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Friends of Miami Marine Stadium
Newsletter  #53        April 2012 

In This Issue
Marine Stadium Legislation Approved!
National Treasures Program
Press
Vote For Marine Stadium!
Dade Heritage Trust
DHT Logo
Dade Heritage Trust is celebrating 40 years of advocacy, education and restoration in Miami-Dade County.

Thanks to Dade Heritage Trust: the Cape Florida Lighthouse on Key Biscayne was restored, the Freedom Tower was saved from partial demolition, the Miami Marine Stadium was saved and historically designated, the 2000 year old Miami Circle was saved from the bulldozer; the original Miami High School building was relocated and restored; Dr. Jackson's 1905 Office and Clinic was restored for DHT's Headquarters, the original Sears/Art Deco Tower was saved as part of the Performing Arts Center; the Hubbard/Alvarez Bungalow in Little Havana was renovated; the 1917 Dice House was restored as a community center in Continental Park; the 1858 Wagner Homestead was relocated and restored in Lummus Park; Preservation Today Magazine has featured Miami's historic sites since 1983; Dade Heritage Days showcases Miami's heritage and historic places every spring; thousands of students have been inspired to appreciate their community's heritage through historic tours and programs.

Dade Heritage Trust is delighted to announce the celebration of its 40th Anniversary by "Dancing Through The Decades" at the Country Club in Coral Gables, built in 1924 and recently restored. Invitations are going out soon. Tickets are $150 for members and $200 for non-members. For additional information, please call DHT at 305-358-9572.
 
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  Email List

Our email list continues to grow steadily. It is the best way to stay informed and involved with our efforts to restore the Marine Stadium. Please encourage others to sign up!

# of people on Friends of Marine Stadium email list..2160

 

We respect your time and only send emails on average once a month. We do not give or sell our email list to anyone.

 
Marine Stadium Memories: Remembering Chuck "Rookie" Woodruff 
 
We met Chuck Woodruff several years ago. Chuck, a former Champion boat racer, was known as "Rookie" due to his incredible Rookie year in boat racing, back in 1968. The Miami Marine Stadium meant a great deal to him and he was extraordinarily helpful  in our efforts to restore the Stadium. On March 18, he died at a boating event in Tavares, Florida.

As part of our IF SEATS COULD TALK project, we got "Rookie's" story last year. You can read it  here and it will be an important part of our book. Chuck will be remembered by many for his wonderful, positive spirit and he will be remembered by us for his important contributions in saving and restoring the Marine Stadium. 
 
We continue to work on our book of memories of the Marine Stadium, IF SEATS COULD TALK. If you have a story about your experiences at the Stadium, let us know-we can interview you by phone and write it up. Just hit the "return" button to this email and we'll get in touch with you.


# of stories submitted to IF SEATS COULD TALK .....160
 Presentations of Miami Marine Stadium
 
 We have upcoming presentations on the Marine Stadium to the Rotary Clubs of South Miami and Coconut Grove, the Miami Springs Historical Society, the City of Miami Waterfront Advisory Board and the New World Committee of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce.

If you know of a group that may be interested in a presentation on the Marine Stadium, please reply to this email.

Total community presentations made to date............53

To: Miami Marines    

We won!!! Now approved by both the Miami City Commission and the Miami Sports and Exhibition Authority, we can finally move forward.   

Marine Stadium Legislation Approved by Miami City Commission
 
On March 8th, the Miami City Commission approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Friends of Miami Marine Stadium, Miami Sports and Exhibition Authority, and the City of Miami to create a partnership to prepare plans for the restoration of the Marine Stadium. On March 29, the Miami Sports and Exhibition Authority approved some amendments to the MOU that had been included by the City Commission.

A big thank you to District Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, and Commissioners Francis Suarez and Willy Gort who voted in favor of the legislation. We appreciate the leadership of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado and the Administration in developing a plan to move this complex project forward.

