Beckham Group Proposes $3.5 Million In Rent To Miami, New Park

MIAMI, FL — Seven months after Miami voters approved a referendum allowing a group led by businessman Jorge Mas and soccer legend David Beckham to build their billion-dollar Miami Freedom Park soccer complex on the site of the city-owned Melreese Country Club, the group submitted a proposed 99-year lease for the property Wednesday calling for a minimum of $3.5 million to be paid to the city each year in rent.

The proposed lease also calls for the Beckham group to create a 58-acre public park with 11 soccer fields on the property and to provide any necessary environmental cleanup on the site, which is near Miami International Airport.

“We look forward to working with the city of Miami to finalize the voter-approved, fair-market-value lease agreement that provides residents with an expansive public park, 11,000 construction jobs, 2,300 permanent jobs and more than $40 million in tax revenue, while using zero city taxpayer dollars,” said Mas, who is managing owner of the Inter Miami CF soccer club. “We invite residents to visit our website to learn more and share their input.”

The city's John Heffernan told Patch that city officials have been tasked with preparing a negotiated lease proposal for consideration by city commissioners in September.

"The administration is working full speed ahead now towards that deadline," he said.

The new stadium will most likely not be ready until 2021 though Miami's new Major League Soccer team is set to take the pitch for the first time in 2020. The team will play its first games in Fort Lauderdale on the site of the former Lockhart Stadium.

The draft lease, which still must be approved by city officials, has been posted on a new Miami Freedom Park website along with artist renderings and other information on the complex.

'This is a significant milestone that advances the mandate of city of Miami voters, who approved a November 2018 referendum item by a 60% margin allowing the city to lease its land for the project," said the Beckham group.

The draft lease includes the following provisions, according to the Beckham group:

• 99-year lease with annual rent payments of no less than $3.5 million (based on a third-party fair-market-value appraisal)
• The creation of a 58-acre public park and 11 soccer fields
• Payment of the full cost of remediation of the property to permit for public use of the park
• The construction of Inter Miami CF’s home stadium, entertainment and retail space, office tech hub and hotel at no cost to city taxpayers
• Living-wage salary for employees
• A commitment to complete creation of the public park at the same time or prior to completing construction of the stadium

The Beckham group said it was delivering a community benefits agreement to the city along with the lease, which will provide $5 million for the city’s Riverwalk/Baywalk project, $20 million for park maintenance and free access to the soccer fields at Miami Freedom Park for city of Miami youth.

"The owners of Inter Miami CF and Miami Freedom Park have also honored their commitment to finalize an agreement with the First Tee program, ensuring the organization will continue to serve children at a new location and be able to grow its impact," the Beckham group said. First Tee is a youth golf program basted at Melreese that had been a source of contention when initial plans for the complex were unveiled to the public last year.

Miami Freedom Park representatives have gone door to door to discuss the project in the Grapeland Heights community, where the complex will be built, according to the Beckham group. In addition, representatives have held neighborhood meetings to discuss the project and gain feedback.

"Miami Freedom Park and Inter Miami CF will bring many opportunities for children in the community to enjoy the sport of soccer at both the recreational and professional levels," the Beckham group added. "Inter Miami CF has collaborated with the U.S. Soccer Foundation to bring free soccer programming to Miami, including soccer clinics, mini-pitch facilities and more opportunities to engage with the club."

As part of that collaboration, Inter Miami CF recently launched an inaugural youth academy, which is set to begin play under the U.S. Soccer Development Academy in September for the 2019-20 season for 150 young soccer players.

The academy is open exclusively to South Florida youth players, who are deemed to have the potential to one day play at a professional level.