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Miami Beckham United secures Overtown site for soccer-specific stadium

David Beckham FIU

There is still some work to be done, but David Beckham has secured a stadium site in Miami at long last.

Miami Beckham United, the Englishman’s group of investors for an expansion MLS franchise, announced on Friday that it has acquired some land in Overtown on which to build a soccer-specific stadium. The development comes a day before Miami Beckham United is to meet the MLS Board of Governors to detail its latest stadium plans, and at the end of a week that has seen Beckham and his investors turn their attention away from a location near Marlins Park in Little Havana.

“Miami Beckham United has secured a stadium development site at 650 Northwest 8th Street in the City of Miami’s historic Overtown neighborhood,” the group said in a statement.“We intend to create an assemblage of private and County-controlled land totaling approximately 9 acres in Miami’s urban core, within walking distance of multiple public transit options and the up-and-coming Miami River District.

“The private properties, which comprise the majority of the land, are under contract and we intend to purchase the County land at fair market value pending approval of our site by the MLS Board of Governors.”

Beckham had announced his plans to launch an expansion club in Miami during February 2014, but MLS said he needed a stadium deal in place before officially being allowed entry into the league. After running into hurdles at three different locations, Beckham has now found a site for the privately-financed venue in Overtown, which is closer to downtown Miami than the piece of land near Marlins Park that he and his group were looking at.

A majority of the Overtown locale is an empty private lot on Northwest Seventh Avenue, but Miami Beckham United still needs to secure county land across the street that is owned by the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department.

According to the Miami Herald, Beckham’s group plans to own the land and stadium. Miami Beckham United is also still open to providing some benefits to the Miami-Dade school system, just as it was planning for the site near Marlins Park.

“Construction of our venue will be privately financed and we will work with Miami-Dade County Public Schools to establish our club as an educational resource for the community,” read the statement. “We will also engage nearby businesses and residents as we develop our stadium design and take steps to enhance the neighborhood.”

Comments

  1. As long as it’s downtown and not some suburban outpost. Washington Nationals built their stadium in no mans land but it was in the city. Now, vibrant area of town with condos, hotels, retail, parks, office buildings and restaurants and DC United stadium coming to do the same thing to Buzzard Point across the street.

    Reply
    • John, Miami has always made for crazy times. Never wanted to live there because there is a risk I would have been a dad before I wanted to become one, but it has always been a great place to hang out with the friends who live there ;).

      Unfortunately (for me — fortunately for them), most of my Miami based friends have gotten married.

      Reply
  2. not from Miami or really familiar with the city at all – but it looks like a pretty good site. Currently a city owned parking lot, within .5mi from two rail stops and a highway, walking distance from downtown, mix density/use mostly residential around it. if completed carefully could be a good site. still pretty tight area – not sure if you can fit stadium inside the block.

    Reply
      • There are NO perfect plug and play sites in any developed urban environment. It takes a visionary to see the potential in what an area can be rather than what it is. There is actually pretty good precedent to Stadium developments turning around downtown areas gone bad/ignored. The Staples AEG development in downtown LA is a prime example. It was once a very gnarly, no go zone that is now full of life, retail, restaurants, bars and residential/lofts.

    • How “glass have full” do you want it? Not far from Wynnwood, downtown Miami, South Beach and Coconut Grove area. I think the key to its success will be if construction can be done with under 150 construction workers being shot…

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      • Exactly…location is central. A lot is happening in the neighborhoods surrounding this neighborhood. However, this pocket remains incredibly dangerous. It is poised to improve soon but at the moment I wouldn’t want to go there regardless of the time of day.

    • Viewing it on google maps, it looks like a good location. It’s actually closer to downtown than the site next to Marlins Park would have been. As someone mentioned below it is walking distance (less than half a mile) from two different rail stops, it is along major freeways, and it is about a mile and a half walk from downtown. I have visited Miami multiple times but don’t know it that well, but for those of you mentioning crime and stuff like that, I personally feel that won’t be an issue. I am from Los Angeles, and Staples Center and L.A. Live were built in what might have been one of the worst areas in town, and now the immediate surrounding area is a safe, cleaned up, and trendy spot. Same has begun to happen and will continue to happen in Inglewood with the remodeled Forum (former Lakers home) and the possible new football stadium for the Rams that will be next door to the Forum. I believe same will happen in Overtown, Miami.

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      • Closer comparison is the Forum in the 80s. Given all the development happening in the surrounding neighborhood, it will eventually be ok. But at the moment it is worse that the Colisseum & Forum combined. Miami had the same problem with the Miami Arena (where Heat and Panthers originally played). People just didn’t feel safe going. Again, by the time this thing gets built, it should be much better…should being the key word

    • Cons
      High crime area
      Overton residents have a history of opposing projects like this one
      Parking wil be an issue
      Overton perceived as not a good location and may not be attractive to the people the club wants to attract

      Pros
      Miam World Center being developed and will be less than a mile away – high end condo living with tons of amenites attactive to people with $$$ and a cosmopolitan outlook – more inclined to want to see football and wil help fuel the team’s success if they bring in the right people and are committed to winning.
      Good freeway access
      Area slated for transit improvements

      Honestly, the best BU could hope for at this point if he wants a team within Miami proper. I think he would be better off in Doral but that is my opinion.

      Reply

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