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11 Most Endangered
Hialeah Park Race Course
Year Listed: 2007
Location: Hialeah , Florida
Current Status: Favorable
Threat: Development
Latest News
September 17, 2009: Long-shuttered Hialeah Park is poised to again host live horse races starting in late November. Read more.
The flamingo fountain at Hialeah Park Race Course, Hialeah, Florida.
Credit: National Trust for Historic Preservation
Significance
The drop dead gorgeous 1925 racetrack known for its stunning Mediterranean architecture and pink flamingos, Hialeah Park - frequented by celebrities such as Winston Churchill, Harry Truman and Seabiscuit - is threatened with a planned 3,760-unit condo and apartment complex with nearly one-million-square feet of retail and 200,000-square-feet of office space, which would destroy much of the storied park. Hialeah Park was founded in 1925 by James H. Bright, He donated land for community use and helped to acquire land and building funds for the construction of public buildings and facilities, including a racetrack. Originally built to attract the rich and famous, many of whom traveled by special trains from Palm Beach, Hialeah Park contributed to the development and popularization of southern Florida as a winter resort. The park has a lake with several islands inhabited by large flocks of 200-300 pink flamingos, direct descendants of those originally brought from Cuba and South America. Hialeah Park is so famous for the birds that it has been officially designated a sanctuary for the American flamingo by the Audubon Society.
Updates
February 2009: Minor and Save Hialeah Racing, a non-profit formed to save the course, filed a lawsuit against Brunetti and the city of Hialeah, claiming Brunetti is not the rightful owner. The suit claims the city had no lawful authority to transfer ownership because the citizens of Hialeah were not given the chance to vote on the property transfer. If Minor is successful in his bid to acquire Hialeah Park Race Course, he plans to return it to its former glory.
In 2008, Halsey Minor approached Hialeah Park Race Course's current owner, John Brunetti, with an offer to purchase the race track. Brunetti and Minor did not reach an agreement on the sale.
According to a large-scale development plan filed with the South Florida Regional Planning Commission last year, Hialeah's owner wants to build more than 3,700 apartment and condo units plus a mega-mall retail shopping complex and offices. The plan calls for preserving only a token portion of the park as a nod to its storied past. Even if it cannot function as a race course, the park should be restored to its original splendor and preserved for future generations. If the land passes from private to public ownership, it might be better suited for public funding. The park could then sustain itself through the establishment of a non-profit organization that could manage the site as a venue for a variety of recreational, cultural and educational purposes. Educational and recreational facilities that would enhance the community rather than detract could be established privately or publicly within the park allowing for areas of higher education and training.
Share your memories of this endangered place
Submitted by Donna Lambertus at: November 20, 2009
I will be there openning day!!! Thank God - This beautiful place will not be destroyed!!!!! So many great memories there!!!!! Thank you National Trust for Historic Preservation!!!!!
Submitted by Lazaro at: November 3, 2009
see job applications
Submitted by Donna at: September 22, 2009
a Wonderful place - It is now Septemeber 2009 - what is the status of this beautiful race track?