A lawsuit filed at the end of July could block a stadium deal in Florida. The lawsuit was filed by an activist against Miami-Dade County in an effort to block the sale of its land to Miami Beckham United for the construction of a Major League Soccer (MLS) stadium.
The lawsuit, which was officially filed on July 20, asks for an injunction to be placed on the sale of the land to the Beckham group. It also requested a competitive bidding process. The lawsuit was filed in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court.
The sale of a site just under three acres in Overtown was approved by the Miami-Dade County Commission back in June. The price tag came in at $9.015 million. The Beckham group is planning to combine the 2.8-acre site with a 6-acre site it previously bought from a private seller in order to construct a stadium that would seat 25,000 people.
In most circumstances, the county would be required to hold a bid on public land. Instead, the county used a law that allows them to sell to whomever they choose for major development projects so long as it includes an appraisal of the land being sold.
The activist who filed the lawsuit has said that he is prepared to purchase the property from the county for the same price and using the same terms outlined in the deal with the Beckham group. The lawsuit also claims that the appraisal used in the sale undervalued the land.
Dealing with construction litigation in Collier County can be difficult. An experienced real estate and commercial law attorney can guide you through the process and help you move forward with your projects.
Source: South Florida Business Journal, “Matheson lawsuit seeks to block Beckham soccer stadium deal,” Brian Bandell, July 24, 2017