Miami-Dade County Commissioners to Vote on Potential Soccer Stadium Tuesday

The vote could be the first step in bringing a Major League Soccer franchise to Miami, an effort spearheaded by former MLS star David Beckham.

Miami-Dade commissioners are set to vote Tuesday for the first time on legislation regarding a potential new soccer stadium in Miami.

County commissioners will vote on legislation asking Mayor Carlos Gimenez's administration to determine possible stadium locations and work out contracts with interested private developers, according to The Miami Herald.

The measure could be the first step in bringing a Major League Soccer franchise to Miami. The league has said it hopes to place its next two expansion teams in Miami and Atlanta.

The effort to bring a franchise to Miami is spearheaded by former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Los Angeles Galaxy star David Beckham, who has the right to an expansion team at a discounted fee of $25 million.

"We are very excited about the opportunity of David putting together an ownership group and finalizing a stadium site in downtown Miami," MLS Commissioner Don Garber said last week. "We can't go to Miami without the right stadium solution. David understands that. The city understands that. That is an indisputable fact."

Beckham's representatives have approached the county about building a stadium at PortMiami and his investment group, Beckham Brand Limited, created a new Florida corporate entity this week named Miami Beckham United, reported the Herald.

The resolution going before commissioners Tuesday mentions Beckham's plans along with MLS' interest in expanding to the city, and is sponsored by Commissioner Bruno Barreiro, whose district includes downtown, said the newspaper.

The legislation says: “A Major League Soccer stadium facility located in the downtown area has the potential to further strengthen its vibrancy and to continue to position the urban core as a live, work and play center,” according to the Herald.

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