This week, Friends of The Underline, the Piero Atchugarry Gallery and The Leesfield Family Foundation celebrated the debut of Estrella De Luz by Pablo Atchugarry at The Leesfield Family Garden.
“I am thankful and have sincere gratitude for everyone who made this possible,” said Ira Leesfield, Chair at The Leesfield Family Foundation and Founder and Managing Partner of Leesfield & Partners.
The ribbon-cutting on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, marked the official opening of the garden, a new gathering space along The Underline’s 10-mile corridor. Anchored by Estrella de Luz, Atchugarry’s bronze masterpiece, the garden features benches where runners and walkers can pause for a break and where nearby office workers can enjoy lunch in a peaceful setting — save for the Metrorail’s steady interruption.
“It’s an honor to help bring this vision to life,” Mr. Leesfield has said previously of the project, which he has worked closely on for over a year with The Underline’s team.
Following the art selection, made possible by Rina Gitlin, The Underline’s Open Space Curatorial Manager, Mr. Leesfield and The Underline’s team got to work organizing a space that was previously unused.
Before the project began, the space, located directly across from the Leesfield & Partners office on South Dixie Highway, was nothing but “debris,” according to the Board Certified Trial Attorney. The Underline has taken this space and many others like it throughout Miami and turned them into places that foster connection.
“We got to change our front yard …. We got to change our view,” Mr. Leesfield said. “And I said, ‘this is a natural fit!’ And we got to make a difference.”
With the garden now open to the public, Mr. Leesfield hopes the space will be enjoyed by all — and that it will inspire others to sponsor their own sections of The Underline, helping the organization continue its work of bringing the community together.
“We should encourage our friends who want to participate in public art in a public space and who want to be involved in this 10-mile urban path to volunteer and get involved,” he said.
About The Underline
The Underline got its start after its founder, Meg Daly, was walking under the Miami-Dade County Metrorail in 2013. Unable to drive following a bike accident in which she broke both arms, Daly took to taking public transit to get to and from her appointments. It was on these walks that she noticed the large space underneath the tracks that was not being used.
Over a decade later, and the space is being transformed into a 10-mile linear park complete with a trail for bikers, runners and walkers, and a public art destination. The Underline’s work is outlined in three phases.
About Leesfield & Partners
Leesfield & Partners is a personal injury law firm with nearly five decades of experience securing record verdicts and historic settlements for injured clients throughout Florida. The firm has three offices, including Miami, Key West, and Central Florida/Orlando. Started by Ira H. Leesfield in 1976, the firm has become one of the top personal injury law firms in Florida and has repeatedly been recognized as one of the leading personal injury law firms in the United States.
Leesfield & Partners has been routinely recognized by national and local entities including The Best Lawyers in America, Florida Legal Elite, South Florida Legal Guide Top Firm and Top Lawyers, South Florida Business Journal Key Partners Award, and Super Lawyers.
In 1990, building on the success of Leesfield & Partners, Mr. Leesfield established The Leesfield Family Foundation. Chaired by Mr. Leesfield and supported by his wife, Cynthia, and daughter, Jennifer, The Foundation has become a vital lifeline for countless individuals across South Florida. With a primary focus on women’s and children’s issues, The Foundation has also provided numerous academic scholarships to those in need, making a lasting impact on the community.
