On Saturday the TV cameras caught natty David Beckham in a British stadium sky box marveling at a long distance goal by Wayne Rooney, Manchester United superstar. He had a look on his face, 'I could do that'. Now Beckham is doing other things.
While the TV flickered with his thought, the Miami Herald was readying today's front page illustration of another Arquitectonica contribution to the Miami skyline: a rendering of the soccer stadium proposed for Dodge Island.
Curious that the stadium is proposed to be open air.
Both the Florida or Miami Marlins and the Miami Dolphins have concluded that a closed and air-conditioned stadium is necessary to attract paying customers. It must be different for soccer enthusiasts. We are so wild about the beautiful game we will mob walk half an hour across a proposed foot bridge in the rain that frequents the plain in Spain or Miami, whatever.
How does Mr. Beckham conclude that a covered stadium is unnecessary when every other sports team owner has concluded differently based on experience?
Then, there is the location. Do you know where the soccer crazies are? I do. I spent twenty years ferrying kids around Southeast Florida to youth games and tournaments.
Someone at the Miami Herald or amongst David Beckham's sycophants must know: the fan base to attend a soccer game on Dodge Island isn't in downtown Miami or Miami Beach or Key Biscayne. It is in West Dade.
But can the fan base in West Dade afford the time and expense? And if you can afford both, can you get there? For sure, the Florida Turnpike is better access.
Thanks to the willful ignorance of sound planning by Miami-Dade county commissioners and mayors Alex Penelas, Carlos Alvarez and Carlos Gimenez, the traffic is so awful that there is a real question if those who can afford the time and ticket expense would travel by car to a stadium. Miami's political leadership has made so many poor decisions on zoning and permitting of building and construction (search "Great Destroyers" on our blog) that we are as effectively boxed in by traffic as Man U's offense was boxed the other day by Liverpool.
But who pays attention in Miami? Not voters!
While the TV flickered with his thought, the Miami Herald was readying today's front page illustration of another Arquitectonica contribution to the Miami skyline: a rendering of the soccer stadium proposed for Dodge Island.
Curious that the stadium is proposed to be open air.
Both the Florida or Miami Marlins and the Miami Dolphins have concluded that a closed and air-conditioned stadium is necessary to attract paying customers. It must be different for soccer enthusiasts. We are so wild about the beautiful game we will mob walk half an hour across a proposed foot bridge in the rain that frequents the plain in Spain or Miami, whatever.
How does Mr. Beckham conclude that a covered stadium is unnecessary when every other sports team owner has concluded differently based on experience?
Then, there is the location. Do you know where the soccer crazies are? I do. I spent twenty years ferrying kids around Southeast Florida to youth games and tournaments.
Someone at the Miami Herald or amongst David Beckham's sycophants must know: the fan base to attend a soccer game on Dodge Island isn't in downtown Miami or Miami Beach or Key Biscayne. It is in West Dade.
But can the fan base in West Dade afford the time and expense? And if you can afford both, can you get there? For sure, the Florida Turnpike is better access.
Thanks to the willful ignorance of sound planning by Miami-Dade county commissioners and mayors Alex Penelas, Carlos Alvarez and Carlos Gimenez, the traffic is so awful that there is a real question if those who can afford the time and ticket expense would travel by car to a stadium. Miami's political leadership has made so many poor decisions on zoning and permitting of building and construction (search "Great Destroyers" on our blog) that we are as effectively boxed in by traffic as Man U's offense was boxed the other day by Liverpool.
But who pays attention in Miami? Not voters!
19 comments:
Mayor Regalado is open to providing space next to the Marlin's Stadium, which would help the City pay off the parking garage debt. He only asks for a referendum authorizing the use of City land. No problem, there are two scheduled elections this fall.
It may not be West Dade, but it won't require walking across a bridge after marching through downtown Miami.
Gimleteye, once again you fail to realize that this is not a soccer stadium deal. this is a massive real estate development deal. Look closely at the rendering and you will see a high-rise hotel, and retail and commercial space as part of the rendering. The soccer stadium will sit empty - roof, or no roof - for most of the year.
You're right that the soccer fan base is in another part of the county, but these guys aren't really interested in the soccer fan base. They're interested in the high-maintenance, moneyed crowd that will stay in the hotel, and shop or rent offices in the other buildings.
This is going to be a real fight, because I'm willing to bet that the rendering and the plans will come close to the kind of development plans that the Port of Miami folks claim is what they want to do with this portion of the property.
People have to quit calling this a stadium deal, and start referring to it as what it really is, an attempt by Beckman and his partners to rip the county and the taxpayers off for the land to build their own mega real estate development deal.
I forgot. There's also a nice little marine for big yachts included too.
Posted on Friday, 03.07.14
Don’t put the soccer stadium at the port
BY FRANK NERO
A Major League League Soccer soccer team in Miami-Dade County is a winning goal for our community. However the idea of locating this stadium on port of Miami property should be red carded.
The port's master plan is an excellent “blueprint” to create much needed revenue generating commercial development. The plan is complementary to the existing cargo and cruise operations at the port. The commercial development site is an ideal location to attract commercial development. Developed properly this could become some of the most valuable land in Florida. What better location to have marine-related commercial development than on a site in the most important port in the state ?
Officials deciding where to locate the stadium should consider the long-term implications of a soccer stadium on the port of Miami property designated for commercial development. When the airport is downsizing the proposed airport city project to ensure adequate future space for aviation-related activities, the seaport is being pressured to do just the opposite.
The seaport and its proposed commercial development cannot be located in any area other than the port itself. Even an inland port would not provide the level of revenue producing development envisioned by its master plan. The stadium could be located in other areas of the county without adversely impacting the financial viability of the seaport. Clearly there must be other viable locations where the soccer stadium could be located.
