Whether David Beckham doubles down on his plan to build a Major League Soccer stadium at PortMiami or shifts his attention to the boat slip near Museum Park, one thing is increasingly clear: Voters will get their chance to support or scupper the idea.
That means you're the ref. Will you let Becks play on? Or will you give him and his stadium a red card?
Click through to make your call.
Yesterday, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said the county will seek public approval if Beckham sticks with his first-choice location at PortMiami, the Miami Herald reports.
Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado has said the city will also require a referendum if Beckham settles for his second choice: an underused boat slip just north of AmericanAirlines Arena. Beckham and company would have to fill in the boat slip and use some of Museum Park to build their 25,000-seat stadium.
Either way, Beckham, a British soccer player who has risen from teen idol at Manchester United to one of the world's most recognizable and wealthiest athletes, appears happy to place his fate in the public's hands.
All three men -- Beckham, Gimenez, and Regalado -- are keenly aware of public anger over the Marlins stadium debacle.
"I have always said that I want my club to be the 'people's club,'" Beckham said in a statement yesterday. "Together with the people of Miami, I want to build something that will unite and entertain this amazing city for generations to come."
"The ultimate decision to build a stadium in downtown Miami should rest with voters," John Alschulser, Beckham's real-estate adviser, said in another statement.
Although the issue could go on ballots as early as August, it's much more likely that Beckham will have to wait for the November election to learn whether the people of Miami want him to score or be sent off.
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