By Robert J. Romano, JD, LLM, St. John’s University, Senior Writer
Back in 2018, when the City of Miami and Miami Freedom Park, LLC entered into discussions to build the future home of Inter Miami CF at the site where Melreese Country Club was then located,[1] it attracted significant opposition due to the fact that, a) the proposed site included the only public golf course, a popular venue for residents and for a wide variety of charitable activities, b) community activists were outspoken in asserting that MFP is trying to capitalize on the relatively cheap price of the land located in a poorer, historically black section of the city, and that c) a substantial portion of the costs for the project will be absorbed by the taxpayers for both the land and construction of the stadium, concerns similar to those the citizens of Miami confronted when a new stadium was built for Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins.[2] However, after years of political hurdles, legal battles and delays, the City of Miami approved the $1 billion project in April 2022.
Now in 2024, again the building of the soccer stadium, which is scheduled to open in the fall of 2026, is causing controversy due to the fact that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently announced that his office, through the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund, will provide an additional $8 million in grant money to help construct roads and infrastructure around the 26,700-seat south Florida facility.
DeSantis’s announcement is controversial, to say the least, on a variety of fronts. First, because the ownership of Inter Miami CF is vested with the Mas brothers, José and managing owner Jorge, together with international soccer star David Beckham. These three men have a combined net worth of over $2 billion, with Jorge Mas’s value being around $1.3 billion, his brother José’s at approximately $341 million, and David Beckham whose 20-year long career playing for Manchester United, Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan and Paris Saint Germain, together with endorsements, netted him an estimated $800 million.[3] So, why are billionaires/millionaires receiving hardworking taxpayer dollars to help finance their ‘private’ professional sports teams and the facilities in which they play?
I ask this question because hundreds of economic impact studies have been published over the last thirty years, all determining that stadium construction has little, if any, net positive effect on the economy of the surrounding area. Up until now it appeared as if Governor DeSantis was aware of this, being an outspoken opponent of spending taxpayer money on sport venues. This time, however, Governor DeSantis says things are different because these monies from the Job Growth Grant Fund will not benefit the stadium directly but, instead will be used to improve the streets in and around the stadium, while at the same time support the restaurants, shops and offices that will be part of the complex. Such, however, isn’t a significant distinction as past studies have noted that “as sport and stadium-related activities increase, other spending declines because people substitute spending on sports for other spending”.[4]
In addition, according to J.C. Bradbury, economics professor at Kennesaw State University and former president of the North American Association of Sports Economists, when commenting on the $8 million dollar grant stated that “This probably isn’t the most deserving infrastructure project. Helping people get to soccer matches isn’t all that important. With every new sports stadium, they always claim huge economic impacts. They always say this one will be different. It never is.”[5]
So, the question remains – isn’t it time for these rich sport franchise owners to stop bilking taxpayers for millions upon millions of dollars for stadium development and to start using their own money to build these facilities for themselves? And, in addition, isn’t it time for state and local politicians, as gatekeepers and protectors of the populaces’ purses, to begin listening to the experts who have completed studies in the area of stadium economic impact and begin using taxpayer monies for the benefit of and in the best interests of the taxpayers (and their children) themselves? One could only hope and, of course, vote.
[1] Melreese Country Club comprised of seventy-three-acres of city-owned property located at 1400 Northwest 37th Avenue, Miami, Florida.
[2] Romano, R. (2020), Appeals Court Opens Door for Pro Soccer Stadium in Miami, Sports Facilities and the Law, Volume 5 Issue 2 ((September-October 2020).
[3] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/david-beckham-victoria-beckham-net-worth-how-rich-are-the-beckhams/articleshow/104331312.cms?from=mdr
[4] Coates, D. and Humphreys, B. (2004, October). Caught Stealing: Debunking the Economic Case for D.C. Baseball. CATO Institute.
[5] https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/desantis-longtime-opponent-of-state-spending-on-stadiums-allocates-8-million-for-inter-miami/
