It's taken David Beckham's retirement for him to face his toughest foe in soccer.
According to Reuters.com, an alliance of shipping interests in the port of Miami and a billionaire car dealer are attempting to block Beckham's plan to put a soccer arena there for an expansion MLS franchise.
The objections hinge on the argument that the arena is a threat to Miami's economic plans based on the expansion of the Panama Canal.
"We cannot jeopardize well-paying jobs, like crane operators, longshore workers, and mechanics, for low-paying stadium jobs, such as concession sales," the Miami Seaport Alliance said in a full-page ad that ran in the Miami Herald and its sister Spanish-language paper, El Nuevo Herald.
Alliance leader John Fox is the retired head of governmental affairs at Royal Carribean Cruise Line. He has teamed with former Philadelphia Eagles owner and current car dealer Norman Braman to form the opposition.
Beckham unveiled plans for a 25,000-seat waterfront stadium on the island port.
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said the site is just one of four that are under consideration. No recommendations have been made.
Beckham backers say that the objections to the waterfront stadium are misguided.
"The plan doesn't interfere with port operations," said Neisen Kasdin, an attorney for Akerman Senterfitt and adviser for the Beckham group. "It will likely generate more revenue for the port in the shorter term than other concepts that have been discussed."
Reuters reported that Braman has been a noted naysayer to athletic stadiums in Miami. He spent more than $1 million in 2009 to fight a then-Florida Marlins push to secure $600 million for a new stadium. That stadium opened in 2012.
Then in 2013, he publicly opposed the Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross' request for $200 million to repair the team's stadium. Ross failed to secure the funds.
"There are plenty of other places for the stadium to be," Braman said of Beckham's plans in a telephone interview with Reuters.
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