Beyond the hype over Beckham’s stadium, here’s what the Miami ballot measure means

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https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article220225945.html

Beyond the hype over Beckham’s stadium, here’s what the Miami ballot measure means

This is one of two articles examining the ballot question Miami voters will answer on the proposal for Miami Freedom Park. Read the other one here.

You’ve probably seen the pink-on-black logo for David Beckham’s Miami soccer team, the fancy renderings of “Miami Freedom Park” and the political ads talking about new jobs and increased tax revenue.

They’re all related to a question for Miami voters on the Nov. 6 ballot about a plan to give Beckham’s new MLS team a permanent home on what is now a city-owned golf course near Miami International Airport.

Given the hype surrounding the vote, it might seem like Miami voters are deciding on the details of a final deal to build a stadium where Beckham’s expansion team, Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami, will play. That’s not the case.

Voters are being asked if the city should allow Beckham and his partners to skip the usual competitive bidding process and negotiate a 99-year lease for about 73 acres of Melreese golf course.

Some of the numbers being thrown around — a 1 percent capital transaction fee, $35 million to clean up toxic waste — are not explained in the ballot measure. Those are details that city officials will deal with if voters authorize them to negotiate with the Beckham ownership team. The numbers could change; they are only a starting point for the negotiations.

The question for voters is whether to waive the city law that governs private use of public land. That law says that if a private entity wants to lease city-owned land, the city must solicit competitive bids in order to get the best deal for the taxpayers.

Beckham and his partners, known formally as Miami Freedom Park LLC, essentially have submitted an unsolicited bid to use the Melreese land for profitable purposes — for a privately financed $1 billion retail, office, hotel and stadium complex, of which the stadium is only a small part — and to pay a minimum of $3.6 million in annual rent for use of the land. The property would include about 1 million square feet of office, retail and commercial space, a minimum of 750 hotel rooms and a 58-acre public park. On-site employees would be paid a living wage.

A yes vote is for people who want to go with that option.

A no vote might be by someone who wants to see what other private developers might propose for that property or who doesn’t want to vary from the usual competitive bidding process. Or for someone who wants to leave the land as it is, a publicly owned but privately operated golf course that includes a popular golf and mentoring program for kids, First Tee Miami.

Some of the other conditions are from a term sheet that Miami Freedom Park hashed out with the city before the commission voted to place the referendum on the ballot. The proposed terms for lease were released publicly only hours before the vote to place the question on the ballot, provoking an outcry from critics who complained the process was too hastily thrown together.

These provisions are not necessarily the final terms. They reflect what Miami Freedom Park is proposing if voters approve the ballot question and the city opens negotiations.

▪The youth golf and empowerment program run at Melreese, First Tee Miami, would have a home at the property at a driving range in the leased portion of the property. Possible displacement of First Tee spurred passionate opposition to the plan before commissioners voted to place the referendum on the ballot in July.

▪The ownership group states that it “will be responsible for all environmental remediation of the property.” The plan for the cleanup of contaminated soil will be developed by the ownership, which estimates cleanup will cost about $35 million.

▪Owners pledge to give the city $5 million to finish Miami’s Baywalk and Riverwalk.

▪The owners would follow city law and replace lost park land elsewhere in the city before any of the buildings in the complex is issued a certificate of occupancy.

▪ Owners will pay the city 1 percent of gross proceeds received by the ownership from any capital transactions on the site. That means if any of the owners’ interests under the lease are sold, the city would get 1 percent of gross proceeds from that sale.

The Miami Freedom Park group argues that the complex would bring other benefits to the city and its residents: $44 million in additional taxes to the city, county and state; $20 million for parks in the city of Miami, new jobs in the complex and public soccer fields.

As with any public land deal in Miami, there are skeptics and outright opposition to the proposed terms. One sticking point for some: The condition of the soil under Melreese.

The golf course sits on toxic ash dumped there from an old municipal incinerator decades ago, an environmental issue that would need to be addressed if the site is redeveloped. Team owners are also agreeing to assume responsibility for cleaning up the toxic soil under the golf course. Mas said the group has a budget of $35 million for the cleanup, which consultants working for him and independent of the ownership have said is a reasonable, conservative figure. Critics say the cost could climb much higher and either derail the project or leave taxpayers holding the bag.

