Inter Miami Managing Owner Jorge Mas ahead of the MLS All-Star Game in Orlando last night "assured fellow MLS owners" that his "ambitious plans are on track and the club will be ready to play" in '20, according to Luis Torres of PRO SOCCER USA. Inter Miami is set to play its "first two MLS seasons" at renovated Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale before "moving to Miami Freedom Park" in '22. However, Mas "still faces obstacles finishing work" on Lockhart. The stadium, which will seat 18,000, "had to undergo a demolition" for extensive renovations. Mas said that certain parts of the facility "might not be done in time" for the '20 season. He added, "I'm very confident that we'll have close to 100% of the whole facility done by March. ... There's no plan b." Mas also said that there have been "more than 8,000 non-refundable deposits for spots" in Lockhart Stadium, about 2,000 of which are "for club seats." Mas added the team is "currently in negotiations for the lease" to the stadium, and are "anticipating and hopeful" to have it done within the next 60-90 days (PROSOCCERUSA.com, 7/31).
