FAMED MIAMI CIRCLE SITE STILL IN DANGER

A temporary fix to the crumbling seawall adjacent to the famed Miami Circle in Brickell (Florida, USA) is just about complete, says State Archeologist Ryan Wheeler - but circle supporters will have to wait until at least next summer to see any further movement in securing the site. Should the Legislature in March grant a $2.5 million
request for funds to construct a permanent wall, the money could come in by July, Mr. Wheeler said, with construction to begin later in the year. Florida's Division of Historical Resources funded the $150,000 in remedial shoring, he said.
Meanwhile, discussions continue between Florida's archeological bureau and the local Historical Museum of Southern Florida, set to take control of managing the 2,000-year-old site, which probably is a relic of the Tequesta people. The public could gain limited access to the now blocked-off site beginning this fall, he said, possibly through tours for schools and other groups.
In the future, the museum may create a "passive park kind of environment" with posted educational information about the circle's history, he said, but now, "with the Icon building being under construction, it will be a while before total access is available." Icon Brickell, a three-tower luxury residential project, is set for completion winter 2008.
Another limiting factor at the site is the layer of protective limestone covering the circle, which is to remain for years into the future until experts figure out a way to protect it when it's exposed.