Maurice Gibb Park Scores New Marine Patrol HQ To Speed Bay Rescues

Shovels hit the dirt Friday at Maurice Gibb Memorial Park as Miami Beach officials kicked off construction on a new Marine Patrol Facility that will house both police and fire boat units. The three-story hub is set to replace the park’s older, much smaller patrol post and to centralize marine operations in an effort to cut response times across Biscayne Bay. Construction teams say the new base should be ready by next summer.

Officials say the location will speed marine response

In a post from Miami Beach Fire, the project is described as a roughly 10,924-square-foot, three-story joint base for Miami Beach Fire and Police marine units, with completion expected in summer 2027. The department called the Maurice Gibb Memorial Park site “centrally located” to streamline emergency response to both the north and south ends of the city, and city and department posts cast the groundbreaking as the start of a brisk construction schedule.

Design details: three levels and public amenities

The City of Miami Beach project page lays out a three-level plan: a public ground floor with a lobby, restrooms and a Parks Department office; a second-floor police marine headquarters with a shared gym; and a third level dedicated to the Fire Department marine unit. The city lists M.C. Harry as the architect and Lunacon Construction Group as the contractor, and notes that the new structure will replace the existing, much smaller patrol building on the site.

Size, standards and construction schedule

Procurement postings and bid notices describe the building as about 10,924 square feet, call for LEED Gold level construction targets, and set standards consistent with Florida’s 2023 building code for essential facilities. Those bid documents also outline a roughly 425-day construction timeline and require the contractor to perform environmental remediation in known contaminated portions of the site, while earlier design filings listed a somewhat smaller footprint of about 9,650 gross square feet, signaling revisions during design and bidding. Construction Bid Source and M.C. Harry & Associates provide the procurement and design filings.

Funding and where the project fits in the bond program

The Marine Patrol Facility is part of the city's 2018 General Obligation bond program, listed as G.O. Bond #54 in implementation materials that track parks and public-safety improvements. Project implementation updates show the Marine Patrol project moving from design into construction this year as the city allocates bond tranches to ongoing capital work. G.O. Bond program update

What to expect during work

Bid notices require that existing docks, the public boat ramp and trailer parking remain accessible during construction, and that the contractor coordinate environmental monitoring and remediation as needed. Those procurement postings also show nine new dedicated parking spaces will be added for police and fire staff, although nearby street and lot patterns in Sunset Harbour may see intermittent disruption. Construction Bid Source contains those bid provisions.

Next steps and where to follow progress

With the ceremonial groundbreaking wrapped, the city says construction will now proceed under the awarded contract and that progress updates and photos will be posted on the City of Miami Beach. Officials have scheduled the work so marine operations remain functional while the new facility is built and will announce timing for a ribbon-cutting as the project nears completion.