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A decade after it was first proposed for a corner of PortMiami, a new park with a Major League Soccer stadium is under construction in Miami.
Inter Miami CF announced this week that work has begun on Miami Freedom Park, next to Miami International Airport, and that the Inter Miami CF Stadium is set to open in 2025.
Miami Freedom Park is a 131-acre multi-use development anchored by a new 25,000-seat fútbol specific stadium.
The ambitious venture is led by retired soccer star David Beckham and his business partners Jorge Mas and Jose Mas.
The official groundbreaking for the stadium, 58-acre public park, and entertainment district is to take place later this year.
Inter Miami CF says site work commencing this month is an exciting milestone, “part of curating an environment that will make Miami Freedom Park a year-round destination for all Miamians and visitors to enjoy.”
Crews and heavy equipment are now on site, performing earthwork and sitework that will move across the 131 acres concurrent with vertical construction, the team reported.
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, the team said.
The sweeping development is a privately-funded project on city-leased land that will also include a new public park that will be the largest new park in Miami, soccer and youth athletic fields for the community, a range of entertainment and commercial offerings including office buildings, hotels including one of the largest in the region that is to have 750 rooms, shops, restaurants and additional experiences and attractions.
“With Inter Miami my family set out to build something truly transformational,” said Jorge Mas, Inter Miami CF managing owner.
“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,” he said.
“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,” Mr. Mas said.
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.
Mr. McCorkle 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 announcement said.
“The level of attention and the influx of inquiries we are receiving have been incredible, a testament to the positive impact of [newly hired star soccer player] Lionel Messi on Inter Miami CF and the City of Miami,” said Mr. McCorkle.
“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,” Mr. McCorkle said.
Mr. Mas said in a statement that he is eager for opening day.
“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,” he said.
Club International de Fútbol Miami, known as Inter Miami CF, is an American professional sports team in its fourth season in Major League Soccer.
Inter Miami currently plays and trains at its 34-acre centralized facility, which includes DRV PNK Stadium, a 50,000-square-foot training center and seven fields in Fort Lauderdale.
It was back in 2013 that Mr. Beckham was reported to be in talks with local government officials about building an MLS stadium based in Miami.
Late that year, there was confirmation that Miami-Dade County land on PortMiami was being eyed for the stadium, facing downtown Miami over Biscayne Bay.
But the proposed location of the soccer stadium switched many times over the ensuing years.
The possible venues included land next to county-owned Marlins Park baseball stadium in Little Havana, and privately-owned land that the Mas brothers controlled coupled with county-owned property in Overtown, just over the Miami River.
Some folks even floated the idea of building the stadium on a floating barge to be positioned in the old FEC boat slip on the city’s waterfront, next to what was AmericanAirlines Arena, now Kaseya Center and home of the Miami Heat.
Mr. Beckham and partners finally settled on a former dump site near the airport owned for many years by the City of Miami and long operated as a public golf course.
Miami Freedom Park’s lease and the redevelopment plan for the former Melreese Country Club were eventually approved by voters and the Miami City Commission.
The park is also to become home to a new government office administrative building for the City of Miami on about two acres.
In June 2022, the city commission selected city-owned property at 1550 NW 37th Ave. for the new government building, to replace the Miami Riverside Center downtown. Miami officials have been unavailable for months to talk with Miami Today reporters about that site’s progress.
Miami Freedom Park’s team includes Miami-based architecture firm Arquitectonica, global arena and stadia design firm Manica, and large-scale stadium project managers CAA Icon.
Leasing and commercial partnership efforts are ongoing 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, the team stated.
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, the developers say.
https://www.miamitodaynews.com/2023/08/29/inter-miami-stadium-site-work-begins/
