Commission Grants Nonprofit Group Control Of Miami Marine Stadium Restoration
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A nonprofit group, with plans on renovating the graffiti-filled yet iconic Miami Marine Stadium in Key Biscayne, got the approval needed Thursday when city commissioners voted in favor of granting them control of the full site.
Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium, according to CBS4's News partner the Miami Herald, were seeking approval to raise $30 million for renovations and plan to utilize the venue for many purposes, including concerts, boat races, triathlons and more.
The city commission voted 4-1 Thursday, the paper reported, in favor of the nonprofit group gaining control to raise the total needed for redevelopment plans.
On a portion of the stadium's parking lot, according to the Paper, the nonprofit group plans to build what is described as a small-scale development to help support the operation of the facility.
The plan, according the group's co-founder Jorge Hernandez, would still have to come back to the commission for approval.
Friends of the Miami Marine Stadium will not seek public funding for their efforts.
Over a year ago, the commission approved to lease the land to the group without seeking bids, but the ambitious plans are stalled as the group waits on the vote that would determine the extent of the land.
To execute the plan, the paper reports, the group was hoping to gain control over the entire 12-acre site.
The all-volunteer group, organized in February of 2008, will now have two years to raise the total sum needed for renovation plans. According to the paper and co-founder of the Friends group, Don Worth, the group already has $10 million in funding commitments but couldn't move forward with plans for fundraising without a finalized deal.
The Miami Marine Stadium, considered a Modernist icon, was built in 1963 and deemed unsafe after Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
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