Pinecrest's 2026 Parks Fit Together, and the Last Piece Sits on Kendall Drive

Since April 8, Kendall Drive between Red Road and SW 65th Court has had an eight-foot shared-use path where a five-foot sidewalk used to be. It's lined with 73 mature trees, including live oaks and gumbo limbos that stood 26 feet tall when they went in. Sixteen days later Coral Pine Park reopened after its renovation. In August the Veterans Wayside Park makeover on Pinecrest Parkway was finished.

The Village's newsletters describe these projects as parts of one plan. Each one closes a gap in a walkable network of paths and green space, and the gap at the Village's northern entrance is the one still under construction.

The promise behind the schedule

The September 2026 Pinecrest Sun states the goal plainly. The Village Council has committed to

"ensuring every resident has access to a green space within one mile -or about a 10 to 15-minute walk from home."

That sentence appears in a write-up about a future park, but it describes this whole year of construction. A one-mile goal depends on parks spread across the map and on safe ways to walk or bike between them. The 2026 projects deliver both, and Kendall Drive is where they meet.

Where everything stands as of mid-October 2026

Kendall Linear Park was built to connect, not to stop at the curb

According to the June 2026 Pinecrest Sun, the new path links Gulliver Prep and Temple Beth Am to a protected route away from traffic. It also ties into three existing routes:

• Red Road Linear Park
• Old Cutler Trail
• Howard Drive Path

The same issue says the path will extend to SW 67th Avenue once Gary Matzner Park is complete, "completing continuous connectivity from the Village's northern boundary." That one sentence explains why the north end matters. The path that opened in April runs one block short of the Village line, and the park is what carries it the rest of the way.

The trees will keep coming, too. The Public Works Director personally chose the first 73. Pigeon plums and Simpson's stoppers went in as understory, and the Village says it will keep adding gumbo limbos, green buttonwoods and slash pines on both sides of Kendall Drive. The corridor you walk next year will be shadier than the one you walk this fall.

Gary Matzner Park: the gateway piece, still on its way

Matzner Park covers 3.76 acres across two parcels on the southeast corner of Kendall Drive, between SW 67th Avenue and SW 65th Court. The Council approved buying the site in 2021 and approved the concept design in May 2023, and construction began in August 2025. The adopted design includes open lawns, natural play areas, a covered playground, a walking path, a restroom shelter, parking, preserved specimen trees, and all-native landscaping. The Village describes it as a park gateway welcoming people at the northern entrance of the Village.

The opening date has moved. Village materials from March and June pointed to summer 2026. The project page now says the park "is expected to open in October 2026," and the September newsletter says "fall 2026." As of this writing, the Village hasn't announced a ribbon-cutting date. The June update gives a sense of the work left at that point. The playground was installed but still needed its safety surface and lighting, the walking path was under way, and water and sewer lines were being connected.

The park is named for Gary C. Matzner, whom the Village identifies as Pinecrest's second mayor and its founding father. He led the incorporation effort and served as mayor from 2008 to 2012. So the park that finishes the Village's northern path also carries the name of the man most tied to the Village's founding.

Coral Pine Park answers a different gap

Coral Pine's renovation gave the middle of the Village programmed space, where the Kendall path gave the north edge a way to walk. The park at 6955 SW 104th Street now has a new multipurpose building, a walking path, a fitness station, expanded parking, and four new pickleball courts. The June newsletter says the courts add to the first dedicated pickleball courts in the area, built "in response to years of community demand." The park also keeps its pineland preserve and tennis courts.

You can rent the multipurpose room, which seats up to 90. The Coral Pine Park page lists the rate at $750 plus tax for three hours, with each extra hour at $125 plus tax. For a birthday party or a club meeting, that's a room in your own part of town instead of a drive across the Village.

Veterans Wayside Park finished the Pinecrest Parkway side

Veterans Wayside Park sits at 11111 Pinecrest Parkway, between SW 110th and SW 112th Streets. Village materials from March expected a spring ribbon cutting. The September issue reports the work was completed in August 2026. The improvements include:

1. An upgraded Veterans Memorial with more room for events and reflection
2. ADA-compliant pathways, including an accessible path on the south side down to the waterfront
3. A new playground for children ages 2–12
4. A stone wall that serves as both seating and a decorative barrier
5. A bioswale that filters stormwater naturally into the existing pond, plus native landscaping

The June issue also lists north-side walking paths, a monument plaza with a flagpole, picnic tables, benches and a great lawn. The playground matters most for the one-mile goal. Before, Veterans Wayside was mostly a memorial; now families nearby have a park to play in within walking distance.

The paths between the parks are still being worked on

The network is only as good as its links, and several are in progress. On October 13, the Village Council is scheduled to consider awarding a bid for pavement repairs on the Old Cutler Road shared-use path, according to the Village's agenda notice. The notice gives no work dates. Farther west, the planned Ludlam Road shared-use path would run eight feet wide from Snapper Creek to SW 136th Street. Design and permitting are expected to wrap up in April 2027, and the project page doesn't list a construction finish date.

Aleyda Mas Park is next in line

The next park is in the southeast. Aleyda Mas Park is a 5-acre property at SW 120th Street and SW 60th Avenue, with trails, a lagoon, a resort-style home, and a collection of exotic and native trees and plants. The Montgomery family, who founded Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, first owned the property, and the Mas family owned it later. The Village bought it in 2024. The September newsletter says it will be a place for picnics, walks and time with friends, and will also host small-scale, high-end programs for adults 18 and older. Groundbreaking is scheduled for this fall.

Coffee to finish the loop

One more 2026 addition makes a good last stop. Salty Sisters, a fast-casual café, is open inside the Pinecrest Community Center at 5855 Killian Drive. The Village's September spotlight lists breakfast and lunch, specialty coffee and matcha, fresh baked goods, and custom soft-serve. The hours in the Village newsletter don't match the hours on the café's online ordering page, so check with the café before you go.

When Gary Matzner Park opens, Kendall Linear Park will extend to SW 67th Avenue, and the path that opened in April will reach the Village's northern boundary.

At Eric Firestone Real Estate, we keep track of these Village projects as part of knowing Pinecrest street by street. If you'd like to talk through which parks and paths are within an easy walk of your block, or of a home you're considering, we're happy to help. Schedule your South Miami neighborhood consultation, and we'll go over the map with you.