91-559: Miami Freedom Park is a 25,000-seat soccer-specific stadium currently under construction in Miami, Florida , United States. It is planned to be the home of Major League Soccer club Inter Miami CF . In spring of 2022, final approval was given by the City of Miami to build a stadium on the current site of the Melreese golf course, close to Miami International Airport . The decision followed
182-469: A 100-mile (160 km) radius of the stadium. Approximately 6 million US gallons (23,000,000 L) of water a year are saved with the use of 249 waterless urinals . An early aim of the new ballpark was to become the first retractable-roof ballpark to be Silver Certified by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). On May 25, 2012, Marlins Park surpassed that goal by officially becoming
273-406: A 1970s or '80s doughnut ... I wanted it to be a statement of what Miami is all about—a contemporary city. Miami is an important American city and architecture makes your city great. The idea was to create something very contemporary. Loria then sketched his idea of a round building on a napkin and told the architects to bring him back some real drawings. Exec architect Earl Santee, who was present at
364-662: A disparity between the Marlins’ intake in MLB revenue sharing compared to the operating costs of the franchise, suggesting a willful misrepresentation of the Marlins’ profit margins under the Loria ownership as well as Loria and Samson's mismanagement of the Marlins in order to leverage the local government to provide a lion's share of the funding for the stadium. During the 2011–12 offseason, Mayor of Miami Regalado publicized details of
455-512: A groundbreaking ceremony in July 2009. The total cost of construction for the ballpark was estimated to be $ 634 million, with 80% of that funded by the city and the county. Due to the structure of the bonds financed over 40 years, it was estimated that the principal and the interest paid by the city and county would accrue to $ 2.4 billion over the lifetime of the bonds. Between 2009 and 2010, a series of leaked documents from Major League Baseball showed
546-541: A long process in which numerous locations were considered for the stadium. The current plans would see the stadium opened for the 2026 MLS season. On March 25, 2014, David Beckham announced plans to build a 25,000-seat stadium at PortMiami , adjacent to the Miami Heat 's American Airlines Arena (now known as Kaseya Center) in the Downtown area of the city. Under the proposal, the stadium would have been located at
637-488: A message about its location. It can be interpreted in a fresh way." The stadium would also not be symmetrical like the "cookie-cutter" stadiums of the pre-Camden, modern era. Populous began conducting feasibility studies for their "primary design objectives." The top objective was creating "a ballpark that is quintessentially Miami," which meant, according to a list of adjectives that the architects drew up: "palms, destination, diverse, recreation, and beach." A similar list
728-555: A new ballpark. Then, in January 2004, the City of Miami proposed building a baseball-only stadium for the Marlins at the site of the Miami Orange Bowl that would adjoin the existing football stadium along its northern flank. In December 2004, Miami's NFL team notified the Marlins of its intention to terminate the lease at Joe Robbie Stadium by 2010, potentially leaving the Marlins without a stadium to host its home games. In
819-430: A panoramic view of Downtown Miami , and a huge air-conditioning system. The stadium is also said to be designed to withstand strong hurricanes . "If our ballpark would speak, its first words would be, '¡Hola, Miami!,'" Loria said during a new-era ceremony. Instead of framing new technology with nostalgic elements as in retro parks, LoanDepot Park emphasizes the future. Besides electronic mixed-media artwork, technology
910-406: A part of the sustainability equation but the park opened without solar panels. However, engineers optimized lighting, mechanical controls, and electrical aspects enough to achieve a 22.4% reduction in energy usage, which exceeded the 14% required for certification. The U.S. Green Building Council noted an innovation which earned the facility three credits: Throughout areas of the stadium, including
1001-503: A permanent stage at one end of the stadium used for staging concerts. A soccer-specific stadium typically has amenities, dimensions and scale suitable for soccer in North America, including a scoreboard, video screen, luxury suites and possibly a roof. The field dimensions are within the range found optimal by FIFA : 110–120 yards (100–110 m) long by 70–80 yards (64–75 m) wide. These soccer field dimensions are wider than
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#17327913564751092-432: A possible site. Before the team was announced, Palm Beach County Sports Commission contacted Beckham's group and proposed FAU Stadium for the team. The ownership group released a statement saying that a downtown Miami site was still preferred, but added, "there are other cities that would welcome an MLS club owned by [Beckham] and his partners." In August 2014, Commissioner Don Garber told Alexi Lalas of ESPN that
