A waterfront landmark could be getting a new lease on life this summer after sitting abandoned for more than three decades.
The future of the Miami Marine Stadium is in the hands of voters this August 18th, as a special election will give residents the chance to vote on a step toward its revival.
According to a sample ballot, voters will decide on whether the city should enter into a long-term agreement with Global Spectrum, a subsidiary of Oak View Group, to operate the stadium and adjacent Flex Park once it is restored. Under the proposal, the city would receive 93% of gross sales of all events after a monthly management fee is deducted, and 85% of sponsorship revenue.
The operator would also pay the city up to $10 million toward the restoration of the waterfront structure. The ultimate goal is a complete renovation, which is “projected roughly at $65 million,” Commissioner Damian Pardo told WPLG Local 10. It could take about five years for the project to generate enough revenue for the city to move into the next renovation phase, he said.
Before sitting vacant since Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the Miami Marine Stadium once welcomed generations of guests for concerts, boat races, boxing matches and community events. Jimmy Buffett notably dove into the water from the stage during a sold-out 1985 performance, and the stadium even made an appearance in Elvis Presley’s 1967 film, “Clambake.”
It was built in 1963 by Cuban-American architect Hilario Candela and highlighted for its cantilevered concrete roof and grandstands that extend directly over Biscayne Bay. As it remained closed and left to decay after being deemed an unsafe structure by officials for three decades, many graffiti artists began to cover it with their designs. Although it was the work of historic preservationist Don Worth, who co-founded the Friends of Miami Marine Stadium and launched a campaign to secure historic designation and funding for the venue, an effort that paved the way for its current restoration plans.