Even if voters approve, and the administration negotiates a lease, the agreement would still have a significant political hurdle to clear: Four of five city commissioners would need to approve the lease. In July, three voted to place the referendum on the November ballot — commissioners Keon Hardemon, Ken Russell and Joe Carollo. Commissioners Manolo Reyes and Willy Gort, who represents the district that includes Melreese, opposed it.

If most voters say “no,” it’s unclear what would happen next for Beckham and his partners.

Jorge Mas, the partner who frequently speaks for the group, said if the referendum fails, “there is no plan B.” He told a reporter he will not fall back on land the team owns or has a contract to buy in Overtown.

“I’m not going back to Overtown. I couldn’t look myself in the mirror,” he said. “It’s not a good idea for the community.”

The ownership team has spent $414,014 on political advertisements, according to the most recent campaign finance reports. The ads were purchased through a political committee, Miami Freedom Park Political Committee, which has been funded exclusively by team owners, who include Beckham; Mas and his brother Jose, both executives of Miami-based infrastructure giant MasTec.; Sprint chairman Marcelo Claure; and SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son.

The group has faced criticism for pushing the proposal to a commission vote so fast that the public didn’t have enough time to analyze details. Mas, who entered the picture only a year ago and brought the other partners with him, argues he has had to move rapidly because of pressure from the league. He maintains if the city were to go through a bidding process, that could take years and MLS — which has already waited a long time — doesn’t want to wait any longer.

“We don’t have the luxury of time,” he said. “We’re kicking off in March 2020.” Previous delays have made MLS wary. The Inter Miami expansion agreement requires permits for the stadium site by November 2019.

Throughout the process, Mas has acknowledged that Miamians may be suspicious when it comes to stadiums on public land. And they certainly are — the public financing package that paid for the construction of Marlins Park left taxpayers on the hook for nearly $2 billion in loan payments.

“I understand and recognize that there is extreme skepticism in our community, especially after the failed Jeffrey Loria deal,” Mas said, referring to the former Miami Marlins owner who has refused to share profits from the sale of the team with Miami taxpayers. “That’s left a very significant bad taste in many peoples’ mouths.”

Voters in the city of Miami will see the following question on their ballot:

Shall Miami’s Charter be amended authorizing City to negotiate, execute 99-year lease with Miami Freedom Park LLC, for approximately 73 acres of City land, waiving bidding, converting Melreese Country Club (1400 Northwest 37 Avenue) at no cost to City to:

▪ soccer stadium;

▪ minimum 1,000,000 square feet office, retail, commercial uses;

▪ minimum 750 hotel rooms;

▪ living wage for on-site employees;

▪$3,577,365.00 minimum annual rent;

▪ $20,000,000.00 for 58-acre public park or other green space?

Hopefully the voters see this for what it is- a backdoor No-Bid deal for Billionaires. Article does a great job explaining that voters are being asked to waive the very protections in place to protect us from insider deals like this.

As a Miami resident, I voted it against it. Put up a competitivr RFP and see what proposals come in and then I may be more likely to support it.

When Melreese was redeveloped a few years ago are we to understand that the toxic soil was allowed to remain intact? Also isn’t there already a hotel on site? Is that to be razed and a new one built in the proposal? Or is this slick marketing? And finally has there been a proper traffic study to look at the impact on the neighborhood and airport access? Currently it takes approximately 20 minutes travel time to the airport from the start of 95 and US1(with the exception of rush hour) how much travel time would be added by this project? None of these questions appear to have been addressed.

Elected officials forced the taxpayers to pay over $3 Billion, including debt service, for the Marlins Stadium and Garages. That was a No-Bid deal too. Voters should Vote No to this No-Bid deal. 1) No-Bid deals are NOT in the best interests of the taxpayers 2) Miami needs more grass and trees NOT more concrete 3) Melreese Golf Club is the only public golf course in the City of Miami. 4) Both local commissioners oppose this No-Bid deal 5) This site is adjacent to Miami International Airport and the proposed development with office buildings, a hotel and a mall could cause residents and tourists to miss flights. 5) There are too many unanswered questions. Please Vote No.

