John Ruiz Plans to Build a University of Miami Stadium at Tropical Park in Miami-Dade

The University of Miami Hurricanes have been without a stadium since 2008 and have been traveling to the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens in Coral Gables for all of their home games. It’s been such a struggle for fans and students alike that a University of Miami alumni has taken it upon himself to remedy the situation.

John H. Ruiz, billionaire attorney and founder of MSP Recovery recently announced the plans to build a new stadium located at the Coral Gables High School. According to local officials, Ruiz did not consult with Miami-Dade County Public Schools or the City of Coral Gables on the plan.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools still owns the property where the proposed stadium would be built. Once his plans were denied, Ruiz then announced a new spot of the Miami Hurricane’s stadium, Tropical Park in Westchester. According to Ruiz, “It’s gonna be at 4 Tropical Park — there are about 270 acres there. The design is over the top, it’s gorgeous, I’ve seen it already a couple of times.”

The design for the stadium includes 65,000 seats with space for graduate-level classrooms and extreme water fixtures throughout the property. The architect behind the plans includes HKS Architects.

Tropical Park is publicly owned land by Miami-Dade County. Ruiz doesn’t appear concerned about speaking with Miami-Dade County, “We’re gonna present the plans to the county, but the county is less important in my opinion because it has to go out to a vote to the constituents as a referendum. Obviously, we’re going to talk to the commissioners and the mayor, but ultimately it goes out to a vote to the general public.”

This isn’t the first sports venture that Ruiz has been a part of. In 2011, he leased a 90-acre baseball development at the City of Homestead. The city later filed a lawsuit to evict him from the development 2 years later after he didn’t pay the utilities, insurance, and taxes on the property.

A private-sector attorney, Jose Sanchez-Gronlier stated that he didn’t want one of the last green areas in Miami-Dade County to be demolished for a stadium. It is unclear how residents and local representatives will respond to the new development. Ruiz will meet with the county to present the Tropical Park stadium idea to the county next week.

Dirty French Steakhouse Officially Opens in Miami

Thanks to Major Food Group, they are bring another one of their successful New York restaurants to Miami. Located in the heart of Brickell, Dirty French Restaurant will bring culinary sophistication through this Parisian Fare steakhouse to further add to the ever-expanding Miami scene. Oh, and did we mention…the decor is 80’s era themed?

From the high-quality meat and fish to the comprehensive 700-bottle wine list, Major Food Group co-founders Zalaznick, Mario Carbone, and Rich Torrisi have brought this innovative menu to life with a menu full raw bar items, seafood dinners, aged steaks, and your favorite classic side dishes.

The menu itself ranges from prime aged steaks, including Filet Mignon, Ribeye, and New York Strip, all of which are presented with a variety of sauces ranging from Au Poivre to Cajun. Forty-ounce Porterhouses and a Wagyu Tomahawks, are the chef’s favorites and Diners will be surprised by a range of off-menu cuts offered weekly at the restaurant as well. The menu also includes a savory Dover Sole Meunière served table-side, a Duck à l’Orange, and an excellent soufflé program, all of which pay homage to the restaurant’s Parisian roots.

The design of the interior can only be described as French elegance. Designed by Ken Fluk, Dirty French Steakhouse mixes the early 80’s French era with contemporary tropical designs. Throughout, you’ll notice the golf-leaf ceiling, Jungle Bar, onyx bar, glass leaf chandelier, leopard bar stools and banana pendants. The pieces blend elegantly and really make the steakhouse inviting.

According to Co-Owner of Major Food Group, “After making this paradise home, we realized that there was a tremendous opportunity to bring a sensational steakhouse to Brickell in true MFG fashion—a sophisticated, contemporary, high-energy culinary blockbuster fit for the most exciting city in the world today. It simply does not get any more major than Dirty French Steakhouse, which is the beginning of a series of big projects in the neighborhood.”

French Dirty Steakhouse has officially opened and if it’s like Major Food Group’s other Miami restaurants, Carbone, ZZ’s Club, and Sadelle’s, you may want to book your reservations now. Make your reservations through DirtyFrench.com.