1183-479: A result, classic elements such as redbrick, limestone, and muted forest-green seats or fences, would not be found anywhere in Marlins Park. Any visible steel trusses would be functionally required to be that way, unlike retro-style trusses which tend to be exposed and bare for aesthetics. According to Sherlock, the structure would convey "that a ballpark doesn't necessarily have to be bricks and steel to translate
1274-532: A soccer stadium to be built alongside it, a plan supported by the league in 2008). In February 2015, Miami-Dade County commissioner Xavier Suárez suggested two previously proposed sites – next to Marlins Park and on the Miami River near Miami International Airport . Suárez told the Miami New Times that he had already discussed the latter location with Beckham's advisor and the developer who owns
1365-478: A stadium would worsen traffic problems and interfere with the port's plans to expand and handle increased cargo. Beckham's real estate adviser argued that Royal Caribbean opposed the stadium plan because it paid below-market rates on its lease at the port. Facing political pressure, Beckham's group announced that the PortMiami site had become "Plan B", and Miami-Dade County commissioners voted 11–1 against building
1456-422: A strain of Bermuda grass —named Celebration—for its reputation of doing well in the shade. Even so, with the grass receiving only about 4 hours per day of sunlight, some of the sod kept turning brown. The worst-affected area is in deep right field where patches of dead sod have been replaced multiple times. Grow lights are pointed by groundskeepers on the area to nurse it to health on non-game days. As of 2014,
1547-515: A tentative deal to build the park on city-owned land next to Marlins Park, pending approval from city commissioners. However, in November 2015, Commissioner Francis Suarez said it was taken off the city commission agenda for December 1, 2015, where approval was required to get the stadium on the March 2016 ballot. Suarez cited Beckham's group's inability to secure deals with private landowners. When
1638-824: Is a piece of art." "If you're looking for a label, I'd say 'contemporary'," Sherlock said. As well: In this particular case, we didn't adopt anything stylistically. It's sculpture quality, and with sculpture, there are no rules. We wanted an experience that connects the fan experience to the city of Miami and its people and its climate and culture. The ballpark is intended to embody Miami so much that its emblematic features would look out-of-place if they were put in other cities. "We used Miami as an excuse to do things that other cities couldn't get away with," team President David Samson said. "Everywhere you look, it's things that if they were anywhere else, people would say, 'You can't do that.' In Miami, people say, 'Oh, that's Miami.' You have to take advantage where you are." "Marlins Park
1729-430: Is all about Miami," said Sherlock. The exterior is a sculptural monument consisting of gleaming white stucco, steel, aluminum, and glass. The inclining elliptical form avoids creating many rigid, right angles. Angled, cantilevered pedestrian ramps also form elegant geometric shapes. "It's consistent with the essence of the buildings that are down here – white plaster and graceful forms, which are somewhat of an abstraction of
1820-463: Is also unmistakably used for commercial purposes. As a way to market to Latino fans, many digital menu boards on the concession stands continuously switch from English to Spanish and back. Also, there are no hand-operated advertisement signs; ads are all computerized. Santee explains: It's really just how technology is everywhere. You don't see any static ad panels in this building. It's all video-based, IPTV-based. It's all connected. The technology
1911-605: Is designed in a neomodern form of baseball architecture. Prior to the construction of LoanDepot Park, the Marlins played home games at what was originally known as Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami Gardens , which was known by a number of different names during the Marlins' tenure there. Joe Robbie Stadium was built in 1987 as home to the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL), and
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#17327913564752002-425: Is generally between 18,000 and 30,000 for a Major League Soccer franchise, or smaller for college or minor league soccer teams. This is in comparison to the much larger American football stadiums that mostly range between 60,000 and 80,000 in which the original North American Soccer League teams played and most MLS teams occupied during the league's inception. As opposed to gridiron-style football stadiums, where
2093-478: Is located. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd , who had previously proposed developing on the same site, formed the Miami Seaport Alliance (MSA), a coalition of companies and unions based in the port, and led the opposition to the stadium plan. Political strategist Joe Slade White created an advertising campaign for MSA, which later won a national award for best public affairs advertising, claiming that
