photo by Robert Mayer/USA Today Sports
By FRANCO PANIZO
So much for being spiritually tainted.
After being urged for months to consider building a soccer-specific stadium at a site near Marlins Park just west of downtown Miami, David Beckham and his group of investors have tentatively agreed to construct a stadium in that location.
Beckham’s business partner Marcelo Claure and Miami mayor Tomas Regalado announced the news on Friday after holding a video meeting, and the next step is getting approval from city commissioners to begin negotiations to build the privately-financed stadium.
The University of Miami, which considered teaming up with Beckham’s group for a joint-venue that could house its football team and the MLS franchise, has no involvement in the deal.
“The time is now,” Claure told reporters. “This is the moment of truth.”
Claure added on Friday that architects have already determined that highways and roads near the stadium locale do not have to be altered.
Beckham and his investors announced plans to bring an MLS franchise back to Miami in February 2014, but had their initial two locations on waterfront property rebuffed by local government officials. MLS said in the ensuing months that Beckham would not be awarded an expansion team until he reaches a stadium deal.
While Beckham’s group preferred a location near downtown so as to have plenty of entertaining amenities to offer fans, it now believes that building a stadium next to the Miami Marlins’ home could make for a booming entertainment district.
Friday’s news comes as a change of heart for Beckham and his associates. They had initially ruled out constructing a stadium near Marlins Park because of the bad will that the local public has for Marlins Park, but a lack of progress in preferred destinations on waterfront property has forced the global icon and his group to reconsider.
“This is a milestone,” Regalado told reporters.
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What do you think about Beckham’s group tentatively agreeing to build a soccer-specific stadium near Marlins Park? Not celebrating until there is a shovel in the ground? Wishing the location was closer to downtown and on ocean-front property instead?
Share your thoughts below.
I think Becks should go to Tampa where they would easily give him a waterfront stadium. It doesn’t have the international fame of Miami, but if I were to move back to Florida it would certainly be to Tampa. I feel that it is a city with alot going for it and could still get the interstate rivalry with orlando (even closer). Miami has been a huge pain the ass for Beckham’s group, why reward them?
So it will be, Seattle,galaxy,LA2,nyc,miami with sexy dps, tasty my friend.
Now we just need the rest of MLS teams to wake up from their honeymoon and spend some money.
Vancouver is a beautiful city for a fancy dp, dc the greatest capitol of the world, big Dallas, huge Houston, nerd money city san jose, winter rocky city denver,French gorgeous Montreal, college party town Columbus, soccer city Portland, Chicago speechless beautiful city, red bull soda rich, barbecue city KC, Mecca Toronto, beautiful Boston, crazy fans of philly,Disney orlando.
Basically every MLS can get at least 2 fancy dps but you gotta advertise your city well and show everything what you got.
Beckham tentatively agrees to failure
Beckham and is well known partners don’t do anything half-ass, so everything about this stadium and on-field product will be top shelf. Yeah, they didn’t get the land that was valued at $50 million an acre, but it’ll be great regardless
Well, if Miami does get the stadium and team, I wonder if other MLS teams will try to modernize and get their own stadium.
You have Columbus, revolution who need a new stadium or stadium. Its so sad Gillette stadium is being upgraded for the patriots but not revolution.
Othet teams who need their own SOCCER stadium are Seattle and Vancouver.
Teams that should upgrade are galaxy, fc Dallas, Montreal and Denver.
Future stadiums are LA2, miami, Minnesota, DC.
They money is the,pressure your owners and you will get what you want.
Mexico is going stadium crazy, puebla soccer team is remodeling their stadium to something beautiful. By 2025 -Mexico might end up with 10 new stadiums,unbelievable. Hope they don’t get the world cup.
Lol
it is hilarious
Not Minnesota. Especially not St Paul.
Regardless of the location, I have the feeling that this project is doomed to fail once the fascination with Beckham has worn off. Miami has neer been a great sports town. Except for the initial curiosity factor, I don’t see this working out well.
Even the U struggles when the team sucks.
There’s too many other ways to spend your time in Miami.
Fair weather creates fair-weather fans
This sucks!!!
Horrible. Does it include tearing down Marlins Park as part of the deal?
Apparently there was a bad translation… The final quote should have read:
“This is a mill stone!” Regalado mumbled and cursed as he was overheard by reporters.
hahahahahaha, good one!
A smart business man would see the development opportunity here and start snapping up property surrounding the stadium and develop an entertainment/shopping district in the neighborhood. That would allow this crappy part of town begin to redevelop in the way that the Marlins promised when they built the baseball stadium. If done properly with a long term vision this could turn into Miami’s version of LA Live.
C mon david, dont be another MLS owner who surrenders to anti soccer politics.
MLS is always getting bad deals because politics get big NFL tickets and MLB.
I thought you would be the first owner to stick it up their throat.
You still have time,MLS will expand to 26 teams for you and Miami.
Make it happen, downtown stadium.
Play some reverse psychology,if not but red bull.
Garber will do something for you to buy red bull and then rebrand the team.
Another crazy idea is to join the Cosmos group and work the team up into MLS.
But don’t settle for a half ass location site, when you can go to san diego or work something out in NY.
Lol, yeah because it’s super easy to get a stadium built in NYC.
