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Audio By Carbonatix
The now-shuttered, 70-year-old Miami Seaquarium — a place many Miamians remember for field trips, splash zones, and, yes, multiple marine mammal tragedies — is closer than ever to a total reinvention. On Thursday, November 13, the Miami-Dade County Commission’s Appropriations Committee voted to advance a proposal from Terra Group, the Coconut Grove–based development firm led by CEO David Martin, to take over the 38-acre county-owned site and transform it into a waterfront dining village, marina, and next-generation aquarium.
On October 6, the bankrupt theme park announced it would be selling the lease on its Virginia Key public waterfront property for $22.5 million to Martin and a subsidiary of his development firm. Thursday’s vote marked the first major milestone for Martin’s plan, which hinges on final commission approval and the transfer of the Seaquarium lease to Resilient Aquarium LLC, a company owned and operated by Martin, according to county documentation. Martin told the Miami Herald he plans to safely relocate the marine mammals, who have long been the park’s main draw, while retaining the Seaquarium name and opening a new aquarium adjacent to a marina, restaurants, and a public baywalk along Biscayne Bay.
Martin, whose name is attached to some of Miami’s most ambitious new developments, told Local 10 News that his $100 million vision includes a publicly accessible baywalk, a fisherman’s village–style restaurant district, a research and education center, and, crucially, a fully accredited aquarium with no marine mammals. It’s a clean break from the Seaquarium’s troubled past and the first step toward what could be the biggest culinary and cultural redevelopment on Virginia Key in decades.
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A First Look at the New Seaquarium: Restaurants, Baywalks, and a Fisherman’s Village
Now the fun part: what’s actually coming.
For the first time, Terra Group has released renderings of the reimagined property, and if you were expecting another high-rise or a fleet of luxury condos, think again. This plan leans heavily into al fresco dining, walkability, and views that actually prioritize the bay rather than block it.
The renderings, shared during Thursday’s presentation to the committee and accessed via Local 10 News‘ Scribd download below, showcase a massive sculptural canopy that wraps around the existing harbor, shading rows of waterfront restaurant tables in a district Terra is calling the “Fisherman’s Village.” The village is reminiscent of Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, combined with Key West’s Sunset Pier-Mallory Square area and Coconut Grove’s charming dining scene — with a hint of Miami glamour baked in. Although no restaurants have been mentioned so far, guests can expect a mixture of fine and casual dining options.
Another image shows small sailboats pulled up onto the sand near one of several docks planned for the new marina, a nod to casual recreation and family-friendly access rather than big-ticket boating alone. Martin has repeatedly stressed that this space is intended for locals as much as tourists — a delicate promise on Miami’s waterfront, which Miami will have to see to believe.
One thing is for certain, however — marine mammals are officially out. In their place: open-air restaurants, breezy boardwalks, green public spaces, and a modern aquarium experience that avoids the controversies that plagued the property for years.
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What Comes Next
Martin told the committee that he expects the project to generate $750 million in revenue for Miami-Dade County and create hundreds of new jobs once it is fully realized.
The full Miami-Dade County Commission will consider the proposal at its first meeting in December, providing the public another opportunity to weigh in. This will be the real make-or-break moment for whether the Seaquarium’s next chapter becomes reality. If approved, Terra will assume the 99-year lease and begin the long process of restoring the site, building out the marina, and crafting what could become one of Miami’s next signature dining destinations.
If approved, Martin says the new Seaquarium site could open by 2030. For now, Miami gets its first glimpse of what could replace an aging relic on the Rickenbacker Causeway — and if the renderings hold, the view looks undeniably good (and PETA-friendly).
Miami Seaquarium. 4400 Rickenbacker Cswy. , Miami. Expected to be completed by 2030.
