Multiple sites considered

In early 1945, although World War II was still being fought in Europe and the Pacific, prospects for an Allied victory looked promising. With the resumption of normal civil aviation becoming increasingly likely, pressure on Miami’s civic leaders to finalize plans for a new municipal airport mounted.

The options before the Greater Miami Port Authority appeared to be fivefold: (1) purchase Pan Am’s NW 36th Street Airport (discussions between Pan Am and the Port Authority had been ongoing since December 1943); (2) wait for the long-discussed but controversial development of Virginia Key as a combination seaport/airport to come to fruition; (3) build an airport on the city-owned 1,675 acre Graves tract in northeast Miami; (4) buy a different tract for an airfield in the southwest area; (5) count on the Army or Navy to turn facilities back over to Miami. Each of these alternatives had its supporters.

Dysfunction plagues Port Authority

The lack of consensus was in great part a reflection of the fact that the Port Authority was, itself, in turmoil. The seven-member authority, created by an act of the Florida Legislature in September 1943 following a voter referendum, was comprised of four members appointed by the Miami City Commission plus three additional members appointed by, respectively, the County Commission, Miami Beach and Coral Gables. Despite initial enthusiasm for the authority, it had no taxing power and was a subsidiary of the City of Miami, wholly dependent on the City for its finances. Its lack of financial independence was seen to compromise its ability to act with autonomy, particularly since its Chairman, A.B. Curry, was also Miami City Manager. Wrangles between Miami city officials and the Port Authority over finances had earmarked its existence from Day One, as had behind-the-scenes lobbying of special interest groups. Divided amongst themselves, the members of the authority seemed hopelessly unable to make progress on ensuring Miami’s ability to meet a widely anticipated boom in postwar airline passenger travel.

Civic leaders support change of jurisdiction

The frustrations surrounding the structure of the authority were addressed at a meeting of 21 leaders of Dade County civic organizations in late January, 1945. State Senator D.C. Coleman floated a proposal to submit a bill to the next session of the Florida legislature that would transfer the jurisdiction of the Greater Miami Port Authority to a new County Port Authority with taxing powers and asked civic leaders to contribute suggestions to the plan.

Jurisdiction transferred to County

Conditional acceptance by the Greater Miami Port Authority of the proposal was soon withdrawn. Objections centered on the fact that the new County Port Authority would be directly administered by the County Commission itself. Opponents demanded that the bill be submitted to a voter referendum. Months of bitter debate followed. Greater Miami Port Authority Director B.C. Allin resigned in early March, claiming that the Port Authority Chair, A. B. Curry, among others, was determined to destroy Miami’s aviation future. Chairman Curry himself stepped down later in the month. And on March 22, 1945, four Dade legislative representatives agreed to submit an amended bill incorporating suggestions provided by civic leaders to the Florida legislature at its upcoming session beginning April 3rd which would transfer the Greater Miami Port Authority’s jurisdiction to the County Commission, without calling for a voter referendum. Despite frantic attempts by opponents to derail the bill, the Florida Legislature created the new County Port Authority on May 31, 1945. The Greater Miami Port authority was given a deadline of June 30 to cease all operations with the exception of ongoing negotiations to purchase Pan American’s NW 36th Street Airport.

Above left: Comparison of Municipal/Master Field facilities with NW 36th Street facilities, Miami News, September 30, 1945

One of the first decisions to be made, according to County Port Authority Chairman Charles Crandon, was what to do with Virginia Key. Crandon opposed the development, saying that the need to build 10,000 ft. runways to accommodate larger postwar aircraft would “require filling up almost the entire bay from Virginia Key to the Miami shoreline.” But at least one other County Commissioner supported the development. A decision was made to carry out a study of the project that would definitively address the following issues: (1) how much land area would be required for a major airport and how close to the shoreline would it be; (2) how much clearance over the downtown area would planes taking off and landing have; (3) how much would the project cost and how would it be financed (i.e., how much would the government contribute); (4) would the size of the airport be sufficient to satisfy Miami’s aviation requirements for the next 25 years; (5) how many sea and land planes would Miami be expected to handle over the next 25 years; and (6) would the Civil Aeronautics Administration approve the project on the basis of probable future demand. Commissioner Crandon said that experts would be called upon to provide answers.