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https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article220482650.html

Fair rent? Toxic soil? Traffic? There are still questions about Beckham stadium

This is one of two articles examining the ballot question Miami voters will answer on the proposal for Miami Freedom Park. Read the other one here.

The owners of Miami’s future Major League Soccer team say they need a fast-tracked, no-bid deal to build a sprawling commercial and stadium complex on Melreese golf course because time is of the essence. The league wants to see progress toward a stadium, which has taken numerous twists and turns over the five years David Beckham has sought to field a team.

But once Beckham’s partners moved their stadium plans from Overtown to Melreese and pushed for a referendum asking for voters’ approval, the process accelerated to a headlong rush. That burst of speed has raised significant questions about whether the city and team owners truly crossed their t’s and dotted their i’s before asking for voters’ blessing to negotiate a 99-year, no-bid lease for the development of Miami Freedom Park, a $1 billion retail, office, hotel and stadium complex, along with public soccer fields and a 58-acre public park, to be built east of Miami International Airport.

The proposed 25,000-seat stadium for Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami (shortened to Inter Miami) would be a 10-acre corner on 73 acres of developed land.

The plan was drawn up, presented to the Miami City Commission and placed on the November ballot in five months, with the public becoming privy to the details only a few days before the vote in July.

Even if the referendum passes, Miami Freedom Park is not guaranteed. There is no lease right now because voters have to authorize its negotiation first. If a majority of voters say “yes,” city administrators and team officials would hammer out a lease that would still require approval from four of five city commissioners.

Jorge Mas, MasTec chairman and managing partner of the ownership group for Inter Miami, insists that taxpayers would not pay any of the costs associated with preparing Melreese for redevelopment, including necessary utility work, underground infrastructure, road improvements and a pedestrian bridge over the Tamiami Canal to connect the park to the Miami Intermodal Center.

But do voters have all the information they need to make an informed decision? On July 16, Mas told a room full of Miami Herald editors and reporters that voters would have the necessary details before the election.

“The voters will know every single detail of the lease,” Mas said.

Voters may have an outline of what that the lease would include, but there is no lease. There are some nuanced questions that remain.

Apart from the basic question of whether voters want to see the golf course replaced with the proposed complex, concerns remain about soil contamination, the financial aspects of the plan, the value of public parks, traffic the development would generate and the fate of First Tee Miami, a youth golf program at Melreese.

Dirty Dirt

Melreese sits on a plume of toxic ash, the product of an old city incinerator used decades ago. Any development will require some level of environmental cleanup, which could range from the expensive removal of toxic material to sealing the dirty fill with clean dirt or concrete. The Beckham group has agreed to pay for the remediation with an estimated budget of $35 million — but is that a realistic number?

The dirty soil has caused issues in the past. In 2005, when the city built Grapeland Water Park adjacent to the golf course, workers had to remove tons of contaminated soil before construction and place a cap of clean soil over it, a costly process. Erosion has exposed pockets of toxic ash at Melreese, which were fixed. Even without the ash, any golf course would come with environmental baggage because of the pesticides and other chemicals used to maintain the greens.

At Melreese, soil and groundwater tests have detected high levels of arsenic, believed to be caused by the ash, according to records kept by the Miami-Dade Division of Environmental Resources Management (DERM).

Mas said his consultants are confident the team’s $35 million budget for environmental issues should be enough, and an independent consultant who spoke to the Miami Herald suggested the figure is a reasonable estimate.

“It’s a good, conservative number,” said Howard Nelson, a partner at Bilzin Sumberg who specializes in environmental law and development.

Nelson, who is not affiliated with Miami Freedom Park and helps his clients understand land conditions and environmental requirements before development, said the owners could talk to DERM about a preliminary strategy for dealing with the ash and arsenic. Developers can seek a “comfort letter” from DERM, early feedback that can help guide planning for the cleanup.

Wilbur Mayorga, chief of DERM’s environmental monitoring and restoration division, said no such letter has been issued to the Beckham group or anyone regarding Melreese.

If it is required, the removal of tons of contaminated soil could drive up costs and inflate the remediation budget. But Nelson and Mayorga said that depending on the existing conditions and the site plan, soil could be shifted around and capped in a way that could keep costs down while complying with regulations.

