MIAMI – David Beckham's search for a stadium site to place his Major League Soccer team may have gone into extra time, but it appears to have a happy ending.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez told Local 10 News reporter Glenna Milberg that he signed a non-binding letter of intent with Miami Beckham United to negotiate the purchase of land owned by the county.
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Beckham is expected to ink the deal on a four-acre site in Overtown.
The deal would come after months of disappointments that saw Beckham get rejected from sites at PortMiami, near the American Airlines Arena and next to Marlins Park.
Gimenez said the site is located near Northwest Sixth Street and Northwest Sixth Avenue near downtown Miami.
The mayor said Beckham's group would pay fair-market value for the property, which is managed by the Miami-Dade County Water and Sewer Department.
Because the stadium would be privately owned, Beckham's group would be responsible for paying annual property taxes.
Just weeks ago, it appeared that Beckham was close to building on land next to Marlins Park in Little Havana. However, property owners on the site were reluctant to offer what the Beckham group believed was a fair price for their land.
Gimenez called the agreement "the most significant step in our collective efforts to make Major League Soccer a reality in Miami-Dade County."
"It is also further confirmation that Miami Beckham United wants its franchise to be in our community," Gimenez said.
The mayor said he expects to finalize the deal with county commissioners in the near future.
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