Miami officials have suggested the city-owned Melreese golf course as a potential alternative for an MLS stadium site.
The Miami Herald reported that Jorge Mas, the leading partner of David Beckham's ownership group that was formally awarded an MLS expansion team in January, met with city manager Emilio Gonzalez to discuss stadium locations on Monday.
"I suggested that perhaps Melreese could be an interesting place to consider, given what it provides," Gonzalez told the Herald. "They expressed an interest. We both agreed to continue a dialogue."
Mas said last week he would prefer a larger site than the planed nine-acre location in Overtown, which has also faced opposition from the local community and a lawsuit from a wealthy landowner nearby.
In comparison, Melreese is nearly ten times as large at 180 acres, and even obtaining a portion of the site would allow Mas and Beckham's group to build a larger complex with a youth academy, restaurant and retail space.
The golf course, located next to Miami International Airport and the Dolphin Expressway, would also offer easier access to the stadium than in Overtown and could include more options for parking. A lack of on-site parking at the Overtown site raised concerns when stadium plans were unveiled last May.
"I think the vision that they've demonstrated also is greater and grander than the capacity for that site," Miami mayor Francis Suarez told the Herald, which also reported that using the golf course could come down to a voter referendum last this year.