Like New York City FC and most teams based in an urban center, Inter Miami CF is looking at centering their day-to-day facilities in the suburbs.
David Beckham’s MLS club, while still working on a downtown stadium deal, has proposed to the city of Fort Lauderdale to host their training facility on the grounds of Lockhart Stadium. The nearly-60-year-old stadium has hosted plenty of soccer matches in the past, including serving as the home of the Miami Fusion and the many iterations of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.
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Inter Miami’s proposal includes a “multi-sport” stadium, a 30,000 square foot building that would include lockers, offices, weight rooms, dining facilities and more, and numerous grass fields for Inter Miami and its academy teams to play on. In addition, the proposal states the multi-sport stadium would be intended to host a future potential USL-based reserve team.
The site would also include “community facilities,” such as a running/walking trail, a public park, a dog park, and potentially a community meeting center.
Inter Miami in the proposal offered to pay for the design and construction of each of the site’s features, with the exception of the community center. It’s not clear whether the team would have to pay rent to use the space, as it is on Fort Lauderdale property.
According to local reports, a $70 million water park was proposed for the site, but the deal fell through. If it goes ahead, it would be a huge win for Inter Miami and perhaps give the club some backing in its continued pursuit for a stadium site close to downtown Miami.