Inter Miami announced on Monday a proposal for a new training facility, complex and stadium in Fort Lauderdale at the site of Lockhart Stadium.
According to the release from the team, "the training facilities will serve as the training grounds for Inter Miami’s MLS team and will serve as the home to both its youth academy and anticipated USL team. The training site will feature several regulation soccer fields and a training complex with state-of-the-art amenities."
Lockhart Stadium, opened in 1959, has had a long history as a soccer venue, with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers and Miami Fusion, among others, calling the stadium home in the past. The facility, however, has fallen into disrepair in recent years and is no longer an active venue.
“The vast history of soccer in South Florida has deep roots in Fort Lauderdale dating back to the original Strikers of the 70’s and 80’s, the Miami Fusion of the 90’s and early 2000’s as well as the recent clubs that have called Lockhart Stadium their home,” said Paul McDonough, Inter Miami’s sporting director, in a team statement. “It is a privilege to be able to present a sustainable proposal that honors that history and revitalizes the area. Our training facility will serve all of South Florida’s soccer community and provide amateur and professional athletes the opportunity to achieve their goals both on and off the field.”
Inter Miami is projected to kick off in MLS play in 2020, and while a new stadium is being built, team co-owner Jorge Mas noted last November that the team could play games in Marlins Park.
