If Melreese lease goes ahead, more voices must be heard

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https://www.miamitodaynews.com/2019/11/19/if-melreese-lease-goes-ahead-more-voices-must-be-heard/

If Melreese lease goes ahead, more voices must be heard

Miami commissioners wisely delayed a vote last week to lease the city’s golf course for a century to a massive shopping-office-hotel complex with a soccer stadium until they get all details.

Waiting was an easy choice. An even better option was to say “no thanks” to the unsolicited offer for Miami’s largest green space, but it might be too far down the road to say no without seeing the full deal.

When the Mas brothers, their partners and former soccer star David Beckham first asked for Melreese because they wanted a stadium site, the city shouldn’t have asked voters for an OK to cut a no-bid deal, first because the land should remain open and second because no-bid deals give governments the short end.

With an OK to negotiate, the Mas team can now claim a mandate that never was. Permission to talk does not require a deal – especially when the city last week got a swiss cheese agreement with a slew of holes. So the commission didn’t OK it by vote and pushed any action to Dec 12 or later.

By then, commissioners want big gaps filled. One is exactly what green space the city would get in return from a developer who would lease more than 70 acres of the golf course at below-market rates.

They also asked to know the land’s appraised value before setting lease rates. That’s basic. But when they met last week they had no idea of the appraised value or the standard upon which an appraisal will be based. If you don’t know what your property is worth, how can you possibly agree to a price?

Commissioners need all of those facts before considering a contract.

They also must know how much it will cost to remediate the former dump that became a golf course decades ago. The site is laced with all sorts of pollutants.

The community also must know where developers plan to build exactly what at exactly what height. The partners have talked in generalities, but not exactly where buildings would sit at what size. The deal went into negotiation listing the minimum developers could build, not the maximum – no ceiling. The city should never approve that.

Once all details are in hand, a contract could be studied but wouldn’t yet be ready for a vote.

Typically once a large deal with government is unveiled a developer rushes a vote. The claim this time is likely to be that the league requires approval, even though team owners are now building a stadium in Broward County and the need for a soccer stadium was the driving sales pitch for the city to yield its golf course.

In this case in particular, other stakeholders should vet the lease. Those include transportation and environmental interests as well as neighbors, all of which would have to be consulted if the vast project were totally private.

The largest stakeholder isn’t yet at the table at all. It’s next door neighbor Miami International Airport, this county’s largest economic engine with 46 million passengers a year.

Aviation Director Lester Sola was at city hall last week for the vote but didn’t weigh in because the project is still like a bowl of Jello – so slippery that you can’t grip it.

What the county and the Federal Aviation Administration must know is what buildings of what size are planned where at the end of a major runway. As Mr. Sola has explained, buildings could limit how much federal administrators will allow that runway to handle and could constrict aviation.

Until the airport, the county, the federal government, transportation interests and neighbors have weighed in after adequate time to examine the finished pact, the only votes the city should take are to either reject the whole idea of leasing the golf course or, failing that, to at least seek open biddings. The only rationale for no bids – the need for a stadium – vanished when the team built one elsewhere.

If the city still intends to turn green open space into a vast no-bid private project, however, the most interested parties must study the contract first.

Primarily, the city should make sure that it gets Miami International Airport’s blessing. The city gave the county the airport many years ago and has a vital interest that it does no harm there. It’s crucial to our economy.

The golf course deal has been an effort to bring in soccer (which the now-rising Broward stadium does) and to fill city coffers (admirable, but there are better ways). It has also been a political soccer ball at city hall.

As the blanks in the deal are filled in, the city should shift from looking at the politics and placing blame to looking at quality of life and public good. There can be only one outcome among competing interests.

That requires open discussions with all interests after the city gets negotiated documents with all the details.

There is just one golf course. Put it to the best use – which might mean no change at all – under fully shared agreements.

We rushed through a disastrous baseball stadium deal with incomplete knowledge – including its $3 billion cost. Don’t do it again.

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https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/major-league-soccer-reportedly-makes-big-change-to-all-star-game-format-adds-liga-mx-stars-to-fold/

Major League Soccer reportedly makes big change to All-Star Game format, adds Liga MX stars to fold

The All-Star Game will be played in Banc of California Stadium, home of Los Angeles FC

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https://www.sounderatheart.com/2019/11/19/20972018/mls-expansion-draft-day

Major Link Soccer: MLS Expansion Draft Day

The draft is here! Nashville and Miami will make their picks

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https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/mls-expansion-draft-results-inter-miami-and-nashville-sc-add-five-players-to-their-rosters/

MLS Expansion Draft results: Inter Miami and Nashville SC add five players to their rosters

Here's what you need to know about the 2019 Major League Soccer Expansion Draft

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https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019/11/19/zlatan-ibrahimovics-12-best-quotes-his-time-mls-sam-jones

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's 12 best quotes from his time in MLS | Sam Jones

