Projects Charles E. Deering Estate Landscape Restoration

The Charles E. Deering Estate at Cutler, located in South Florida, is a 430-acre environmental, historical, and archaeological park. The largest of its kind, it serves as a center for education and recreation.

The park grounds feature several of Florida’s native habitat communities, including mangrove swamps, maritime hammocks, a coastal tropical hardwood hammock, an endangered pine rockland forest, and a variety of archaeological resources, most notably one of the few remaining Tequesta Indian burial mounds. In 1992 Hurricane Andrew virtually destroyed the Estate.

The storm’s winds ravaged the landscape and decimated the historic structures. After extensive cleanup, the CGA developed an award-winning master plan for the restoration of the Estate’s extensive landscape grounds:

• the siting of and plantings surrounding new maintenance, trailhead, and environmental demonstration facilities;
• updating the grounds for ADA compliance;
• the re-sculpting of a Champion Black Olive Tree;
• the re-establishment of a destroyed historic palm glade;
• and the overall coordination between the Project Architect, the Historical Preservation Group, the Miami-Dade County Parks Department, and the General Contractor.