Miami Freedom Park: A Visionary Urban Development in Progress
Miami Freedom Park is rapidly taking shape as a transformative mixed-use development poised to redefine urban living in Miami. Designed by renowned master-planner Arquitectonica, the ambitious 130-acre project is being constructed on the site of a former public golf course and is intended to serve as a model for integrated, sustainable city planning.
According to Arquitectonica, the master plan harmonizes green spaces, cutting-edge design, and dynamic public amenities to create a vibrant community hub that will benefit Miami for generations to come. The development seamlessly blends civic, recreational, and commercial elements, offering a multifaceted environment catering to diverse urban needs.
At the heart of Miami Freedom Park, the highly anticipated stadium for Inter Miami CF is already rising from the ground. This 25,000-seat sporting facility will serve as the focal point of the development, solidifying Miami’s reputation as a premier destination for soccer enthusiasts and furthering the city’s stature in the global sports arena.
In addition to the stadium, Miami Freedom Park will include:
360,000 square feet dedicated to full-service restaurants
240,000 square feet of retail space
750 hotel rooms to accommodate visitors and residents
400,000 square feet of office space, fostering a dynamic business environment
A public park equipped with restroom facilities and a capacity for 500 persons
Multiple structured parking garages to support the anticipated influx of visitors and residents
Earlier this month, construction commenced on an eight-story, 382,592-square-foot office building, which will function as a City of Miami Administrative Building. This addition underscores the development’s role in enhancing municipal operations while contributing to the area’s overall economic vitality.
With a robust infrastructure plan and a thoughtfully designed layout, Miami Freedom Park is set to become a landmark of modern urban development. By integrating innovative architectural principles with community-centric spaces, this project aims to deliver a premier destination that embodies the future of Miami’s metropolitan evolution.
The Future of Inter Miami: Miami Freedom Park
As the anticipation builds for the 2026 MLS season, soccer fans in Miami have a lot to look forward to with the upcoming opening of Miami Freedom Park, the new home of Inter Miami CF. While the stadium is still under construction, the project received a significant boost from the State of Florida, further solidifying its importance to the local community and beyond.
Governor Ron DeSantis made headlines recently with an announcement at Inter Miami’s temporary home, Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. The governor revealed that the State of Florida would be granting $8 million to Miami-Dade County to support infrastructure improvements around the new stadium site. This funding is earmarked specifically for constructing roadways that will alleviate traffic congestion, an essential consideration given the stadium’s proximity to Miami International Airport.
The governor’s remarks highlight the state’s strategic approach to supporting large-scale projects like Miami Freedom Park. While direct funding for the stadium’s construction isn’t on the table, the investment in infrastructure underscores the state’s commitment to ensuring the success of such ventures.
Miami Freedom Park isn’t just about soccer; it’s a vision for a multifaceted community space that includes a 26,700-seat stadium, a 58-acre park, hotels, offices, retail, and entertainment venues. Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas emphasized this broader vision during the announcement, calling the project “transformational” for Miami.
The project is set to create over 13,000 direct and indirect jobs and generate more than $40 million in tax revenue for state and local governments. In addition to the stadium, the project promises to deliver the largest park in the City of Miami, offering a significant recreational space for residents.
The journey to Miami Freedom Park has been a long and challenging one for the Mas brothers and co-owner David Beckham. After years of political hurdles and delays, the City of Miami finally approved the $1 billion project in April 2022. The stadium is being built on the site of the former Melreese Golf Course, a location that will soon transform into a vibrant hub for sports and entertainment.
Inter Miami CF has already made waves in the soccer world, especially with the signing of Argentine superstar Lionel Messi. The arrival of Messi, along with other top talents like Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, has catapulted the team into the global spotlight, raising expectations for what lies ahead.
Governor DeSantis acknowledged the impact of these signings, noting, “What we’ve seen in soccer in South Florida has been incredible, especially when they brought Messi on. That was like the biggest thing ever, having a global superstar like that right here is a really big deal for our community.”
As Miami Freedom Park nears completion, the excitement continues to build. With its opening scheduled for the 2026 MLS season, the stadium will not only serve as the new home for Inter Miami but also as a key venue for the 2026 World Cup, which the United States will co-host. The future looks bright for soccer in Miami, and Miami Freedom Park is set to be at the heart of it all, driving both the sport and the local economy to new heights.
Soccer Star Lionel Messi Buys Fort Lauderdale Waterfront Mansion
Lionel Messi and his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, purchased an eight-bedroom mansion in Fort Lauderdale’s Bay Colony through a business run by Messi’s money manager, Alfonso Nebot.
