(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article136365588.html
Miami-Dade County
March 3, 2017 8:40 PM
For David Beckham, a scrapped Miami announcement and promises that a deal really (really) is near
By Douglas Hanks
Miami has watched three Major League Soccer seasons come and go since David Beckham announced his bid to bring a team to the city, but the group gathered at a Miami hotel earlier this year confidently mapped out a timetable for changing that.
With Beckham’s partners in talks with investor groups since the fall, the celebrity athlete’s Miami team was ready to talk logistics on going public. The squad of lobbyists, lawyers and public-relations executives discussed when to fly in Beckham to announce that they had raised the money needed to finally start building a 25,000-seat stadium in Overtown.
“We were actually talking about a date,” said one participant. “We kind of penciled it in.”
Their game plan: Reveal the partners who ended up signing on with Beckham at a press conference slated for Monday, right after MLS wrapped up its opening weekend.
Now it looks like Monday, March 6, 2017, will pass as another missed milestone in Beckham’s extended quest for an MLS soccer stadium in Miami. Barring a last-minute breakthrough, Beckham’s Miami representatives don’t expect any news in the coming days.
But they also insist that an agreement could be announced within a few weeks, with two competing sets of investors still in talks to help fund Beckham’s $150 million stadium a few blocks north of the Miami River.
Publicly, Miami Beckham United — the placeholder name for what’s essentially a negotiating team right now, backed by Beckham and partners Marcelo Claure (CEO of Sprint) and Simon Fuller (Beckham’s agent and a creator of “American Idol”) — has stuck to an optimistic line so familiar it’s become a punchline on Twitter.
“Miami Beckham United is 100 percent committed to Miami,” Schwartz Media, Beckham’s local publicist, said in a statement on Twitter on Tuesday. “We’re making progress toward our goal of fielding a team in 2019, and we appreciate the strong support of our fans as our kick-off draws closer.”
This account, based on public records and interviews with Beckham insiders and people who have spoken to them, extends a familiar pattern for Miami’s long-suffering MLS fans: Insistence from Beckham United that a deal continues to be within grasp, amid public signs of continued struggle.
While the Beckham group already paid $19 million for six acres of private land at the stadium site, it still needs three acres from a county-owned truck depot next door. But despite not having a deal in hand with Miami-Dade, Beckham’s team has made no move to restart the county talks that were active in the spring of 2016.
“I have not heard a word,” Leland Salomon, the county economic-development director charged with negotiating the deal, wrote Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s office in a Nov. 4 email. “When I last called their attorney (a couple of months ago) he told me they were still looking for a financial partner and would be back to us when they were set to go. Nothing since then.”
Overtown is the fourth location sought by Beckham, after failed bids at PortMiami, Miami’s waterfront Museum Park, and a site next to Marlins Park in Little Havana. Beckham has offered to pay market rate for the county land needed for the privately financed stadium, and members of his negotiation team say they’re confident enough of Miami-Dade’s support that they expect to close a deal quickly once they secure investor backing.
During the strategy session at the Epic hotel, the timetable included a Beckham announcement on Monday and then a last-minute appearance before the County Commission on Tuesday to jump start the land talks. Shortly after, Beckham’s group planned an appearance before the Miami City Commission to discuss the street closures and zoning changes needed to build the stadium.
Despite the wealth of Beckham and his partners, the stadium plan has hinged on dollars from other investors funding the bulk of the construction and development costs. Two suitors are known to have walked away since Beckham announced his stadium quest at a Miami press conference on Feb. 5, 2014 with Gimenez and MLS Commissioner Don Garber.
The Middle Eastern nation of Qatar backed out over how much control its entertainment arm could exercise on the franchise, according to sources on both sides of the deal. Wesley Edens, a top executive behind the Brightline railway, began talks in 2016 with the Beckham group but the negotiations fizzled when Edens wanted to move the site closer to the company’s planned train depot in downtown Miami.
In November, Beckham’s Miami team arranged a private meeting with Gimenez and what the mayor described as more than a dozen would-be investors in the stadium effort. Held in the Miami office of Beckham’s lobbying firm, Akerman, the group included Florida International University benefactor Steven Green, according to a source who was there. The participation of the wealthy former ambassador, whose $20 million gift put his name on FIU’s foreign-affairs school in 2015, wasn’t reported at the time.
