Mayor Francis Suarez sets the date for a crucial vote on Miami Freedom Park
Update, March 4: The meeting has be rescheduled again for 2:30 p.m. March 10, during a regularly scheduled commission meeting. It is unclear what led to Mayor Francis Suarez pushing the hearing back one day.
Update, Feb. 11: The meeting has been rescheduled for 10 a.m. March 9. A scheduling conflict forced the meeting to be pushed back so all five commissioners could be present.
A pivotal vote to determine the future of Inter Miami is now on the calendar.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, a leading proponent of the plan to replace city-owned Melreese golf course with a $1 billion commercial complex and 25,000-seat soccer stadium, has called for a special commission meeting at 10 a.m. on Feb. 23 to consider the deal negotiated between his administration and the soccer club’s owners, including MasTec chairman and co-founder Jorge Mas.
Mas and his brother Jose Mas are partners with the team’s most prominent owner, retired footballer David Beckham.
The no-bid lease for the plan, known as Miami Freedom Park, needs approval from four of five commissioners.
The purpose of the meeting is to “consider any and all actions relating to the proposed lease for the Miami Freedom Park (MFP) project,” according to a memo sent out Tuesday by Suarez’s office to city commissioners.
The Miami Herald first reported the conclusion of negotiations in early January, and an initial review of the terms shows some financial figures have not changed since 2018, while some disagreements during negotiations were resolved.
This story was originally published January 25, 2022 at 4:22 PM.
