New reports have confirmed that soccer star David Beckham has abandoned plans to construct a Major League Soccer Stadium in Little Havana.
Sources close to Beckham’s team, however, say they have not deserted the plan, but are examining options to buy private property in Overtown for the stadium.
Beckham had huge plans of building his stadium near Miami Beach. The soccer player had liked the giant boat slip next to American Airlines Arena, however that deal failed. He also liked a piece of property at Port Miami, but that deal went south as well.
Just last week, a group of Caribbean-American soccer coaches, players and soccer enthusiasts are coordinating a campaign to support the plan.
Under this new deal, agreed to by Miami-Dade School Superintendent Albert Carvalho, Beckham will build with his own funds the 30,000 seat stadium estimated at $200 million, and assign ownership to MDPS.
In return, Beckham’s group would save annual property taxes. The MDPS would also have use of the stadium for graduations, games and educational programming. The Beckham group would also assist the school board in funding school soccer teams.