Green, who represented the U.S. in Singapore under President Bill Clinton and once ran the Samsonite luggage company, did not respond to an email requesting comment Friday. Beckham representatives declined to identify the investors in talks with the stadium group. Gimenez also declined to reveal the identity of the investors he met in November.
If the November meeting with Gimenez hinted at momentum, the weeks that followed brought more discouraging news from the soccer front. Don Garber, MLS’s commissioner, told reporters on Dec. 15 that Beckham “needs to understand” that “it’s time for us to reach a conclusion” in Miami.
“Not everything you want to do gets done,” Garber said on the conference call dedicated to the league’s expansion plans. “Sometimes you have to take a step back, and if you can’t get it done, you move on.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.foxsports.com.au/football/premier-league/paper-talk/paper-talk-chinese-government-signs-beckham-club-that-would-reject-a-free-messi-harts-blow-up/news-story/317ec7634687947faecd78dd12fcb978
Paper Talk: Chinese government signs Beckham, club that would reject a free Messi, Hart’s blow up
HOW David Beckham will try to help China win the World Cup, the club that would reject Lionel Messi even if he was free, and Luis Suarez’s confession about biting Georgio Chellini.
All that and more in Paper Talk!
CHINA SIGN BECKHAM TO HELP WIN WORLD CUP
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/david-beckham-signs-orient-england-9961099
David Beckham has been snapped up by China to help them win the World Cup
The former England skipper will appear daily on Chinese state television introducing a series of coaching videos for youngsters
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-rowdies-referendum-another-positive-step/2315166
Editorial: Rowdies' referendum another positive step
Thursday, March 2, 2017 5:45pm
The St. Petersburg City Council sent a strong signal of support Thursday for the Tampa Bay Rowdies' pitch for a Major League Soccer franchise that would be an asset to the entire region. By scheduling a May voter referendum on the team's plan to sign a long-term lease and build a modern soccer stadium on the downtown waterfront if it wins a franchise, the council has strengthened the Rowdies' bid. It's a reasonable first step that carries no financial risk for taxpayers, and now it's up to the Rowdies and its supporters to sell voters on the vision.
MLS is expanding with four new teams, two of which could be awarded this summer. Rowdies owner Bill Edwards is one of about a dozen bidders for a franchise, which would elevate the team into U.S. soccer's top tier. As part of the pitch, Edwards would build a new stadium on the same footprint as Al Lang Stadium, the old baseball spring training stadium that is now the soccer team's home. He would pay for the 18,000-seat soccer stadium and for the franchise with private funds.
The City Charter requires long-term leases of public property along the downtown waterfront to be approved by the voters. So Edwards has also put up $270,542 to cover the costs of the referendum, scheduled for May 2. St. Petersburg residents will vote, yes or no, on whether to let the city negotiate a deal for up to 25 years for an MLS team to play at the Al Lang site. The referendum establishes soccer as the primary use for the site, and it makes clear that no public money would go toward stadium construction or MLS fees. If the Rowdies fail to secure a franchise, the results of the vote would be moot.
The details of the agreement will be critical, and downtown residents are raising valid concerns about what effect a new stadium and its crowds would have on the area and their quality of life. One speaker at Thursday's council meeting asked about the traffic created by 18,000 soccer fans. Several others wanted to know what other events, such as nighttime concerts, will be held in the open-air stadium. Those issues have yet to be addressed, and the best way for city leaders to allay residents' concerns is to be transparent.
Mayor Rick Kriseman and council members showed Thursday that they're listening. Kriseman said that a new proposed noise ordinance will come before the council soon and that city staff are already accustomed to handling large crowds for downtown events. Council member Charlie Gerdes told the audience at Thursday's meeting, "We can do things that address the peace and tranquility of St. Petersburg. We can work that out." Another safeguard for voters: The final agreement between the city and the team will require six of eight council members to approve it, not just a simple majority.
