MIAMI: David Beckham’s dream of building a futuristic waterfront stadium in Miami that would house his own professional football team has turned into a “not in my backyard” clash, pitting the retired English superstar against one of the world’s top cruise lines.
Royal Caribbean Cruises is at the forefront of efforts to block Beckham’s plans to build a 25,000 seat stadium next to the port of Miami.
The cruise line is spearheading a group called the Miami Seaport Alliance, which has paid for full-page newspaper ads and TV and radio spots opposing Beckham’s plans. The alliance says a stadium would threaten the 200,000 jobs generated by the port, which is owned and operated by Miami-Dade County.
The port, built on a landfill island close to downtown, calls itself the “cruise capital of the world,” handling more than 4 million passengers in 2013. Formally known as PortMiami, it is also a large cargo facility.
“A soccer stadium at PortMiami is downright nutty,” according to one ad by the alliance. “We cannot jeopardize well-paying jobs, like crane operators, longshore workers, and mechanics, for low-paying stadium jobs, such as concession sales,” it adds.
John Fox, president of the Miami Seaport Alliance, who until recently headed government relations for Royal Caribbean in Washington, accused Beckham of a “land grab” this week, saying he suspected the stadium was a shoehorn for a much larger development plan on real estate close to the port entrance. (Reuters)
