Five groups want to run a marine science center at 7605 Collins; commission weighs bidding or FIU

Five organizations answered Miami Beach’s call for a marine science center in the vacant city building at 7605 Collins Ave., and the City Commission has two competing ways to pick one on its Nov. 18 agenda.

City Manager Eric Carpenter recommends a formal competitive solicitation for the building, “reenvisioning the property for recreational and public use,” according to his memo (item R2 A). A separate resolution sponsored by Commissioner David Suarez (item C7 AD) would instead direct the manager to open preliminary, non-binding talks with Florida International University, with any deal coming back to the commission along with a waiver of competitive bidding.

The building

The Building Department bought the North Beach property in March 2023 for a satellite office. In December 2025 the commission spent $6.53 million from the city’s 2025 surplus to buy it from the department for general city use, and told staff to find a recreational or public use for it, the memo says. In June the commission chose a marine science center, and the request for letters of interest went out July 24.

Whoever is chosen would take the building as-is and pay for utilities, repairs and maintenance, so the memo lists no cost to the city.

Who answered

The letters came from:

• Deep Blue Partners, owners of the Shreveport Aquarium, proposing a marine science center with aquarium exhibits.
• FIU’s Institute of Environment, proposing rotating exhibits, a touch pool and programs such as turtle nest monitoring.
• Miami Waterkeeper, the environmental advocacy nonprofit, now based in Coral Gables, proposing a neighborhood science and community hub.
• Plastic Fisherman, an environmental education group founded in Surfside.
• BlueLab Preservation Society, the nonprofit behind Reefline, which also proposes using the property’s pool for swimming lessons and dive training.

Suarez’s resolution says FIU “stands apart” as the strongest partner and that another solicitation could take a year while the building sits empty. It describes Deep Blue as a for-profit operator, says Miami Waterkeeper’s plan includes lab and office space closed to the public, and calls the Plastic Fisherman and Reefline responses largely conceptual. Those descriptions are the sponsor’s; the groups’ letters are attached to item R2 A.

What’s next

The commission meets at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, at City Hall, 1700 Convention Center Drive. The manager’s item is listed as a Residents Right to Know item. The commission can approve either approach or neither.