The Rowdies' history in Tampa Bay dates to 1974, when the team became the area's first professional sports franchise. Joining Major League Soccer and playing home games in a new waterfront stadium is an exciting opportunity to extend that legacy and enhance the appeal of downtown St. Petersburg. The City Council was right to move forward with the referendum and let voters have their say.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/baybuzz/ferry-ridership-up-after-ticket-prices-slashed/2315073
Ferry ridership up after ticket prices slashed
Charlie Frago, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, March 2, 2017 9:13am
After a bumpy start, the CrossBay Ferry linking the downtowns of St. Petersburg and Tampa had a good month of February, helped by slashing weekday ticket prices in half.
A record 6,070 tickets were sold last month, a 57 percent increase from January. Ferry operators credit cutting the weekday one-way fare from $10 to $5 and also cutting by half a value package.
In January, the ferry wasn't operating during the College Football Championship weekend or during Gasparilla because of a lack of docking space.
Weekend ridership also set a record. Those ticket prices were not cut, said Rich Mullins, a CrossBay Ferry spokesman.
"It's more than just price," Mullins said.
The pilot project runs through April. The $1.4 million service was funded equally by St. Petersburg, Tampa and the Pinellas and Hillsborough county governments.
This morning's press release is below:
St. Petersburg/Tampa, Fla. (March 2, 2017) – The Cross-Bay Ferry carried a record 6,000-plus paying passengers in February, and experienced significant ridership growth in February for both weekday and weekend service between Tampa and St. Petersburg.
During February, Cross Bay Ferry sold 6,070 tickets, a 57-percent rise from January, and a record for the 6-month test. The ferry has now carried nearly 23,000 people since the pilot project began. Weekday (Mon.-Thurs.) ticket sales grew 80-percent to 2,237, and weekend (Fri./Sat./Sun.) ticket sales grew 46-percent to 3,833. The ferry departed within an average of one minute of schedule, including times during tough weather that closed the Sunshine Skyway.
“This pilot project is meant to test all aspects of ferry service in real life – prices, times and services – and I’m very pleased with the response so far,” said St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman. “Everyone I meet who has taken the ferry raves about it and asks if we can run it more often.”
Ticket sales bounced back from the relatively slow month of January, and ferry managers pointed to a combination of factors helping boost February ridership: More pleasant weather, new lower prices during the week, and a growing awareness of the ferry as an enjoyable option for crossing the Bay.
The ferry recently launched discounted $5 one-way tickets during weekdays, new discounts on Tampa Streetcar fares, and the Commuter Value Pass package price is also cut by 50 percent to just $2.50 per trip. A recent survey of ferry passengers found a series of revealing trends:
More than 90% of the respondents were residents, not tourists.
Ferry passengers had a positive economic impact on local businesses.
Specifically, 77% of passengers dined when they got to their destination, 25% went to museums, 24% shopped, and 11% went to a sporting event. (Not mutually exclusive activities.)
Only 11% of the respondents took the ferry as a "ride," meaning they did not engage in any activity other than riding the ferry.
60% of passengers spent between $15 and $40 per person at their destination.
Over 95% of respondents rated their experience as excellent or very good, with at least 72% rating it as excellent, for five surveyed factors.
72% of the respondents said it was very important for Tampa Bay to create a regional ferry system.
Respondents put significant weight on the ability for ferries to relieve congestion, promote tourism and economic development, and make Tampa Bay a more enjoyable fun place to live and visit.
Project advisor Ed Turanchik noted that ferry operating revenues were covering more than a third of operating costs, which is considerably higher than the operating recovery percentage of any transit system on the West Coast of Florida, including busses.
“We began testing different prices and new connectivity earlier this month,” Turanchik said. “We know that fully robust commuter service will only be possible with much more frequent service, which isn’t possible during this short test and just one boat. But now we know with the certainty of a real-life test that there is strong demand for water transportation.”
