Photo by ISIPhotos.com
By TIM FONTENAULT
David Beckham’s second attempt at securing a soccer stadium in Miami has failed after Mayor Tomás Regalado told the Englishman’s real estate adviser that the waterfront site Beckham was eyeing is no longer an option.
Beckham was in Miami over the weekend to lobby for a 20,000-seat stadium for his Major League Soccer expansion team. The area Beckham was interested in is currently occupied by a deep-water boat slip and part of Museum Park.
John Alschuler, Beckham’s real estate adviser, met with Regalado and City Manager Daniel Alfonso on Tuesday morning, and the two officials told Alschuler that the site is off the table.
“Given the uniqueness of this site, we agreed that this was just not the right place,” Alfonso said.
Beckham and his group had offered the city $2 million a year in rent, double the amount paid by the Miami Heat to play in the neighboring American Airlines Arena. However, the county determined that while they felt the offer was “generous,” it was not in the area’s best interest.
The group will now turn their sights towards an alternative location and will take their time to consider additional options.
“Our team’s going to pause,” Alschuler said. “They’re going to consider all alternatives and look forward to constructive engagement.”
Beckham’s team previously sought to build a stadium in PortMiami, but backed off when faced with political opposition from Royal Caribbean Cruises and the Miami-Dade County Commission.
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What do you think of this latest mishap for Beckham? Will he find a spot in Miami suitable for his expansion team, or will he have to look outside Miami for the answer?
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