Progress on stadium and training facilities in full force ahead of MLS debut

Fort Lauderdale stadium and training complex is rising.

Two hundred and fifty construction professionals are on site fulltime bringing South Florida’s fútbol team to life for its opening season in Major League Soccer (MLS).

In March 2020, Inter Miami CF will take the field with the full roster in a new 18,000-capacity stadium anchoring the Club’s 46-acre facilities in Fort Lauderdale.

To date, the stadium has gone vertical with all steel columns on the east side and half along the west. The crew will begin installing components of the secondary frame of the metal building next week, along with the horizontal structural members that will provide lateral support for wall panels. Upon completion by end of November, the crew will begin seating installations.

“All eyes are on March 2020,” said Jurgen Mainka, the chief business officer for Inter Miami CF. “We are grateful for the professionals who are working around the clock, to help us launch our team in facilities and a stadium our community will be proud of.”

The training facilities at Fort Lauderdale will welcome players from around the world for preseason for both the MLS and recently announced USL League One team, which will serve as a feeder system for the development Academy. Steel, concrete, and roofing for the 50,000-square-foot building are currently in progress.

Inter Miami’s Academy, who is leading scoreboards across all age divisions in their inaugural season, will also transition to the training complex upon opening, which houses four main locker rooms with the First Team occupying a sleek 1,740 square-foot room.

The Club’s 200+ players will also benefit from a full kitchen and cafeteria, lounge and classroom, weight room and performance lab, hydrotherapy and treatment rooms as well as tactics rooms and boot rooms.

Outside of the building, the staff is working on six natural grass fields and one turf field, with soiling taking place by end of October in preparation for grass installations by mid-November.

In January, Inter Miami first announced a proposal to the city of Fort Lauderdale for the design and construction of a state-of-the-art soccer training facility, stadium and a sport-centric community destination on the former Lockhart Stadium site. In May, the Club began demolition with construction beginning in July upon finalizing a lease deal for the property with the City of Fort Lauderdale.