Messi Mania: Construction Begins on Miami Freedom Park and Inter Miami CF Stadium

Inter Miami CF has begun construction began on Miami Freedom Park and The Inter Miami CF stadium, following the closing of one of Miami’s last remaining pubic golf courses, Melreese Country Club: Miami International Links. Construction is now underway on Miami Freedom Park, a 131-acre privately funded entertainment district development anchored by a new 25,000-seat fútbol specific stadium and 58-acre public park. Miami Freedom Park scheduled to open in 2025 and the official groundbreaking ceremony will take place later this year.

Crews and heavy equipment are now on site, performing earthwork and sitework that will move across the 131 acres concurrent with vertical construction. This multi-phase effort will see the stadium, public park, entertainment, hospitality, retail, and new infrastructure that make up Miami Freedom Park’s first phase all progress rapidly.

Miami Freedom Park will feature a full range of entertainment and commercial offerings including office space, hotel, shops, restaurants, the stadium and additional experiences and attractions. Recreational components of the project include a new 58-acre public park featuring soccer and youth athletic fields for the community.

"With Inter Miami my family set out to build something truly transformational. In just four years we have changed the perception worldwide of American soccer. As we commence construction of Miami Freedom Park that same vision guides us,” said Jorge Mas, Inter Miami CF Managing Owner. “In creating a multi-faceted space we will set a new standard of what sport complexes can be. We look forward to delivering a food and entertainment destination for families to enjoy year-round. I can’t wait to welcome our fans to our state-of-the-art stadium and hear the chants as Messi and your Inter Miami players take the pitch for the first time in 2025.”

Leasing and commercial partnership efforts are underway to attract best-in-class partners, tenants, and retailers, including established and emerging brands and companies that will enhance this iconic new destination for Miami.

Earlier this year, Inter Miami CF ownership brought on experienced megaproject and sports-anchored real estate investment and development veteran Devon McCorkle to lead the effort as President of Miami Freedom Park. Devon has further curated a team of best-in-class design, engineering, project management and construction firms to bring Miami Freedom Park to this milestone and move the project into the execution phase following completion of the planning and approvals phase.

“The level of attention and the influx of inquiries we are receiving have been incredible, a testament to the positive impact of Lionel Messi on Inter Miami CF and the City of Miami,” said Devon McCorkle, President of Miami Freedom Park. “Everyone wants to be part of what we’re creating, a new entertainment district that will be the centerpiece of family activities and experiences in Miami. We are in discussions with stadium sponsors, hotel brands, major attractions operators, restaurant groups, cultural institutions and many other exciting potential partners. We will deliver an incredible home for them at Miami Freedom Park.”

Miami Freedom Park’s design team team includes Miami-based architecture firm Arquitectonica, global arena and stadia design firm Manica, and industry-leading large-scale stadium project managers CAA Icon. Following delivery of the stadium and initial retail and entertainment offerings in 2025, Miami Freedom Park will deliver additional retail, hotel and commercial phases through 2030.

Miami hit Messi mania following the international soccer superstar and World Cup champion’s announcement he would join the American Major League Soccer team Inter Miami FC in a blockbuster mega-deal announced on July 15. Inter Miami CF, owned by David Beckham, Jorge Mas and Jose Mas, became one of the most-Googled soccer teams in the world surrounding Lionel Messi’s debut with the team this summer, garnering over 8.4 million searches in two months and searches for both Inter Miami CF jerseys and tickets up over 1,000%. Ticket prices jumped from below $50 on average to nearly $500 for the cheapest ticket to see Messi play live, similar ticket price spikes occurred for his first game with Inter Miami CF in Orlando as well as in New York. Following Messi’s announcement he would be joining Inter Miami CF the team’s Instagram account would jump from 175,000 followers to over 4.4 million.

Beckham Turns His Sights To Redevelop Melreese Golf Course Into Office Space Masking Proposal As "Public Park"

Be careful what you wish for. Activists who brought lawsuits against David Beckham's Overtown Soccer Stadium proposal may have derailed that initiative which would have energized the Overtown community. The developers of a proposal led by David Beckham known as Miami Freedom Park now seek to remove one of Miami's last affordable public golf courses, Melreese Country Club, home of "The First Tee Miami,"one of the most respected youth golf organizations in South Florida serving individuals of all ages, capabilities, and backgrounds; in exchange for developing over 1 billion SF on the site if the proposal passes. The proposal includes 400K SF of office space and 600K SF of  restaurant, retail and entertainment space; along with 750 hotel rooms and a 25,000 seat soccer stadium with only 3,750 parking spaces. A 400,000 SF office park would be one of the largest office parks in the United States of America. 

