Four years after announcing the arrival of a Major League Soccer team in Miami, David Beckham, his group, and the league seem to be preparing for the announcement of a finalized deal. Near the end of 2017, the deal to secure a stadium in Overtown was all but finalized. The announcement of a major event on January 29th has many speculating a final deal has been cut and the league is finally ready to accept a Major League Soccer team from Miami.
Spokespeople for Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, who aided in the negotiations for the 3-acre plot of land where the stadium is set to be built, suggested the mayor will be in attendance, another sign that the news will be good. Though David Beckham’s representatives have avoided commenting, a spokesman for the mayor said, “We hope they will finally be announcing that they have all the pieces of the puzzle together and that they’re ready to launch. The community wants Major League Soccer, and we want it as soon as possible.” Though many are excited to see soccer arrive in Miami, not everyone is on board.
Multiple wealthy landowners near the site of the future stadium are suing to cancel the deal while neighbors look for ways to block the necessary zoning approvals. The stadium’s price tag rings in at $200 million and will be funded entirely by private means. Though there are many moving parts to the situation, Beckham, Mayor Gimenez, and associates seem thrilled to move the project forward after a multi-year delay.
