Miami voters have approved a restoration agreement allowing the city a path forward towards reactivating the historic Miami Marine Stadium on Virginia Key. Miami voters decided the referendum on Tuesday, August 18, following a decades-long closure after Hurricane Andrew caused extensive damage to the stadium in 1992.
Global Spectrum would manage events at the stadium and Flex Park under a 40-year term in the newly proposed agreement. The city would receive 93% of gross event sales along with a monthly management fee and an additional 85% of sponsorship revenue. Global Spectrum would also contribute up to $10 million toward the stadium’s restoration after Miami Commissioner Pardo insisted taxpayers wouldn’t bear the financial weight of this endeavor.
A Miami Landmark with a Long History
Since its construction in 1963, Miami Marine Stadium has served as a unique mid-century modern structure and hosted or appeared in a number of historically significant events, including:
- Performances by rock legends Queen, The Who, Jimmy Buffett and Steppenwolf
- A 1972 campaign rally featuring an appearance by President Richard Nixon
- The backdrop for Elvis Presley’s 1967 film Clambake
- Countless boat racing and major offshore and circuit powerboat races
As an ambitious example of mid-century Modernist architecture by a Cuban-American architect, Miami Marine Stadium represents the multi-cultural influences evolving in the city of Miami during the 1960s.
Former Secretary of State Ken Detzner
What’s Next for Miami Marine Stadium?
Richard Heisenbottle, the project’s architect, says the restoration project will involve structural repairs intended to preserve the stadium’s original character. Heisenbottle has confirmed that the restoration’s construction documents have been permitted and moves forward with an intent to honor the stadium’s original visionary, Cuban architect Hilario Candela. These solidified plans give the City of Miami and Global Spectrum a visible path forward for the stadium listed on the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places.
With the referendum’s approval, one of Miami’s most recognizable historic venues now has a path toward restoration and a potential return to hosting live events.