The Cross-Bay Ferry is contracted to run from November 2016 through April 2017 to test community interest for water transit. Recently, the Cross-Bay Ferry began regular, weekday service and launched a Commuter Value Pass program that comes with free taxi rides home for those who miss the last ferry trip. See www.CrossBayFerry.com and TBARTA myCOMMUTE for more information.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://blog.sfgate.com/soccer/2017/03/03/bay-area-soccer-roundup-6-norcal-teams-in-2017-us-open-cup/
Bay Area soccer roundup: 6 NorCal teams in 2017 US Open Cup
(Follow link for full article.)
http://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/post/st-petersburg-residents-decide-if-rowdies-lease-stadium-can-expand#stream/0
St. Petersburg Residents To Decide If Rowdies' Lease, Stadium Can Expand
By Morgan Blauth
The St. Petersburg City Council passed a referendum on Thursday that will allow voters to decide whether to allow the Tampa Bay Rowdies to extend their lease at Al Lang Field to 25 years.
The vote will take place in a May 2 special election.
The Rowdies plan to spend $80 million to improve Al Lang Stadium, if voters approve the lease and if Major League Soccer names them an expansion team. Rowdies owner Bill Edwards said he will pay for the renovations.
Nancy Bataille is a longtime Rowdies fan and St. Petersburg resident. She told the City Council at a public hearing that soccer is good for the city.
"I just feel that by extending the lease so that we can acquire the MLS franchise...this would...help promote our city as the number one destination that we already know that it is,” she said.
Bob Lieb's downtown St. Petersburg condominium overlooks Al Lang Stadium. While he is not opposed to the soccer stadium expansion, he worries that additional events might affect him.
"I'm concerned about concerts and events that could be extremely noisy and that could continue into the night," he said.
City Council member Amy Foster supports the lease extension from the current five years. She said she understands residents who brought up concerns about noise and traffic impacts at the public hearing.
“We are constantly working as a body to strike a balance between the vibrancy of downtown and the livability,” she said. “You know, we've heard those concerns and you'll certainly have another opportunity to respond once there's a use agreement on the table."
The Rowdies will pay about $200,000 to cover the costs of the special election.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://thebradentontimes.com/tampa-bay-rowdies-sign-vfl-wolfsburg-legend-marcel-schfer-p18212-147.htm
Tampa Bay Rowdies Sign VfL Wolfsburg Legend Marcel Schäfer
(Follow link for full article.)
http://thebradentontimes.com/st-petersburg-city-council-sets-al-lang-stadium-special-election-for-may-p18209-147.htm
St. Petersburg City Council Sets Al Lang Stadium Special Election for May 2
Nico Castillo
Friday, Mar 03, 2017
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (March 2, 2017) – Earlier today, St. Petersburg City Council voted to approve and set the Al Lang Stadium special election for Tuesday, May 2. This is another positive step in bringing Major League Soccer to St. Petersburg.
The May 2 voting will allow residents of St. Petersburg to vote on giving City Council the authority to negotiate a long-term use agreement for Al Lang Stadium.
The use agreement, which can’t exceed 25 years, would allow Al Lang Stadium’s primary purpose to be the home field for a potential Major League Soccer team.
Rowdies owner Bill Edwards will cover the entire cost of the May 2 election.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies appreciate St. Petersburg City Council for approving the May 2 Referendum and allowing the club to continue its aspirations of bringing another major league sports team to the city.
About #MLS2StPete
The Tampa Bay Rowdies announced their #MLS2StPete campaign in December 2016, only to be named as one of the 12 candidates in the running for an MLS franchise less than two weeks later. The campaign also includes a privately funded renovation and expansion plan to Al Lang Stadium in downtown St. Petersburg. For more information, visit MLS2StPete.com.
The best way to show that Tampa Bay is ready for a Major League Soccer franchise is to secure 2017 season tickets. For information on how to become a 2017 Season Ticket Member, call (727)222-2000 or click here.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://fox2now.com/2017/03/03/major-league-soccers-plan-to-become-truly-major/
Major League Soccer’s plan to become truly major
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/03/03/mls-commissioner-don-garbers-letter-fans-ahead-2017-season
MLS Commissioner Don Garber's letter to fans ahead of the 2017 season
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/mar/03/us-soccer-federation-annual-meeting-long-term-future
How this weekend could shape US Soccer's long-term future
The US soccer federation’s annual meeting is this weekend in Hawaii, where a number of decisions impacting the tone of the future could be made
(Follow link for full article.)
