Report: Beckham, Miami-Dade run into MLS stadium talk issues
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David Beckham’s negotiation efforts for a soccer stadium in Miami have hit a speed bump, the Miami Herald reports.
The stalemate came when Beckham's negotiators were halted by certain terms Miami-Dade County asked for as part of the sale for the county-owned land where Beckham plans to build his stadium, according to documents received by the Herald. Beckham will need approval at the county and city levels to build the venue.
Beckham's group issued a statement to the Herald that said: “We expect to reach an agreement with the County soon, at which point our team will enter the public [land-use and zoning] process en route to developing our privately-financed MLS stadium in Overtown.”
In February 2014, Beckham announced he would buy a Miami MLS expansion franchise, a perk of the contract he signed with the LA Galaxy in 2007. Beckham and his investing group then purchased land for a new soccer stadium in Miami in March. Beckham is also seeking a new primary investor in his Miami MLS franchise, with SI's Grant Wahl reporting that real-estate developer Arthur Falcone is the group's target.
Just last week, Beckham and his Miami partner, Tim Leiweke, appeared in Las Vegas on behalf of the Oakland Raiders, pitching the possibility of MLS expansion to Sin City should the NFL franchise relocate to Nevada. Beckham maintained, however, that he was fully committed to the Miami effort.
"Great things take time, and I'm starting to realize that, especially over the last few years since we announced our ideas in Miami," Beckham said. "So I understand that it takes time. What you have at the end of it is something that is so special.
"I'm excited about what we're doing in Miami. It's something that I'm very committed to, something that as an ambassador of the league now, as an owner of a franchise that is going to be very special for the people of Miami, I'm excited.