2184-399: Is not an easy task. The team that's up here did some amazing things to bring this plaque to the building. "It was our desire from the onset to not only build America's greatest new ballpark, but also its most environmentally friendly," said Loria. Since sod was first laid down in early February 2012, the grass has had difficulty growing under the frequently-closed roof. Planners had selected
2275-652: Is particularly visible in European American football leagues and conflicts between teams sharing the stadium (a notable example are Eintracht Braunschweig and the Braunschweig Lions which share a stadium) and (often municipal) owners of the stadiums sometimes arise, leading to attempts at single sport-specific venues. In Australia the term has much the same meaning as that in the United States. The dominance of Australian rules football in
2366-449: Is served by Metrorail trains to Downtown Miami and Tri-Rail commuter rail to the northern suburbs and counties. The Intermodal Center is located on the north side of the canal that separates the stadium site from the airport. Soccer-specific stadium A soccer-specific stadium , mainly in the United States and Canada, is a sports stadium either purpose-built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function
2457-616: Is sometimes used in countries where the sport is known as football rather than soccer, although the term is not common in countries where football is the dominant sport and thus football-specific stadiums are quite common. The term tends to have a slightly different meaning in these countries, usually referring to a stadium without an athletics track surrounding the field. Some soccer stadiums in Europe are also used for other sports, including rugby, American football, and field hockey. The problem with oversized stadiums designed for another sport
2548-451: Is the blood of the building. It flows through every vein, every piece of building. What it means is that [stadium operators] could run a third-inning (concession) special and it would pop up ... You could have the whole building with one sponsor for one moment, if you wanted to. Or you could do zones. It gives them maximum flexibility for however they want to present their partners as well as themselves. As part of its forward-thinking design,
2639-406: Is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multi-purpose stadium which is for a variety of sports. A soccer-specific stadium may host other sporting events (such as lacrosse , American football and rugby ) and concerts, but the design and purpose of a soccer-specific stadium is primarily for soccer. Some facilities (for example SeatGeek Stadium , Toyota Stadium and Historic Crew Stadium ) have
2730-549: The Miami Herald that Beckham's group completed the purchase of the privately owned land portion needed for the soccer stadium. On June 6, 2017, the ownership group acquired the 3 acres (1.2 ha) of county land required to begin construction. However, after Jorge Mas , who leads the South Miami construction and engineering firm MasTec with his brother Jose, joined Beckham's team, it announced it planned to abandon
2821-425: The 10.5-acre (4.2 ha) stadium, and the remaining 58 acres (23 ha) would be a public park. The owners would also make annual installment payments of $ 20 million for 30 years for improvements to public parks across the city. City commissioners voted to approve a referendum on the November 2018 ballot that would ask if the city should negotiate a no-bid lease with the investors. The measure passed with 60% of
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2912-404: The 1990s, after the multi-purpose stadium era. The term "soccer-specific stadium" was coined by Lamar Hunt , who financed the construction of Columbus Crew Stadium , the first soccer-specific stadium constructed specifically for Major League Soccer. In the 2000s, other Major League Soccer teams in the United States began constructing their own stadiums. Canada's first soccer-specific stadium
3003-455: The 25,000-seat stadium. On August 20, 2019, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez confirmed a recent report that soil contamination at Melreese golf course, the proposed site for the stadium, was far worse than previously thought. According to CBS Miami, "...arsenic contamination levels are more than twice what is allowed by law. Barium and lead levels are also too high and there is debris in the soil that could cause physical hazards." On April 28, 2022,
3094-498: The Bermuda grass has been replaced with Platinum TE Paspalum . Paspalum is better able to tolerate shaded areas. During the first months of games played at the new park, at least four leaks showed themselves in the retractable roof. Fans sitting in at least four seating sections still got wet under the drippy roof on rainy days. Leaks have progressively appeared under different spots as stadium workers kept plugging them by opening up
