Miami Marine Stadium
Encyclopedia
The Miami Marine Stadium is a marine
stadium on Virginia Key
, Miami, Florida, United States. The facility, built and completed in 1963 on land donated to the City of Miami from the Matheson family
, is the first stadium purpose-built for powerboat racing
in the United States
.
. It was dedicated as the Ralph Munroe
Marine Stadium opened, completed at a cost of around $2 million ($ million, adjusted for current inflation). A speed boat racer, James Tapp, was killed on opening day. The venue, located just south of Downtown Miami
, was revered for its scenic views of Downtown and Miami Beach
, hosting motorboat
events, and events featuring the likes of Mitch Miller
, Sammy Davis, Jr.
, and U.S. President
Richard Nixon
(whose seasonal winter residence, dubbed "the Florida White House
," was on nearby Key Biscayne
).
From its opening for nearly 30 years, the stadium was used for its intended "water sports" as well as concerts, sporting events such as boxing
, which began in 1972. In the wake of Hurricane Andrew
, it was declared an unsafe building under Miami-Dade County
building code on September 18, 1992. In 2004, $3,000,000 was pledged in a municipal bond
s by county residents for the restoration and renovation of the facilities.
All American Challenge Series. The last major race in the Stadium was the 1987 Inboard Hydroplane national Championship.
Since its condemnation in 1992, the stadium has become a haven for vagabond graffiti art
ists, but remains an attraction for its photographic panoramic view of the central business district
s and barrier island
s of Miami.
On April 28, 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.
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
stadium on Virginia Key
Virginia Key
Virginia Key is a barrier island in Miami, Florida, United States in Biscayne Bay, south of Brickell and north of Key Biscayne. It accessible from the mainland via the Rickenbacker Causeway....
, Miami, Florida, United States. The facility, built and completed in 1963 on land donated to the City of Miami from the Matheson family
William John Matheson
William John Matheson was an American industrialist, born in Wisconsin but educated in Scotland. Having learned, while in Scotland, about recent breakthroughs in the development of aniline dyes, Matheson became an early importer and distributor of such dyes from Germany...
, is the first stadium purpose-built for powerboat racing
Offshore powerboat racing
Offshore powerboat racing is racing by large, specially designed ocean-going powerboats, typically point-to-point racing.Probably one of the largest, most dangerous, and most powerful racing machines of all, the extreme expense of the boats and the fuel required to participate make it an expensive...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
The 6,566 seat stadium was built in 1963 on land donated for "water sports," and designed by architect Hilario Candela, then-a 28-year-old recent immigrant from CubaCuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. It was dedicated as the Ralph Munroe
Ralph Munroe
Ralph Middleton Munroe was an American yacht designer and early resident of Coconut Grove in south Florida. His home, now The Barnacle Historic State Park, is the oldest house in Miami-Dade County still standing in its original location.-Early life:Munroe was born to Thomas and Ellen Middleton...
Marine Stadium opened, completed at a cost of around $2 million ($ million, adjusted for current inflation). A speed boat racer, James Tapp, was killed on opening day. The venue, located just south of Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
, was revered for its scenic views of Downtown and Miami Beach
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
, hosting motorboat
Motorboat
A motorboat is a boat which is powered by an engine. Some motorboats are fitted with inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the internal combustion engine, the gearbox and the propeller in one portable unit.An inboard/outboard contains a hybrid of a...
events, and events featuring the likes of Mitch Miller
Mitch Miller
Mitchell William "Mitch" Miller was an American musician, singer, conductor, record producer, A&R man and record company executive...
, Sammy Davis, Jr.
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....
, and U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
(whose seasonal winter residence, dubbed "the Florida White House
Florida White House
The Florida White House was an informal name for a compound in Key Biscayne, Florida used by U.S. President Richard Nixon.-History:...
," was on nearby Key Biscayne
Key Biscayne
Key Biscayne is an island located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. It is the southernmost of the barrier islands along the Atlantic coast of Florida, and lies south of Miami Beach and southeast of Miami...
).
From its opening for nearly 30 years, the stadium was used for its intended "water sports" as well as concerts, sporting events such as boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, which began in 1972. In the wake of Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...
, it was declared an unsafe building under Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
building code on September 18, 1992. In 2004, $3,000,000 was pledged in a municipal bond
Municipal bond
A municipal bond is a bond issued by a city or other local government, or their agencies. Potential issuers of municipal bonds includes cities, counties, redevelopment agencies, special-purpose districts, school districts, public utility districts, publicly owned airports and seaports, and any...
s by county residents for the restoration and renovation of the facilities.
Facilities
The Stadium was host for many world class powerboat events including Unlimited Hydroplane, Inboard, Outboard, Performance Craft, Stock, Modified, Grand National divisions as well as other special event races. The Stadium was also the site of a number of nationally televised events including the Bill Muncey Invitational and the ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
All American Challenge Series. The last major race in the Stadium was the 1987 Inboard Hydroplane national Championship.
Since its condemnation in 1992, the stadium has become a haven for vagabond graffiti art
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
ists, but remains an attraction for its photographic panoramic view of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
s and barrier island
Barrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
s of Miami.
On April 28, 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.