Beckham proceeding with plans to have MLS team in Miami
News circulating last weekend that British soccer star, David Beckham plan to drop plans to bring a Major League Soccer team and build a stadium in South Florida was a rumor. The rumor also stated Beckham would take the MLS franchise to Las Vegas being frustrated at attempts to secure a suitable stadium site in South Florida.
However, Beckham’s South Florida investment group, Miami Beckham United, told local media the British soccer icon is still making efforts to have the stadium located on a site in Overtown, Miami, while seeking additional investors for the project.
The group, in a statement, said the investors are “100 percent committed to Miami,” and are making progress in their plans to have the stadium built in Overtown.
According to reports, there is pressure on Beckham and his investment group to finalize their arrangements to launch the new MLS franchise in South Florida. The reports stated MLS Commissioner Don Garber has given a deadline to finalize the stadium deal in Miami, if not Beckham’s Miami franchise, which would be the 24th team in the MLS nationally, is in danger going to another team.
Beckham has experienced several frustrating setbacks in securing a site for the soccer stadium in Miami since securing the MLS franchise in February, 2014. The group originally tried securing a site close to the Port of Miami, but met strong opposition from political and business leaders. Another attempt failed to locate the stadium located adjacent to the Miami Marlins Park in Miami. Several months ago, the group settled on six acres of land it purchased in Overtown. The group has been in negotiations with Miami-Dade County to purchase an adjacent 3-acres to finalize the stadium site. With the estimated cost of the stadium being $150 million, the group has also been actively seeking new investors.
West Kendall soccer coach Richard Donaldson, who with other local coaches are anxious for Beckham’s MLS team to commence playing in South Florida, expressed “sickening frustration at the ups and downs” in getting the stadium finalized. “Soccer is a promising, motivating sport for South Florida’s youth, male and female. The presence of a MLS team locally would be a great source of inspiration to the youth, helping them to improve their soccer skills. We really want this frustrating delay to end,” Donaldson said.
