Nightmare behind David Beckham's Miami dream: Residents battling his plan for 25,000-seat stadium in drugs hellhole
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David Beckham’s plan to build a multi-million pound soccer stadium in one of America’s worst ghettos is getting a kicking – from the people who live there.
Ex-Manchester United legend Becks dreams of creating a 25,000-seat home in Miami for his new Major League Soccer club based in the Florida city.
But he and his billionaire backers have chosen the rundown district of Overtown for their project – and are facing fierce opposition from locals.
Overtown is an area blighted by decades of neglect and historic racial tensions, infested by junkies, dealers, drunks, hookers, pimps, vandals and out-of-control gang yobs.
(Image: Getty)
(Image: Miami Beckham United)
It is dubbed Miami’s “Ground Zero” for heroin abuse, with kids as young as ten succumbing to the opioid crisis Donald Trump has labelled the greatest scourge in America today.
More than 20 shots are fired in an average day and it has “starred” in US detective documentary First 48 Hours.
Yet the inhabitants of this godforsaken hellhole – notorious from coast to coast across the entire country – are up in arms about the bid to plonk a massive sports arena in their midst.
They claim the project’s backers are securing the land at cheap prices and fear the huge redevelopment will see many of them lose their homes.
(Image: MEGA)
(Image: MEGA)
They also believe that despite hundreds of jobs being created, virtually none will come their way.
And locals even forecast a rise in “harassment” from police protecting thousands of fans forced to walk through Overtown’s mean streets from rail stations to the stadium, which has no plans for a car park.
When Becks, the former England captain nicknamed Goldenballs, announced his dream he said he wanted to be “a good neighbour”.
He said: “I don’t want to have any problems. We want to make people happy. This is a good positive story.”
But even locals not violently against the project are baffled by it.
(Image: MEGA)
(Image: MEGA)
They cannot understand why the developers want to come to an area that once bore the tag “Harlem of the South” in far-off better days when famed Afro-American singers performed in its bars and clubs.
And rather than a gleaming new football stadium for highly-paid players they would prefer to see decent affordable housing given to those living below the breadline, a new grocery store, health centre and school.
Mother-of-four Tarshmarnique Cannon, 32, said: “It makes you question why bring it to one of America’s worst ghettos. Of all the places they could have put it they want to build it in a town where crime is a way of life and locals endure a living hell.”
(Image: MEGA)
(Image: MEGA)
A brief drive around the area showed scores of destitute people living under bridges, drinking out of bottles in brown paper bags or openly feeding their crack addiction from homemade pipes.
Less than half a mile away stand the plush high-rise blocks where the Miami MSL team’s players will no doubt live when the team launches in two years.
Last week the glaring contrast was highlighted at a public meeting in Overtown’s Reeves Park community centre.
More than 100 locals flocked to the meeting after organisers played a trick on them – boosting attendance by distributing flyers suggesting it was a protest against evictions.
(Image: MEGA)
(Image: MEGA)
Bishop James Adams of St John Institutional Missionary Baptist Church, who is leading the fight, apologised to the crowd for the ruse saying: “It was to get your attention.”
He said the stadium plan was by no means “a done deal”, telling residents: “When there are drastic situations, we’ve got to take drastic measures.”
The developers, Miami Beckham United, have so far promised around 50 employment positions.
(Image: MEGA)
(Image: MEGA)
But campaigner Kimmi Saunders told the meeting: “Guys, we have to stand up. A multi-million dollar stadium and they offer 50 jobs. They are going to make money we can’t even imagine but they’re giving us nothing.”
However a few locals hold out hope the project could lead to the area being gentrified and finding new civic pride.
Estylin Harrison, 30, said: “This area needs change, it needs progress.”