Beckham Ready to Consider Broward County for Stadium: Report

As David Beckham’s group continues to search for a location for a new Major League Soccer stadium, Broward County may be ready to step in to facilitate a stadium outside of Miami, according to the Miami Herald.

The Herald reported that Broward County Commissioner Stacy Ritter said Beckham’s group is ready to talk to the county about a soccer-specific stadium.

"I spoke to a representative [from Beckham's group] twice," Ritter said in an email to NBC 6. "I expect to be speaking with him again in the next week or so. No meeting is set as of today."

The move comes after Beckham’s group has been denied two prime locations in downtown Miami for a new soccer stadium. The group originally looked at a plot of land near the Port of Miami, but it was axed in favor of land next to the AmericanAirlines Arena.

The area near the AAA was rejected by the city of Miami after Miami-Dade County killed the Port of Miami project. Miami officials have discussed putting the stadium near Marlins Park, but according to the Herald, the Beckham group doesn’t like the site because it’s “spiritually tainted” after the Marlins stadium deal.

Ritter told the Herald that one area of land that might fit would be county-owned land near the BB&T Center. However, that would put the team far away from Miami-Dade County residents and might make filling the stadium tougher.

"It would come down to whether or not the site meets Beckham's specifications," Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief said in an email to NBC 6. "If he wants waterfront property, we have plenty of that in Broward County as well. We're very willing to talk to him."

Beckham's public relations firm released a statement in response to the report, saying, "The Beckham team has taken a pause to weigh alternatives regarding next steps. We believe the public is very passionate about soccer and deserves a world class MLS team."

Beckham’s group had previously said it was going to take some time to evaluate the options in Miami before making a new move.

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