'Nobody Ever Won A Super Bowl Training In Davie': Miami Gardens Mayor On Groundbreaking Of New Dolphins Training Facility
MIAMI GARDENS (CBSMiami) -- The Miami Dolphins broke ground Wednesday on a brand new training facility in Miami Gardens.
They may be the Miami Dolphins, but for more than two decades a major part of their organization, including training camp, has been run out of Davie.
Now, the team is ready to make the move south and expand their home here in Miami-Dade County.
"Nobody ever won a Super Bowl training in Davie. Facts," Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert said to cheers and applause.
The new state-of-the-art training complex and sports performance clinic will be located just west of Hard Rock Stadium along Northwest 27th Avenue.
Dolphins CEO Tom Garfinkel has said the team simply outgrew the site at Nova Southeastern University after more than two decades there.
"It says something to be here and bring the organization together instead of 13 miles apart to have a world class purpose built football build right here where we're sitting right now," Garfinkel said.
SEE RENDERINGS OF NEW DOLPHINS TRAINING FACILITY HERE:
The move will end the team's association with Nova, but they'll continue the partnership with Baptist Health System.
"We're joining them right here in this amazing site, not only to name the practice facility for Baptist Health South Florida, but to put clinical enterprise right on site that's accessible to the public," said Doctors Hospital CEO Nelson Lazo.
Lazo added patients will have access to the same doctors who treat the athletes through the Miami Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute.
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez is glad to see the organization bringing the entire operation to his county.
"I think it's a good move. Like I said, the last time the Dolphins went to the Super Bowl, they played in Miami-Dade and they also trained in Miami-Dade. So I think...," Gimenez said.
The privately funded complex will cost upwards of $135 million and feature office space, meeting rooms, a cafeteria, two outdoor fields, and of course, and indoor practice facility so the work can continue despite South Florida's unpredictable weather.
"We need to have a best-in-class facility for this football program that reflects what we want to do with this organization across the board," Garfinkel said.
But this isn't just about football, Mayor Gimenez is also thinking about other world class sporting events making a home in Miami-Dade, like a future World Cup and Formula 1 racing.
The new facility is being built on an existing parking lot along 27th Ave. Fans know parking is already at a premium since tennis courts for the Miami Open took over quite a bit of real estate at the stadium, but the head of parking at the stadium says there will still be plenty of space for everyone on game day.
The complex is scheduled to open in spring 2021.