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https://www.sportingkc.com/post/2019/11/19/nutmeg-podcast-chief-communications-officer-rob-thomson

The Nutmeg Podcast: Chief Communications Officer Rob Thomson

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https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/soccer/fc-cincinnati/2019/11/19/alvas-powell-selected-mls-expansion-draft-inter-miami-cf/4243851002/

MLS expansion draft: FC Cincinnati trades for attacker Brandon Vazquez, parts with Alvas Powell, 2020 SuperDraft pick

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https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/mls-all-stars-to-face-liga-mx-players-in-2020/

MLS All-Stars ‘to face Liga MX players in 2020’

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https://esportsobserver.com/emls-fifa20-sxsw-2020/

SXSW to Host 2020 eMLS Cup Presented by PlayStation

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https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/world/thierry-henry-montreal-impact-mls-major-league-soccer-as-monaco-latest-a9208681.html

Thierry Henry on how he’ll learn from AS Monaco mistakes at Montreal Impact

Henry was sacked by Monaco in January after just 103 days in charge

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https://commonwealthtimes.org/2019/11/19/press-box-the-u-s-mens-national-team-should-not-play-anyone-over-28-years-old/

Press Box: The U.S. men’s national team should not play anyone over 28 years old

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https://dentondaily.com/mls-power-rankings-lafc-top-dogs-at-all-star-break-arenas-revs-keep-rising/

MLS Power Rankings: LAFC top dogs at All-Star break, Arena‘s Revs keep rising

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https://adncuba.com/deportes/yo-hablo-futbol/maikel-chang-y-la-historia-de-los-cubanos-en-la-mls

Maikel Chang y la historia de los cubanos en la MLS

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https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2019/11/19/going-south-inter-miami-fc-choose-nycfcs-sweat-in-expansion-draft/

GOING SOUTH: Inter Miami FC picks NYCFC”s Sweat in expansion draft

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https://africa.espn.com/football/major-league-soccer/story/3993409/report-mls-to-play-liga-mx-in-2020-all-star-game-at-lafcs-stadium

Report: MLS to play Liga MX in 2020 All-Star Game at LAFC's stadium

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https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2019/11/19/very-high-honors-wingert-to-be-inducted-into-st-johns-athletics-hall-of-fame/

VERY HIGH HONORS: Wingert to be inducted into St. John’s Athletics Hall of Fame

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https://www.goshennews.com/sports/south-bend-lions-football-club-to-debut-in-may/article_6ae09cb6-0b06-11ea-8977-0bfc90c33fe3.html

South Bend Lions Football Club to debut in May 2020

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https://www.newschannel5.com/news/mls-stadium-construction-put-on-hold-delayed-at-least-7-weeks

MLS stadium construction put on hold, delayed at least 7 weeks

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https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/soccer/2019/11/19/here-are-players-revolution-left-unprotected-for-mls-expansion-draft/WQlFO9BzcSTZmSBcLETLkI/story.html

SOCCER

Here are the players the Revolution left unprotected for the MLS expansion draft

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https://valliantnews.com/2019/11/18/us-world-cup-hopes-in-jeopardy-after-2-0-loss-to-costa-rica/

US World Cup hopes in jeopardy after 2-0 loss to Costa Rica

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https://stpetersburgfoodies.com/podcast/interview-with-matt-bonano-of-brooklyn-south-st-petersburg-foodies-podcast-episode-64/

Interview with Matt Bonano of Brooklyn South – St. Petersburg Foodies Podcast Episode 64

Interview with Matt Bonano from Brooklyn South

Welcome to the St. Petersburg Foodies Podcast Episode 64! Our featured interview today is with Matt Bonano from Brooklyn South. Brooklyn South is known for their great selection of meats and cheeses, and for their great sandwiches. Matt himself is a Cheesemonger, and has some great tales that are literally cheesy. Our musical guest is Paul Fournier from the band Wild Root Music. We talk food and music with Paul, and feature the single, "Tesla Man". We start the show off with Abby's amazing recipe for some of the best ramen we've ever had, "Bone Broth Ramen with Gochujang Chicken".

Listen right here with our player above, or use your favorite podcast listening app below.

Matt Bonano, Cheesemonger & Owner / Operator of Brooklyn South

The St. Petersburg Foodies Podcast features interviews with chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers, bartenders, and more, and covers the burgeoning food scene in St. Petersburg, Florida. Episodes air every Tuesday.

This episode of the St. Petersburg Foodies Podcast is brought to you by Rollin' Oats, Pacific Counter, The Brass Bowl Kitchen & Juicery, Buya Ramen, and Engine No. 9. Please keep them in mind the next time you are hungry for some fantastic food.

Our announcer is Candice Aviles from Food for Thought  and Channel 10 News. Our theme music is provided by The Chris Walker Band.

Links:

Brooklyn South

Wild Root Music

Cheese Primer by Steven Jenkins

Bone Broth Ramen with Gochujang Chicken Recipe