Miami

Miami-Dade School Board May Get Involved in MLS Stadium Plans

David Beckham's dream of bringing Major League Soccer to South Florida may be a little bit closer to reality, and it might be in part to an unlikely partner.

"We want to get something big in return," Alberto Carvalho said. The Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent told board members about his idea to kick start the soccer stadium.

"Would be school board ownership of the land and the stadium, entering into a management agreement that would be negotiated with the team," Carvalho said.

David Beckham's Group is intent on bringing Major League Soccer to Miami, and they've settled on the county-owned land to the west of Marlins Park as their stadium site.

The team will pay for the stadium, no public money is involved, but they will pay no property taxes, so local schools would get no benefit.

"So when I say, if we do nothing we get nothing, if somebody else is driving the bus, we're in the back seat or not on the bus at all," Carvalho said.

Carvalho's plan hinges on the team agreeing to pay the school district an amount equal to whatever property taxes would be if the stadium was privately owned. Miami's mayor came to the meeting Thursday to support the idea.

"I think that this is a fantastic step and I think this is doable," Mayor Tomas Regalado said.

Carvalho said the stadium would be used for high school football, there would be educational facilities on site, and Beckham's Group would sponsor athletics and music programs all over the county.

But some school board members voiced concerns.

"In fact, are we helping a company evade taxes and is that something that we want to do?" stated school board member, Dr. Marta Perez.

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