Timeline for the Signature Bridge and Underdeck Project

• City of Miami leadership advocates for Overtown’s restoration after the detrimental impact of 1950s-1960s highway construction.
• Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) conducts environmental studies, leading to the selection of the elevated freeway alternative for I-395.
• Town Square Neighborhood Development Corporation (TSNDC) is established to provide a broad source of community support for the enhancement, development, and improvement of the South Florida community and begins advocating for the Underdeck public space as part of the Signature Bridge project.
• Project Advisory Group (PAG) Meetings: FDOT holds numerous Project Advisory Group meetings starting in 2011 to discuss the I-395/SR 836/I-95 project, ensuring ongoing community input and feedback.

• Aesthetic Steering Committee (ASC) Meetings: FDOT conducts several Aesthetic Steering Committee meetings to set aesthetic criteria for the Signature Bridge and involve community stakeholders in the design process.

• Initial Proposals: FDOT requests design/build proposals for the I-395/SR 836/I-95 project, including the Signature Bridge, incorporating community input from presentations and meetings involving over 2000 community members between 2004 and 2009.
• Local Approval: By August 2016, a local Aesthetic Review Committee approves 7 of 18 design submissions, focusing on technical and aesthetic qualities, construction timetable, and price.

• FDOT awards the contract for the I-395/SR 836/I-95 Design-Build Project, including the Signature Bridge, to the Archer Western-de Moya (AW-dMG) Joint Venture.
• Advocacy for Funding: Civic leaders advocate for state-level funding for resources for the Signature Bridge and Underdeck projects throughout 2017 and 2019

• The City of Miami conducts charrettes to gather community input for the Underdeck project, ensuring that the design and features reflect the community’s needs and desires, which are then submitted to FDOT.

• August 2020 – 2021 Funding Secured: The Underdeck Committee secures grant funding from the Knight Foundation, the Health Foundation of South Florida, the Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation, the Bloomberg Foundation, and individual philanthropic givers to support planning activities.
• October: The Underdeck Advisory Board engages LM Genuine Solutions to coordinate community and civic engagement with all relevant governmental entities to ensure their feedback and recommendations are considered throughout the development of the Underdeck.

• July: The Underdeck Advisory Board actively seeks commitment from City of Miami leadership to ensure community feedback and recommendations are considered in the plans for the Underdeck. The City of Miami Commission directs the City Manager to develop an MOU with TSNDC to coordinate community feedback and recommendations.
• September: The City of Miami administration brings forth an MOU for the Commission’s consideration to work with TSNDC as the entity incubating the Underdeck Committee, which would lead all community engagement efforts for the City of Miami in the development of recommendations. The MOU is approved.
• September/October: The Underdeck Advisory Board reaches out to FDOT to determine community input on the design of the future public space.
• December: The MOU between the City of Miami and TSNDC is executed. TSNDC plays a pivotal role in expanding the Underdeck Committee under the MOU to include the City of Miami and FDOT, ensuring community-driven recommendations for the project.

• December 2021/January 2022: FDOT, City of Miami, and Underdeck Committee begin meeting regularly regarding the Consensus Plan. The goal was to achieve consensus on what would be designed.
• February: Underdeck Committee Working Groups promoted to develop community recommendations for the Underdeck. Community and civic stakeholders are recruited to participate and develop recommendations for the City of Miami.

Working Groups:

1. Government, Project Management, and Strategic Oversight Group
2. Stakeholder Awareness, Education, and Engagement Group
3. Funding Strategies Group
4. Traffic, Mobility, and Utilities Group
5. Construction, Operation, and Maintenance Group

Naming Process:

The naming process for the Underdeck project starts.

Community Engagement:

129 working group meetings

37 community meetings

Over 2000 survey respondents

124 community members serving on working groups

• April: The Underdeck Committee approves the recommended Consensus Plan for the Underdeck that was agreed upon by the City of Miami and FDOT.
• June: Membership Secured: The Underdeck Committee secures membership in the National Reconnecting Civic Commons Network
• October: The City of Miami submits the Reconnecting Communities grant proposal with support from the Underdeck Committee.
• October – January – Civic Advocacy was actively implemented for the grant proposal.
• December: Underdeck Committee Recommendations are submitted to the City of Miami for consideration

• January: The Underdeck Committee is selected to become part of the High Line Network.
• March: The Community was informed that the USDOT grant proposal was not funded.
• May: The City and Underdeck Committee participated in a debriefing with USDOT regarding the grant proposal that was not funded.
• May: The City of Miami accepts receipt of the Underdeck Committee’s Recommendations. TSNDC fulfills all deliverables committed to in the MOU with the City of Miami.
• June: The Underdeck Committee, inclusive of all civic/community members engaged through the recommendation development process, commits to continuing to work together to create awareness about the project, inform residents about the history and potential of the project, and explain how residents and stakeholders can continue working together on behalf of this important project.
• June: The Knight Foundation awards the Underdeck Committee new funding to continue efforts to engage the community and develop community leadership through the development of Friends of the Underdeck.
• June: The Underdeck Committee meets with the City administration to determine the best path forward to collaborate.
• August: The Underdeck Committee meets with the city administration to determine the best path forward to collaborate on the next steps.
• October: The City of Miami resubmits the Reconnecting Communities grant with support from the Underdeck Committee.
• October – January – Civic Advocacy for the grant proposal is actively implemented.
• November: The Underdeck Committee reconvenes with all stakeholders to present a new work plan for the next chapter of the Underdeck Committee which will be establishing and implementing “The Friends of the Underdeck”
• Ongoing Engagement: Regular updates and meetings continue, with a focus on community involvement and special interest groups.

• January: The Underdeck Committee celebrates TSNDC’s role in incubating the committee’s work and transitions to the Miami Foundation as their fiscal agent in preparation for the next chapter of the work.
• New working groups for the Underdeck Committee are developed.
• March: USDOT Funding: The Underdeck project receives $60,353,730.00 through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RCN) Grant Program, enhancing the project’s financial foundation and supporting its development. The City of Miami and other secured funding will match this grant with $20 million to build the Consensus Plan
• April: The City of Miami recommends the name “Reverend Edward Graham Greenway” for the Underdeck project to FDOT, emphasizing its connection to the diverse neighborhoods and cultures of the adjacent communities.
• May: The Underdeck Committee files incorporation paperwork to establish Friends of the Underdeck.
• June: Recruitment for the refined working groups begins.