Messi has been sighted looking at homes from Fort Lauderdale to Boca Raton in South Florida. Messi and Roccuzzo paid $10.8 million for the house at 91 Compass Lane, which was sold by John and Stacy Dickerson. The Dickersons paid $9 million for the estate in May of last year, so when they decided to sell it, they received a 20% increase in price.
According to a 2022 listing for the house, the 0.4-acre property boasts 170 feet of waterfrontage, two docks, a waterfront pool, a gym/spa area, and an Italian kitchen. According to property records, the residence was constructed in 1988 and was expanded in 2000. The expansive primary suite covers 1,600 square feet.
Messi joined Inter Miami in July to much fanfare and has since helped the team to eight victories and four draws. The veteran Barcelona player brought home the World Cup trophy for his homeland Argentina last year. Messi will play in the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers this week, thus he will be flying to Bolivia.
Between $50 million and $60 million is invested in Messi’s contract with Inter Miami, in addition to club equity and revenue-sharing arrangements with Adidas, Apple, and other businesses.
Drive Pink Stadium and Inter Miami’s nearby training facility in Fort Lauderdale are both roughly 5 miles from Messi’s residence. The team anticipates moving to Miami someday, where its owners are planning Miami Freedom Park, a sizable mixed-use project that will feature a soccer stadium on the city-owned Melreese Country Club land just east of Miami International Airport. Jorge and José Mas, brothers and businessmen from Miami, as well as David Beckham and other partners, are the team’s owners.
Additionally, Messi has three condos in Sunny Isles Beach, one of which is a property at the Porsche Design Tower, which Gil Dezer’s Dezer Development finished in late 2016.
Miami Freedom Park Begins Construction- Set to Open in 2025
Miami Freedom Park development has officially started construction, with the groundbreaking ceremony scheduled to take place later this year. The Miami Freedom Park development will include the Inter Miami CF stadium, a 58-acre public park, and an entertainment zone spreading over 131 acres with a 25,000-seat soccer-specific stadium at 1802 Northwest 37th Avenue in Grapeland Heights, Miami.
A 58-acre public park, the largest new park in Miami, youth athletic fields, a full range of entertainment and commercial offerings, including office space, a hotel, shops, restaurants, and additional experiences and attractions are all included in the privately funded recreational project.
A construction crew is currently working on-site in preparation for vertical construction. Miami Freedom Park’s first phase will advance quickly during this multi-phase project. Both the rehabilitation proposal for the former Melreese Country Club and the lease for Miami Freedom Park have previously received approval from the City of Miami Commission and the general public.
In order to improve this iconic new destination for Miami, leasing and commercial partnership efforts are being made to entice best-in-class partners, tenants, and retailers, including existing and developing brands and companies.
At the beginning of the year, Inter Miami CF ownership hired Devon McCorkle, a seasoned megaproject and sports-anchored real estate investment and development veteran, to head the initiative as President of Miami Freedom Park. For Miami Freedom Park to reach this milestone and advance the project into the execution phase once it has finished the planning and approvals phase, Devon has further assembled a team of best-in-class design, engineering, project management, and construction firms.
Miami Freedom Park will bring further retail, hotel, and commercial phases through 2030 when the stadium is delivered in 2025, along with the initial retail and entertainment services.
Miami-based architecture firm Arquitectonica, international arena and stadium design company Manica, and industry-leading large-scale stadium project managers CAA Icon make up the renowned Miami Freedom Park team.
Miami Freedom Park Construction Update
The location where Inter Miami’s stadium is slated to be built has officially received site work permits from Miami’s Building Department.
In the most recent few weeks, two different permissions were issued. The first one was released on July 14th. It is for work that is categorized under excavation/piles/site and soil enhancement and is expected to be worth $30,759,715.
The second permit, which is listed as excavation/piles/site and soil enhancement category and for a different address, was issued on July 25th and is estimated to be worth $5,240,284.
According to records, the property’s tree and demolition permits are still being reviewed and have not yet been given.
The contractor for Miami Freedom Park is listed as Downrite Engineering. Jorge Mas, the managing owner of Inter Miami, stated in June that the start of construction was anticipated “any day now,” and that it would take a few weeks.
Last year, the Miami City Commission approved a 99-year lease agreement with Inter Miami CF. On September 13, the Miami City Commission authorized zoning that would allow for the development of a 25,000-seat soccer stadium, a 750-room hotel, a 58-acre park, and a 1 million square foot commercial complex with retail, offices, and entertainment on 130 acres of land at Melreese Country Club.
The new stadium’s opening is planned for the summer or early fall of 2025, according to Mas.
