Museum of Miami proposes Dinner Key terminal restoration

A reuse plan for Dinner Key

The Museum of Miami has proposed restoring the historic Pan Am terminal at Dinner Key and adding a new building on the waterfront property. The plan would turn the site into a museum, archive and civic gathering space while retaining the historic terminal.

The proposal presents a possible future for the Miami City Hall site built around preservation and expanded public use. Instead of replacing the terminal, the concept makes restoration of the existing structure a central part of the project and pairs it with new construction.

What the proposal would include

The project identifies three uses for the site: a museum, an archive and a place for civic gatherings. Those functions would combine cultural preservation with space where people could assemble for public activities.

The additional building is part of the same concept as the terminal restoration, not a substitute for it. Together, the two structures would support the proposed uses across the Dinner Key property and change how the waterfront site functions while keeping its historic building in place.

What comes next

The proposal offers one path for the future of Miami City Hall, but it does not itself put the changes into effect. Moving from a concept to work at the site would require decisions about the terminal restoration, the new building and how the museum, archive and gathering space would operate together.

The central question is whether the combined preservation, cultural and civic plan will guide the next use of the Dinner Key site. The treatment of the historic terminal and the role of the proposed new building remain the defining parts of the concept.