Election in Miami: voters decide on Beckham MLS football stadium

Black and pink smoke invaded the scene as retired football star David Beckham, in front of several hundred happy fans, struggling to find the floor when it became apparent that he had won the most Big win ever won in his quest for a Major League Soccer team in Miami.

Surrounded by the colors of the team for Inter Miami, Miami MLS team soon to be formed, the man whose fame fueled the hype around the team has passed the microphone.

"What else can I say thank you … Gracias … what can I say?" Beckham said.

Beckham and his partners, including Miami businessmen Jorge and Jose Mas, crossed a major hurdle on Tuesday when about 60 percent of voters approved plans to turn a city-owned golf course into Miami Freedom Park. , a gigantic stadium and a commercial complex. The property group is now allowed to negotiate an urban land lease adjacent to the Miami International Airport, which currently houses the Melreese Golf Course, for a 33-hectare redevelopment that would include a 25,000-seat stadium. at least 750 hotel rooms and at least 1 million square feet of office space, retail and commercial space. The owners also agreed to fund a 58-acre public park next to the complex.

But the agreement will require four out of five votes from municipal commissioners, and those votes were far from guaranteed.

The property group celebrated Tuesday in the Douglas entrance courtyard at Coral Gables, accompanied by Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, a strong supporter of the plan that helped negotiate the proposal earlier this year.

"This is a market in which citizens will get a rent of fair market value. This will be financed by the private sector. We will have a 60-acre park, 23 acres of football field and an MLS team led by Jorge Mas and David Beckham, who are so interested in the city, "said Suarez. "I mean, it could not be a better deal for the people of the city of Miami."

About 40% of voters think the opposite. Since Melreese was considered a venue for the stadium, the concept provoked controversy and triggered numerous lawsuits. Critics have called the proposal lucrative land grabbing, dressed as a necessary project to give MLS a home in Miami. They defended the value of Melreese, particularly a youth golf and mentoring program called First Tee Miami, and denounced the rushed process that led to the referendum.

When the commissioners voted in favor of writing the question on the November bulletin after reviewing the preliminary terms of the lease, several questions remained unanswered. Among them: The actual cost of cleaning toxic soils located under Melreese, contaminated dirt with ash from a former municipal incinerator.

These issues will remain as city officials and team owners begin lease negotiations.

"We will start tomorrow," said Jorge Mas.

The stadium campaign benefited from strong support from football fans who were longing for an MLS team throughout Beckham's five-year odyssey to line up a team in South Florida. After crossing many possible sites over the years, including that of the property purchased by Overtown, Melreese became the first choice in 2018 after Jorge Mas, president of the infrastructure giant MasTec, joined the group at the end of 2017. Mas argued that a stadium had to be laid out to be profitable.

Dressed in a pink shirt while he was addressing the party, Mas claimed victory.

"We won tonight," he said, winning applause from the crowd. "We showed the world what Miami can do."

Beckham, the Mas brothers and their co-owners, including Marcelo Claure, president of Sprint, and Masayoshi Son, of SoftBank, needed the voters' permission to ignore a public call for tenders and negotiate a no-call lease. Offers for the project, called Miami Freedom Park. The property has spent nearly $ 900,000 for the campaign, according to the latest campaign funding reports.

For football owners and promoters, this has paid off. But Tuesday's vote does not guarantee a stadium.

The lease still needs to be approved by four of the city's five commissioners – which could be a long shot, given stiff opposition from at least two commissioners.

"It's a bad deal," said Commissioner Willy Gort, whose district includes Melreese. "It's a real estate transaction and they use the stadium as a hook."

In July, Gort and Commissioner Manolo Reyes voted against the referendum. On Monday, they both told the Herald that they had not been swayed and that they were hoping for the failure of the referendum.

"If they want a stadium, they should go buy a lot and build one," said Reyes.

Beckham acknowledged that some residents were still unconvinced and that there was still work to be done to reach a final agreement.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber described Tuesday as "a historic day for sport in our country and another pillar of our vision of becoming a football nation".

"Inter Miami CF's project to create a world-class football stadium as the keystone of the Miami Freedom Park will help transform the city of Miami and become a hub for South African football fans. Florida, "said Garber in a statement. "On behalf of all Major League Soccer members, we thank the community for their support and the Miami City leadership for their leadership. We also thank Jorge and Jose Mas, David Beckham and Marcelo Claure for their hard work and deep trust in the MLS. We look forward to the launch of Inter Miami CF in 2020. "

Garber's comments mark the extent of Beckham's efforts. At one point, plans for a Miami team were barely waiting for relief, after delays and quarrels at stadium sites that would not stop delaying the awarding of a prize. franchise. When the Mas brothers joined the property group, the league gave a team to Miami and a deadline – Jorge Mas said he needed to get a building permit for a stadium by November 2019.

On Tuesday, a majority of voters brought the team closer to homeowners for this to happen. While showing bravery to thank his supporters, Jorge Mas recognized the stature of his family in the community for pushing the referendum in favor of the team.

"We brought him to the finish line. We are the local group. We are the local family, "he said. "I think we helped him pass it."