Ft. Lauderdale is moving toward a deal to revive the defunct Lockhart Stadium, as the city is "fielding two bids offering to transform the publicly owned site into a sports destination," according to Brittany Wallman of the South Florida SUN SENTINEL. The 64-acre property "hasn't hosted a match in two years," but now two professional soccer groups are in a "hot competition for it." City commissioners yesterday discussed the proposals for the first time, "voting to give any other potential bidders 21 days to make an offer." The city will then "weigh their choices and decide which one -- if any -- to make a deal with." On one side, David Beckham’s MLS expansion club Inter Miami a week ago announced a "proposal to build a state-of-the-art soccer training facility, multi-purpose sports stadium and a sport-centric community destination" on the site. On the other, soccer company OnSide Entertainment CEO John Reynal said that he has been "working on a proposal for Lockhart for two years." The offer consists a $100M complex for Reynal's proposed USL club FXE Futbol, including "renovation of the stadium and creation of a 'full-on sports entertainment facility.'" The Lockhart site been "stagnant for years." Plans for a water park -- and for a soccer component Reynal "would have built -- fell through last year" (South Florida SUN SENTINEL, 2/6).
