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Miami voters will have say on Beckham MLS stadium plan
MIAMI, July 19, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Miami voters will have their say in
November on David Beckham’s latest plan for a Major League Soccer stadium
development in the city, after a vote by city commissioners on Wednesday.
The Miami City Commission voted 3-2 to place a referendum on the November
6 ballot that would open the door for the complex on city-owned land that is
now occupied by a municipal golf course.
The proposal by retired England star Beckham and his business partners
includes a 25,000-seat stadium for an expansion MLS club, along with 23 acres
of youth football pitches with artificial turf, a 750-room hotel, restaurant,
retail and office space plus a 58-acre public park.
The commission delayed a vote last week after a presentation by the
investment group was followed by hours of public comment both for and against
the plan.
Those opposed included a group from the First Tee Miami youth golf program
based at the Melreese Country Club site.
Wednesday’s move by the commission will let voters decide whether to allow
the city to change its laws and waive competitive bidding and authorize the
commission to negotiate a 99-year lease of the site.
If voters approve, a lease agreement must gain approval of four of the
five commissioners.
On Wednesday, Beckham business partner Jorge Mas went through a list of
new provisions added since last week’s presentation. That includes an
agreement that no city funding would be used for toxic soil cleanup, a cost
that is estimated at $35 million.
The group also offered assurances that First Tee Miami could stay put,
with a driving range on the site and access to a nearby 18-hole golf course.
The Melreese site is just the latest that Beckham has seriously pursued.
More than a year ago the England icon had proposed a stadium in a downtown
Miami neighborhood in a project that drew criticism over lack of parking and
potential increased traffic chaos and sparked fears that low-income residents
would be discplaced.
BSS/AFP/BZC/1750HRS