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2695958-could-president-trumps-policies-derail-a-us-world-cup-bid
Could President Trump's Policies Derail a U.S. World Cup Bid?
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-how-much-are-tweets-promoting-st-petersburg-worth/2315311
Editorial: How much are tweets promoting St. Petersburg worth?
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.cbs8.com/story/34664238/soccer-to-san-diego-fans-celebrate-start-of-mls-season
Soccer to San Diego? Fans celebrate start of MLS season
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/editorials/article/Taking-our-best-shot-to-score-MLS-10975937.php
Taking our best shot to score MLS
Spurs Sports & Entertainment recently submitted its more than 300-page application for an expansion slot with Major League Soccer, the rising star of American professional sports.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2017/03/03/mls-group-spends-little-so-far-in-push-for-stadium.html
MLS group spends little so far in push for stadium
Officials with SC STL, the hopeful Major League Soccer ownership group looking to build a $140 million stadium in downtown St. Louis, have put little money toward wooing city voters ahead of an April ballot measure.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://fox5sandiego.com/2017/03/03/landon-donovan-joins-investor-group-trying-to-bring-mls-team-to-san-diego/
Landon Donovan joins investor group trying to bring MLS team to San Diego
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.espnfc.com/major-league-soccer/story/3074019/landon-donovan-joins-group-trying-to-lure-mls-to-san-diego
Landon Donovan joins group trying to lure MLS to San Diego
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.vnews.com/MLS-celebrates-22-teams-in-22-years-this-season-8429348
MLS’ Expansion Shows No Signs of Stopping
(Follow link for full article.)
http://awfulannouncing.com/fox/fox-sports-rob-stone-john-strong-expanding-evolving-mls.html
Fox Sports’ Rob Stone, John Strong discuss expanding, evolving MLS as new season begins
(Follow link for full article.)
http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/greitens-publicly-says-hes-open-investments-state-land-mls-stadium#stream/0
Greitens publicly says he's open to ‘investments’ on state land for MLS stadium
Gov. Eric Greitens says he’s receptive to having Missouri’s transportation department spruce up state land to make way for a professional soccer stadium in St. Louis.
His remarks during a news conference Thursday in Jefferson City appear to be his most direct response regarding the critical state involvement with the proposed stadium, which is on land owned by the Missouri Department of Transportation. For months, Greitens has spoken out against using taxpayer money to build stadiums.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://news.wabe.org/post/can-soccer-succeed-atlanta-time-mls-official-weighs
Can Soccer Succeed in Atlanta This Time? An MLS Official Weighs In
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.foxbusiness.com/features/2017/03/03/major-league-soccers-expansion-teams-look-to-score.html
Major League Soccer's Expansion Teams Look to Score
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2017/03/03/can-sacramento-republic-fc-make-the-save.html
Can Sacramento Republic FC make the save?
Though observers long have seen Sacramento as a favorite for one of four MLS slots, some aren’t as bullish as they used to be.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.nbc-2.com/story/34658112/major-league-soccers-plan-to-become-truly-major
Major League Soccer's plan to become truly major
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.opb.org/news/article/mls-major-league-soccer-2017-season-preview-expansion-atlanta-minnesota/
As MLS Turns 22, 2 New Teams Join The League
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.wsbradio.com/ap/ap/top-news/expansion-lafc-selling-soccer-dreams-in-revitalize/ntrMM/
Expansion LAFC selling soccer dreams in revitalized downtown
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.lagalaxy.com/post/2017/03/02/mls-live-back-subscribe-now-new-look-platform
MLS LIVE is back! Subscribe now to the new-look platform
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/sports/Mission-Valley-Planning-Board-Hears-Pitch-for-MLS-Stadium-in-San-Diego-415132733.html
Mission Valley Planning Board Hears Pitch for MLS Stadium in San Diego
(Follow link for full article.)
http://worldsoccertalk.com/2017/03/01/no-limit-on-mls-potential-commissioner-garber/
No limit on MLS potential: Commissioner Garber
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.streamingobserver.com/mls-live-stream/
MLS Live Stream: How to Watch MLS Online without Cable TV
No comments:
Post a Comment