MIAMI – Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday allocated $8 million to support a stadium project for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami.
The money, which comes from the state’s Job Growth Grant Fund, will be used to build a road around the planned Miami Freedom Park, a 25,000-seat soccer stadium near Miami International Airport.
DeSantis said the roadwork would help create new construction jobs, ease traffic in the area and potentially boost tourism in a new business district.
(From left) Jose Mas, co-owner of Inter Miami CF, Jorge Mas, managing owner of Inter Miami CF, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nunez and Florida Secretary of Commerce Alex Kelly pose with a check for $8 million during a press conference.
“The football games are going to be one thing,” DeSantis said during a press conference at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, where the team currently plays its home games. “There will be other events at the stadium, and then there will be businesses there. People may not even want to go to a game, they just want to go out to eat. That will be an attraction.”
Inter Miami recently announced a delay in the construction of the new stadium and will remain at Chase Stadium until the 2025 season.
The state budget for the fiscal year that began July 1 includes $75 million for the Job Growth Fund, which is intended to provide money for infrastructure projects and job training programs. Thursday’s announcement was DeSantis’ fifth use of the fund this fiscal year, which totals $23.2 million.
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