3185-437: The Marlins began a concerted effort to get their own baseball-only venue. Henry's vision included a retractable roof, believed by this time to be essential due to South Florida's climate and baseball's summertime schedule. Several ideas were explored on where a new ballpark should be built. The team's desire to leave their original home made for an awkward business relationship over leasing issues with Huizenga, who continued to own
3276-597: The Marlins drew more than 3 million people in their inaugural season and also won two World Series titles, in 1997 and 2003 . The stadium continues to be home to the Dolphins, and since 2008, the Miami Hurricanes from the University of Miami . After the Marlins began play, multiple issues were soon raised regarding the unsuitability of Joe Robbie Stadium for professional baseball. Among those cited were
3367-622: The Marlins explored relocation options in the ensuing years from Las Vegas , Portland , and San Antonio . The specter of relocation pushed Charlie Crist , then Governor of Florida and other local mayors to release statements in favor of public funding for the new stadium. After the Marlins explored other options, including at the former site of the Miami Arena , in August 2007, the Miami Hurricanes announced they were leaving
3458-458: The Marlins' and Populous' favorite choice was a design of an angular white-curves-and-glass facade—a metaphor for the "water merging with land" landscape of the Miami area—which was close to what eventually became the final design. "For the first time, you can embrace art and architecture and baseball in one building form," Santee said. "It's not just the art in the building, but the building itself
3549-399: The Marlins. LoanDepot Park has the distinction of being the first MLB park designed in what stadium planners are calling the " contemporary " architectural style. The architecture is intended to make a statement about the present-day culture of the city in which the stadium stands. It rejects the nostalgic idiom of the 20 consecutive new (plus three renovated) retro ballparks that opened in
3640-469: The Miami City Council voted 4–1 to grant Inter Miami a 99-year lease for the Melreese site, with the stadium projected to open in the 2025 MLS season. On March 19, 2023, Melreese Golf Course was shut down to make way for the construction of Miami Freedom Park. Construction of Miami Freedom Park began in August 2023, with intentions to open in 2026. A groundbreaking ceremony will be set later in
3731-586: The Miami-Dade circuit court by a local car dealer, upon which the circuit court judge ruled in favor of the Marlins in November 2008. That following March in 2009, both the city and the county commission finalized approval for the sale of bonds for funding of the stadium, along with the Florida Marlins to be renamed the Miami Marlins upon the opening of the new stadium. Construction began with
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3822-467: The Orange Bowl, which made the newly-vacant site the most attractive option for local governments. In February 2008, the Miami city commission and the Miami-Dade county commission came to an initial agreement to fund the new stadium. The Orange Bowl was subsequently demolished in March 2008 to make way for the new ballpark. A delay in the public funding of the ballpark was caused by a lawsuit filed in
3913-570: The Overtown site for a larger development near Miami International Airport . In July 2018, Beckham and Mas unveiled plans for a 25,000-seat stadium as part of Freedom Park, a mixed-use complex at the site of the city-owned Melreese Country Club near the airport. The development, to be built on 131 acres (53 ha) of public land, would include 1 million square feet (93,000 m) of office, retail, and commercial space, 750 hotel rooms, 23 acres (9.3 ha) of public soccer fields in addition to
4004-416: The PortMiami proposal facing fierce opposition, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Giménez proposed an alternate location on the waterfront, by filling a boat slip between American Airlines Arena and Museum Park . Giménez wrote in a letter to Beckham's real estate adviser that "Downtown Miami would greatly benefit" from a waterfront park that included the stadium and pedestrian walkways. The land, owned by
4095-554: The bars or the bobblehead museum. Dazzling colors are found throughout the interior, including fluorescent lime-green fences, and in modernist & contemporary works of art—including the much-debated animatronic home-run sculpture—that relate to baseball and Miami. "My idea was to have people use their eyes and encourage them to use their eyes," said Loria. "We wanted a ballpark filled with great baseball, great entertainment, and occasionally, some images to be seen and enjoyed. It's not about an art gallery. But it's about images relating to
4186-422: The boat slip location for its new stadium, but rejected the plan, as it would have cost millions of dollars to pump out water and transport rocks from elsewhere to fill the slip. Critics warned the stadium would put a strain on area roads and pipes and others criticized using a public parkland for a stadium, and residents of nearby condominiums expressed concerns that the stadium may obstruct the ocean view. After
