David Beckham Lovers

An excited Miami-Dade County Commission gave the go-ahead Tuesday for Mayor Carlos Gimenez to begin negotiations on a new Major League Soccer stadium.

With their unanimous vote, commissioners boosted international star David Beckham and his investors' campaign to bring a professional soccer franchise to downtown Miami.

"Go MLS! Go soccer!" Commissioner Juan C. Zapata said.

His colleagues - who knew so many loved soccer? - were equally bubbly. But some raised concerns about the idea floated by Beckham's investment group to build a stadium on county-owned land at PortMiami.

The group has identified the site, on the southwest corner of the seaport across from Bayside Marketplace, as its top choice. It is focusing on downtown Miami locations, citing MLS' success in other cities drawing spectators to stadiums in urban centers near mass transit.

Though the legislation approved Tuesday does not name Beckham or his group by name, it authorizes Gimenez's administration to kick off talks for a stadium in downtown, without defining any specific boundaries.

Several commissioners, who envision a mixed-use development at the seaport, said they're unsure about a stadium going up at the site.

"I don't see the relation of a soccer stadium with the big boats and the big cargo that is coming from Panama," Chairwoman Rebeca Sosa said. "This will be detrimental in there."

She urged investors to consider other sites. It's likely that privately owned locations would be more expensive.

Beckham, alas, did not attend the meeting at County Hall.

But representatives of his corporate entities, Beckham Brand Limited and Miami Beckham United, sat in the second row of the commission chambers - in front of a small group of fans wearing matching "MLS in Miami" black-and-blue T-shirts and scarves.

The resolution requires the stadium be privately funded - or at least, without Miami-Dade County funds - and to pay rent if it is located on public land.

Commissioner Barbara Jordan successfully amended the legislation to say the rent should be commensurate with fair market rates.

An excited Miami-Dade County Commission gave the go-ahead Tuesday for Mayor Carlos Gimenez to begin negotiations on a new Major League Soccer stadium.

A Miami-Dade man who won a $2 million settlement from the city of Sweetwater after cops beat him up in custody a decade ago pleaded guilty to possessing stolen Social Security cards for tax fraud in Miami federal court Tuesday.

Mary T. Cagle replaces Christopher Mazzella, who retired in April.