Beckham Tells Miami Mayor That New Stadium Can Be 'World-Class'
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – It appears that David Beckham and his group of investors are embracing the idea of building their new soccer stadium next to Marlins Park.
Beckham says he can build a world-class stadium on the old Orange Bowl site, which shows a strong change in opinion of the land that one his partners once called "spiritually tainted" after the criticism that followed the financing deal for Marlins Park.
In a letter written to Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado, Beckham and his partners, Marcelo Claure and Simon Fuller, show excitement over the possibility of building their privately-funded stadium just west of Marlins Park in Little Havana.
"On behalf of Miami Beckham United LLC, we are pleased to write this letter to you to express our formal interest in building a soccer specific stadium in the site adjacent to Marlins Park," the letter began.
"We have done a considerable amount of work to understand the requirements of the Site and its potential as the home of our Major League Soccer franchise. While there is still work to be done, including completing the land assembly, we firmly believe that we can build a world-class stadium at the site."
While the group intends on paying for the new stadium privately, they are hoping that the city of Miami will give them the land on which to build it.
The city owns a good portion of the land next to Marlins Park, with the rest owned privately. According to Regalado, Beckham's group has stated that they will pay for the land acquisition costs.
A vote over beginning formal talks about the soccer stadium is expected to take place at the Miami City Commission meeting on Thursday.
If the vote passes, Beckham's group could then begin official negotiations with the city.
A further example of the group's commitment to building the new stadium next to Marlins Park can be seen in a statement issued by Tadd Schwartz, whose Miami-based public-relations firm represents Beckham's soccer endeavor. The statement was released on behalf of Miami Beckham United.
"David, Simon and Marcelo have officially notified Mayor Regalado and the City of Miami of their intent to develop a world-class soccer stadium on the former Orange Bowl site in Little Havana. Miami Beckham United looks forward to entering into formal discussions with the City and, ultimately, Miami-Dade County en route to launching an MLS club in Miami within the coming years. Exact timing and important details will be agreed upon shortly, but two things are for certain: the soccer stadium will be privately funded without taxpayer dollars, and the finished product will be something that makes the South Florida community proud."
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