First Look: Renderings Of Beckham’s Freedom Park At Melreese
Renderings of David Beckham’s plan to build a complex called Freedom Park were revealed for the first time last week, at a meeting last week where commissioners asked to move forward with a city referendum on the deal.
In a presentation, architects for Beckham and partner Jorge Mas said the plan could include:
- A 25,000 seat stadium
- Garages with 3,750 parking spaces
- Rooftop soccer fields on top of the garages
- Surface parking lots
- 600,000 square feet of retail and restaurant
- 400,000 square feet of office
- 750 hotel rooms
- A pedestrian bridge from the Miami Intermodal Center
Around half of Melreese would be developed. Beckham and Mas would allow the city to keep the remaining space, including existing baseball fields and a water park, but a major rebuild of the park would be needed, with most costs to be covered by the city.
Arquitectonica envisions that a golf facility, playground, farm-to-table restaurant, and skate park could be built by the city on the remaining land, funded by taxpayers. The Beckham partnership would contribute $20 million over 30 years (worth about $4 million in today’s dollars) towards construction.
Beckham and Mas say that total investment on their half could be up to $1 billion. They are offering to pay the city a minimum $3.5 million an annual rent for the land.
Miami’s city commission deferred a vote on holding a referendum until this week, but two of five commissioners are already in favor. Just one more vote is needed to approve a referendum, which could be approved at another commission meeting scheduled for July 18.
Arquitectonica is the architect.
The final product will look nothing like the renderings.
Guaranteed
Okay Nostradamus.
“Beckham and Mas would allow the city to keep the remaining space”
How friggin’ nice of them.
That’s a weird statement to me also because the city OWNS the land and the Beckham group will just be leasing.
Wheres the pedestrian bridge from the Miami Intermodal Center in the rendering ?
It abuts 37th. It’s a walkway alongside it.
Don’t be so hung up on the walkable structure from Metrorail. Just like no body rides it to the airport which is so convenient, why would anyone ride it late at night for a game? As much as we’d like it otherwise, this is a city built for the automobile. Live with it. Enjoy it and stop complaining
“Enjoy the crappy traffic”? LOL wat. No.
Ok, although I do agree with your comment that we are a city built for the automobile, I myself drive everywhere and I will never ever give up my car. Having said that, I can tell you that this past weekend I drove from Brickell (where I live) to this proposed stadium and a day later I took the Metro from the Brickell station. There is no chance that I will ever drive to the games and I do plan to get season tickets. The metro ride was not bad at all, driving was a hot mess. So please if the Becks group is reading this, build a walkway from the Metro to the stadium. Fans of soccer like myself will definitely use it.
You are going to get a lot of down votes for this post.
Congratulations on your discovery. I”m surprised it took you this long; however, do you know what is the percentage of people that live close to a Metrorail station? It’s less than a fraction of 1 percent. But I bet even you after you endure the walk from the station to where the stadium is will have 2nd thoughts.
It a round a bout wall from that station to the pedestrian path, then to the stadium. If they fill the space along the route with entertainment it would be much better. Like the Battery at the new braves stadium.
You maybe right about the percentage, but I am taking the Metro, even if I were to drive I would still have to walk from the garage to the stadium and that will be just about the same distance.
LOL, spoken like a true Miamian. You do know there are a ton of people living east of 95 that don’t have an abuela in Kendall right… For many there is no need to travel east of 95 and the transit works just fine. we just need to extend metromover to wynwood and add baylink and we are all set.
you obviously didn’t live in Miami prior to the AAA. The Metrorail was slammed for Heat games at the old Miami Arena.
I grew up in Cutler Ridge and we would drive to Dadeland South and take the train to Heat and Panther games. It was a great experience.
LOL. That sounds like a miserable experience…
Not true. I rode it last week from downtown to MIA and it was crowded. Still don’t like the location for a stadium.
I go from Brickell to AAA many times and it’s about a 20-30 experience from my door to the arena. Taking an Uber is much easier TBH. The metrorail is not going to end all traffic issues in miami
Waiting for the FAA to say something.
Never thought I’d say something positive about the FAA, re: Miami, but I hope they block this. Way too close to the end of the airport for a stadium filled with people. Loss of one engine on takeoff could spell disaster.
Build on that empty lot next to marlins park or better yet the lot already owned by the river. Whats with this whole tech park thing? Build a friggem soccer stadium thats all thats needed.
They tired but the Marlins would of forced them to only have their advertisers.
