Miami’s plan for a new skate park encounters an immovable object: Mr. Stanley Tate

Bureaucratic red tape may be among the reasons the Biscayne Skatepark project has progressed so slowly, but should the ambitious plan finally gain traction, it will face another obstacle. An influential business leader vows he’ll fight the skateboard park tooth and nail if City of Miami officials try to build it at the selected site: adjacent to Temple Israel.

“We don’t want it to be built there,” says Stanley Tate, a successful South Florida developer, veteran political player, and past president of Temple Israel, which is located on NE 19th Street in Miami’s Midtown neighborhood. “If we have to, we will bring a large number of people. We have some of the oldest membership in Dade County. We are well respected. I don’t think the city commission wants to get involved in that kind of controversy.”

Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, a supporter of the skate park, insists that Tate’s views are not shared by Temple Israel’s board of directors. “He said some stupid things,” Sarnoff says. “We had two meetings with the temple -- one meeting that Stanley Tate attended and a second meeting where they apologized for Mr. Tate’s comments.”

What exactly Tate said during that first meeting, held in December, Sarnoff declines to repeat those comments, but Tate himself tells the BT he has two fears: drugs and noise. “Kids go there to smoke grass,” he says. “The main thing is the noise. They play these boom boxes that you can’t possibly believe at all hours of the night. We have a large membership of elderly people in their 70s and 80s. It just does not belong there.”

Douglas Jacobs, current president of Temple Israel, says the congregation’s membership is divided over the proposed skateboard park. “There are people who don’t mind it and people who do,” he says.

Jacobs’ own feelings? “I think it could be a very valuable asset to the neighborhood,” he says. In a written statement, Jacobs did outline some concerns: “We recognize the value this type of park offers its users: exercise, friendship, and a safe place to develop skills. Our only concern is its placement in front of our preschool. [Other] issues of concern include increased traffic and noise. We look forward to working with the city to ensure all interested parties benefit equally from this development.”

As for Tate’s opposition, Jacobs says, “He’s very passionate about the temple.... He is a valuable congregant for many years. He only wants to see the good of the neighborhood and the synagogue.” Founded in 1926, Temple Israel is said to be the oldest Reform congregation south of Baltimore. Tate himself has been attending and contributing to the synagogue ever since he was married there 61 years ago.

In December 2008, Miami’s Community Redevelopment Agency earmarked $1 million for the construction of a 54,000-square-foot skateboard facility on land the city owns at 150 NE 19th St. Part of the motivation was to provide a safe alternative for young skateboarders in the area, who’ve been using street furniture, staircases, and parking garages to hone their skills. Originally the city had hoped to open the park by April of this year.

However, the city has yet to select a contractor to design and build the park. Lara De Souza, spokeswoman for Miami’s parks department, says it’s a complicated process and it simply takes time. She does admit that work was slowed somewhat in order to address Temple Israel’s worries: “There was a delay due to the concerns of Temple Israel. However…, the project is no longer being delayed for this reason.”

Tate complains that the city never notified Temple Israel of the plans. He says he found out by accident. “We were out one day and there were guys measuring [the city property], a surveying crew,” Tate recounts. “I asked, ‘What are you doing here?’ and they said it was for a skate park. No one informed us.”

Of particular concern to Tate is the proposed park’s proximity to the temple’s preschool, which, incidentally, is named after him and his wife -- the Joni and Stanley Tate Early Childhood Center. But Tate also believes the park’s users could interfere with services at Temple Israel and its expansion plans, including a possible charter school. “We are going to make the whole temple into a major cultural area for the Jewish community,” he vows.

During a recent visit to skate park facilities in South Miami and Coconut Grove, Tate says he saw cars transporting 12 teenagers at a time from locations as far away as North Miami. Tate claims he also saw skateboarders “smoking grass” and carrying radios.

The only skateboard facility in Coconut Grove is at Peacock Park. Says Sarnoff: “Stanley must be going to a different place than I’ve gone to. We’ve never had any issues there.”

Sarnoff says Biscayne Skatepark is more likely to be killed by the city’s financial woes than opposition from Temple Israel: “We might not have the money for it.”

Delio Nuñez-Menocal, a 36-year-old skateboard enthusiast who also owns a mobile marketing firm, hopes Miami moves forward with the skate park. “I think it’s about time we begin to look at building a skate park,” he says. “All the major metropolises have one.” If the city can’t build near Temple Israel, Nuñez-Menocal has an alternate location in mind: the downtown Miami waterfront park where $275 million in taxpayer money is allocated to build two museums. “I think Museum Park would be a perfect place,” he says. “But that’s just me.”

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