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Commissioner’s Message
Heather Moraitis
District I Commissioner
CITY OF FORT LAUDERDALE
6 CORAL RIDGE COUNTRY CLUB ESTATES HOA
From the Desk of Commissioner Heather Moraitis
Big Plans for Lockhart Stadium Site!
reat news for the Lockhart Stadium site! Earlier this month, the City Commission
took a major step toward redeveloping this important property. We
Gunanimously voted to enter into an agreement with Miami Beckham United, a
group led by soccer legend David Beckham, on a visionary project for the 64-acre site.
The Beckham group is ready to invest up to $60 million to transform the property into
a “soccer-centric community destination.” Preliminary plans call for the construction of
a new state-of-the-art 18,000-seat soccer stadium where Beckham’s Major League
Soccer (MLS) team, Inter Miami CF, would play its first two seasons. An interim
agreement is currently being negotiated that will allow the Beckham Group to
expeditiously move forward with site preparation and demolition so that the stadium
can be completed by February 2020 in time for the start of next year’s MLS season.
In addition to the stadium, the Lockhart site would serve as Inter Miami’s base of
operations, main training center, home to a United Soccer League (USL) farm team,
and headquarters for a youth soccer academy that would groom the next generation
of elite soccer players. The complex would also include team and administrative
offices, locker rooms, weight rooms, classrooms, dining facilities, medical and
rehabilitation facilities, and practice fields.
The Beckham group would bring millions of dollars in public enhancements to the
property including the development of a public park, dog park, playground, public
multi-purpose fields, and a walking/jogging/fitness trail. The Commission is also
committed to building an additional stadium that our local public schools could use
for football and other athletic activities.
I’m excited about partnering with the Beckham group to bring significant
improvements to the site and expand public access to new facilities and amenities in
our community. The group’s investment, coupled with the recent passage of the Parks
Bond, will provide additional options to fund even more enhancements and
amenities on the property, like the new community center.
This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime project that offers our City a unique opportunity to
create a family-oriented destination on one of our largest remaining unused tracts of
land, and in doing so, leave a lasting legacy for future generations to use and enjoy.
I have already had numerous meetings and discussions with many of you, regarding
the community amenities and I plan to continue to seek your input, thoughts, and
ideas as this project moves forward. Please keep an eye out for more details and
further updates in the months ahead!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
• Sign-up for Email Updates/Newsletters to get additional links to important city
information, upcoming events, photos, commission agendas and meeting
reminders for district meetings. Please contact District 1 Assistant Melissa
Coningsby, MConingsby@fortlauderdale.gov or 954-828-5033, to receive emails
or to schedule an appointment.
• Follow Commissioner Moraitis on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn @heathermoraitis
Heather Moraitis
District I Commissioner