The Miami Marine Stadium is a marine stadium located on Virginia Key, minutes away from downtown Miami. The facility was built in 1963 on land donated to the City of Miami from the Matheson family and is the first stadium specifically designed for powerboat racing in the United States. The 6,566-seat venue was constructed by the Millman Construction Company of Miami Beach and designed by architect Hilario Candela, then a 28-year-old recent immigrant from Cuba. After escaping Cuba in 1960, Candela planted roots in Miami, Florida where he soon acquired a job as an architect at Pancoast, Ferendino, Skeels and Burnham in 1961. It was at this firm that he, alongside Albert Ferendino, was tasked with designing a seven-thousand-seat grandstand for speedboat racing on Virginia Key. The Department of Public Works was not interested in designing a work of art. Since it cost the city $900,000 to dredge the basin, they gave Candela a budget of $1 million and wanted the stadium finished as cheap as possible.
Candela designed an architectural marvel, built half on land, and half on water poured entirely of concrete. The grandstand is sheltered by an origami-shaped concrete roof. The City of Miami, concerned about funding, almost put a stop to it before construction started. Candela promised the city officials he would be within budget, or he would design it for free. The city accepted the deal, and the marine stadium was built as Candela designed it. The project actually came in under budget. At the time of completion, the concrete canopy was the world’s longest span of cantilevered concrete at 326 feet. The roof is supported by eight enormous, slanted columns anchored in the ground through the grandstand. A horizontal beam ties the whole thing together. The posts are set back as far as possible to give spectators unobstructed views over the watercourse.
The marine stadium was dedicated as the Ralph Monroe Marine Stadium on December 23, 1963, to Ralph Munroe, an American yacht designer and one of the pioneers of Coconut Grove. The complete formal name of the stadium is Commodore Ralph Middleton Munroe Miami Marine Stadium. A speed boat racer, James Tapp, was killed on opening day. A floating stage was added several years after the stadium opened to host concerts, boxing matches (which began in 1972), and even Easter Sunday church services.
The venue is revered for its scenic views of the central business districts and Miami Beach, hosting motorboat events, and events featuring Mitch Miller, Sammy Davis Jr., and President Richard Nixon (whose seasonal winter residence, dubbed “the Florida White House”, was on nearby Key Biscayne. For nearly 30 years, the stadium was used for its intended water sports as well as concerts, sporting events, and even figured prominently in the 1967 Elvis Presley film Clambake, serving as the scene of Elvis’ climactic speedboat race. Over the years, the stadium hosted dozens of nationally televised events including the Bill Muncey Invitational and the ESPN All American Challenge Series.
The marine stadium has played host to many world class powerboat events including Unlimited Hydroplane, Performance Craft, Grand National divisions as well as several others. In 1979, Miami Rowing Club relocated to an empty lot between the marine stadium and MAST Academy (then known as Planet Ocean Museum). The Miami International Regatta has been hosted by Miami Rowing Club since 1973, the basin provides a 1,500-meter 7-lane course for practice, training and racing. During the 1970s and 1980s, several large concerts were held at the stadium including a legendary 2-day Jimmy Buffet concert in 1985. Hundreds of boats surrounded the facility to enjoy the festivities. The last major race held at the marine stadium was the 20th Annual Budweiser Hydroplane Regatta on June 1, 1990.
During its last few years of operation, the venue showed signs of deterioration from neglect as the City of Miami had no interest in managing the property. In the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew, the marine stadium was declared an unsafe building under Miami-Dade County building code on September 18, 1992. The city requested $1 million from FEMA to have the stadium demolished. The insurance company commissioned a separate engineering study which showed that the facility suffered no damage from Hurricane Andrew. The study concluded that $3 million was needed to repair the stadium from lack of maintenance during the operating years of 1964-1992. Once the study was made public, many people opposed the demolition, and the City of Miami returned the $1 million to FEMA.
Although the demolition was halted the marine stadium remained shuttered. There were several attempts to have the abandoned stadium demolished to build a marina and condos however nothing ever materialized. In 2004, $3 million was pledged in municipal bonds by county residents for the restoration and renovation of the facilities. A group, Friends of Miami Marine Stadium, was formed in 2008 with the purpose of restoring the Marine Stadium and returning it to operation. Performer Gloria Estefan, through her charity group, is a major contributor to Friends of Miami Marine Stadium.
In 2009, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the Commodore Ralph Middleton Munroe Marine Stadium to its list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. The National Trust designated the stadium as a National Treasure in March 2012. On April 18, 2012, the Florida Chapter of the American Institute of Architects placed the stadium on its list of Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places as the Ralph Middleton Munroe Miami Marine Stadium.
The City of Miami granted control of the stadium property to the group in 2013, and the group returned in late 2014 with a revitalization proposal and supposed funds. This project brought the Miami International Boat Show to the Miami Marine Stadium on February 11–15, 2016. The Miami International Boat Show used the Marine Stadium as a venue from 2016 until 2021. After years of interest in restoration, in November 2016 city commissioners approved up to $45 million in revenue-bond financing to restore the stadium. An architecture firm was hired, and restoration plans were finalized, but the bond authorization expired.
The city had planned to renovate the Miami Marine Stadium into a concert venue, but, by late 2020, Miami officials had refused to disclose detailed plans for the venue. By 2021, the city of Miami was looking to hire a new advisor to consult on the restoration of the Miami Marine Stadium. City commissioners were expected to vote on a $61.2 million revenue bond financing on February 24, 2022, but the vote was deferred until late May 2022. This delay was intended to allow Miami officials to conduct a cost–benefit analysis of the renovation. In June 2022, Miami officials further postponed a vote on the bond.
Meanwhile, Miami officials proposed in late 2022 to build a boat ramp, as well as parking space for boat trailers, next to the Miami Marine Stadium. Miami’s Planning and Zoning Advisory Board approved the proposal in December 2022, in spite of concerns that the construction of the boat ramp would cause congestion on the Rickenbacker Causeway. Preservationist group Dade Heritage Trust asked city officials to cancel the approval of the boat ramp, but Miami city commissioners rejected the request in early 2023. Workers began restoring the Miami Marine Stadium in early 2023, repairing damaged pilings at a cost of $2.4 million. The first phase of the restoration was completed in January 2024 with the repair of 9 reinforced piles and 2 caps to prevent rusting. Restoration of the Miami Marine Stadium includes complex construction activities involving structural repairs with materials, features and character as it appeared in the 1960s. The project also includes the creation of a 3-acre plaza next to it.
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