The Fort Lauderdale City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to proceed with negotiations for Inter Miami CF's proposal for a training complex and community park facilities at the site of Lockhart Stadium. It's a key step in the MLS expansion team's plans to launch the club at a proposed new soccer stadium included in the project when they join the league next year.
Inter plan to play their first two seasons at the new 18,000-capacity venue before moving to their permanent home at Miami Freedom Park near Miami International Airport, while the Lockhart Stadium would eventually become the home of a new USL affiliate club.
Inter submitted their plans to the City of Fort Lauderdale on January 28. The site will be the training base for the club's first team as well as eight academy teams; the privately-funded project is estimated at $60 million. Rich in American soccer history, the old Lockhart Stadium was the home of Miami Fusion FC, an MLS team that operated from 1998 to 2001.
