Plans are in the works to place Treasure Island Elementary at the epicenter of major renovations that would include building a training ground for the Argentine national soccer team.
This past weekend, the City of North Bay Village held a town hall meeting at the school to introduce the plans and get community feedback.
Before the project can begin, it must be approved by the Miami-Dade County Public School Board, which owns the land.
If approved by MDCPS, the project promises new amenities for Treasure Island Elementary including five-multipurpose fields, a perimeter exercise path for all North Bay Village residents and an after-school soccer program run by the Argentine Football Association.
“We have very limited outdoor spaces for people of all ages to enjoy themselves,” said North Bay Village Commissioner Rachel Streitfeld. “One of the priorities of this commission is to create more outdoor spaces for residents of all ages. This is the centerpiece of those objectives.”
This project also comes with promises of a community center on the site of the public works building located on Galleon Street, that has been condemned and will be demolished soon. Many residents expressed their desire for a pool in the community center.
The town hall meeting was led by Village Manager Ralph Rosado, who expressed excitement over the new developments and opportunities this could bring to the city. The project has been spearheaded by Mayor Brent Latham, but he was not in attendance at the meeting.
The AFA has promised $7 million to the project if it is allowed to build an 11v11 soccer field used to train players on school grounds. North Bay Village would be investing $4 million. Treasure Island Elementary students would have access to all amenities, including the soccer field during school hours.
Soccer scholarships for 25 students were also discussed at the meeting.
Lorena Gutierrez, a parent volunteer at Treasure Island, expressed her excitement about the project.
“It is really great that this community comes together for our kids”, said Gutierrez. “So for me, it’s very exciting.”
Nothing is set in stone just yet and the school board still needs to vote on approval for the project.
