Beckham Group Closes On Soccer Stadium Site In Overtown
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Miami is close to having a soccer stadium and a team but before the celebrations, the David Beckham Group needed to buy more land from Miami-Dade and win zoning approval from the city of Miami.
With 140 characters, Beckham partner Marcelo Claure announced on Twitter that the group had closed on the Miami stadium.
Big News: We've closed on our #Miami stadium site. Excited to bring a world-class @MLS club to our fans pic.twitter.com/ocEtgMeaWs
— MarceloClaure (@marceloclaure) March 24, 2016
"We believe having a stadium there, mainly by public transportation, 20 to 25,000 people for games and for other events, it will definitely be an economic boom," said Miami City manager Daniel Alfonso.
The new privately financed stadium in Overtown would sit just north of the Miami River. The 9-acre site extends from N.W. 8th Street to the north and N.W. 6th Street to the south.
David Beckham and his private investors closed on 6.5 acres of the private land and now must negotiate with Miami-Dade County for the remaining 2.5 acres of county-owned land, appraised at nearly $8.5 million.
"There are some constituents who have concerns about whether or not they want a stadium in their back yard," said Commissioner Keon Hardemon, who represents the area where the stadium would be built.
He said parking and noise are concerns.
"The question is whether this is the right space for it. It is near the river. It is near a draw bridge and it's near a neighborhood called Spring Garden that typically does not have that type of noise or traffic traveling through the area," said Hardemon.
The Miami City Commission will have to hear public concerns.
Meanwhile, the Beckham group will need to win the support from residents and the approval of the Commission, who must first approve the actual stadium plans and issue permits for the street closures.
Beckham began publicly chasing a Miami stadium two years ago after failed bids for three other sites, including land facing Marlins Park in Little Havana.
The land in Overtown is the first time Beckham has acquired Miami real estate for his Major League Soccer franchise.