Under the terms of the MOU, Friends of Miami Marine Stadium has just six months to develop a plan specifying the amount of land needed, and a financial and operating plan. We also must raise the necessary funds for restoration of the Stadium within a two year period (no City funds are to be used). We estimate restoration costs to be approximately $30 million and we have about $10 million in commitments so far.

Finally, we would like to thank the many Miami Marines who either showed up for the Hearing or emailed the Commission. One Commissioner told us that his office received  more emails on this issue than any other he had seen. Your efforts made a big difference! 
 
Miami Marine Stadium Named a National Treasure by the National Trust For Historic Preservation 

The National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) has recently launched a campaign to protect our National Treasures. The Trust is putting significant resources into places considered irreplaceable or critically threatened  across the country.

We are thrilled that the Miami Marine Stadium has been included in the first group of National Treasures. For each National Treasure, the NTHP will work with the local group to create a coordinated campaign and provide resources leading to its restoration. Once their goal has been met, the property rotates off the list.  We are now working closely with the NTHP,  and we have recently received their grant to help in developing our fundraising and business plans.

The NTHP, which is the foremost organization in the United States devoted to historic preservation, has been an important ally for us in our efforts to save and restore the Marine Stadium. Their assistance comes at a critical time for us. To learn more about the NTHP click here 

 

Press

The last several months have been noteworthy press-wise.  Architectural Record published an excellent summary story by David Sokol about our plans for the restoration of Miami Marine Stadium. Atlantic Cities Place Matters , the web magazine of Atlantic Monthly, published an article about the Marine Stadium that included an interview with Stadium architect Hilario Candela.  Governing Magazine  ran an article about the Marine Stadium in their web magazine in December, 2011.  It received so many hits that it was published in the March, 2012 print edition.

Locally, we've continued to get great coverage with cover stories in both  The Miami Sunpost and The Biscayne Bay Tribune.

The Miami Herald published an article about the February visit by Robert Hammond and Phil Aarons of The High Line. We also received our  7th editorial from The Herald in support of our efforts to restore the Marine Stadium.

More press is in the works, especially vital in this stage of our initiative. We have just launched a joint press effort with the National Trust for Historic Preservation to capitalize on the momentum of their National Treasures Campaign. 
Vote For The Marine Stadium! 
  
Michael Stephen McFarland Photo
Photo by Michael Stephen McFarland 

The Florida Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) is celebrating its centennial with a contest. They have developed a list of the 100 most noteworthy buildings in the State of Florida and they are asking people to vote for their favorites.

The Miami Marine Stadium has made the "top 100" list.   You can vote online and you can vote as many times as you want. Votes will be received until April 6.

We'll make it easy for you. To vote for the Miami Marine Stadium, click here Please feel free to vote often and to forward this to your friends!  
Conclusion
  
Now that the legislation has been approved, we must develop our business plan within six months and raise the money to restore the Marine Stadium within two years.

Though our Board of Directors is hard at work developing the plans we still need your contacts, ideas, and help. It's a herculean task. We can only be successful if the community mobilizes behind our effort and its civic and business leaders get involved...NOW!!!


Friends of Miami Marine Stadium
www.marinestadium.org
  

The remarkable photo below documents one of the key historical moments at the Miami Marine Stadium-Richard Nixon and Sammy Davis Jr. at a campaign rally in 1972. It was provided to us by Don Winer, a former boat racer, who raced at the Marine Stadium. He has been involved with our effort from the beginning four years ago-getting the word out, speaking to the Miami Commission, and contributing to the cause. To see Don's very eloquent testimony to the Miami City Commission in July , 2010, click here and at the bottom of the screen, scroll to 7 hours, 6 minutes. For us, his testimony was the highlight of a memorable day-the passage of the Virginia Key Master Plan.

It's people like Don, who give us great  motivation. Thanks Don, for your terrific help!

Nixon Sammy Davis Jr. BW