Miami's Marine Stadium: County Rallies to Landmark's Restoration

The Miami Marine Stadium might get a second life thanks to $3 million promised by the Miami-Dade County Commission. But where the rest of needed funding will come from is yet to be seen.

This South Florida icon was the site for everything from rock concerts and political rallies to regattas and wake-board contests. Designed by locally renowned architect Hilario Candela when he was only 27, the waterfront structure stood as an example of modern architecture. It's made completely of poured concrete and faces a 6,000-by-1,400-foot water basin.

Miami Marine Stadium's glory days began to fade in the late 1980s when its use declined. The final blow came in 1992 when it was damaged by monster Hurricane Andrew, which also crippled the Homestead community in southern Miami-Dade County and caused considerable losses in Key Biscayne, its island home.