Pan American Airways System Terminal Building, 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Miami-Dade County, FL

Significance: At the time of its construction in 1933, the Pan American Airways System Terminal Building at Dinner Key was the largest and most modern marine air terminal in the world. Said to be one of the best planned terminal buildings constructed for either land or marine airports, it was noted for its innovative layout plan for traffic handling and for its scientific design. This design allowed for the simultaneous handling of four airliners, a feature not previously found in air terminals. Often described as the "Air Gateway Between the Americas," Dinner Key was the nation's busiest commercial seaplane terminal. The facilities at Dinner Key were the first constructed exclusively for commercial passenger seaplane service and served as a model for those that followed in Rio de Janeiro, New York and San Francisco. The construction of the seaplane base also marked the first time the Congressional Rivers and Harbor Committee approved an appropriation expressly for dredging a navigable channel for airline activity. In addition, the development of Dinner Key marked the first time in aviation history that an airline was granted eminent domain to reserve its rights to the land, thus setting a precedent for land granting procedures for airlines.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: FN-38
Survey number: HABS FL-363
Building/structure dates: 1934 Initial Construction