Inter Miami reneges on park, so city takes matter into own hands
Inter Miami fans will now face a harder time finding parking at the DRV Pink Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. The City of Fort Lauderdale had an agreement with Miami Beckham to allow them to utilize Lockhart Park as an overflow parking area for their games. However, the agreement came to an end earlier last month after the city chose not to extend the parking permit.
Moreover, residents are still waiting for a long-promised public park. However, MLS‘ Inter Miami owners David Beckham along with billionaires Jorge and Jose Mas have failed to construct the facility after last year’s deadline passed.
As reported by the South Florida South Sentinel, the city is looking to take matters into its own hands. The future park that is suggested to be built over 20 acres sits south of the DRV Pink Stadium west of interstate 95. It is believed that under the deal, the city can build the park, however, the team’s owners will still have to pay for the construction. The report claims that if Beckham United disputes the bill, the city can take the battle to court.
Inter Miami reneges on park deal
Commissioner John Herbst claims, “We’ll build the park and submit them with a bill before construction. If they refuse to pay, we’d sue them for the amount we’re owed, plus attorneys’ fees.”
Herbst also estimates that the park will cost $25 million and Beckham United’s portion would come to $13 million. The rest would come out of a voter-approved parks bond. The park is scheduled to open in 2025.
Herbst also accused the team’s owners of stalling on their promise to build the park as they need the land for parking. Moreover, the owners haven’t paid the $1.4 million in overdue building permit fees. Interestingly, an estimated $1 billion is expected to be spent on Miami Freedom Park, where Inter Miami will play their home matches.
Herbst also mentioned he is unaware if the Miami officials are paying attention to the situation, “If I’m Miami right now, I’m scared to death if I look at how they’ve treated the city of Fort Lauderdale. I’m hoping I wrote a much better contract in Miami than the guys in Fort Lauderdale did.”
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