State law does require the entity that originally contaminated land to clean it up. In Melreese’s case, this would mean the city of Miami, a point raised by detractors of the Miami Freedom Park plan. Nelson said the lease would have to ensure the soccer team’s owners are legally agreeing to shoulder the cleanup costs.

“The magic is going to be in the language,” he said.

Rent is due

The Beckham team will pay the city annual rent. Under preliminary terms, the rent would be the greater of two amounts — either the fair market value of an annual lease as determined by two independent appraisers ($3.6 million annually), or 5 percent of gross rent revenue collected from tenants at the site.

The ownership’s financial projections say the complex will generate about $425 million in total revenue every year. Given the bold financial predictions, is the proposed rent arrangement fair to the city and its taxpayers?

Because Mas, Beckham and his partners could land a no-bid deal to redevelop public land and reap private profits, opponents have cried foul on what would be a significant real estate transaction. One such critic is Related Group’s Jorge Pérez, who argued the city should have gone through a meaningful public input process, then a public bid, before considering such a deal.

“I am opposed to taking a large piece of public open space and giving it to the private sector,” Pérez stated in a text to the Herald. “I have the highest respect for Jorge Mas and his family and what they have done for Miami. So, it is difficult for me to be against this development. But, this was supposed to be land for a soccer stadium not for a billion dollar commercial venture.”

Pérez argued that the city should solicit proposals “to obtain the highest value possible.”

There’s also the question of whether the city would get the best value out of the land. Michael Fay, principal managing director of real estate firm Avison Young, maintains the Melreese property is worth $200 million to $250 million, which would yield a rental rate that is millions higher than what is being proposed.

“If I was asked to be the listing broker to go out and procure offers … I would tell you, this would garner no less than a dozen to two dozen real qualified groups that would love to do something on this site,” Fay said.

The city of Miami ordered two appraisals of the land, which estimated a value of $143 million to $160 million. Mas insists the Beckham Group plans to pay fair market value to lease the land, and based on the city appraisals, $3.6 million is an appropriate annual lease. Area real estate agents say that’s too low, and provide estimates as high as $16 million annually. Mas scoffs at that figure.

“You will find absolutely no one in their right mind who will pay $10 million to $16 million [a year] for Melreese,” he said. “It’s impossible.”

He maintained that the fair market value for the property might be lower than some people think, based on its location, the need for soil cleanup and the fact the property is not zoned for this kind of development.

“This land has challenges,” he said. “It’s proximate to an airport. So, a significant portion of the land has severe restrictions on its development. More than half of the whole golf course facility is very restricted to one story building, with a certain use — no housing, no schools. Frankly, the only thing you can put on that area is what we’ve designed.”

The northern end of the parcel will accommodate greater heights, and will be where the stadium, hotels, office and retail will be situated.

Value of parks

Some critics simply believe Melreese should remain a golf course. Chief among them: the participants of First Tee Miami.

First Tee is a respected organization that teaches youth golf, provides mentoring and offers academic tutoring. Mas says First Tee will have a home at Miami Freedom Park. But instead of an 18-hole golf course, the program would be run out of a golf entertainment facility, like Top Golf.

Mayor Francis Suarez secured an commitment from the city of Miami Springs to host the First Tee at its country club, but it’s unclear which option the program would choose if the referendum passes.

READ MORE

What goes on at Melreese park and why are some opposed to giving up golf for soccer?

What goes on at Melreese park and why are some opposed to giving up golf for soccer?

Children and parents from First Tee formed the largest and most visible opposition to the stadium plan when commissioners placed the question on the ballot. Wearing orange shirts synonymous with the group, they passionately defended the value of their organization and the importance that it be based at Melreese the way it is today.

Others think the Miami Freedom Park deal could open the door to measuring the value of parks by how much money they make, a question that was raised on the City Commission dais.

“It sets a terrible precedent and we will have developers targeting every one of our parks for development in backroom, no-bid deals,” said David Winker, a real estate broker and attorney who is voting no. “How long before developers go after prime waterfront property like Kennedy and Peacock parks if they pull this off?”