4277-522: The city of Miami, would have had to be sold or conveyed to the county, and Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado said filling the slip "would be a monumental task." Giménez and Regaldo discussed filling the slip in December 2013, but said the land was not being considered for a soccer stadium. Following a meeting with Mayors Regalado and Gimenez, Beckham's group announced on May 19, 2014, that the boat slip location had become "Plan A". The site required approval from
4368-518: The city reported that the two sides were "too far apart" in negotiations over rent, Mayor Regalado and City Manager Daniel Alfonso turned down the proposal on June 10, 2014, and the proposal was rejected. MLS president Mark Abbott said in June 2014 that the league was not interested in building in Little Havana next to Marlins Park, now known as LoanDepot Park (although the initial plans included
4459-460: The clubhouses, the floor is made of a synthetic pouring made from recycled Nike shoes. The Council presented Loria with a plaque to signify the entire gold-certification achievement. Rick Fedrizzi , President, CEO and Founding Chair of U.S. Green Building Council stated: A lot of people have often thought this [LEED Gold Certification] is an award. I'd like to think about this as 'the organization has earned its Ph. D,' because earning one of these
4550-412: The commissioners of the city and county, who both owned parts of the land needed for the stadium, and the city charter required a public vote. According to plans presented by Beckham's group on May 22, 2014, the 20,000-seat stadium would take up 4.2 acres (1.7 ha) of the 19-acre (7.7 ha) park, while adding 8.5 acres (3.4 ha) by filling the deep-water basin. The Miami Marlins had considered
4641-426: The contract and expressed concern regarding certain clauses dedicated to the parking facilities and the maintenance of the stadium. Marlins Park began operations on April 4, 2012, for Opening Day of the 2012 season. In 2017, the Loria ownership announced its intention to sell the Miami Marlins. A group of investors led by Derek Jeter and Bruce Sherman took over the Marlins organization in August 2017. Changes to
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#17327913564754732-439: The day and reduces reliance on artificial light. The suites are built with replenishable bamboo paneling instead of hardwood. Most construction waste was hauled away to recycling centers during the building phase. Palm trees and other native plant species around the building encourage biodiversity . Levy Restaurants , which runs some of the kitchens, gets most of its fresh-food supply directly from local farms that are within
4823-449: The design of the asymmetrical fence. The height of the tall wall varies from 10 to 16 feet (3.0 to 4.9 m). There are also commemorations to the beloved old Orange Bowl both inside and outside of the park. A critical design point addresses the tropical climate of South Florida. Fans are provided with the comfort they longed for at Sun Life Stadium with a 5.27-acre (2.13 ha) retractable roof, retractable-glass wall panels that offer
4914-413: The ensuing years between 2004 and 2009, the Marlins negotiated with local and state officials regarding funding the construction of a baseball-specific stadium before the termination of its lease at Joe Robbie Stadium. In 2005, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria and president David Samson failed to come to an agreement with local and state officials regarding the funding of a baseball-specific stadium. Subsequently,
5005-427: The first MLB stadium—and the first retractable-roof stadium in any sport—to achieve LEED Gold Certification, anointing the facility as the most sustainable ballpark in MLB. The LEED-NC (New Construction) rating system credited the stadium with 40 points toward certification, the highest total of any LEED-certified park in the majors—the retro-contemporary ballparks of Oracle Park , Target Field and Nationals Park are
5096-628: The front row of seats is elevated several feet above the field of play to allow spectators to see over the heads of substitute players and coaches on the sidelines, soccer-specific venues typically have the front row closer to the level of the pitch. In the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, first-division professional soccer leagues in the United States, such as the North American Soccer League and Major League Soccer, primarily used American football fields, many of which were oversized in terms of seating capacity and undersized in terms of
5187-433: The game. There are a few of them in the park." A nightclub featuring loud music and a swimming pool just beyond the left field fence brings a touch of South Beach into the park. Taste of Miami food court includes such local cuisine as Cuban sandwiches , pork sandwiches, and stone crabs. There's even an aquarium inside the walls of home plate backstop containing live, tropical fish. LoanDepot Park pays tribute to
