Petition launches to restore Miami Marine Stadium

As approximately 100,000 people prepare to visit Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin in February as part of the first-ever Miami International Boat Show to be held on Virginia Key, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Dade Heritage Trust are launching a petition to demonstrate public support for fully restoring the iconic stadium.

The National Trust and Dade Heritage Trust will staff an informational kiosk throughout the Boat Show, February 11-15, where attendees and exhibitors will be able to learn more about Miami Marine Stadium and sign a new petition, which calls on Miami’s city commissioners to make the stadium’s restoration a priority in 2016.

The kiosk will be located in the central courtyard of the Boat Show campus just outside the entrance to the stadium. For those who cannot attend in person, the petition is also available at www.SavingPlaces.org/stadium.

Additionally, the National Trust is working with local visual performance artists to illuminate the iconic structure using projections of vintage stadium footage so that attendees are able to fully appreciate its history and one-of-a-kind architecture. The light installation will take place on Friday, February 12, through Sunday, February 14, beginning at 4:00 p.m. and running until 8:00 p.m. each evening.

As a significant annual event, the Boat Show is expected to be a catalyst for the restoration of Miami Marine Stadium. The City of Miami has already spent more than $20 million to make improvements to the land around the stadium, including the creation of a flex park as called for by the Virginia Key Master Plan. Additionally, other positive developments indicate that the restoration effort is gaining momentum:

• A nomination to add the stadium to the National Register of Historic Places has been prepared for the U.S. Department of the Interior and is pending approval by the Miami City Commission. If named to the National Register, restoration work at the stadium would qualify for federal historic tax credits, which would reduce restoration costs by approximately $6,000,000.
• The Miami City Commission has created an advisory committee that will help shape a long-term vision for Virginia Key, including a comprehensive business plan for the key that includes the renovation and re-opening of Miami Marine Stadium to the public. Both the National Trust and Dade Heritage Trust are pleased to have been invited to serve on this committee.
• On December 15, the City of Miami issued an RFQ for architectural and engineering services for the stadium. The response due date was recently extended to Wednesday, February 17.