The Underline is Adapting to Change and Reinventing Public Space: A Conversation with Meg Daly & Daniel Balmori, Esq.

The Underline is Adapting To Change: A Conversation with Meg Daly and Daniel Balmori, Esq. 

The Underline is Miami Dade County’s much-anticipated 10+ mile linear park and urban trail that will re-imagine and transform 120 acres underneath the Metrorail from the Miami River to Dadeland into a destination for millions of residents and visitors to Miami. More than just a recreational amenity, The Underline will serve as an enhanced mobility corridor, improve public safety and connectivity to transit, and will incorporate public art, music, butterfly gardens, and technology to enhance user experience. 

Inspired by the HighLine in New York City, Meg Daly, a lifelong resident of Miami-Dade County had a bold vision for the M-Path: to transform this underutilized neglected space underneath the elevated commuter rail line into a world-class linear park and urban trail.  As Founder and CEO of Friends of The Underline, Daly has worked tirelessly since 2014 to build an army of loyal supporters, raise awareness, and secure funding from private and public sectors to construct this unprecedented urban infrastructure project.  

Now, after years of planning, the first phase of The Underline is set to open in the Brickell Backyard in Fall 2020.  And Daly along with stellar lawyer and Friends of The Underline General Counsel, Daniel Balmori, Esq., have been hard at work launching The Underline Management Organization (TUMO) with the help of Miami-Dade County, to set up a framework for maintenance of a world-class facility for future generations.

Wernick & Co managing Partner, Steven J. Wernick, Esq. AICP - a Board Member for Friends of The Underline and TUMO - sat down with Meg Daly and Daniel Balmori, Esq., General Counsel for Friends of The Underline, to talk about the bold vision, keys to success, and the potential of The Underline to bring people together in Miami in light of public health constraints and recent issues highlighting inequities in our community.    

1. The Underline is a story about Collaboration, Perseverance and Re-imagining Miami’s future.  Join us for this conversation as we touch on efforts undertaken to secure the funding for The Underline and to make the project a reality.

2. As the project has progressed and priorities evolve, Daly, Balmori and Wernick talk about each of their perspectives on key factors in the success of The Underline:

• Acceleration
• Bold Vision
• Leadership

3. The Underline is at its core, an agent of adaptation and resiliency, as it will re-define the underutilized space under the Metrorail, linking people to place and providing an activated corridor naturally able to adjust to user needs, and social distancing requirements.

4. Up next for The Underline is the opportunity to help with the biggest issues facing the community right now.  From COVID-19 to serious conversations around race and equality in America, The Underline will provide Miami a space and a reason to “Heal Together”.