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World soccer superstar David Beckham may be looking to Florida’s Broward County for his new stadium as plans for a Miami facility have been stalled. This according to statements made by Broward County officials.
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Mr. Beckham has been trying to get approval for his plan to build a 20, 000 seat stadium in the southwest corner of the Port of Miami, along Biscayne Boulevard, for his yet to be named Major League Soccer Miami expansion team. But that plan has been met with opposition from local groups who fear that it might damage the area’s character.
The Mayor of Broward, Barbra Sharief, told the Sun Sentinel that she has spoken with the leaders of 31 cities in her county about finding a location for the new stadium. She has also offered a location that the county owns next to the BB&T Center in Sunrise. Broward Commissioner Stacy Ritter said that she discussed such an offer with reps for Beckham’s group, Miami Beckham United.
She said: “He has $400 million to invest in a soccer stadium. He doesn’t want any tax dollars. He has his own money. He was disappointed with his treatment in Miami.”
“There’s a lot of excitement about soccer in Broward, ” she told the Sun Sentinel. “I figured we should give it a shot.”
But Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez insists that he is still working with Beckham to find a Miami location. His spokesman said that “nothing has changed. He [the mayor] spoke to them again last week and they told him they were searching for sites in Miami-Dade County. We are going to continue working with them. We want soccer in Miami-Dade County.”
Hallandale Beach Mayor Joy Cooper is also trying to woo Beckham to her town and is concerned that the proposed expansion franchise may eventually choose to relocate to a different region if it cannot find a home in the Miami area. She said that, “If South Florida loses a team like this, it would be a sin. They said they are reviewing multiple sites that are still on their radar. They’re still scouting.”
Beckham’s broker asserted that while he would not comment on the various offers they have received, Beckham’s group is still intent on finding a site in the Miami area.
