History of LoanDepot Park in Timeline

LoanDepot Park is a retractable roof stadium in Miami, Florida, serving as the home of the Miami Marlins since its completion in March 2012. Built on the former site of the Miami Orange Bowl in Little Havana, it's located approximately 2 miles west of downtown Miami and covers 17 acres.

1987: Joe Robbie Stadium Built

In 1987, Joe Robbie Stadium was built as the home to the Miami Dolphins of the NFL.

1993: Marlins Arrive at Joe Robbie Stadium

In 1993, the Marlins began playing at Joe Robbie Stadium.

1997: Marlins Win World Series

In 1997, the Marlins won a World Series title while playing at Joe Robbie Stadium.

1998: Florida Panthers first game in Miami

The 2026 NHL Winter Classic marked the Florida Panthers first game in Miami since 1998.

1999: Marlins Sold to John W. Henry

In early 1999, Wayne Huizenga sold the Marlins to John W. Henry after claiming significant financial losses.

2000: 2000 All-Star Game

In 2000, the All-Star Game was moved to Atlanta.

January 2002: Ownership Swap

In January 2002, Henry's stadium proposals were scrapped when MLB Commissioner Bud Selig engineered a three-franchise ownership swap, with Henry leaving to own the Boston Red Sox and Jeffrey Loria taking over the Marlins.

2003: Marlins Win World Series

In 2003, the Marlins won another World Series title while playing at Joe Robbie Stadium.

2003: World Series Championship Boosts Ballpark Efforts

The Marlins' second World Series championship in 2003 created some local excitement for a new ballpark.

January 2004: City of Miami Proposed Stadium at Orange Bowl Site

In January 2004, the City of Miami proposed building a baseball-only stadium for the Marlins at the site of the Miami Orange Bowl.

December 2004: NFL Team to Terminate Lease

In December 2004, Miami's NFL team notified the Marlins of its intention to terminate the lease at Joe Robbie Stadium by 2010.

2004: Marlins Only Team in NFL Stadium

By 2004, the Florida Marlins were the only team in baseball playing in an NFL-configured sporting stadium.

2005: Stadium Funding Agreement Fails

In 2005, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria and president David Samson failed to come to an agreement with local and state officials regarding the funding of a baseball-specific stadium.

August 2007: Hurricanes Leaving Orange Bowl

In August 2007, after the Marlins explored other stadium options, the Miami Hurricanes announced they were leaving the Orange Bowl, making the newly-vacant site the most attractive option for local governments.

February 2008: Initial Funding Agreement

In February 2008, the Miami city commission and the Miami-Dade county commission came to an initial agreement to fund the new stadium.

March 2008: Orange Bowl Demolished

In March 2008, the Orange Bowl was demolished to make way for the new ballpark.

April 2008: Brainstorming Begins at Populous

In April 2008, the architects at Populous in Kansas City began brainstorming design ideas for Marlins Park, aiming to break the retro mold and create something unique.

November 2008: Lawsuit Ruling

In November 2008, the circuit court judge ruled in favor of the Marlins in a lawsuit filed by a local car dealer that caused a delay in the public funding of the ballpark.

2008: Initial Design Meeting

In early 2008, Jeffrey Loria met with architects from Populous in London to begin discussing design ideas for the new ballpark.

2008: Miami Hurricanes at Joe Robbie Stadium

Since 2008, the Miami Hurricanes from the University of Miami have played at Joe Robbie Stadium.

July 2009: Construction Begins

In July 2009, construction began on the new ballpark with a groundbreaking ceremony.

2009: Negotiations for Stadium Funding

Between 2004 and 2009, the Marlins negotiated with local and state officials regarding funding the construction of a baseball-specific stadium before the termination of its lease at Joe Robbie Stadium.

2010: Leaked Documents Show Revenue Disparity

Between 2009 and 2010, a series of leaked documents from Major League Baseball showed a disparity between the Marlins’ intake in MLB revenue sharing compared to the operating costs of the franchise.

2010: Lease Termination Deadline

By 2010, Miami's NFL team intended to terminate the lease at Joe Robbie Stadium, leaving the Marlins without a stadium to host its home games.

2011: Mayor Publicizes Contract Details

During the 2011–12 offseason, the Mayor of Miami Regalado publicized details of the contract and expressed concern regarding certain clauses dedicated to the parking facilities and the maintenance of the stadium.

