Thirteen years ago, I wrote that the Miami Marine Stadium needed us. Thirteen years later, it still does.
After decades of plans, approvals, promises and delays, the stadium is headed to a public referendum in the City of Miami on August 18. This is not the final vote, but it is a critical step toward finally moving the restoration forward.
My history with the Marine Stadium goes back to 2013, when I wrote The Miami Marine Stadium Needs You after touring it with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, preservation advocates, my former University of Miami architecture professor Jorge Hernandez, and the stadium’s original architect, Hilario Candela.
I still remember hearing Hilario talk about the building he designed and everything it had witnessed as Miami changed around it. What stayed with me most was his excitement about its future.
That summer, the Miami City Commission approved plans for the stadium, Gloria Estefan became involved as the “Voice of the Stadium,” and it felt like restoration was finally within reach. By 2016, I was writing about the efforts being “back” again and describing the process as painfully slow.
Here we are in 2026.
What Happens August 18
City of Miami voters will decide whether the City can move forward with an agreement to activate and manage the historic Miami Marine Stadium and surrounding Flex Park.
You may have seen the campaign asking voters to choose YES, #172. Approval does not complete the restoration or reopen the stadium. More planning and approvals remain, but a positive vote allows the process to continue.
After all these years, continuing matters.
Why This Stadium Matters
As an architect, I have always seen the Marine Stadium as much more than an abandoned grandstand.
Hilario Candela designed something uniquely Miami, with its dramatic cantilevered concrete roof, Biscayne Bay as its setting, a floating stage and the skyline beyond it. Architecture, water and performance were conceived as one experience.
You could not pick this building up and put it somewhere else and have it mean the same thing.
The stadium also holds generations of Miami memories, from boat races and concerts to graduations and community events. Its architectural and cultural importance has been recognized nationally for years.
What it needs now is not another conversation about whether it is worth saving. It needs the opportunity to actually be saved.
Miami Marine Stadium Needs You. Again.
If you live in the City of Miami and believe this landmark deserves a future, vote YES, #172 on August 18.
Then share this with another City of Miami voter, because this is one of those moments when caring about Miami’s history requires doing something about it.
Learn more about the campaign at BringBackMarineStadium.com.
I still think about Hilario standing inside the stadium and talking about its future with such excitement. He is no longer here to see what happens next, but the building he created is still waiting
Enough waiting. Let’s give the Miami Marine Stadium its next chapter.
More from the Miamism archives
The Miami Marine Stadium Needs You | 2013
Gloria Estefan and the Miami Marine Stadium
Miami Marine Stadium Plans Approved by City Commissioners | 2013
Miami Marine Stadium Restoration Efforts Are BACK! | 2016
UPDATE: Big Win for the Miami Marine Stadium!
Miami voters passed a ballot referendum that allows the city to enter into a management agreement with a company that will operate events at the architecturally renowned Miami Marine Stadium, which has sat abandoned for decades.
According to The Miami Herald:
With the passage of Miami Referendum 2, the city can move forward with management partner Global Spectrum, a subsidiary of Oak View Group, one of the country’s largest operators of sports and entertainment venues. Under the proposal, Oak View Group will receive a 10-year management contract, with three options for renewal.
The city will receive a large cut of revenue from events and sponsorships while paying Oak View Group a monthly management fee. “We are elated that the Miami community advanced this important step forward in the restoration of one of Miami’s most treasured landmarks,”
Greg O’Dell, president of venue management for Oak View Group, said in a statement Tuesday night. “Miami Marine Stadium is more than a venue, it’s a symbol of Miami’s vibrant history and future.” Pardo, who sponsored the legislation to put the Marine Stadium referendum on the ballot, said Tuesday that it was “a truly magical moment for the Magic City.”
“The people of Miami have spoken clearly, and they want this iconic landmark back,” Pardo said. “The hard work begins now, and I’m proud to stand behind this project every step of the way as we bring the Marine Stadium back to life and return this extraordinary piece of Miami’s history to the public, where it belongs.”
The referendum includes the following terms:
-City receives 93% of gross sales of all events after deducting a $33,333 monthly management fee
-City receives 85% of sponsorship revenues Up to a 40-year term
-Global Spectrum to pay the city up to $10,000,000 toward the restoration of Historic Marine Stadium
-Oak View Group will pay the city a total capital investment of up to $10 million for restoration of the stadium.
-The operator will get a $400,000 annual base fee, as well as incentive fees equal to 7% of gross revenues, food and beverage sales, and 15% of revenue from sponsorships and premium seating, according to the underlying city legislation.
The proposal entails building a long-promised flex park, operated by Oak View Group, that will convert the stadium’s vast parking lot into a water-oriented public recreational facility that could also be used for special events.
Don Worth, co-founder of Restore Miami Marine Stadium, previously told the Herald that while the total restoration cost has not yet been determined, there are several non-city funding sources available to pay for the restoration, like the sale of historic tax credits, as well as naming rights.
Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article316868574.html#storylink=cpy
https://www.bringbackmarinestadium.com/volunteer-election-day