Ross, F1 Scrap Downtown Miami Race, will move to Hard Rock Stadium site (Update)

The NIMBYs are crying already

UPDATE A plan to bring Formula One racing to Miami Gardens faces opposition from some residents who are worried about noise in their neighborhood according to the Miami Herald.

Their concerns aired Tuesday night at a forum hosted by County Commissioner Barbara Jordan at Miami Norland Senior High School.

Backed by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, the race would take place on the grounds of Hard Rock Stadium and a nearby half-mile stretch of Northwest 199th Street.

The stadium would require special permits from the city to host the event, which could be used as negotiating leverage against Formula One, Jordan said. Right now, the racing plan remains just talk. No Formula One racing plans have yet been submitted for approval, according to public information officers for the city and county.

Hard Rock Stadium Site

04/24/19 Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross and F1 have "mutually decided to scrap a year-long effort" to bring a race to downtown Miami, as they "determined that the disruption to businesses and residents downtown would be too great."

Rather, the sides are "working on a new idea: put the race adjacent to Hard Rock Stadium."

Organizers said that the move "would alleviate the public road and park construction disruption each year and potentially create more reasonable economics" for both F1 and race promoters.

"With over 70 percent of fans expected to come from around the globe and week-long event activation throughout Miami, the economic impact of a Formula One race to Miami would be along the same lines of a Super Bowl," says Garfinkel.

"A lot would have to happen for us to be able to do it," he admits, "but we have over 250 acres of land so adding an F1 race to where Hard Rock Stadium and the Miami Open sit means we can create a world-class racing circuit that is unencumbered by existing infrastructure.

"It also means better ingress and egress, better amenities, unprecedented sight-lines, and opportunities for the best hospitality anywhere in racing. We can still do parties and events all week downtown, at (South) Beach, and in Brickell.

"We only want to do it if we can create world-class racing, a great fan experience, and a lot of value for Miami," he insists.

While the idea is still in its infancy, the location makes sense, the Hard Rock Stadium having hosted all manner of events, including concerts by U2 and Beyonce, as well as the Miami Open tennis tournament. MIAMIHERALD.com