On Saturday, May 13, Miami Lakes Town Council joined with representatives of the Miami Lakes Optimist Club to officially open the new Optimist Park Clubhouse at 6411 N.W. 162 Street.
The new clubhouse is approximately 4,300 square feet and serves as a multi-purpose facility including multi-purpose rooms, snack bar, administrative offices, and additional parking.
A signature feature of the facility is the Miami Lakes Sports Hall of Fame which was initiated by Mayor Manny Cid and funded through a private sponsorship donation. The Sports Hall of Fame was created to honor athletes, coaches, community members and teams from the Town of Miami Lakes for their outstanding contribution or achievement in sports.
The inaugural class of inductees included former Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula, Major League Baseball player Alex Ochoa, former Miami Dolphins player and broadcaster Jim Mandich, and longtime Miami Lakes Optimist Club member and coach Jack McCall.
The opening of the clubhouse is the beginning of a total redesign and long awaited makeover to Miami Lakes Optimist Park. The second phase of renovations will include reconfigurations of baseball fields and open space areas, an additional concession stand and bathroom facility, a new state-of-the-art sports field lighting, rebuilding of the tennis and basketball courts, and a walking path throughout the park.
The second phase is partially funded and planned to begin this year at a estimated construction cost of approximately $3.2 million.