Staff from Miami-Dade County District 7 Commissioner Xavier L. Suarez has designed a model for a 40,000-person stadium for a Major League Soccer (MLS) stadium, which is situated next to the Marlins baseball stadium. As can be seen in the rendering, several small parcels of land would need to be acquired; additionally, minor changes would be necessary on NW 17 Avenue. However, it is feasible and not costly since the infrastructure is already in place.
This is the only site with sufficient space which is accessible to public transportation, and also connected to principle roadways.The proposed site also takes into consideration the requirement of the Beckham Group that the stadium be near downtown.
As of now, this proposal has the support of City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado, Chairman Willy Gort, and Commissioners Francis Suarez and Marc Sarnoff. Also, the site has the support of former City of Miami Mayors Maurice Ferre, Manny Diaz, and Xavier Suarez, and State Senator Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, in whose district the stadium would be located.
I hope commissioner Suarez is willing to pay for it because I don't support that location. Commissioner Suarez should be reminded that the Marlins schedule will directly compete with the MLS schedule. Public transportation is almost nonexistent and the size of the stadium is not in compliance with MLS guidelines. I believe Commissioner Suarez is only trying to posture in the public eye and is not serious about bringing MLS to Miami.
Beckham's investment group has always stated up front that they would pay for the building costs for the stadium. They just needed a place to build it on that suited their criteria. downtown, near metro, nice visibility to skyline. The land itself will stay as property of the city and Beckham's group would pay rent. Same deal as AA arena and Miami Heat. Beckham's group offered double than what Miami Heat are currently paying.
This idea seems to me that the Miami politicians are trying to steer Beckham into building a 40K stadium so that Miami U can be a tenant. They haven't even been listening to Beckham at all. He said he only needed 25K for a venue. too many empty seats for games ruins the atmosphere he wants to create. *see NE revolution at Gillette stadium*
So in the end the politicians of Miami want Beckham to build a stadium for Miami U in an area he didn't want. On top of spending all that money to build it, he'd become the second billing in his own stadium.
I can see Beckham walking away from Miami real soon.