Miami unveils plans for Plaza Azúcar, a Little Havana park honoring Celia Cruz

October 22, 2026

Celia Cruz is getting a plaza of her own in Miami. City Commissioner Ralph Rosado unveiled the first rendering of Plaza Azúcar on Wednesday, October 21, a new public space planned for 650 Beacom Boulevard along the Calle Ocho corridor in Little Havana. The announcement fell on what would have been the Havana-born singer's 101st birthday, EFE and WSVN 7News reported.

The centerpiece will be a large-scale sculpture of the Queen of Salsa designed by artist Alex Kaufman, who specializes in monumental works. City officials described the project as a major new cultural destination for Calle Ocho and the first public space of its kind honoring her in the City of Miami.

It joins other U.S. tributes to Cruz, including Celia Cruz Way in Miami Beach and Celia Cruz Park in Union City, New Jersey. Omer Pardillo, who manages the singer's artistic estate, took part in the presentation, where guests enjoyed live music and a pig roast and went home with commemorative quarters bearing her image.

Cruz (1925-2003) became the first Afro-Latina to appear on a U.S. quarter in 2024 as part of the American Women Quarters Program. The coin carries her trademark cry of "¡Azúcar!", the same word that will now name the plaza.

Sources: EFE / El Nuevo Herald; WSVN 7News