By Coral Gables Gazette staff

Coral Gables unveiled its newest park on June 13 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony honoring the city’s only female mayor, Dorothy Thomson. The green space, located on Toledo Street just south of Bird Road, features a whimsical Wizard of Oz theme—complete with a winding yellow brick road and a butterfly garden.

The dedication drew one of the largest crowds in city history for a park opening, according to city officials. Family, friends, elected officials, and longtime residents gathered under a clear sky to celebrate a leader whose imprint on “The City Beautiful” spans seven decades.

Thomson said the Wizard of Oz theme was her daughter Joanne’s idea. “It’s the city’s first theme park,” explained the former mayor.

Legacy in brick and bloom

Born in 1932 during the Great Depression in rural Peekskill, New York, Thomson moved to Coral Gables in 1953 and has remained a resident ever since. She began her civic career in 1979 with her election to the City Commission, won reelection in 1981, and became Coral Gables’ first—and still only—female mayor in 1985. Over 16 years of service on the dais, including a return as vice mayor in the 1990s, Thomson played a central role in shaping the city that Coral Gables is today.

Her record includes helping to save the Biltmore Hotel from demolition, founding the Citizens Crime Watch program, and establishing a senior center. Known for her accessibility and attention to detail, she earned a reputation as a highly responsive public servant. During her time in office, she drove an orange Corvette with a custom “MAYOR85” license plate.

The new park honors that legacy not only in name, but in design. Assistant City Manager Carolina Vester, who helped lead the project, described it as deeply personal. “Every park design I’ve had the opportunity to work on has always been with my daughters in mind—making sure there’s a thoughtful balance between play and nature,” Vester said on Instagram. “This park does just that, with a wonderful playground, a passive area featuring a butterfly garden, and a charming shell walkway for quiet moments.”

The park’s yellow brick path—an nod to The Wizard of Oz—offers more than a playful reference. It evokes Thomson’s lifelong journey that began in the hills of upstate New York and led to a civic life marked by determination, imagination, and service.

A city’s tribute, a family affair

Fred Couceyro, Director of Community Recreation, served as master of ceremonies. Mayor Vince Lago delivered remarks recognizing Thomson’s historic role and reaffirming the city’s commitment to expanding public green spaces.

Joining the dedication were Thomson’s daughter, June Thomson Morris; her son-in-law, prominent developer and civic leader W. Allen Morris; and her son, Robert Thomson, a Coral Gables police officer. The event also drew Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson, Commissioners Melissa Castro, Ariel Fernandez, and Richard Lara, as well as former Mayor Raúl Valdés-Fauli and former Commissioner Kirk Menendez.

History in motion

The park dedication capped a nearly five-year effort to acquire and transform the site into a public space. Vester noted that the idea took shape in 2019 when she was still with the Parks Department, and the Commission made the purchase a city priority.

For Thomson, the moment marked one more milestone in a life of civic achievement and personal perseverance. After pausing her college education in the 1950s to raise a family, she returned to the University of Miami decades later. In 2008, more than 50 years after she first enrolled, she graduated cum laude, underscoring a commitment to lifelong learning that matched her devotion to public service.

Though she left elected office in 2001, Thomson continued to serve the city through appointments to boards and committees, including the Parking Advisory Board and the Historic Preservation Committee. She remains engaged in civic life to this day, following commission meetings and offering institutional knowledge that spans generations of local leadership.

At 93, she stood alongside her family to cut the ceremonial ribbon on the park that now bears her name. From a city she first made home in 1953 to a garden path paved in yellow brick, the dedication marked a full-circle tribute to one of Coral Gables’ most enduring civic figures.