City of Miami voters have a concrete decision in the Aug. 18, 2026 special election: whether to approve a 40-year management agreement that could move Miami Marine Stadium and Flex Park toward active event use after decades of closure.
The question appears as Miami Referendum 2 on the official Miami-Dade sample ballot. It asks whether the city should enter into an agreement with Global Spectrum L.P. to activate and manage events at the historic waterfront site at 3501 Rickenbacker Causeway.
The practical stakes are local and specific. A yes vote would not simply express support for restoring the Virginia Key landmark; it would approve the long-term deal structure that city officials placed before voters.
What the ballot would approve
The ballot terms say the city would receive 93% of gross event sales after a $33,333 monthly management fee is deducted. The city would also receive 85% of sponsorship revenue, while Global Spectrum would pay up to $10 million toward restoration of the historic stadium.
Fresh local coverage from Axios Miami framed the vote as a decision about whether to help restore a stadium that has been shuttered since 1992. The official ballot language and City of Miami legislative records confirm the Aug. 18 date, the 40-year term, the revenue split, the sponsorship term and the restoration contribution.
Why it matters in Miami
Miami Marine Stadium is more than an unused venue. Preservation advocates describe it as a rare waterfront civic space and a nationally recognized historic site. Restore Miami Marine Stadium says the City Commission approved Oak View Group, through Global Spectrum, as operator in February, with the long-term lease requiring voter approval because the property is city-owned waterfront land.
If voters approve the referendum, supporters say the next phase would still require a fuller construction, management and financing agreement to return to the City Commission. That means Aug. 18 is a threshold vote, not the final construction permit or reopening date.
For voters, the clearest question is whether the proposed tradeoff is acceptable: a long management term and monthly fee structure in exchange for a defined revenue share, sponsorship share and up-to-$10 million restoration payment on a landmark that has remained closed for more than three decades.
What to watch next
The election is limited to City of Miami voters. Miami-Dade’s posted sample ballot lists yes and no choices for Referendum 2, and the county elections office is also preparing voting equipment for the Aug. 18 primary and special elections.
The next meaningful update will come from the vote itself. If the measure passes, attention shifts back to City Hall and the details of any final agreement. If it fails, Miami’s longest-running Marine Stadium revival effort faces another reset.
