Next year will likely be the last time the Miami Open will take place in Key Biscayne after a proposal to relocate the event gathers momentum.
The Miami Open has already signed the papers to move the event from its current home to the Hard Rock Stadium. A multi-purpose football arena located in the Miami Gardens. It is the home stadium of the NFL team Miami Hurricanes. Under the proposal, the key matches will be played at the venue with others taking place on the adjacent grounds. In order for the proposal to happen, it has to be approved by the Miami-Dade commissioners.
Should the Miami Open get the green light, it will end Key Biscayne’s history of hosting the event annually since 1987. Fears about the future of the venue has been in existence since 2015. The owners of the Miami Open, IMG, wanted to spend $50 million on the redevelopment, but was refused permission by the courts.
The legal argument against the developments is presented by Bruce Matheson and his family. In 1939 they were gifted the park on condition that the venue is kept for public use only. Matheson has argued that the expansion of the area violates this agreement, a viewpoint that has legal backing.
Without the larger facilities, IMG claims that they will not be able to attract players to the tournament in the future, despite it being a high-profile tournament. It is currently categorised as a Masters 1000 event on the ATP Tour and as a Premier Mandatory for the Women.
Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is a key figure pushing for the relocation, which will see the event move 19 miles north. Providing a solid alternative for keeping the event in the state and not having it moved elsewhere. 304,643 guests attended the tournament this year.
“That’s what Steve Ross is so good at — he thinks outside the box and does a lot of stuff where people are like, ‘I don’t know about that,'” Miami Dolphins Long Snapper John Denney told the Associated Press. “He’s willing to take that risk and find the next level. This could be huge.”
Should the plans be approved, Ross and the Dolphins would be eligible for an annual payment of $1 million. In 2014 local commissioners approved a plan to pay up to £5 million for ‘marquee events’ being held at the Hard Rock Stadium.
According to NBC Miami, a decision on the relocation of the Miami Open will be made in December.