Developers for the New Miami Soccer Stadium Obtain $31 Million Construction Loan
Recently, an LLC associated with the Inter Miami CF major league soccer team got a $31 million mortgage from Miami-based City National Bank of Florida in order to begin construction on Inter Miami Soccer Stadium.
The mortgagee is identified as 0101 Miami Properties, LLC, in the care of M Sports LLC. The mortgage identifies nine acres of land that 0101 Miami Properties LLC spent $27.97 million constructing at 678 NW 7th St. in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood between 2016 and 2019.
Miami Beckham United LLC, Pablo Alvarez, vice president and general counsel of Inter Miami CF, Jorge and José Mas, the brother executives of Coral Gables-based MasTec (NYSE: MTZ), and Inter Miami CF’s primary shareholders, are among the management of 0101 Miami Properties.
At the time, the David Beckham-fronted team’s ownership was intent on building a soccer stadium at that site or keeping it as an alternative option if a deal to construct a soccer stadium at the City of Miami’s Melreese Country Club at 1400 N.W. 37th Ave. fell through.
This past April, the Miami City Commission approved a 99-year lease agreement with Inter Miami CF. On September 13, the Miami City Commission authorized zoning that would allow for the development of a 25,000-seat soccer stadium, a 750-room hotel, a 58-acre park, and a 1 million square foot commercial complex with retail, offices, and entertainment on 130 acres of land at Melreese Country Club.
Jose Mas stated he would want to see the land developed as workforce housing or something else that benefits the community.
In addition, according to media reports, Miami commissioners have explored utilizing stadium rent payments to create a trust fund for affordable housing.
Renderings Revealed for Miami Freedom Park
With all of the news surrounding the FIFA World Cup and Miami bid, another great announcement was made for the Miami Freedom Park with new renderings and development plans showcasing the major project.
According to the developers, the newest renderings were revised after the first meeting with the Miami Review Board and this newest proposal includes not only exterior renderings but site sections, area enhancements, and updated design visions.
The revised proposal shows the plan will include a 600,000 sq. ft. retail and soccer village, 25,000 seat stadium, 750 hotel rooms, 400,000 sq. ft. office, and 5,100 parking spaces.
Some of the enhancements noted in the revised proposal include new pedestrian access points, crosswalk connections, and pedestrian path improvements.
The hearing to discuss the project was scheduled to be reviewed last week with Miami’s Urban Development Review Board. One of the conclusions for the review included the vote to move the Miami Commissioners offices into the new administrative buildings at Miami Freedom Park.
Arquitectonica is listed as the architect for the project. Although the project is located at the end of one of the Miami International Airport runways, it will be in compliance with the Federal Aviation Association height restrictions.
One of the biggest concerns for the Miami Freedom Park is that building the 1+ million square feet of commercial space will affect the surrounding neighborhoods and will clog area streets.
Miami Officials Plan to Move Office Headquarters to Miami Freedom Park
Inter Miami CF’s new stadium may gain some new neighbors, including the City of Miami’s headquarters. Officials in Miami are looking at a contract to build the municipal administration offices at Miami Freedom Park, a large mixed-use redevelopment of a golf course near Miami International Airport. The MLS team’s stadium would be the site’s main attraction, but there would also be commercial development.
The plan to construct a new municipal administration headquarters has been in the works for more than five years.
City voters approved a referendum to lease the present municipal administrative headquarters in 2018. The current lease includes a 3.15-acre property along the Miami River at 444 S.W. Second Ave., to Lancelot Miami River LLC, a unit of Miami-based Adler Group. The developer intends to build a mixed-use development there.
The agreement also required Lancelot Miami River to construct a new municipal administrative facility of about 230,000 square feet with at least 610 parking spots. The city would fund the building with a special obligation bond, but Lancelot Miami River would be in charge of construction.
The city originally planned to build its administrative center on the 1.6-acre Lancelot Miami River property at 230 S.W. Third St. However, the agreement has not yet been formalized.
The City Commission then approved the lease and development agreement for Miami Freedom Park in April. A 25,000-seat soccer stadium, 1 million square feet of retail and commercial space, and 750 hotel rooms would be included in the project. The proprietors of Inter Miami would completely fund this project, and the location would require extensive environmental remediation.
This new building would take up around 1/4 of the commercial area at Miami Freedom Park.
The current designs for the municipal administrative building, according to David S. Adler, head of Adler Group, are for Miami Freedom Park. This would free up its 1.6-acre Miami River property to expand its mixed-use development.
In April, David Beckham won approval for a land lease for a Major League Soccer stadium in that same location.
