Apr.21--DISPARATE shipping interests, and a billionaire car dealer, have started a campaign to preserve the Miami port area for maritime use against soccer star David Beckham's plan for a US$200 million sports arena.
"We cannot jeopardise well-paying jobs, like crane operators, longshore workers, and mechanics, for low-paying stadium jobs, such as concession sales," the Miami Seaport Alliance said in a full-page advertisement in the Miami Herald.
Mr Beckham plans a 25,000-seater complex covering 35 acres with shops, hotels and offices connected to the mainland by a pedestrian bridge on the island port with a grand vista of Miami, Reuters reports.
The protesting alliance, led by John Fox, a retired Royal Caribbean Cruise Line executive, includes two locals of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and two stevedoring companies as well as car dealer Norman Braman, the one-time owner of Philadelphia Eagles.
Opponents say a stadium would imperil Miami's hopes of becoming a port of choice for shippers once the Panama Canal capacity is more than doubled and $2 billion of planned infrastructure upgrades are put in.
"There are plenty of other places for the stadium to be," said Mr Braman.