Latin superstar Gloria Estefan has donated $500,000 (£294,118) to restore and re-open the Miami Marine Stadium in Florida.

The Rhythm Is Gonna Get You hitmaker reveals she has fond memories of her manager husband Emilio Estefan performing at the once-popular venue with his band Miami Sound MAChine in the mid-1980s, when their song Dr. Beat became a big hit, so she would love to see the graffiti-covered building cleaned up and revamped for a new generation of fans.

Estefan, who is a boardmember for non-profit organisation the National Trust for Historic Preservation, also notes the stadium was designed in 1962 by fellow Cuban-American Hilario Candela.

She tells the Miami Herald, "It's almost a symbol of our community and how much we're a part of Miami."

The singer hopes her generous gift will inspire others to donate to the fundraising group Friends of Miami Marine Stadium, which aims to hit its target of $30 million (£17.65 million) by January, 2015.

The venue used to be a hub for cultural and political events - Sammy Davis, Jr. famously hugged U.S. President Richard Nixon there in 1972 and Jimmy Buffett performed an iconic concert there in 1985.

It fell into disrepair and was closed down after suffering severe damage from Hurricane Andrew in 1992.