5278-460: The land, previously a Bertram Yacht boatyard. Suárez said both locations fit a broad interpretation of the league's insistence on a "downtown" location and the Marlins Park location's "taint" had faded. On March 4, 2015, Miami-Dade County commissioners passed a resolution calling on Mayor Gimenez to negotiate with Beckham's group over a county-owned parcel of land on the west side of Marlins Park. On July 17, 2015, Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado announced
5369-512: The league "will not expand to Miami unless we have a downtown site for the stadium." In May 2015, University of Miami President Donna Shalala met with Beckham and his group to discuss a possible joint stadium for the MLS team and the Miami Hurricanes football team. Shalala said Sun Life Stadium , the existing home stadium with a capacity of over 65,000, was too big for the Hurricanes, but at
5460-518: The look and feel of Miami Deco", Sherlock continued. Even the parking-garage walls are tiled in Miami-Deco pastels that connect with Little Havana. As visitors walk from the outside in, they step right on metaphors for Miami's topography, including concrete pavers that in general are either green or blue ("grass" or "sea"). They walk past landscaping that evokes the "beach"—there's even sand—in places. There's cobalt-blue glass at eye level ("ocean"),
5551-406: The lower tier state league clubs own their own venues which also qualify as soccer specific. LoanDepot Park LoanDepot Park (officially stylized as loanDepot park , and named Marlins Park until 2021) is a retractable roof stadium located in Miami , Florida , United States. It is the ballpark of Major League Baseball 's Miami Marlins . It is located on 17 acres (6.9 ha) on
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#17327913564755642-489: The meeting, said, "Mr. Loria told us to make a piece of art." The architects returned to their Kansas City offices and began brainstorming in April 2008. "We were waiting for a client willing to break the [retro] mold", said Greg Sherlock, the project's lead designer at Populous. Loria "sort of let us do our thing and explore something unique. We knew from the beginning that this was going to be something new and different." As
5733-503: The meeting: When it all started, the architects came to me and asked what I had envisioned. Was I looking to have a retro stadium? Did we have that in mind? I said, "No retro, no art-deco, no looking back. Miami is a spectacular city, looking ahead. We need to be looking forward. I'd like to see us build a great, 'contemporary' building." We had to think about some kind of design for it and what it might look like ... I really did not want it to be just another ballpark. I wasn't interested in
5824-407: The only others to achieve LEED certification. Although they were publicly seeking silver, Loria had privately challenged engineers to shoot for the higher gold certification. The most difficult aspect of achieving gold, though—and one the design team had doubt it would be able to accomplish—was concerning the energy required to operate the retractable roof. Populous thought renewable energy would be
5915-466: The park—green (outfield), red (third-base line), yellow (first-base line) and blue (behind home plate). "If you look carefully, in those sections, they dissolve into the next color, and the colors mix," Loria said. Wide open plazas at the east and colorful west ends of the building, as well as a 360° concourse inside called the Promenade encourages fans to walk around—and to intermingle at stops such as
6006-483: The poor seat and sight-line configuration for baseball viewing, references to Miami's NFL team such as the logos and color scheme remaining visible in the stadium despite being in baseball configuration, and poor fan environment due to the distance of the action in relation to the seats. The climate in Miami during baseball season was not conducive for the sport and the audience, as games were often either played in 95 °F (35 °C) heat or would be rained out, owing to
6097-519: The regulation American football field width of 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (48.8 m), or the 65-yard (59 m) width of a Canadian football field. The playing surface typically consists of grass as opposed to artificial turf , as the latter is generally disfavored for soccer matches since players are more susceptible to injuries. However, some soccer specific stadiums, such as Portland's Providence Park and Creighton University's Morrison Stadium , do have artificial turf. The seating capacity
6188-454: The same time their target size of around 44,000 seats was too big for MLS. On December 4, 2015, Beckham's group announced it had secured a contract to purchase a privately owned block in Overtown at 650 NW 8th Street near Culmer station , Interstate 95 , and the Miami River . It also secured a letter of intent from Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Giménez to negotiate the purchase of the block to
