Marine life still has a future at the Miami Seaquarium once developer David Martin takes over, but it’s the planned marina that would be the financial star at the home of the troubled and recently shuttered theme park, according to the Miami Herald.
One of Miami’s most prolific and politically plugged-in developers, Martin is on the verge of taking control of the iconic waterfront theme park that closed its gates to the public on Sunday after 70 years as a tourist attraction.
The 48-year-old is planning to spend upward of $100 million to bring new commercial ventures and public spaces to the land owned by Miami-Dade County’s Parks Department. Those include an aquarium complex, a baywalk promenade and a restaurant complex under a Fishermen’s Village theme. The waterfront would be transformed into a large marina, with piers and floating docks off the shore by the old Flipper Dolphin lagoon theater and wrapping around most of the waterfront, along with racks for storing smaller boats on land and heavy machinery depositing them in the water as needed.
Originally Published: October 14, 2025 at 7:20 AM EDT