Commissioner Alex J. Fernandez is hosting a community walkthrough of the West Avenue Phase II construction zone Thursday, Sept. 3, at 11 a.m., offering residents a firsthand look at one of Miami Beach's largest infrastructure investments: a roughly $100.2 million flood-prevention overhaul stretching from Eighth Street to Lincoln Road.

The city's official events calendar lists the walkthrough at the corner of Lincoln Road and Alton Road, next to the citizenM hotel. Residents are invited to see progress, hear about upcoming plans and get updates on the active construction site.

Underground pipes, raised roads and a new Baywalk section

The West Avenue Phase II Neighborhood Improvements Project covers West Avenue between Eighth Street and Lincoln Road, Bay Road between 14th Street and Collins Canal, and Lincoln Court between Lincoln Road and Collins Canal. Ric-Man Construction FL Inc. is the design-build contractor.

The scope is broad: new underground water and wastewater lines, a stormwater treatment pump station at the P24 parking lot at 1671 West Ave., raised road elevations, wider sidewalks, buffered bike lanes, new street lighting, trees and landscaping, permanent backup generators at pump stations and a new section of the Baywalk along the waterfront at 1450 Lincoln Rd.

Roads in the project area will be raised roughly 24 inches, where needed, to reach a minimum elevation of 3.7 feet NAVD as part of the city's efforts to reduce flooding and improve long-term resilience. According to the city's project page, the goal is to keep the corridor dry during king tides and heavy rain events that have chronically flooded the low-lying streets.

Decade-long build nears finish amid business disruption

The project has been in development for about 10 years, dating to the city's 2016 design-build procurement process. Its budget has expanded past the $100 million mark as the scope grew. Construction has proceeded in segments to reduce disruption, with city updates showing work continuing through summer 2026. The city's project page includes a July 17 two-week construction look-ahead.

As NBC 6 South Florida reported, the work has disrupted businesses and residents along the corridor. One real estate agent told the station that commissions at his office dropped by about $2 million since construction started on his block. Heather Leslie, the project's public information liaison, told NBC 6 that the city anticipated having the Lincoln Road and West Avenue stretch open to vehicle and pedestrian traffic by the end of summer 2026. Whether that milestone has been reached should be confirmed separately.

"We want to eliminate the flooding," Leslie told NBC 6 in a report on the project's impact on local businesses. "We want to make sure that the water is going into the system underground clearing as quickly as possible and into the pump station and beyond."

Commissioners approve funding increases for inspection, outreach

At its July 22 meeting, the Miami Beach City Commission approved two contract increases tied to the project: $1,127,336 more for construction engineering and inspection services with CHA Consulting Inc., bringing that contract to nearly $3 million total, and $608,172 more for public outreach services with HML Public Outreach LLC, raising that contract to just over $1 million.

The city's Public Safety and Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee also discussed "lessons learned" from the West Avenue project at its July 15 meeting, with an eye toward applying them to future infrastructure construction.

Parking help for residents, how to attend

Residents with an active Zone 12 Parking Permit who live adjacent to a current construction segment qualify for alternate parking in a nearby private lot subsidized by the city.

Residents can attend the Sept. 3 walkthrough or contact the project team through the city's West Avenue Phase II project page.