6279-579: The site of the former Miami Orange Bowl in Little Havana about 2 miles (3 km) west of Downtown Miami . Construction was completed in March 2012 for the 2012 season . LoanDepot Park was LEED certified as the greenest MLB park in 2012. The building is the sixth MLB stadium to have a retractable roof. With a seating capacity of 37,442, it is the third-smallest stadium in Major League Baseball by official capacity, and
6370-512: The smallest by actual capacity. The facility hosted a second-round pool of the 2013 World Baseball Classic , a first-round pool of the 2017 World Baseball Classic , the 2017 Major League Baseball All-Star Game , and the championship game of the 2023 World Baseball Classic . The park also hosts soccer matches, fundraising galas, and other events during the winter. It also hosted the Miami Beach Bowl from 2014 through 2016. The stadium
6461-405: The south, owned by the county. The Overtown site was the fourth proposed location announced by Beckham since the expansion team was awarded to Miami, but this was the first time the group dropped its attempt to avoid paying property taxes by having the city or county serve as the stadium's landlord. On December 5, the MLS governing board endorsed the location, and on March 24, 2016, it was reported by
6552-633: The southern states means that unlike in New South Wales and Queensland , rectangular stadiums and grounds capable of hosting top level A-League soccer are rare. Hindmarsh Stadium in Adelaide, South Australia is an example of such a soccer-specific stadium, being built in the 1960s and progressively updated, the vast majority of matches played there are soccer, with very rare Rugby League or Rugby Union games. The Wyndham City Stadium and Wyndham Regional Football Facility are also examples. Many of
6643-480: The southwest corner of Dodge Island and be accessible by a pedestrian bridge from Biscayne Boulevard and the American Airlines Arena. On April 8, 2014, Miami-Dade commissioners refused to let PortMiami relocate a fuel-spill facility that would have needed to move in order to accommodate the stadium and entertainment complex. The stadium plan called for a commercial complex where the facility
6734-449: The stadium at PortMiami on May 20, 2014. On February 3, 2015, in a move that was described as symbolic, county commissioners voted unanimously to recommend FIU Stadium as a temporary home for the expansion team. Commissioner Juan C. Zapata , who sponsored the item, said "I think we did [Beckham] a big disservice. I know that when I've met with him, I have apologized, because I think we could have treated him better." On May 5, 2014, with
6825-529: The stadium, including a new color scheme, moving the Home Run sculpture, and obtaining naming rights to the stadium were achieved during the Jeter regime. On March 31, 2021, the Marlins announced that it had sold naming rights to Marlins Park to LoanDepot , renaming the facility LoanDepot Park; terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The naming rights to the stadium reportedly brings $ 10 million per annum to
6916-433: The stucco and concrete ("land" or "buildings"), and the paler blue-gray glass at the upper levels ("sky"). The seats are also cobalt-blue, facing the naturally green, Bermuda grass field. When Marlins fans first realized that the original colors of the team would not appear on the seats in the new stadium—and ultimately not on the new uniforms either—some angrily started a petition known as "Project Teal." But Samson said it
7007-525: The team was announced in March 2014, Miami International Airport, Marlins Park and Florida International University were mentioned as alternative sites should downtown stadium plans fall through. Cities in neighboring Broward County were asked in July 2014 to forward a list of possible locations for a stadium and the county previously offered a county-owned site next to the BB&;T Center in Sunrise as
7098-550: The then-named Pro Player Stadium. By January 2002, Henry's stadium proposals were effectively scrapped when MLB Commissioner Bud Selig engineered a three-franchise ownership swap—Henry left to own the Boston Red Sox , while Montreal Expos owner Jeffrey Loria took over the Marlins. Loria and president David Samson continued the search for a new, baseball-only retractable-roof ballpark. The Marlins' second World Series championship in 2003 created some local exuberance for
7189-491: The tropical climate in South Florida. These were suspected by the Florida Marlins for having poor fan attendance, as well as players’ performance at home games. By 2004, the Florida Marlins were the only team in baseball playing in an NFL-configured sporting stadium. After original owner Wayne Huizenga claimed he lost more than $ 30 million on the team, he sold the Marlins in early 1999 to John W. Henry . Thereafter,
7280-480: The two decades after Camden Yards was built. Owner Jeffrey Loria , who spearheaded the design, wanted his building to be "different and experimental." Loria said, "I thought it was time for baseball to be innovative." In early 2008, Loria was in London at the same time as some architects from Populous who were there on another project. The group met in a hotel lobby to begin discussing design ideas. Loria described
