A community meeting in Overtown was being held Wednesday evening as Miami city leaders want to discuss the proposed soccer stadium that would go up in the area.
The stadium, part of a deal to bring a Major League Soccer team partially owned by international soccer legend David Beckham, has faced a few serious obstacles over the past years as several others potential locations – including one next to the AmericanAirlines Arena – have been rejected.
Renderings show a new 25,000-seat nine-acre stadium in Overtown along Northwest 7th Avenue and 8th Street, north of the Miami River.
I've had some constituents that are not very happy about this whole deal because they don't want a stadium next to where they live," Miami Commissioner Keon Hardemon said.
Hardemon said the city will ultimately have to vote on zoning for the project but first the county has to approve sale of public land.
"You can understand where you have a small, quaint historic neighborhood that doesn't want to be interrupted by the hustle and bustle of a stadium just near them, especially with a bridge opening, a major thoroughfare section," Hardemon said.
Developers say a stadium will infuse the area with growth. Hardemon says it's already growing.
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"We have billions of dollars of investment that are going there for retail shops, hotels, convention centers, we are redeveloping peoples' houses that are right near, we have businesses being introduced to that area, new housing, affordable housing coming," Hardemon said. "So I don't necessarily believe that a stadium is going to be the engine that creates that change."
Beckham exercised an option in his contract from playing in the MLS to create an expansion franchise by announcing in 2014 he wanted to place on in South Florida. However, the league has said they will not officially grant a franchise to the area until the stadium issue is settled.
It would be the second time South Florida has had a MLS franchise, as the Miami Fusion operated from 1997 until 2001 while playing their games in Fort Lauderdale.
