Well, lookie there, a David Beckham stadium project has actually taken a step forward:
On Wednesday, Miami commissioners voted to hold a November referendum to ask voters if the city should negotiate a no-bid lease with Beckham’s ownership group to build a $1 billion commercial and soccer stadium complex on the city’s only municipal golf course, Melreese Country Club. Voters will decide if the city should make an exception to its competitive bidding law to allow the administration to negotiate the no-bid deal with the Beckham group, a for-profit private entity, to develop 131 acres of public land.
In other words, Miami city commissioner Ken Russell switched his vote to “yes,” after Beckham’s partner Jorge Mas agreed to phase in a minimum $15 an hour wage requirement for commercial tenants at the stadium complex. So score one for being the squeaky wheel.
The stadium plan will now be up to voters, which, you know, it’s tough to complain about — if Miami residents think giving up a golf course for a reasonable price is a fair swap for getting a soccer stadium, then more power to them. (One still has to hope that Mas and Beckham won’t sway them with campaign ads making phony economic claims as the Heat did 22 years ago, but that’s a bridge we’ll cross this fall.) Technically, the commission still has to negotiate an actual deal if the vote passes, but since Beckham and Mas already got three votes to hold the vote, it’s unlikely those votes will flip back against them if a referendum passes.
So congrats to Beckham for finally, after so many long years, taking an actual step forward toward the MLS expansion franchise he was promised in exchange for signing with the Los Angeles Galaxy, and — sorry, what’s that?
A lawsuit has been filed against the city of Miami claiming that it broke its charter when it entered into a no-bid deal to put a Major League Soccer stadium on city-owned property.
Well, it was an unreservedly good day for Becks for an hour or so, anyway.
That article in Local10.com is baffling to me. Why would the mayor and city commissioners be listed as plaintiffs? The plaintiffs are the ones who brings the suit. Wouldn’t Miami officials be the defendants?
Can someone please explain this to me.
What breaks ground first, a Miami MLS stadium or a new Rays stadium? Taking all bets!
Unless the Rays are planning to build a stadium that sits empty for years while their lease with St a Petersburg finishes, Miami MLS will likely be first.
Gee, where was Muir and his lawsuit when a private golf business was using the toxic land to poison golfers and children. Just like the guy and lawsuit for wasteland in Over town, this has nothing to do with a one time exception to the bidding law and everything to do with keeping MLS from setting up shop in Miami. Hey did Micky Arison ever build that park for the taxpayers in return for all those subsides.
In my *very* informal poll of people I know who live in Miami, there seems to be a lot of interest in this and most people I know will vote yes – mainly because of jobs! Jobs! Jobs! But I also heard some suggesting that developing the area with more fields for youth to play on is positive.
Incidentally I have also heard from folks who don’t live in Miami and are in favor of it…and will vote yes…except they don’t seem to understand that they can’t. ;)