by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 9:49 AM ET, Wed May 19, 2021
Miami will welcome a new eco-adventure park and hotel located on the city's waterfront, called "Jungle Island: Miami's Adventure Oasis," in 2022.
ESJ Capital Partners, an Aventura-based commercial real estate firm, will develop the 18.5-acre park, taking inspiration for the $300 million project from the historic "Jungle Island," a zoological theme park and botanical gardens located on Watson Island, which once boasted the largest collection of rare birds and animals.
The park will include an aerial adventure course, a large trampoline park, a 1,200-seat outdoor amphitheater, a multi-story aviary, a beach club, a lazy river and the highlight of the park: interactive animal nature tours that feature incredible experiences like swimming with capybaras.
The park's resort will be an eco- and family-friendly resort, scheduled to open in late 2024 or 2025. The park will also have meeting and event spaces for things like weddings and corporate events.
Projections estimate the park will draw more than 500,000 guests in its first year, both local visitors and tourists.
"A nature-oriented destination of this magnitude in the heart of Miami's urban core is truly remarkable," said Micha Dubernard, Senior Vice President of ESJ Capital Partners. "In addition to providing a unique attraction that enhances Miami's reputation for tourism and culture, Jungle Island's lush habitat will also serve an important ecological role by helping absorb some of the city's carbon emissions and serving as a natural preserve for Florida's wading birds and other wildlife."
ESJ's redevelopment team includes HKS Architects, a global design firm that previously redeveloped Royal Caribbean's CocoCay Island, as well as Gardiner & Theobald, the independent construction and property consultancy which developed Miami's Faena District.
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