Winker is the assistant treasurer for a new political committee founded to oppose the project called Save Our Green Space, Inc. They’ve spent nearly $2,500 on political ads mailed to residents asking voters to say no. Among those supporting the committee: Auto magnate Norman Braman, who has invested millions in local political campaigns.

“The citizens of Miami deserve green space to maintain a reasonable quality of life, especially for their children,” he said.

Traffic

There are fears the development will cause a traffic nightmare by the airport. The Miami Freedom Park group insists the development won’t have that kind of impact.

Mas has touted a plan for cars to line up on the property in a way that minimizes congestion on adjacent roadways. He envisions people having access from all four directions, according to the site plan for the project. The property will be situated near the Miami Intermodal Center, a hub for public transit north of the property on the other side of the canal. Team owners want to build a pedestrian bridge across the canal so people could get to games easily on public transit.

Mas has shared diagrams showing the proposed flow of traffic onto and off the property from State Road 836/Dolphin Expressway, LeJeune Road and Northwest 37th Avenue. He has said a traffic study owners commissioned shows minimal impact. But he has not released the full traffic study.

Mas said when he went door-to-door and spoke to about 100 people in the adjacent Grapeland Heights neighborhood, residents were most concerned about driving too fast down Northwest 37th Avenue. They talked about adding traffic-calming features to the area, which Mas said he would seek from the government.

Some voters aren’t convinced that the development won’t lead to congestion.

“There are other suitable locations for a soccer stadium,” said Steven Leidner. “And goodness knows Miami has enough retail malls and the traffic they bring.”

The proposed “Miami Freedom Park” that would house a Major League Soccer stadium and a large new office and retail complex. David Beckham and partners, who include Jorge and Jose Mas, want to develop the project on Miami’s Melreese golf course. Miami Freedom LLC

Elected officials forced the taxpayers to pay over $3 Billion, including debt service, for the Marlins Stadium and Garages. That was a No-Bid deal too. Voters should Vote No to this No-Bid deal. 1) No-Bid deals are NOT in the best interests of the taxpayers 2) Miami needs more grass and trees NOT more concrete 3) Melreese Golf Club is the only public golf course in the City of Miami. 4) Both local commissioners oppose this No-Bid deal 5) This site is adjacent to Miami International Airport and the proposed development with office buildings, a hotel and a mall could cause residents and tourists to miss flights. 5) There are too many unanswered questions. Please Vote No.

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https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article215528040.html

What goes on at Melreese park and why are some opposed to giving up golf for soccer?

Less than a mile away from the bustling Miami International Airport, the small green hills of Melreese Country Club stand solemnly. Some call this place a sanctuary. Here, amidst flying golf balls, time goes by at its own pace: Kids practice at the driving range, adults enjoy cool beverages at the restaurant’s terrace, and golf carts play hide-and-seek along the grassy dunes.

That typically quiet nature was disrupted Tuesday night, when 40 golf carts were engulfed in flames. A suspect was arrested Wednesday and was charged with single counts of arson and burglary of an unoccupied structure. A spokesperson at Melreese said the destruction did not disrupt park activities.

But the overall Melreese property remains a hot topic as residents and city leaders tangle over whether the golf course should be demolished to make way for the construction of a soccer stadium and a large commercial center. The site would be home to a Major League Soccer franchise owned by retired soccer superstar David Beckham and his partners, including well-known Miami brothers Jorge and Jose Mas.

Earlier this month, Beckham’s soccer group persuaded the Miami City Commission to put on the November ballot the question of whether Melreese should be developed as a soccer and retail complex.

If voters say yes, it will allow the city to negotiate a deal that could end a five-year battle to get a Major League Soccer stadium built in Miami. In this case, Melreese Country Club would disappear. Before that could happen, a lease would need approval from four of the city’s five commissioners.

The issue has been contentious with critics decrying developing 131 acres of public land for a for-profit private project. Supporters contend the project will bring professional soccer to Miami and economic development to the Grapeland neighborhood around Miami International Airport.


The billion-dollar investment would yield not only up to 11,000 jobs, but also would create more than $40 million in tax revenue for the city, according to Beckham’s ownership group.

But critics argue that getting rid of a public green space would bring an end to Miami’s First Tee program, where 5,000 children are enrolled throughout the year. There, they are taught golf and the core values that go with it, as well as academic tutoring, park officials said.

