When the local glitterati gathered at the new South Pointe Park in March 2009, leaders hailed the grassy knolls and wide sidewalks as a shining new jewel for Miami Beach -- but just more than a year later, the park's luster has faded. The undulating emerald grass has died and wilted to yellow and brown. The playground is closed. Even the kid-friendly fountains have been turned off.
Now the city is pointing fingers and considering a lawsuit against the world-famous architect who earned millions to design the park. The architect says the city is to blame. And while everyone slugs it out, it could take years to fix any of the problems.
"We believe there were some significant design errors," Miami Beach assistant city manager Jorge Gomez says. "We're reviewing our legal options right now."