The Miami Seaport Alliance says while it supports the addition of a major league soccer arena in the city, it cannot support the “harmful idea” of it being located at the port, saying it could also threaten the city’s plans to capitalise on the expansion of the Panama Canal in 2015.
“PortMiami, a maritime industrial zone, should remain dedicated to operations that have made it the pride of the community, as the cruise capital of the world and the cargo gateway of the Americas,” said John Fox, president, said in a statement on behalf of the Miami Seaport Alliance.
It is understood that PortMiami is one of four sites under consideration, but the Alliance, along with a growing list of opponents, insists the island port should not be one of them.
David Beckham’s plans would see a 36-acre space turned into a 25,000-seat waterfront stadium that would cost around US$200m and include shops, hotels and offices.
With more than 4,000 employees travelling daily to PortMiami, four million passengers sailing on cruise ships each year, and around eight million tonnes of cargo being transported annually, the port has more than enough to deal with.
“Simply put, PortMiami cannot afford to have business and jobs ship out to competing ports along the East Coast, such as Port Everglades and many others, not to mention the security issues generated by thousands of spectators streaming to the new stadium,” added Mr Fox.
On the other hand, advisers for the Beckham group have apparently highlighted the extra revenue that it could bring to the port, and maintain it will not interfere with port operations.