Dolphins founder Joe Robbie believed it was a foregone conclusion that MLB would come to South Florida, so he wanted the stadium designed to make any necessary renovations for baseball as seamless as possible.

After the Marlins began play, multiple issues were soon raised regarding the unsuitability of Joe Robbie Stadium for professional baseball.

After original owner Wayne Huizenga claimed he lost more than $30 million on the team, he sold the Marlins in early 1999 to John W. Henry.

Henry's vision included a retractable roof, believed by this time to be essential due to South Florida's climate and baseball's summertime schedule.

The team's desire to leave their original home made for an awkward business relationship over leasing issues with Huizenga, who continued to own the then-named Pro Player Stadium.

By January 2002, Henry's stadium proposals were effectively scrapped when MLB Commissioner Bud Selig engineered a three-franchise ownership swap—Henry left to own the Boston Red Sox, while Montreal Expos owner Jeffrey Loria took over the Marlins.

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.

[21] The specter of relocation pushed Charlie Crist, then Governor of Florida and other local mayors to release statements in favor of public funding for the new stadium.

[28][29][30][31][32][33] During the 2011–12 offseason, 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.

The top objective was creating "a ballpark that is quintessentially Miami," which meant, according to a list of adjectives that the architects drew up: "palms, destination, diverse, recreation, and beach."

"It's consistent with the essence of the buildings that are down here – white plaster and graceful forms, which are somewhat of an abstraction of the look and feel of Miami Deco", Sherlock continued.

As visitors walk from the outside in, they step right on metaphors for Miami's topography, including concrete pavers that in general are either green or blue ("grass" or "sea").

[38] When Marlins fans first realized that the original colors of the team would not appear on the seats in the new stadium—and ultimately not on the new uniforms either—some angrily started a petition known as "Project Teal."

[39] Wide open plazas at the east and colorful west ends of the building, as well as a 360° concourse inside called the Promenade encourages fans to walk around—and to intermingle at stops such as the bars or the bobblehead museum.

Dazzling colors are found throughout the interior, including fluorescent lime-green fences, and in modernist & contemporary works of art—including the much-debated animatronic home-run sculpture—that relate to baseball and Miami.

"[39] A nightclub featuring loud music and a swimming pool just beyond the left field fence brings a touch of South Beach into the park.

It transfers over "The Bermuda Triangle" quirk of what was then Sun Life Stadium's outfield fence as a nod to their team's early years.

However, instead of straight lines, the new "triangle" is a wave-like shape that smoothly curves upwardly around the base of the large home-run sculpture, making the nook appear necessary to the design of the asymmetrical fence.

Fans are provided with the comfort they longed for at Sun Life Stadium with a 5.27-acre (2.13 ha) retractable roof, retractable-glass wall panels that offer a panoramic view of Downtown Miami, and a huge air-conditioning system.

As a way to market to Latino fans, many digital menu boards on the concession stands continuously switch from English to Spanish and back.

It flows through every vein, every piece of building.What it means is that [stadium operators] could run a third-inning (concession) special and it would pop up ... You could have the whole building with one sponsor for one moment, if you wanted to.

The selection of building materials included sealants, paint, and adhesives with low VOC (volatile organic compounds) to maximize good indoor-air quality.

The most difficult aspect of achieving gold, though—and one the design team had doubt it would be able to accomplish—was concerning the energy required to operate the retractable roof.

However, engineers optimized lighting, mechanical controls, and electrical aspects enough to achieve a 22.4% reduction in energy usage, which exceeded the 14% required for certification.

Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chair of U.S. Green Building Council stated: A lot of people have often thought this [LEED Gold Certification] is an award.

Samson said it will take time to work out the kinks: We knew going in that other retractable-roof ballparks had to make adjustments for one or two years to get their field right.

The changes were studied and enacted after Marlins players complained to president David Samson that their long balls were not resulting in as many doubles or home runs as in other parks.

The bottom of the 2nd inning was interrupted for 16 minutes while the roof was closed; the field, however, was sufficiently wet to cause players to slip several times during the remainder of the game, a 2–1 Braves victory.

The stadium was scheduled to host the 22nd annual World Music Awards on December 22, 2012, but the event was canceled due to logistical and multiple visa issues, as well as the stated intent to observe the national mourning of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

A Concert For Disaster Relief” a benefit concert to raise money for Feeding America, Save the Children, Habitat for Humanity, United Way, UNICEF, and Unidos for Puerto Rico in the wake of natural disasters in Puerto Rico, as well as the southern United States, Mexico, and other areas of the Caribbean on October 14, 2017.