HA HA!!
Seriously
Seems to be a recurring theme on these boards that everything can be solved by rich people. Like a magic wand or something.
MLS deal was no NYC or LA for Beckham’s discounted $25m fee
Beckham better hope that Cuba pulls a huge upset over the US tomorrow… he needs that Little Havana neighborhood buying into soccer… considering the neighborhood does not support the baseball team as much as intially thought.. this is probably a reach…
I’m sure that your comment is at least tongue in cheek.
I’m pretty sure that most of the people that live in the neighborhood would be much more likely to pull for the US to win —-preferably by forfeit as the result of Cuba not being able to take the field after a mass defection.
But yeah, he’ll need to get as many people to buy in as possible in order to get this deal done and the neighborhood is a great place to start…
Dear David,
Instead of over-building a huge stadium and giving away free and discounted tickets – just build it smaller and expandable.
Groupon really screws people who paid full price
Thanks for listening
I’m sure the ones of members of the Miami Southern Legion’s supporters group is thrilled with the news.
lol, still looking around for a high five!
I have only been to Miami once but my understanding is this location stinks. Miami is a terrible sports town anyway so I doubt any location would succeed but a bad location just makes failure seem even more likely. Don’t know why MLS is so focused on Miami when there are other expansion locations that have far more enthusiasm about joining the league.
MLS is focused on Miami because its a core destination for any league with national aspirations. Miami is better than a top-20 US tv market and its a high-profile destination that will attract DPs and foreign eyeballs. MLS needs to grow its domestic tv revenue and is seeing lots of new revenue from foreign tv rights. It also sets up a natural rivalry with Orlando City (which turned out to be a sleeping giant as far as attendance). As for attendance in Miami, I’d bet if the ownership spends the money on right players the fans will show up.
MLS, having ditched Miami once before, is interested because Beckham has an option and this is what he wants. Nothing happened in the interim (Blues, etc.) to really change the soccer impression. They’re not thinking about it all analytical. It’s a big league size town that Beckham wants, QED. If it folds in 5 years they still have his franchise fee and the option is spent. I don’t see it going well but I’m not sure that’s the point.
I think Beckham went with this site because it’s available and politically palatable and NYC2 and LA2 are already done. If he’s committed to Miami, there is no NY or LA escape, and time is only burning while he tries to convince Miami to play ball on something else besides what he’s getting. If he wants a team, this seems to be what Miami is willing to give.
deal was that for the $25m reduced fee he couldn’t have NYC or LA so that was never an option.
“high-profile destination that will attract DPs” … Bingo. US Sports fan like stars. And stars are needed for better TV ratings. Most big name DPs will only be attracted to a few cities, like NY, LA, and maybe Toronto. That’s why NY got two teams and that’s why LAFC is coming. Miami happens to be a huge international draw and will likely attract big names. Having 5 legit teams in glamorous cities will bring in more stars.
(Yes, I know there are exceptions to every rule (i.e. Kaka to Orlando))
I’m scouring the globe trying to find a country with sporting fans that don’t like stars so I can cash out but….. still no luck.
i have a feeling Miami may be too snobbish . In order to show up, the DPs will have to be off the chart types- Neymar, Rooney, etc.
Terrible. Terrible. Miami could have worked with the right location.He will never get the South Beach crowd to follow him over here.
Not even if he goes shirtless and wiggles? I can’t believe that. Now whether they’d buy soccer tickets……
This reminds me of the time I didn’t have a date for prom because my first choice told me no. I ended up going with a ugly chick. It didn’t work out so well just like this will not work out well. Don’t settle Becks! Wait until the mood is better for a downtown location or transfer your expansion rights to Sac-Town or San Antonio.
Did Beckham at least put out?… wait I’m confused
My best friend took my ex girlfriend, and my prom date hooked up with everyone but me.
It wasn’t the best prom
don’t worry about Sac, they’ll get an MLS franchise regardless of what happens in Miami, the league won’t turn away from their turn-key, fan-base ready, team in place plan.
Lets hope they build a World Class stadium, and not cheap out. Or else this will be bad….
That’s unfortunate. Marlins park is an absolute dump and a terrible location
I agree. I hate going to Marlins Park to watch a ball game because of how atrocious the traffic is down there.
Beckham needs to spend his money getting more tattoos and forget about Miami. The only way he’ll make that team profitable is if the team would be comprised of Mexicans, El Salvadoreans, Guatemalans and Hondurans. Then, all the illegals would come out of the woods and start buying the pirated tickets, but the stadium would be destroyed in 3-5 years.
Ives, the fact that this clown is still allowed to post on here pretty much makes you a clown too.
And your name is? You posting with different names is a netiquette violation. Why don’t we ban you first. For the sake of civility, I am going to ignore you calling me a clown. What do you want, a an all positive fan club where everybody agrees with everybody? Please Ives, take no insult from this guy and do not ban him.
Now, disprove what I just said. I’ve been to that city many times and stayed there for long periods of times. I know what I am talking about.
Absolute dump? Don’t know about that. Location’s not great but the stadium itself is boss.
To make this team and the Organization profitable, Beckham must have to institute the sales of urine bags. They would sell in Miami like firecrackers in a 4th of July.