Lemartec Engineering & Construction Corporation, a design-build and construction management firm and authorized builder for Varco Pruden Buildings, completed the expansion and enhancement of Ronald Reagan Equestrian Center at Tropical Park, a crown jewel of Miami recreational spaces.
The 275-acre, multi-purpose, urban park based in metropolitan Miami, FL, hosts more than 36 shows a year (including international shows), and is the premier place to witness the world’s most majestic equestrian breeds.
Located at 7900 SW 40 Street in Miami, Florida, the full-service equestrian facility houses 267 horse stalls available for rent. In addition to the equestrian center, Tropical Park has four lakes; a veterans memorial; 6,000 seat football/track-and-field stadium; a tennis center; a dog park; facilities for basketball, racquetball, softball and soccer; and miles of paved pathways for walking, running or biking.
Throughout the year, the equestrian center hosts rodeos, several special events, three state and local dog shows, and the annual Miami International Agriculture, Cattle and Horse Show, a three-day event drawing more than 60,000 worldwide visitors and horse and cattle exhibitors from more than 18 states. Among major events recently booked for the equestrian center was the 2013 Confederation of Paso Fino Horse Show, a world-class competition involving more than 1,000 horses from 12 Caribbean, Central and South American countries.
In the fall of 2013, the equestrian center was updated in an effort to maximize features of one of the city’s busiest parks. The new covered arenas, constructed by Lemartec, give the park more flexibility to offer a wider variety of large-scale exhibition events that will attract international participants and more spectators.
The expansion project added two new covered arenas to an existing show arena – providing equestrian enthusiasts with more than 3.7 acres of exhibition, competition and performance ready arenas, in one facility.
Each of the equestrian arenas provides 55,000-square-feet of floor space and has overhead lighting. The arenas, as well as the existing stables are connected via new lighted, covered walkways. The grounds are newly landscaped and the north parking lot is newly striped.
Varco Pruden’s clear-span, 275 ft. wide, open-web framing was used to form the Tropical Park Equestrian center. The metal building system was used to create four covered walkways (combined total roof area of 10,337 square feet). Both main arenas are 200’ x 275’ long and have a 43’-3” ridge height.
The structures, which use Varco Pruden’s Rigid Truss and Truss Beam framing systems, HWR (High Wind Roof) system, and Panel Rib™ wall system, was built by Lemartec Engineering and Construction and designed by Laura M. Perez & Associates.
The addition of more than 120,000 square feet of covered equestrian arena space helps to modernize this landmark, increase public access and enhance the park’s stature as a cultural treasure.