Beckham’s Overtown Stadium Moves a Step Closer to Reality

The party may finally be started.

Miami Beckham United, the soccer club that announced three years ago it was ready to construct a stadium and field a team, has finally bought several pieces of land.  The club now owns two-thirds of the nine acres it needs to build on a plot in Overtown at NW Fifth Avenue and Eighth Street.

“We’re all-in on Overtown,” said Beckham partner Marcelo Claure, CEO of Sprint. “We couldn’t be more excited.”

Of course, there’s still a long way to go before the space-age-style facility is built. Miami-Dade County owns some of the land still to be purchased. And the City of Miami must approve zoning.

Interestingly, part of the land announced for purchase was held by well-connected Democratic Party fundraiser Chris Korge and his family. The largest chunk, four acres, was owned by a Coral Gables company.

The most significant drawback to the site, which is located a few blocks from a Metrorail station, is lack of parking. The team would like to buy a nearby city-owned lot for its employees. And there are garages and lots within walking distance. 

The county plans to use an expedited process to sell the land, which would not require formal bids. Under that scheme, Beckham’s group, which also includes Simon Fuller of American Idol fame, would have to pay $9 million for the county land. 

Beckham got a discounted price on the team from Major League Soccer after playing for the Los Angeles Galaxy. Before that, he was one of the most successful players in British history.