EAL’s strong preference was to see the site called the Graves tract, purchased by the City in northeast Miami, developed as a new airport. In the postwar world, EAL and other domestic carriers had become contenders with Pan Am for international routes and Eastern was eager to be out from under Pan Am’s control at its leased NW 36th Street Airport facilities and on more neutral ground.

How much the City would ask for the above sites would have to be hashed out in the upcoming discussions, not to mention the City’s price for turning over its municipal docks.

At a first joint meeting of the new and former port authorities to discuss the handover, on July 13, it was made clear that the City was not willing to transfer its harbor facilities to the County. The City indicated that it was willing to lease its aviation properties to the County but would not turn over harbor facilities valued at $10 million, particularly since the new Port Authority had been created without a voter referendum.

Faced with the City’s adamant refusal to negotiate terms, the County Commission responded on July 20th by simply washing its hands of the whole thing. Claiming they had not sought Port Authority powers, but had rather been saddled with them, the Commissioners turned the Port Authority administration back over to the City. In turn, the City declared its intention of establishing new dock and aviation departments.

With the situation thus at a complete stalemate, in late July both the City and the County approached the Army separately about the use of its airfield after the war.

At left: Diagram showing proposed Virginia Key airport/port development, Miami Herald January 22, 1945.

County pursues airport development

Finally, on August 7th, the deadlock was broken. The County agreed to become “half a Port Authority,” with sole responsibility for administering the airport development program, while the City promised to reconsider selling its harbor facilities in the future.

The fate of the former Convair plant, immediately east of Pan American’s 36th Street Airport, appeared to have provided the catalyst for the truce. On June 1, it had been vacated by Convair and turned back over to the government. The Greater Miami Port Authority was negotiating for the site when its powers were transferred to the County. National, Eastern and Pan Am were all interested in acquiring space at the former plant. All were known to be quietly pursuing private negotiations with the government to acquire the site. Purchase of the Convair plant was widely viewed as the key to future airport plans, with County Port Authority Chairman Crandon declaring that unless the Convair plant could be acquired, there was no point in proceeding with the purchase of Pan Am’s NW 36th Street Airport. (PAA had previously given Greater Miami Port Authority officials a deadline of October 15th to close the deal.)

With the County now firmly in charge of administering the future of airport development, officials flew up to Washington in late August to negotiate the purchase of the former Convair plant, returning with the news that they had been successful in obtaining a first option to purchase or lease it without competing bids though final terms had yet to be reached. The government was asking $940,069 for it, or $82,144 for an annual lease.

At the same time, the County embarked on its previously announced airport development survey, with assistance from the Civil Aeronautics Administration, so that it could make decisions on a sound and informed basis.

At left: Airport development survey – Miami Herald, September 29, 1945

Finally, all eyes had turned to NW 36th Street and its adjacent airfields. The huge base built by the Army during the war, Pan American Airway’s 36th Street Airport and the former Convair plant, as well as the Seaboard Air Line Railroad’s interests, presented a ready-made template upon which the County could pursue its airport development plans unimpeded with a functioning airport already in place.

In exchange for $700,000 paid by Eastern Air Lines, the Convair plant was turned over to the County by the Reconstruction Finance Company. Beginning December 16, Eastern was given a 20-year lease on the site, the first 15 years of which were to be considered pre-paid. Eastern announced that the move to the new location, which increased its space threefold, was the start of a major new expansion of its facilities along NW 36th Street. Construction on new hangars and maintenance facilities would begin immediately. The County announced that the space to be vacated by EAL at the 36th Street Airport was to be leased to National, Delta, KLM and other airlines.

Pan American Airport transferred to County

Negotiations begun directly between Pan Am and the new County Port Authority in September had also reached completion by December. Pan Am agreed to hand over its 240-acre NW 36th Street Airport to the County in exchange for $2.5 million in self-liquidating 20-year bonds, secured by future leases of airport facilities. Final details were worked out over the last two weeks of the year and the agreement transferring ownership of the historic airport was signed on the afternoon of Monday, December 31, 1945. As of 1:00 AM on January 1, 1946, the Port Authority would formally take possession of the airport. The transfer marked the end of an era of airport ownership for Pan Am in Miami. Two days earlier, Pan Am had also accepted the first down payment ($25k) from the City of Miami for its Dinner Key seaplane base.

At left: Diagram of proposed future expansion of 36th Street Airport facilities, Miami News, September 28, 1945