February 2012: Sod Laid Down

In early February 2012, sod was first laid down at Marlins Park, but the grass had difficulty growing under the frequently-closed roof.

March 2012: Construction Completed

In March 2012, construction of LoanDepot Park, then named Marlins Park, was completed in time for the 2012 MLB season.

April 4, 2012: Marlins Park Begins Operations

On April 4, 2012, Marlins Park began operations for Opening Day of the 2012 season.

May 25, 2012: LEED Gold Certification

On May 25, 2012, Marlins Park achieved LEED Gold Certification, becoming the first MLB stadium and the first retractable-roof stadium in any sport to do so.

November 14, 2012: First non-baseball event at Marlins Park

On November 14, 2012, Marlins Park hosted its first non-baseball event, a soccer match between Venezuela and Nigeria national teams.

December 22, 2012: World Music Awards canceled

On December 22, 2012, the 22nd annual World Music Awards, scheduled to be held at Marlins Park, were canceled due to logistical and visa issues, as well as national mourning for the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

2012: LEED Certification

In 2012, LoanDepot Park was LEED certified as the greenest MLB park.

2012: Low Home Run Statistics

Since 2012, Marlins park has logged the second fewest home runs of all Major League ballparks, behind San Francisco's Oracle Park.

January 2013: Marlins Park began hosting the Miami Soccer Challenge

In January 2013, Marlins Park began hosting the Miami Soccer Challenge as part of a three-year partnership with Global Football Challenge.

April 20, 2013: "America's Night of Hope" with Joel and Victoria Osteen

On April 20, 2013, Marlins Park hosted "America's Night of Hope" with Joel and Victoria Osteen, an annual stadium event for Joel Osteen Ministries.

September 2013: Henderson Álvarez pitched a no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers

In September 2013, Henderson Álvarez pitched a no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers at Marlins Park. Álvarez recorded four strikeouts and one walk. The game ended in the bottom of the 9th with a walk-off wild pitch, allowing Giancarlo Stanton to score.

2013: Marlins Park hosted Pool 2 during the second round of the 2013 World Baseball Classic

In 2013, Marlins Park hosted Pool 2 during the second round of the World Baseball Classic from March 12–16.

2013: World Baseball Classic Second-Round Pool

LoanDepot Park hosted a second-round pool of the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

2014: Grass Replaced with Platinum TE Paspalum

As of 2014, the Bermuda grass at Marlins Park has been replaced with Platinum TE Paspalum, which is better able to tolerate shaded areas.

2014: Hosted Miami Beach Bowl

From 2014, LoanDepot Park began hosting the Miami Beach Bowl.

2014: Miami Beach Bowl college football bowl game was played at Marlins Park

In 2014, the Miami Beach Bowl college football bowl game was played at Marlins Park in December.

April 6, 2015: First rain delay at Marlins Park

On April 6, 2015, Marlins Park experienced its first rain delay during a sold-out Opening Day game against the Atlanta Braves. The bottom of the 2nd inning was interrupted for 16 minutes to close the roof, but the field remained wet, leading to slips during the Braves' 2–1 victory.

June 20, 2016: Most home runs hit in one game at Marlins Park

On June 20, 2016, Marlins Park saw a record of eight home runs hit in a single game, resulting in a 5–3 win for the Colorado Rockies over the Marlins. This game also set a Major League record for the most solo home runs accounting for all scoring.

2016: Miami Beach Bowl college football bowl game was played at Marlins Park

In 2016, the Miami Beach Bowl college football bowl game was played at Marlins Park in December.

2016: Outfield Wall Renovation

In time for the start of the 2016 MLB season, Marlins Park underwent a $500,000 renovation to lower and move in the outfield walls, eliminating the "Bermuda Triangle" in center field.

2016: Hosted Miami Beach Bowl

Through 2016, LoanDepot Park hosted the Miami Beach Bowl.

June 2017: Edinson Vólquez pitched a no-hitter

In June 2017, Marlins pitcher Edinson Vólquez pitched a no-hitter at Marlins Park. This was the second no-hitter to be pitched at Marlins Park.

