Statement of Purpose

Organized under the umbrella of Dade Heritage Trust, the Friends of Marine Stadium seeks to actively promote retention and restoration of this marvelous landmark.

The Stadium was built in 1964, designed by architect Hilario Candela of the firm which is today called Spillis Candela DMJM. In its heyday, the Stadium hosted many events such as powerboat races, symphony and rock concerts, Easter services, presidential appearances and talk shows. The Stadium was closed after Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and has been neglected and unoccupied ever since. Although there has been numerous talk of renovation, there has been no action.

Increasingly, the Stadium is appreciated by many architects and preservationists as an architectural marvel. The sculptural, zig zag canopy seems to float over the water and the columns seem to emerge from the Bay. Organizations such as Docomomo (an organization devoted to documenting and preserving structures from the recent past) have placed the Stadium on its “most endangered” list.

The City of Miami is now developing a Master Plan for Virginia Key. During this important time, the Friends of Miami Marine Stadium seeks to make sure that this magnificent resource is preserved and a plan is created to maximize public use.

The recent loss of the Orange Bowl shows that the even great civic structures can be lost-if no constituency speaks out. The Friends of Miami Marine Stadium intends to make sure that at a time the City is undergoing an exciting resurgence, this very important and unique structure is retained.