As a philanthropist, Thomson led a drive to create the $300 million Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, which opened in 2006. He and his daughter, Meg Daly, had collaborated along with Jorge A. Plasencia in a non-profit organization, Friends of the Underline. At the organization, Thomson served as director and was an advocate for transforming Miami-Dade Metrorail into a 10-mile neighborhood park.