July 2017: Marlins Park hosted the 2017 Major League Baseball All-Star Game

In July 2017, Marlins Park hosted the 2017 Major League Baseball All-Star Game for the first time.

August 2017: New Ownership Takes Over

In August 2017, a group of investors led by Derek Jeter and Bruce Sherman took over the Marlins organization.

October 14, 2017: One Voice: Somos Live! A Concert For Disaster Relief

On October 14, 2017, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony headlined “One Voice: Somos Live! A Concert For Disaster Relief” at Marlins Park to raise money for disaster relief efforts. The concert was broadcast on Telemundo and Univision.

2017: World Baseball Classic First-Round Pool and MLB All-Star Game

In 2017, LoanDepot Park hosted a first-round pool of the World Baseball Classic and the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

2017: Marlins Park hosted Pool C in the first round of the 2017 World Baseball Classic

In 2017, from March 9 to 13, Marlins Park hosted Pool C in the first round of the World Baseball Classic.

2017: Race of Champions at Marlins Park

In 2017, on January 21–22, Marlins Park hosted the Race of Champions, an all-star racecar competition.

2017: Miami Beach Bowl moved to Frisco, Texas and renamed Frisco Bowl

In 2017, the Miami Beach Bowl was moved to Frisco, Texas and renamed the Frisco Bowl.

February 2018: Monster Jam events at Marlins Park

Since February 2018, Marlins Park has hosted Monster Jam events as part of their stadium championship tours.

November 23, 2019: FIU Panthers upset the Miami Hurricanes in a football game

On November 23, 2019, the FIU Panthers upset the Miami Hurricanes 30–24 in a nonconference football game at LoanDepot Park.

December 4, 2019: Artificial Turf and Fence Adjustments Announced

On December 4, 2019, the team announced that the field surface would be converted to Shaw Sports B1K artificial turf and that the center- and right-center field fences would be moved in.

2019: Jehovah's Witnesses "Love Never Fails" convention at Marlins Park

In 2019, Jehovah's Witnesses hosted the "Love Never Fails" convention at Marlins Park on May 24–26 and July 5–7.

January 27, 2020: Super Bowl LIV Opening Night at LoanDepot Park

On January 27, 2020, temporary seating was erected in center field for Opening Night of Super Bowl LIV at LoanDepot Park.

March 31, 2021: Naming Rights Sold to LoanDepot

On March 31, 2021, the Marlins announced that they had sold naming rights to Marlins Park to LoanDepot, renaming the facility LoanDepot Park.

2021: Stadium Renamed LoanDepot Park

In 2021, Marlins Park was officially renamed LoanDepot Park.

February 2022: Kanye West Donda 2 listening party

In February 2022, Kanye West hosted a listening party for his album Donda 2 at LoanDepot Park.

2023: Marlins Park hosted Pool D and the knockout rounds of the 2023 World Baseball Classic

From March 11 to 20, 2023, Marlins Park hosted Pool D and the knockout rounds of the World Baseball Classic. The championship game was held on March 21.

2023: World Baseball Classic Championship Game

LoanDepot Park hosted the championship game of the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

October 12, 2024: Savannah Bananas played the Party Animals in a game of Banana Ball

On October 12, 2024, the Savannah Bananas played the Party Animals in a game of Banana Ball to a sold out crowd at LoanDepot Park.

January 2025: Miami Live! Development Announced

In January 2025, the Marlins announced that they would be developing Miami Live! at the West Plaza in partnership with The Cordish Companies.

2025: Finish line for season 37 of The Amazing Race

In 2025, the field served as the finish line for season 37 of The Amazing Race, which aired in spring.

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January 2, 2026: 2026 NHL Winter Classic at LoanDepot Park

On January 2, 2026, LoanDepot Park hosted the 2026 NHL Winter Classic between the New York Rangers and the Florida Panthers. The New York Rangers won the game 5-1.

2026: World Baseball Classic Semifinal and Championship Games

LoanDepot Park is set to host the semifinal and championship games of the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

2026: Marlins Park to host Pool D, the quarterfinals, and the championship game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic

Marlins Park is scheduled to host Pool D, the quarterfinals, and the championship game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

2026: Miami Live! Planned Opening

Miami Live! is scheduled to open in 2026, including indoor-outdoor dining and entertainment spaces, as well as year-round activities.

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