Soccer fans in South Florida look like they may have another reason to celebrate – the final major hurdle to a stadium being built for David Beckham’s future MLS expansion team might be days away from going away.
The Miami Herald is reporting that a plan to sell the land desired by a group led by the former soccer star, called Miami Beckham United, has received formal approval from county commissioner Audrey Edmonson – who represents the Overtown area where the proposed stadium would be located.
Edmonson initially had opposed the deal to sell the nearly three acres area at a cost of just over $9 million, but as apparently changed her mind and will introduce the deal at a June 6th meeting. Edmonson is out of the country and would not issue a statement, her office told NBC 6.
Beckham and his group initially announced that they were seeking an expansion MLS franchise for the area back in 2014 – but the inability to nail down a site for a stadium has been a point of contention since then. The group has sought locations near PortMiami, the AmericanAirlines Arena and Marlins Park during the search, with each coming up empty.
The proposed 25,000 seat stadium would sit just a block from Miami River – something MBU will use to promote a small cruise boat that would take fans to the area on game days to help elevate parking concerns.
Beckham’s group does not currently plan on building parking garages in the area, according to the Herald, instead choosing to promote fans using other means of transportation – including Metro rail, which will have a station three blocks away.