Mayor Francis Suarez has received both praise and backlash on Twitter after his tweet:

"Wow. A beautiful vision! 110 acres of true green public space open and accessible for our neighbors! This will be a vibrant park, entertainment complex, and soccer facility for ALL Miamians. #FutbolMiami" - @FrancisSuarez

Many of the proponents of the proposal are backing the soccer aspect of the proposal, but do not mention that the 110 acres of true green public space. Other bring to attention that the proposal is an office park, not a public park as Mayor Suarez had stated. Additionally the sit is a former waste dump and is only maintained to keep golfers safe but not for real estate development. The costs to clean the land would be astronomical to the city. What would happen should the proposal go through would be the city would lose its biggest public park (Melreese Golf Course), traffic would build up around the airport and the city would get hit with massive bills in which they would issue debt to cover as the $20 million contribution from the development is paid over 30 years and has a net present value near $4 million. The partnership of developers is in a rush to try to get the public to vote by pushing the potential of bringing pro soccer to Miami without even having a full developed plan to move forward with the proposal and would remove any leverage the city would have. ‏The project is expected to cost over $1 billion. 

David Beckham's Plans for MLS Stadium Not Going Smoothly

MLS has wanted a stadium in the heart of Miami since the 90s to build its Latin and youth fan base. There have been several incarnations of professional soccer teams in South Florida, but none managed to navigate the political waters of Miami successfully. 

Marcelo Claure, CEO of Sprint and Beckham’s partner said, “We have to put the team where it is accessible to them. So many Latin Americans and Europeans live here, it doesn’t seem right that we don’t have a soccer team.”

Beckham partnered with Claure, Jorge and Jose Mas, and Simon Fuller (creator of American Idol) to launch the franchise in January. They face a number of challenges before they can open the stadium, whose opening is scheduled for 2021. 

Now, David Beckham is facing opposition not from the city, but from activist and landowner Bruce Matheson. Court records indicate that Matheson sued the county to block the proposed stadium in Overtown, and is now appealing a judge’s ruling that threw out his lawsuit in October. He alleges that Miami-Dade County gave Beckham “a secret discount from the taxpayers” in their no-bid, $9 million deal for three acres of county-owned land. 

Beckham’s deal, which was based on appraisals from late 2015, but was approved in 2017, comes out to about $74 a square foot. In 2016, land was selling for $142 per square foot. Commissioners approved the deal, on the condition that Beckham and his partners spend $175 million on the stadium’s construction. Beckham and his partners have yet to close the deal and to secure land-use changes and new zoning.

The residents of Overtown are uneasy in light of community activists posting fake eviction notices in the neighborhood. The notice was actually an ad for a community meeting to discuss the future of public housing around the stadium. Public Housing Director Michael Liu said, “There are no plans to evict. We want to have the best possible housing for people in public housing.” Residents are skeptical, though. The future of Beckham’s MLS Miami stadium is uncertain. 

Article by Katya Demina

Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Miami-Dade County Challenging Land Sale To Miami Beckham United

Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Rodolfo Ruiz has dismissed a lawsuit against Miami-Dade County, challenging the future use of Overtown land sold to Beckham and partners on the basis of its acquisition. The suit was filed by disgruntled local activist Bruce Matheson to stop a $9 million sale of 3 acres as part of the assemblage, which was sold based on the state of Florida's Economic-Development Law as a no-bid sale and was never offered to other buyers. Miami-Dade County lawyers argued that Florida's economic development law protects the county and its taxpayers by giving municipalities the authority to sell property if the sale benefits the local economy. As part of the deal Beckham must commit $175 million to stadium construction. Ruiz expects his ruling to be appealed. Last month we reported that David Beckham and his partners made a $450,000 downpayment to Miami-Dade ahead of their September 10th deadline to complete the purchase of the final 3 acres of the 9 acre Overtown assemblage.

David Beckham and Partners Make Downpayment to Miami-Dade To Complete Overtown Stadium Assemblage

David Beckham and his partners have made a $450,000 downpayment to Miami-Dade ahead of their September 10th deadline as they move to complete the purchase of the final 3 acres of their 9 acre assemblage in Overtown to bring Miami their future MLS stadium and inaugural franchise. Beckham and his partners are looking to finalize the purchase of the final 3 acres of land currently owned by Miami-Dade via the Water and Sewer Department adjacent to the 6 acres already owned by Beckham. Beckham will not ask for local subsidies to either build or operate the stadium. They also have said they plan to pay full property tax on the land as well as the venue. On December 4, 2015 Beckham and his partners announced that they had executed sales contracts on a nine-acre property in Overtown which was formerly a Miami-Dade Water and Sewer truck depot. Beckham was originally given the option to purchase an MLS franchise when he signed with the L.A. Galaxy in 2007.

Last month we reported that Bruce Matheson had filed a lawsuit against Miami-Dade County, challenging the future use of the land on the basis of its acquisition. Matheson's suit aims to stop the $9 million sale of 3 acres which was sold based on the state of Florida's Economic-Development Law as a no-bid sale and was never offered to other buyers. Matheson has historically been opposed to sport and recreation in Miami, putting the future of the Miami Open in limbo by blocking an expansion to the stadium on Key Biscayne. Miami city officials allege that Matheson's goals seem to be to drive professional sports out of Miami. County commissioners originally approved the sale on June 6 (2017)  and Beckham received league approval to officially launch Miami's franchise in August (2017). A hearing is scheduled for October 2017.