The opposition by certain commercial interests in Miami to development at the port is merely not wanting competition to proposed developments downtown. Our public officials, however, must consider the long-term benefits to the financial viability of the port as opposed to the financial interests of the commercial developers and brokers who wish to lessen potential competition from the Port. If the airport, seaport and business developers remain successful there should be opportunity for all.
Decision-makers should take into consideration the adverse impacts that locating a soccer stadium on port property will have on it's cargo and cruise operations. I cannot believe cruise lines that sail out of the Port of Miami are enamored with the potential of 25,000 soccer fans converging on the port as they are trying to offload and load on to their ships thousands and thousands of cruise passengers almost every day of the week.
end of part 1
Frank Nero Part 2
Cruise ships and cargo can easily move to other ports that would love to have the activity currently at the Port of Miami. The port of Miami and the airport are the two economic engines that drive the economy of Miami-Dade County It is very important to ensure that these two economic engines retain their financial viability.
It is inconceivable that we just spent over $1 billion constructing a port tunnel to reduce traffic and congestion at the port that we are now proposing to site a soccer stadium there that would do just the opposite — attracting thousands and thousands of fans into that area and creating a traffic nightmare.
It is also ironic that the same individuals that are representing and lobbying on behalf of the soccer stadium are those that also represented Genting and their proposed mega casino in the same area downtown. I assume that these folks have either not considered what the traffic implications will be for these mega-developments all within the same area downtown or their clients are willing to develop and pay for the necessary roadway, parking and mass transit improvements they will require.
Let’s not repeat the same mistake of building a terrific facility such as the performing arts center without the appropriate parking and roadway improvements such a center required.
If the powers that be that are lobbying on behalf of locating the soccer stadium at the Port of Miami prove to be successful, it will be up to the County Commission to demand that the revenue to the port the stadium will provide will equal or exceed the projected revenue that would have been generated by the level of commercial development envisioned in the current port master plan.
If the appraisals utilize an “income approach,” it must be calculated to provide for comparable revenue escalators to what would have been realized from the commercial development during the length of the stadium lease. If a “comparable sale” appraisal is utilized, I would submit the closest comparable sale is what Genting paid for the former Miami Herald property, and that’s what should be used as the basis of the revenue generation that should be provided to the port
Lets welcome MLS to Miami-Dade County but not at the Port of Miami.
Frank Nero, a business consultant, is the former longtime CEO of the Beacon Council.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/03/07/3980047/dont-put-the-soccer-stadium-at.html#storylink=cpy
PortMiami is on Dodge Island. It is an island. What happens if more freight comes through the Panama Canal and wants to use PortMiami? What happens if there are more cruise ships? Vote No to soccer on Dodge Island.
This project should have been shot down the moment it was mentioned.
I think Samsons now world famous quote on his very short life on "Survivor" about how he screwed our stupid then County Manager, BCC and Mayor out 100's of millions "during a recession" set of every snake oil salesman from Beckham and his handlers to a giant nail clipper on our waterfront. I cannot even read the papers anymore about these tax dollar/watefront/public land give a ways to billionaires and no one is in Jail! That's not even going into the bonds we're issuing faster then our government can print money!
David Samson gloated about how he took advantage of stupid County and City commissioners, two disgraced Mayors and all their staffs. "In a recession". Now Beckham's handlers have hired lobbyists and they are following the David Samson playbook. When will these idiot elected officials learn?
We need to also stop referencing Beckham. He's just the pretty, pretty boy that they brought in as a front man. Let's talk more about how they brought him in with his slicked back hair and sexy butt.
Let the soccer team play in FIU football stadium. Spend the saved money on good players.
"A sucker is born everday".
In the case of Miami Dade: the majority of the BCC, Mayor Gimenez, Alvarez & Penelas, in Cit of Miami, the list is even longer...........
Beckham is simply a front man for this land give away, which is what it is. Just like the Nail Clipper, PAMM, the Heat and the Dolphin Stadium. There is zero regard for the people who live here and pay the taxes for these train wrecks lining the pockets on the private side while breaking the bank on the public side.
All the while, this same group won't think twice about starving our library system, police & fire because there's no photo op or free trip to the far east!
Oh, I forgot about Genting!!!!!
Just witnessed the Beckham interview on the evening news. Miami really must have a reputation as pushovers the world around.
Gag me with a spoon!
Why not use the Marlins stadium, with its retractable roof and all?
Funny how we talk about traffic yet gloss over the fact that soccer matches tend to be in the early evening. Good luck getting to West Dade during rush hour.
Mr. Nero's comments are as biased as the soccer camp. The port's plan includes hotels, offices and a marina. It will not allow for port expansion either...
The site isn't perfect but it is centrally located and accessible by public transport. If there is enough parking for Heat games, there will be enough parking for soccer.
Here is an idea, how about the West Dade folks, hop on the Metrorail and Peoplemover.
PortMiami? Isn't that the site dedicated to freight and cruise ships?
Add the UM football to the soccer stadium mix and there's your overlap with cruiseship embarkation.
It's about making a future casino there. Genting should be pissed,
Can I push my granny's wheelchair through the tunnel?
If there's a toll, can I get a Sunpass for a wheelchair?
$3 Billion owed on the Marlins Stadium and Garages. Now the County wants to reduce the size of PortMiami for what? More slicksters from out of state?
I guess this isn't a "real estate grab"
http://www.exmiami.org/index.php/this-is-what-david-beckham-is-competing-with-at-portmiami/
Does this project allow for expansion of the port? Will this project somehow not bring more traffic to the port?
I would rather a soccer stadium and a public space to enjoy rather than more buildings.
Sincerely,
Downtown Resident
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