It doesn’t fit on the Marlins lot. Look at it. It would BARELY fit Booker T Washington’s high school track. How’s it going to accommodate a modern MLS stadium?
Besides, the Marlins would be able to dictate unfavorable terms to Beckham per their agreement with the County/City (whomever it is), AND the public transportation there is garbage.
Marlins stadium is literally the worst site of the 6 that I’ve seen publicly mentioned.
Oh yes, you are right. Hard Rock Stadium has a marvelous and ingenuous Rapid Transit gridlock connecting to all mass transit in the county.
Man! It is so obvious that you are not a soccer fan. They tried both of your ideas, it didn’t work. This is probably the last chance we have and I hope we don’t blow it.
What didn’t work with Overtown? The fact that Mas can’t build his tech campus there?
some people are misinformed about the possible locations for the stadium. the land next to the marlins was discarded a long time ago, the overtown location is the last option because they could n’t get investors for the project. jorge mas decided to invest in the team with the condition that they build an entertainment complex around the stadium. the other two options are hialeah race track and the former coca cola plant at medley near palmetto expressway
I want this to succeed as much as every football fan. But Mas is the only owner making this ridiculous demands of an entertaining complex/tech campus from local governments.
What a disgusting proposal! The entire City should be offended these rich people want to take them to the cleaners.
Any other city would kill to have a development like this. The NIMBY’s will be the death of this city….
<3
It’s looks like it would be offset from flight paths but is noise going to be an issue so close to the airport? I’ve read articles about problems and Levi Stadium and Citi Field.
You mean, screaming fans attending a soccer game at this location are going to be annoyed by the noise of landing jet airplanes?
Boy, golfers really do have thick skin then.
Was more curious than concerned and more about the play on field than the fans. Obviously a baseball player will be more affected by a jet flying directly over but I read an article awhile back about Levi Stadium having issues due to planes but the article didn’t specify who was having the issues.
LOL! This is a sports stadium. Not a library. Since when is noise an issue with soccer hooligans?
That is basically 6 blocks from where I live so we have to say goodbye to the golf course and the baseball park for once a week game?
Wow!!
Why don’t they just use Hard Rock Stadium? Many cities use one stadium for multiple pusposes or group the sport complexes together… in Miami everything is miles apart. Let’s focus on connecting transit to our existing venues!
Hard Rock Stadium???? Horrible location!!!!
The middle of nowhere and the heart of Miami Gardens/OPa Locka/Carol City.
Get to it, park your car, enjoy the game and get the flock out of there as quickly as you can…. Sad!!!!!
Hey dummy, Miami Gardens and Carol City are the same.
You talk your cap and then say “sad” at the end. You’re a jerk.
MLS requires soccer specific stadiums for all new franchises, if it is a shared stadium it has to be designed with soccer in mind. The best they could do at Hard Rock is build on one of the parking lots
Applause!!!!!!
I bet all the parking fiends on this site will be cheering for joy.
I went to one game at Hard Rock Stadium… One! And I will never go back. First of all it was to see the Dolphins play the Bills about 2 years ago. Traffic getting there was HORRIBLE, we could not find parking and we were willing to pay. Finally we found a dirt lot about 6 to 7 blocks away. During the game it started raining and when we got back to the car soaked and wet, the ground was so wet that it was like walking in a pool of mud. On the way out the wheels began to spin and we had to get out and push. It took us more than 25 minutes just to get out of the Stadium. Someone could offer me free season tickets for the Dolphins and I would turn it down. This project is right next to the Metro and yes! Me and my friends will take it to every single game.
I say YESS!!! i just don’t like the Arquitectonica aspect of it
I like it, build it with more financial concessions to the city !!
Give them your checking account info, but I think our taxes should go to education and transit – not making billionaires richer.
Drain the miami swamp!
We need this for Amazon!
Amazon doesn’t want a suburban office park.
They would definitive be interested in an area’s amenities for its workforce you would think. This proposal is light years ahead of an old city golf course.
So the downtown site for Amazon doesn’t provide any of the amenities you’re talking about, let alone a better and more diverse set of amenities?
A first rate city should have specialized venues. Miami does for the other major sports. This will help also with potential World Cup bids and possibly, some day, an Olympics or other major bids. Pan Am games?
Um, it looks pretty dense, like a “city in a city,” but it should have Metrorail access if the Orange Line continues down NW 37th Avenue. Also, this office development will attract companies from crappy low-rise 1970s suburban office parks in Doral.
What density? Nobody’s going to live there.
Exactly!!! Nobody wants to live next to a busy airport, so this project only makes sense.