The outdoor gym equipment in Maurice A. Ferré Park — a relatively small set of pull-up bars, ellipticals and calisthenic aids — was one of the most fraught controversies in the City of Miami over the past year. Its placement was the subject of a lawsuit, various resident appeals and hours upon hours of public comment, both for and against it.
But the outdoor gym opened quietly over the holiday weekend, and area residents are already taking advantage of the fresh air aerobic exercise setup.
“For me it’s fabulous. I love it. I always went to the one at Margaret [Pace Park], but since I live closer to here I’ve been coming to this one and I think it’s a great idea,” Santiago Felautto told WLRN in Spanish after finishing his set of pull-ups.
Equipment Controversy
The Bayfront Park Management Trust, the city agency that runs Ferré Park, moved to install the gym equipment last October. Neighboring residents who used the park argued that the outdoor gym was placed without sufficient public input and that it didn’t fit the park’s masterplan.
The city’s Planning Zoning and Appeals Board concurred with the residents and voted 5-2 on Nov. 15, 2023 to reverse the city’s approval of the gym equipment. That sparked a yearlong battle between residents and City Commissioner Joe Carollo, who chairs the Bayfront Park Management Trust.
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Carollo contended that the equipment was installed legally and would be a benefit for residents throughout the city who visit Ferré Park. Neighbors, along with City Commissioner Damian Pardo, said at public meetings that Carollo was exercising outsized control on the park and was not listening to downtown residents.
While the battle raged on at city hall, the gym equipment was fenced off to the public.

Carollo moved to put a referendum on the ballot this August asking voters citywide if the city should keep gym equipment in parks.
“Shall the City of Miami keep already installed outdoor gym equipment like in many of our parks at the City park located at 1075 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL 33132, also known as Maurice A. Ferré Park, to enhance recreational facilities and promote community health and fitness for all our residents?” the ballot item read.
A group of six residents filed a lawsuit against the city over the referendum, calling it misleading.
The ballot item ultimately passed, but the gym equipment remained under lock and key. That is, until the city commission approved a change to the city’s zoning code on Dec. 12.
Now the city does not have to go through a “warrant” process to add recreational facilities — including outdoor gyms — to public parks. That means neighboring residents can no longer appeal the construction of certain facilities, like downtown residents appealed the gym equipment at Ferré Park.
City residents railed against the zoning change during public comment at the Dec. 12 meeting, calling it undemocratic and a loss of the public’s power. Commissioners nevertheless voted 3-1 to pass the change, with Commissioner Pardo as the sole “no” vote and Commissioner Manolo Reyes absent.
With the zoning code changed, the fence around the gym equipment went down. Despite the many months of fighting, the scene at the outdoor gym was tranquil over the holiday.
The lawsuit involving the ballot referendum is still ongoing.