u201cversus quality of life for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

King said Higgins approached her at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in early February to inform King of her plans to apply for the federal grant. Higgins said she had suggested to King to hold back on the Graham Heritage Trail application for now and come back in a year to allow for \u201ca complete rewrite of the grant.\u201d<\/p>\n

But both Higgins and King proceeded with their separate applications anyway.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe obviously didn\u2019t see eye to eye on what was more important,\u201d King said.<\/p>\n

The grant applications include \u201cletters of support\u201d from politicians and community leaders making the case for the projects.<\/p>\n

King\u2019s application included letters from herself and two colleagues on the City Commission: Commissioners Damian Pardo and Ralph Rosado.<\/p>\n

Higgins\u2019 application, on the other hand, had letters from Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, as well as several members of Florida\u2019s congressional delegation, including U.S. Sens. Rick Scott and Ashley Moody, whose written testimonials, the application notes, \u201cwere sent directly to U.S. Transportation Secretary, the Honorable Sean Duffy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The situation was news to Pardo, who for years has been a supporter of the Graham Heritage Trail project. About three months ago, Pardo joined King on a trip to Washington, D.C., to advocate for the grant.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to really champion something for it to get funded,\u201d Pardo said. \u201cThat\u2019s the reason we decided to go up there [to D.C.] and, you know, make the big effort.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"City Miami Commissioner Christine King talks to her colleague Commissioner Damian Pardo ahead of a City Commission meeting on Nov. 20, 2025. Pedro Portal pportal@miamiherald.com <\/p>\n

But Pardo described an \u201cawkward\u201d meeting during that trip when he found out there was competition for the grant from within his own government.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe I didn\u2019t ask the right question, maybe I didn\u2019t get the email. But I did not realize that there was a competing grant,\u201d Pardo said. \u201c \u2026 The way they reacted made it seem like, \u2018Make sure to apply again next year.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Growing rift between Miami Democrats<\/p>\n

The competing grant applications spotlight a rift forming between the city\u2019s Democratic elected officials.<\/p>\n

While the positions of mayor and city commissioner are technically nonpartisan, Higgins\u2019 December election to City Hall was heralded as a victory for progressives<\/a>. Backed by the Democratic National Committee, Higgins defeated Trump-endorsed Emilio Gonz\u00e1lez, making her the city\u2019s first Democrat mayor in decades.<\/p>\n

Coming off the heels of a red-versus-blue election, one might assume Higgins would find easy allies in her fellow Democrats, Pardo and King. But that hasn\u2019t necessarily been the case during the mayor\u2019s first few months in office.<\/p>\n

Higgins, for example, spent months wrangling three City Commission votes to send her $450 million public safety bond to the November ballot. When the commission finally called the vote in early July, Higgins succeeded thanks to support from across the aisle<\/a>: Commissioners Ralph Rosado, Rolando Escalona and Miguel Angel Gabela \u2014 all Republicans \u2014 backed her bond measure. Pardo and King voted against it.<\/p>\n

\"Miami Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins points during a heated exchange with Miami commissioners at the Miami City Commission meeting on July 9, 2026. City livestream <\/p>\n

Tensions escalated moments before the bond vote was called. Higgins, who presided over that particular commission meeting instead of King, the designated chairwoman, tried to quell cross-talk happening on the dais.<\/p>\n

\u201cColleagues, colleagues, colleagues,\u201d Higgins said. \u201cWe have three people talking at once, and this is a professional meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe answered professionally. I\u2019m not sure what you\u2019re \u2014,\u201d King began to respond.<\/p>\n

\u201cCommissioner King,\u201d the mayor interjected, gesturing with her hand and briefly pointing her finger.<\/p>\n

\u201cListen, one, don\u2019t point your finger at me, \u2018cause I\u2019m not your child,\u201d King responded. \u201cDon\u2019t point your finger at me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Christine Christine King, chairwoman of the Miami City Commission, speaks during a commission meeting at Miami City Hall on June 11, 2026. Photo by Marra X. Finkelstein mfinkelstein@miamiherald.com City \u2018sat on its hands\u2019<\/p>\n

Miami officials were left reeling last summer when the Trump administration yanked the $60 million grant for what was then known as the Underdeck project.<\/p>\n

The grant had been issued by the Biden Administration as part of the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Program meant to rebuild communities divided by transportation infrastructure. But last summer, the Trump administration killed the remaining funds<\/a> in that program.<\/p>\n

Higgins, however, said much of the blame for losing the funding actually lies with the city officials at the time. According to her, the city \u201csat on its hands\u201d and did not complete the paperwork in time to finalize the agreement, which she said the city should have done prior to President Trump\u2019s January 2025 inauguration.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat responsibility rests on the prior administration and the commissioners who were serving at that time,\u201d Higgins said. \u201cOther cities in America got their awards at the same time, that March 2024 tranche, and moved more quickly to get their grant agreements signed.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not clear, however, whether the city had much control over execution of the $60 million grant by that point. A May 2024 letter from former City Manager Art Noriega shows that the city transferred the grant to the Florida Department of Transportation as the \u201crecipient and administering agency\u201d due to FDOT\u2019s \u201cincreased resources and experience in administering federal grants of this size.\u201d<\/p>\n

Noriega wrote that the city would still be involved in public engagement and design, but that FDOT and the U.S. Transportation Department would negotiate and draft the grant agreement. FDOT did not respond to a recent request for comment on the matter.<\/p>\n

King strongly disagreed with Higgins\u2019 characterization of events.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is convenient, and exactly what one would expect a politician to do, blame the previous administration to justify her own careless conduct,\u201d King said in a statement. \u201cHowever, the facts contradict the narrative that the Mayor would like everyone to believe. The City, the previous Republican Mayor, his administration, and Commissioners acted prudently by transferring the grant to FDOT, who is an equity partner on the project and holds legal title to the Rev. Edward T. Graham Heritage Trail.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"City City of Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins, at left, is congratulated by Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, right, President of Miami Dade College Madeline Pumariega, at top left, and former Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, at top right, after Higgins\u2019 installation ceremony at the Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus Auditorium on Dec. 18, 2025. PHOTO BY AL DIAZ adiaz@miamiherald.com <\/p>\n

Levine Cava, who submitted a letter of support for the pedestrian bridge project, told the Herald she wasn\u2019t aware that it was competing against the Graham Heritage Trail for grant funding. But she emphasized the importance of the bridge to link the new sports venue with the county\u2019s transit system in a safe way.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need safe transportation to the stadium,\u201d Levine Cava said. \u201cPeople need to get across the street if they want to take transit.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also praised the Underdeck as a good project that never should have lost federal dollars under Trump.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be glorious\u201d to get built, Levine Cava said.<\/p>\n

Miami Herald staff writer Douglas Hanks contributed to this report.<\/p>\n

Follow More of Our Reporting on City of Miami<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Tess Riski covers Miami City Hall. She joined the Miami Herald in 2022 and has covered local politics throughout Miami-Dade County. She is a graduate of Columbia Journalism School\u2019s Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism.\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Miami Commissioner Christine King (left) welcomes newly elected Mayor Eileen Higgins during the first Miami City Commission meeting…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":346070,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[225,227,226],"class_list":["post-346069","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-hialeah","tag-hialeah","tag-hialeah-headlines","tag-hialeah-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346069","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=346069"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346069\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/346070"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=346069"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=346069"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=346069"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}