The venue now known as loanDepot park is deep into its 14th season serving as the home of the Miami Marlins. When the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County received approval for public funds to cover over $510 million—approximately 80.3%—of the total cost to build it, the primary objective was keeping a Major League Baseball franchise in South Florida. All parties involved also envisioned that the ballpark would be a vibrant, indispensable community hub. That part still has not come to fruition…yet. However, the process of improving the area directly adjacent to the stadium is underway.
Astute loanDepot park visitors will notice green-lined fencing around certain property surrounding the West Plaza. The reason why: this has become city-owned land. Starting in August 2021, the city began to seek out property in the area, remaining active in that regard through at least May 2023. According to public records, the City of Miami has purchased six properties, all of them on NW 5th Street or NW 6th Street between NW 16th Avenue and NW 17th Avenue.
Each of the parcels were previously single-family homes or empty lots, and they were acquired either through outright purchase or eminent domain. Eminent domain refers to the government’s right to inherit private property through public use, even without the owner’s consent but through just compensation.
Official public records obtained through the City of Miami state the following:
1649 NW 5th St and 1651 NW 5th St were purchased on 8/2/2021
1641 NW 5th St was purchased on 8/31/2021
1628 NW 6th St was acquired via eminent domain taking on 8/14/2022
1653 NW 5th St was acquired via eminent domain taking on 2/3/2023
1644 NW 6th St was purchased on 5/25/2023
These properties are represented by stars on the map below:
The city has sought out land just west of the park’s main entrance for “park land development.” By definition, in Florida, park land development refers to the process of designing, gaining approval for, and constructing a park or recreational area, which must comply with local zoning, land use plans, and regulations to create public or private facilities for recreation. According to a City of Miami spokesperson, the details regarding the development of the land are still being finalized.
The upcoming construction of the site will likely coincide with the opening of Miami Live!, a privately-funded project to be located on the West Plaza. The Marlins have partnered with The Cordish Companies to make loanDepot park a more alluring destination with indoor-outdoor dining and entertainment spaces. It is expected to cut its tape in early 2026, coinciding with the World Baseball Classic.
In addition to the space adjacent to loanDepot park, the City of Miami is also undertaking a much larger project named Miami Freedom Park, a space near Miami International Airport, for similar reasons. That space promises a new stadium for the Inter Miami CF soccer franchise and is expected to open in the spring of 2026.