James Corner Field Operations have been selected to lead the final six phases of Miami’s 10-mile long Underline linear park, the firm announced Thursday via social media.

With the first phase now open at its northern terminus in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood, the firm will look to take over the remaining longest portion of the project that is activating an 120-acre area directly underneath the city’s Metrorail with a series of recreation areas, bike paths, and other open spaces specially intended for the display of art commissions and outdoor public events.

The last 7.5-mile stretch will start just south of the now halfway completed Phase 2 at Southwest 19th Avenue before terminating at the Dadeland South Metrorail station. The budget for the project is reportedly $140 million, and the Phases 3-9 work is being undertaken with the help of design-build partners NV2A Group, the Central Civil Construction company, and Stantec.

With an expected completion date set for 2025, the project has drawn comparisons to Chicago's Millennium Park and still-underway BeltLine development in Atlanta. The project's intended impact on public life in the city post-Covid is already being seen, as the group supervising the Underline said that 60% of those who have visited the park thus far reported to have met someone new.