7371-406: The two football stadiums closely associated with the team's stadium history. It transfers over "The Bermuda Triangle" quirk of what was then Sun Life Stadium 's outfield fence as a nod to their team's early years. However, instead of straight lines, the new "triangle" is a wave-like shape that smoothly curves upwardly around the base of the large home-run sculpture, making the nook appear necessary to
7462-418: The venue is an efficient, environmentally-friendly green building in its use of materials, waste, and operation. The selection of building materials included sealants, paint, and adhesives with low VOC ( volatile organic compounds ) to maximize good indoor-air quality. A white rubber membrane lining the roof reflects rays to reduce " heat-island effect ." The extensive glass facade allows in natural light during
7553-619: The vote, and will next require four out of five votes from city commissioners. Owing to concerns over the plan, the PGA Tour Latinoamérica moved the Shell Championship season-ending event from Melreese to Trump National Doral Miami Golden Palm in October 2018. Beckham announced in June 2019 that Freedom Park has a proposed launch date 2022. This has been approved by the results of a referendum in which 60% of
7644-597: The voters authorized the stadium. Also Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mavel Ruiz's decision, preserved the results of a November referendum in which 60% of Miami voters authorized city administrators to negotiate a 99-year lease with the MLS team's ownership to develop Miami Freedom Park. The $ 1 billion stadium, hotel, office park, and commercial campus is to be built on 73 acres (30 ha) of city-owned land, currently Melreese golf course. The team would also build an adjacent public park. The MLS team, Club Internacional de Fútbol (Inter Miami), would play at least 17 home games annually in
7735-528: The width of the soccer field; they often used artificial turf (none of which, at the time, were approved for international soccer under FIFA rules). Although many of the baseball parks had smaller capacities, natural grass, and a wider field, these parks were generally in use during summer, when North American–based soccer leagues, such as Major League Soccer, also hold their seasons, and the irregular field dimensions and sightlines were often considered undesirable. Soccer-specific stadiums first came into use in
7826-406: The year. On August 8, 2024, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis directed $ 8M for infrastructure around the stadium. The money, which will come from the state’s Job Growth Grant Fund, will be used to construct a road around the planned Miami Freedom Park. The Freedom Park site is located near Miami International Airport and the adjoining Miami Intermodal Center , a rail and bus transfer station. It
7917-554: Was BMO Field in Toronto , home to Toronto FC . This stadium was renovated to accommodate Canadian football for the 2016 and subsequent seasons. The distinction is less prominent in Canada, where MLS's attendance figures are comparable to those of the domestic Canadian Football League , and the CFL's wider field means fewer compromises must be made to accommodate both; Tim Hortons Field
8008-450: Was built purposely to both soccer specifications and CFL regulations. Of the three Canadian cities that host both MLS and CFL teams, only one (Montreal) has separate stadiums for each. All USL Championship teams and USL League One teams will be required to play in self-owned, soccer-specific stadiums by the 2022 season. The following is a list of current USL stadiums that are soccer-specific stadiums: The term "football-specific stadium"
8099-405: Was designed as a multi-purpose stadium built primarily for football , but its design also accommodated baseball and soccer. Dolphins founder Joe Robbie believed it was a foregone conclusion that MLB would come to South Florida, so he wanted the stadium designed to make any necessary renovations for baseball as seamless as possible. The Marlins arrived in 1993 and during their time at the stadium,
8190-499: Was drawn up for the Little Havana neighborhood around the future park: "Cuba, pastels, canopies, organic, and everything is unique." They created a presentation for the Marlins tailored to Loria's background in the art business with concepts such as "the site is a gallery space with the ballpark representing gallery walls", and "pure art ... pure color ... pure baseball." Four different initial designs were presented, all of which were stark departures from previous ballpark architecture. Both
8281-457: Was necessary to ignore fans' complaints: "I think any time you do something new and different, the knee-jerk reaction from bloggers or people who post comments is negative. But we have blinders on. This ballpark would have never been built if we had listened to the negativity." Loria, a notable art dealer, took the four bright primary colors off the palette of the late Catalan surrealist , Joan Miró , to conveniently label different zones around
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