The group bringing MLS to Miami plans to unveil its proposal for a stadium development project at the Melreese Golf Course in mid-July, according to a Miami Herald report this week.
Led by David Beckham, Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure, local businessmen Jorge and Jose Mas, SoftBank founder and CEO Masayoshi Son and entertainment entrepreneur Simon Fuller, the Miami MLS group has been exploring several possible sites for a stadium for the future expansion team.
The Melreese site has been mooted as one such location, with hotel and retail space, a tech hub, public soccer fields and park space in the mix to be included alongside the MLS stadium.
The Herald’s Joey Flechas reports that this site has become MLS Miami’s preferred option, replacing the previously-proposed spot in the Overtown neighborhood. Citing inside sources, the journalist added that Miami-based firm Arquitectonica has been commissioned to product conceptual renderings.
Such a project would need to be submitted for public approval as a ballot item on November’s political elections, requiring Miami commissioners to sign off on such a measure at one of two meetings next month, the first of which falls on July 12.
Shortly after the Herald published its story on Tuesday, Jorge Mas took to Twitter to confirm that the Melreese proposal for what he called “a transformational world class park, soccer village & tech hub” will be revealed on or around the July 12 commissioners’ meeting.
Mas provided a few more bits of information as he interacted with several replies to his tweet in both English and Spanish.
Major League Soccer announced in January that the Miami expansion team will begin play in 2020, in a temporary venue. The club is expected to open a permanent stadium in 2021.