“It’s a shame what they are going to do,” says Rudy Ariano, user of the Melreese facilities and coach of The Doral Academy varsity golf team, for which his daughter Camila plays. “They are going to squash something good.”

Beckham’s group has said that the First Tee program would still have a place in the new development. But those who use the facilities aren’t ready to let go.

Camila Ariano has been going to Melreese since she was 7, when she joined the First Tee. For her, everybody at this place is “like family.”

“I know the chefs, the waiters, the people who pick up the balls, I know everybody,” she says. “The atmosphere is very homey.”

Camila recalls the day she beat her dad at golf for the first time. She ran to the golf store and shared the moment with her friend Jenny, the store clerk: “Jenny, Jenny, I beat my dad!”

Ariano and his daughter love a sport considered elitist by some, they say.

“I heard some people in the media saying that we were millionaires. I’m not a millionaire, none of these kids is a millionaire,” says Ariano, referring to the First Tee program, which offers scholarships to some children.

Although professional golf player Erik Compton acknowledges that “golf can be pretentious,” he emphasizes the fact that “this place is not.” The 38-year-old sportsman learned to golf here when he was 7, and every day he is not competing somewhere else, he enjoys playing at Melreese.

As Compton strolls along the place that helped him hone his skills as a golfer, children often stop him for a selfie. “I’m afraid people won’t have the opportunity I had to play in a public golf course,” he says.

Compton, who received two heart transplants at Jackson Memorial Hospital, says that Melreese’s survival should not be linked to its profitability.

“Should we get rid of Jackson Memorial Hospital because they’re not making a profit?” he says. “Is it about how much money this makes or about how many lives if affects?”

Alley Jackman, a Melreese golfer, was introduced to the sport as a teenager, thanks to her father. “Now that he’s no longer with me,” says the 19-year-old, “this place has helped me through my hardest moments.”

Jackman says she is one of the few people who has actually been involved in all of the country club’s facilities: the restaurant, the pro shop, the prestige golf office and the First Tee Program.

“It’s not a country club, it’s a lot more than that,” she says. “It’s almost like ... a sanctuary.”

traffic nightmare coming, I would vote no...

can you imagine trying to get to the airport from anywhere on a game day, going anywhere via Le Jeune Road?

Charles Jones it’s already bad around there...I could not imagine it...

It’s not about golf versus soccer...it’s about using public park land for private use and profit. Would prefer the route the late Roe Robbie took to build his stadium..private not public money.

An assistant pro once told me that golf is the only sport you can play from age 8 to 80, with your grandparent, parent and children. I guess bowling, pool and darts count too. so let's say outdoors....

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https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/24/major-league-soccer-to-let-teams-sell-new-endorsement-space-on-jerseys.html

Major League Soccer will allow teams to sell new endorsement space on jersey sleeves

MLS Commissioner Don Garber tells CNBC the league has approved the sale of a sponsored sleeve patch on club uniforms starting immediately.

The move, confirmed Wednesday, could bring in up to $2 million a year per team, according to sports marketer Chris Weil.

The NBA brings in about $9 million a year per team for selling sponsorship on the front of players' jerseys, Weil says.

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2018/10/24/18018788/the-crews-future-is-still-in-the-planning-stage-zlatan-ibrahimovic-mls-soccer-timbers-josh-sargent

Around the Forest: The Crew’s future is still in the planning stage

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A HALL FOR ALL: AMERICAN SOCCER'S TREASURE CHEST

Fame is too small a word. It does no justice to what happens here in the National Soccer Hall of Fame, or what’s enshrined in its new walls. The grand opening, on Oct. 21 with the induction of the Class of 2018, was more than fireworks and high-tech wizardry. It was more than the red blazers and speeches. It was surely more than fame. In the Hall that night was decency and integrity. Fraternity and humility. Humor. Family. Gratitude. Mostly, there’s reflection here. It’s a Hall of mirrors.

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A look back at the Hall of Fame weekend at FC Dallas

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https://www.sounderatheart.com/2018/10/22/18008186/atlanta-united-sets-even-higher-mls-attendance-records-soccer-news-mls

Major Link Soccer: Atlanta United sets even higher MLS attendance records

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