Historical Masterpiece Silva Martin Building
Save
South Miami
Jean Willis Park
SoMi
Save Jean Willis Park, South Miami’s first and only Tropical Flowering Tree Arboretum, founded in 1975, Save our Public Parks and historical buildings from reckless development in The City of SoMi
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Save Jean Willis Park's Trees
South Miami is about to sign a 99-year lease with a developer for about 670 apartments, two 16 stories high towers on the City Hall site. The plan moves our 1979 flowering tree park, and the only protection for its trees is two words: “best efforts”. It takes one minute to ask the Commission to leave the park where it is and not approve the lease.
Email Commissioners
Email the South Miami City Commission to tell them to keep Jean Willis Park where it is currently located. Add your name and personalized the email, it takes one minute.
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Sign Petition
Sign the petition to Save Jean Willis Tropical Flowering Tree Park, leave the park where it is and stop the destruction of this irreplaceable habitat and oasis.
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Donate to Go Fund Me
Stop the bulldozers at Jean Willis Flowering Tree Park, home to Federally Protected Migratory Birds, Wildlife and Pollinators, beloved by residents and visitors from around the world. Relocation is in “name only”!
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The City of South Miami wants to
“Relocate”
the park and destroy The Silva Martin Building and the historic library.
We Need You at the Next Commission Meeting!
OCTOBER 6th, 7pm
Please help us save Jean Willis Flowering Tree Park from the bulldozers in the City of South Miami!
October 6th, 2026 7pm. — South Miami City Hall, Historic Silva Martin Building
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SAY NO TO THIS DEAL
What the Lease Actually Says
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The park is to be “relocated”. The developer must use only “best efforts to preserve and relocate” its trees (Phase 1 lease, Section 3.6(c).
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In 113 pages, the words “arborist”, “canopy” and “heritage” never appear. There is no tree inventory, no survival standard, and no consequence if moved trees die.
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The park’s size is a blank line: “the ____ acre City-owned park.
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The City Attorney’s memo says the lease is still being negotiated, and a second vote will follow. The basic homework has not been done, so there is no reason to approve it now.
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The park was completed in 1979 by volunteers and members of The Tropical Flowering Tree Society and it is the first tropical flowering tree park in Miami-Dade. Brownie Troop 418 planted a tree here on Earth Day in 1990; South Miami High students built the pergola in 2013.
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Source: The City’s own agenda packs for the Sept. 22, 2026 meeting, item 13 (City Attorney memo, Term Sheet, Phase 1 Ground Lease).
In the News
Jean Willis Park in the Media
The Miami Herald
A Miami-Dade city plans to move a park, and residents are fighting for its trees
The Real Deal- Real Estate News
13th Floor seeks approval for $309M South Miami city hall redevelopment amid pushback over park relocation
Sally's Notice
Good Bye Tree City USA
Save Jean Willis Flowering Tree Park
Founded in 1975 volunteers of The Tropical Flowering Tree Society, Jean Willis Park is a South Miami Treasure
Watch Steve Pearson, former Director of UM’s Gifford Arboretum and former President of the Tropical Flowering Tree Society and presenter of the Poinciana Symposium in South Florida give public comment at a prior City of South Miami Commission meeting where he advocates to Save Jean Willis Park.
Play Now
For more information please see Sally's Notice
Dr. Sally Philips
For detailed analysis, source material and history of Jean Willis Flowering Tree Park and South Miami’s fight against reckless development, please visit Dr. Philip’s online publication Sally’s Notice
Timeline of South Miami City Hall & Jean Willis Flowering Tree Park
1935
1975
Public Land for the Park is Donated
1979
1979
Tropical Flowering Tree Society designs and plants the park dedicated to Jean Willis
UX Design
Memorial Gazebo for murdered commissioner Jay Beckman
JEAN WILLIS PARK is a historical arboretum in the City of South Miami
Save South Miami ‘s Irreplaceable Flowering Tree Park
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