One of Miami’s most iconic landmarks could be one step closer to restoration as voters prepare to decide the future of the Miami Marine Stadium.
Preservationist Don Worth took Local 10 News inside the historic structure on Tuesday, showing both its beauty and the decades of wear it has endured.
“Best view of Miami, absolutely incredible,” Worth said. “The thing about the stadium is that everyone who comes here is a VIP. Everybody has a Waterbury seat.”
Built in 1963, the Miami Marine Stadium was designed by architect Hilario Candela and became known for its unique design, with a portion of the structure built over Biscayne Bay.
“Candela was from Havana, came here as a young architect. He was 28 years old at the time,” said Ricardo Lopez, principal of RJ Heisenbottle Architects.
The stadium became a destination for boat races, concerts and major events, including a memorable performance by the late Jimmy Buffett.
“Everyone I got to talk to that got to come back here had a lot of fun, so I am ready to have a lot of fun here,” said Savannah Buffett, Jimmy Buffett’s daughter and a Miami resident.
The city closed the stadium following the impact of Hurricane Andrew in 1992, and the building spent decades without major restoration.
“What is interesting is after the stadium closed in 1992, the creatives took it over and, in a certain sense, they kept it alive,” Worth said.
Now, Miami voters will decide in an August special election whether the city should enter into a management agreement with a venue operator at the adjacent Flex Park.
Under the proposed agreement, the city would receive 93% of gross event revenue after a $33,333 monthly management fee is deducted, 85% of sponsorship revenue and up to $10 million from Global Spectrum toward restoring the historic stadium.
City leaders and preservationists say that agreement would be a first step toward eventually restoring the stadium.
“The idea is after revenues are stabilized for a couple of years, the city can go out and issue a revenue bond,” said Miami Commissioner Damian Pardo. “That revenue bond would pay for the full restoration of the Miami Marine Stadium, which is projected roughly at $65 million.”
Pardo said it could take about five years before the project generates enough revenue for the city to move to the next phase of renovating the stadium itself.
“This is the Miami experience. There is nothing like it in the world,” he said. “It is not just an iconic venue on the water, it will represent our city to the globe.”
Supporters say restoring the stadium would bring the landmark back into Miami’s civic and social life.
“It is a monument of a building in front of our greatest asset here — Biscayne Bay,” Lopez said. “We are really excited at the opportunity to hopefully see the day when this place can be open for the public again.”
Christine Rupp, executive director of Dade Heritage Trust, said preservation is becoming increasingly important as Miami continues to grow.
“I think as Miami grows at an unprecedented rate, they understand preserving these icons are super important,” Rupp said.
Voters can review the Miami special election sample ballot and the referendum question before heading to the polls.
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