José Martí Park is under active construction, but visitors can still use the parts of the Miami River park that remain open.

Phase I began in September 2026 with a projected August 2028 completion, bringing riverfront access, drainage, and resilience work to a site where high tides and public space meet. Before heading over, visitors should confirm the current closure area and construction notice on the City of Miami’s project page.

At a Glance

• Status: Phase I construction is underway; the north area is closed while the rest of the park is intended to remain open.
• Timeline: Construction started in September 2026; August 2028 is the city’s anticipated- not guaranteed- Phase I completion date.
• Location: José Martí Park, 362 SW 4th Street.
• Planned work: Seawall, riverwalk, kayak launch, drainage, shade, lighting, playground, and shoreline improvements.

The August 2028 date is the city’s anticipated completion timeline, not a guarantee that every part of the project will open on that exact date.

What Phase I is designed to add

• A new seawall and shoreline stabilization.
• Stormwater drainage and high-tide resiliency measures.
• An improved riverwalk, waterfront access, and kayak launch.
• A riverside docking deck, solar lighting and increased tree canopy.
• A new playground, security cameras, and other lighting improvements.

The City’s park directory listing identifies José Martí Park at 362 SW 4th Street. The city’s project page includes current work photos, renderings, and the Phase I description.

Why this is more than a park upgrade

José Martí Park sits along the Miami River, which makes drainage, shoreline protection and public access part of the same conversation. The city describes the redesign as an adaptive project meant to support both recreation and sea-level-risk mitigation.

The new seawall, living shoreline stabilization and drainage improvements are infrastructure elements. The riverwalk, kayak launch, tree canopy, playground and lighting are the everyday public-space elements that residents are likely to notice most.

That combination is important because waterfront resilience projects can otherwise feel removed from daily life. At José Martí Park, the city is pairing long-term risk reduction with changes intended to make the site more usable for visitors and neighbors.

The city says the design earned Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines verification in 2023. That is a design-recognition milestone, not a substitute for tracking construction progress, access changes or the final build-out.

What remains open and what is closed

The city’s current notice says the north area is closed for Phase I construction. The rest of the park is expected to remain available so the community can continue using the site during the work.

Park access can change as construction phases move, so visitors should check the city’s latest project notice before planning a riverfront visit, event or recreation stop.

What to watch as work continues

Phase I is the immediate construction story. Phase II is planned for portions of the south area after the north-area work is complete, an approach intended to retain as much park access as possible during the broader project.

Residents should watch for updates on construction fencing, pedestrian access, work near the river, park programming and the transition from Phase I to Phase II. Those updates will be more useful than treating the August 2028 target as a fixed opening date.

Before visiting José Martí Park

• Confirm which area is open on the City of Miami’s project page.
• Check the park directory listing for the park address and regular park information.
• Allow extra time around the construction zone and river-side work.
• Use the project photos and plans to distinguish current work from future renderings.
• Follow later city notices for access changes, construction milestones and Phase II details.

The José Martí Park project offers a concrete look at how Miami is combining riverfront recreation with climate-resilience infrastructure.

The city has confirmed that construction is underway; the remaining questions are how the work will progress, how access will change and when each planned feature will become available for the neighborhood.

For now, the clearest visitor takeaway is simple: construction is active, the north area is closed and the rest of the park is intended to remain open. A quick check before heading over will help visitors plan around the active work rather than arriving with an outdated picture of the site.