New Renderings Show Potential Future Of Miami Seaquarium Property

Newly released renderings offer a glimpse of what the future Miami Seaquarium could look like as a new operator prepares to take over the site.

The images show plans for a large aquarium, a lagoon, and a waterfront “fisherman’s village.” The renderings were just unveiled by Terra, a South Florida real estate development firm poised to assume the property’s lease.

A bankruptcy judge approved the $22.5 million sale of the lease to Terra last month, though Miami-Dade County — which owns the 38-acre site and first leased it in 1954 — must still sign off on the transfer before the deal becomes final.

“We are excited to deliver enhanced public access including a baywalk and fisherman’s village along the waterfront, an education and research center, resiliency features that ensure the Seaquarium is built to last for generations, and a world-class aquarium with no marine mammals,” Terra CEO David Martin said in a statement.

He added that the company plans to invest more than $100 million in restoring the property. Martin said Terra will brief the full County Commission in December and is working with the seller to ensure the safe, regulation-compliant transition and transport of all animals. He reiterated that Terra intends to operate a new, accredited aquarium without marine mammals.

Miami-Dade County filed an eviction lawsuit against current Seaquarium operator MS Leisure in June 2024, alleging poor facility conditions and harm to marine life violated the lease terms. In March, MS Leisure’s parent company, Leisure Investments Holdings LLC, and related affiliates sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, pausing the eviction case while a buyer for the lease was sought.

Source: NBC 6 Miami News