Heather Moraitis, the vice-mayor of Fort Lauderdale, has accused Inter Miami CF of not following through on an agreement to construct community sports facilities and a public park near their home stadium.
Inter Miami, partially owned by former England captain David Beckham under Miami Beckham United, struck a deal with the city in 2019. The deal granted Inter Miami a 50-year rent-free lease on the stadium on the condition that they built surrounding facilities. Plans included sports fields for public use, a park for dog-walkers, running tracks, and a playground scheduled to be ready by next summer.
Moraitis claims that the team has failed to uphold their end of the deal. Despite opening their $160 million stadium, with a capacity of 18,000 seats, over a year ago, the promised community facilities are yet to be realized. Additionally, Moraitis alleges that the team has repurposed the area designated for the public park as overflow parking and installed fences blocking residents from accessing the land that is rightfully theirs.
Stephanie Tookthaker, the attorney representing Miami Beckham United in negotiations, explained to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that the team requires more time to gather a “wish list” from local residents and cited pandemic-related delays.
Moraitis expressed uncertainty regarding David Beckham’s knowledge of the issue, emphasizing, “He’s a dream maker, not a dream killer,” to the Guardian.
