Miami billionaire wants to add a private helipad to Miami Beach megayacht marina

Just months after winning approval for one of the largest private megayacht marinas ever proposed in Miami Beach, billionaire Citadel founder Ken Griffin last week had a new request for the city: permission to add a private waterfront helipad.

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A helicopter landing area would become the latest touch to Griffin’s sprawling multi-million-dollar development on Terminal Island, along the MacArthur Causeway and near his Star Island compound, which includes seven properties but no slip big enough for his massive yacht.

The marina will become the home of Griffin’s 308-foot yacht Defy, formerly named Viva, which he purchased for about $175 million in 2024, two years after relocating Citadel’s headquarters from Chicago to Miami.

If Miami Beach leaders approve the zoning amendment, Griffin’s already expansive waterfront compound would gain another exclusive amenity, allowing marina guests to arrive by land, by sea and, eventually, by air — all away from public view.

The request for the helipad, sponsored June 24 by Miami Beach Commissioner Joseph Magazine, is now before the Miami Beach Land Use and Sustainability Committee and the city’s Planning Board. They will decide whether to recommend rewriting the city’s zoning code to allow Griffin’s helicopter pad. The measure would then go to the full commission for a vote.

Permission would require Miami Beach to amend its land development regulations to permit helipads as “an accessory use within … an industrial zoning district,” such as Terminal Island. Current zoning does not allow private helipads there.

The swath of land, which sits next to the U.S. Coast Guard Station, already houses a Florida Power & Light plant, a city maintenance yard and the car ferry terminals servicing nearby Fisher Island. The 3.5 acres Griffin property was once owned by The Related Group, which planned to build an office building on the site.

Griffin’s spokesman, David Millar, said Griffin had no comment about his request to build a helipad.

Does he plan to zip through the city faster than the rest of us? There will likely be restrictions on the timing and frequency of landings. If approved, his helicopter would become visible as it flies past PortMiami, a reminder of the old Chalk’s seaplanes that once followed a similar flight path. It’s unclear if Griffin owns a helicopter.

Miami Beach spokeswoman Melissa Berthier said Griffin’s request will likely be heard by the Land Use Committee at its Sept. 16 meeting.

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The marina, designed by BMA Architects of New York and Miami, can house eight megayacht slips — although Griffin agreed that no more than four vessels would occupy the marina at any one time. There is also an owner’s pavilion and private suite, a separate crew pavilion, a marina operations center, maintenance facilities, security offices and a rooftop swimming pool.

If approved by the city, the helipad would also need authorization from the Florida Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration.

City planners have also been asked to draft operational restrictions governing its use, including standards that could address flight operations and compatibility with surrounding properties.

The proposal is narrowly written. Rather than authorizing private helipads citywide, the amendment would apply only to the industrial zoning district on Terminal Island, where Griffin’s marina is under construction.

There could be setbacks. Helicopter operations introduce concerns about aircraft noise, flight paths, frequency of use and whether the city should modify its zoning code to accommodate private aviation facilities tied to luxury developments.

Requests for comment from Commissioner Magazine were not returned.

Unlike many waterfront projects that have sparked neighborhood opposition, Griffin’s marina sits on an industrially zoned stretch of land facing Fisher Island rather than within a residential neighborhood, reducing many of the compatibility issues that have complicated other superyacht developments.

Miami-Dade has relatively few helipads — about 40 countywide, many of them at hospitals. Depending on the type and size of the aircraft, helipads typically range from about 40 to 80 feet in diameter.

The marina with a helipad represents only one piece of Griffin’s rapidly expanding South Florida footprint.

Since moving to Miami, Griffin has launched construction of his planned $2.5 billion Brickell headquarters, a mixed-use development that will include office space, a luxury hotel, restaurants and retail, while continuing to acquire high-end properties.

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