The City of Miami has placed the developers of Miami Freedom Park “on notice” over a delayed payment relating to park improvements and a public promenade.
Miami Freedom Park, a wide-ranging entertainment district, will be anchored by a new 25,000-seat stadium. The district will span 131 acres and will feature a 58-acre public park, as well as entertainment-based retail and attractions, hotels, shops, office space and an entertainment venue.
The stadium will serve as the new home of Major League Soccer team Inter Miami. In September, the team announced that it will move into the stadium in 2026.
Construction commenced on Miami Freedom Park back in August 2023, but the project has hit a potential snag after it emerged that the City of Miami is withholding the master permit for the site.
The Miami Herald newspaper has reported that the master permit will not be awarded until the developers provide the remaining $12.5m (£10.2m/€12m) they owe the city to cover improvements to the park and a public promenade.
The report notes that the City of Miami sent $12.5m worth of invoices to a Miami Freedom Park official on January 8. Assistant city manager Asael Marrero told the Herald that the payment was due to be made two days later, the same day the City of Miami provided a permit for the next phase of construction to proceed.
In an interview with the newspaper, Marrero said: “As a condition of issuing that invoice, we put them on notice: ‘Look, this is due now, so we’re giving you the invoice so that in good faith, you can go ahead and make that payment. And by the way, we’re going to be withholding any future permits unless this condition is met.’”
In a statement provided to the Herald, Iris Escarrá, an attorney for Miami Freedom Park, said that the developers are “complying and will continue to comply with all of our lease requirements when due in the ordinary course of business”.
Inter Miami is continuing to play at the temporary Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale until the new Freedom Park stadium is ready. Construction on the first phase of Freedom Park will be completed in stages, starting from late 2025.
The first phase will include the stadium, the public park, roadway and parking infrastructure, and additional entertainment and hospitality concepts within the district.
The second phase of the district will be marked by the opening of additional anchor retail and entertainment concepts, along with a curated selection of the best food and beverage concepts. This is scheduled to open in 2026 to coincide with the FIFA World Cup, which the US will co-host alongside Canada and Mexico.
