John Ruiz Plans to Build a University of Miami Stadium at Tropical Park in Miami-Dade
The University of Miami Hurricanes have been without a stadium since 2008 and have been traveling to the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens in Coral Gables for all of their home games. It's been such a struggle for fans and students alike that a University of Miami alumni has taken it upon himself to remedy the situation.
John H. Ruiz, billionaire attorney and founder of MSP Recovery recently announced the plans to build a new stadium located at the Coral Gables High School. According to local officials, Ruiz did not consult with Miami-Dade County Public Schools or the City of Coral Gables on the plan.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools still owns the property where the proposed stadium would be built. Once his plans were denied, Ruiz then announced a new spot of the Miami Hurricane's stadium, Tropical Park in Westchester. According to Ruiz, "It's gonna be at 4 Tropical Park — there are about 270 acres there. The design is over the top, it's gorgeous, I've seen it already a couple of times."
The design for the stadium includes 65,000 seats with space for graduate-level classrooms and extreme water fixtures throughout the property. The architect behind the plans includes HKS Architects.
Tropical Park is publicly owned land by Miami-Dade County. Ruiz doesn't appear concerned about speaking with Miami-Dade County, "We're gonna present the plans to the county, but the county is less important in my opinion because it has to go out to a vote to the constituents as a referendum. Obviously, we're going to talk to the commissioners and the mayor, but ultimately it goes out to a vote to the general public."
This isn't the first sports venture that Ruiz has been a part of. In 2011, he leased a 90-acre baseball development at the City of Homestead. The city later filed a lawsuit to evict him from the development 2 years later after he didn't pay the utilities, insurance, and taxes on the property.
A private-sector attorney, Jose Sanchez-Gronlier stated that he didn't want one of the last green areas in Miami-Dade County to be demolished for a stadium. It is unclear how residents and local representatives will respond to the new development. Ruiz will meet with the county to present the Tropical Park stadium idea to the county next week.
Where’s the fabulous west coast architects we heard about? The published plan looks like a High School Drafting student did it.
Awful!
We dont want to have this stadium built in the middle of a residential area.
Tropical Park is enjoyed by residents of Dade County.