Beckham's Inter Miami Group Makes Pitch For Lockhart Stadium Site In Fort Lauderdale
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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – In sports terms, it's David Beckham's Inter Miami FC versus a group called Futbol FXE.
It promises to be a major battle, though not played anywhere near a soccer field.
On Monday, Fort Lauderdale city leaders and residents are getting the first pitch for these projects.
The meeting got underway today around 5 p.m.
FXE Futbol managing director JP Reynal says their vision for the 50 year lease agreement entails a renovation to Lockhart Stadium for a second tier USL Championship team along with shops, restaurants, a Top Golf and public sports fields.
They said their offer would bring more than a thousand jobs to the community.
The Beckham Group wants the stadium as well.
They visited the overgrown and dilapidated Lockhart Stadium site last week that hosted soccer teams for decades.
Beckham said last week they want Inter Miami FC to play at Lockhart for two seasons while they build Miami Freedom Park about 30 miles to the south.
He also said the Lockhart site would house a USL team and Miami FC's soccer academy long term.
"It's a very attractive name. It carries a lot of weight," Reynal said of Beckham and his proposal. "Jorge Mas is very successful and also carries a lot of weight. We believe we're going to get a fair process in Fort Lauderdale. We believe people will turn out today and turn out tomorrow. We feel pretty good about our chances."
The issue could come to a resolution as soon as Tuesday. That's when Fort Lauderdale City Commissioners will consider both the Futbol FXE proposal and the Beckham proposal.
"[It's a] Location we've been dreaming about," Beckham said. "A site that gives kids, the community, a real opportunity to live their dreams."
It's possible city commissioners could rank the proposals. Whichever one ends up ranked higher would receive the opportunity to work with city staff on negotiations over the property.
Alternatively, city commissioners could simply choose to continue the conversation and decide on a proposal at a later date.