A number of weeks in the past, I wrote a story about how Inter Miami had merely not fulfilled their aspect of an settlement with the town in alternate for the town serving to financially with a brand new stadium. The stadium was constructed but right this moment, there isn’t a public park. A park that was presupposed to be constructed by the top of 2022 on the newest and would come with a “sprawling park with a playground, dog park, walking trail, fitness area, yoga lawn, sports field, kickball zone and open green space”.
The settlement is moderately clear in regards to the workforce needing to construct the park, but Inter Miami has tried varied methods to get out of this a part of the settlement. At one time, the workforce advised the town that they wished $6 million extra in taxpayer cash to assist construct the general public park. One other time, the workforce claimed that that they had a super-secret cope with the earlier metropolis administration that didn’t make it into the ultimate settlement, however was nonetheless legitimate within the workforce’s thoughts. This super-secret deal pressured the town to financially assist Inter Miami construct this park. In the meantime, the empty land has been utilized by the workforce for parking throughout recreation days. Not solely has the workforce not constructed what was promised, however they’re additionally financially benefitting from it being empty.
Quick-forward to right this moment, and I need to give the town of Fort Lauderdale a standing ovation for what they’re doing. Final 12 months, the city gave the team till July 2023 to construct the park. This deadline got here and went just lately. Because the Sun-Sentinel wrote this week, the settlement between the town and workforce features a clause that states if the workforce doesn’t construct the park, the town can construct it and invoice the workforce. Guess what? That’s what they’re doing.
What if the workforce takes the town to court docket?
“So be it, says Commissioner John Herbst, whose district contains the stadium…We’ll construct the park and submit them with a invoice earlier than development begins…In the event that they refuse to pay, we’d sue them for the quantity we’re owed, plus attorneys’ charges” – Sun Sentinel, 06/17/23
Now, the town is on the point of construct a brand new $25 million park that will cost the team $13 million dollars (the town pays the remaining) and may open by 2025. The park will embody new fields for all types of sports activities and even a dog area. As well as, the town has now stopped the workforce from utilizing the land for parking. The workforce was given an opportunity to pay the $1.4 million {dollars} in overdue building permit fees, however nothing was given, and the payments stay unpaid.
Take into account that this is identical proprietor who has already been caught dishonest by the MLS for under-reporting wages to overseas gamers. Yeah, that seems like somebody who will comply with by.
