MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - After the successful weekend this year’s Super Bowl brought to South Florida, some people are hoping to bring Formula 1 racing to Hard Rock Stadium to capture the same excitement and energy to the area on a regular basis.
There was supposed to be a vote regarding the event on Tuesday, but Miami-Dade Commissioner Barbara Jordan, who represents Miami Gardens and opposes the race, pushed it back to give the race’s opponents more time.
“Formula 1 is something different,” Jordan said. “For 10 years, every year, for three whole days, we would have a Super Bowl. Every single year. That’s too much on a bedroom community.”
However, residents said they are split on whether or not to bring the race to the Miami Gardens venue.
“I’d like for it to come, but not near the resident area,” resident Leroy Henton said.
“It would help the economy of Miami-Dade,” another resident said.
Some major changes have been made to try to accommodate the concerns of residents, such as updating the track to not use Northwest 199th Street as part of the circuit.
“You would have a very, very large economic impact,” Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said. “They’re going to be racing inside their complex. They won’t be racing on 199th Street, which was one of the biggest complaints that the folks had.”
However, Jordan disagreed with the mayor’s statement and the updated plans for the circuit.
“Moving it 20 feet makes no difference. It’s still outside the stadium,” Jordan said.
Miami Dolphins owner Steven Ross would like to have the race in town, and before Tuesday’s originally scheduled vote, he sent the entire commission free tickets to the Super Bowl. Some, like Gimenez, accepted the tickets and others, like Jordan, did not.
“Steve Ross is a businessman,” Jordan said. “He knows what he needs to do in order to win. It’s up to us as to whether or not we have the integrity to say no.”
“I’ve worked for the people of Miami-Dade County for the last 16 years, and my reputation has never been impugned,” Gimenez said. “I do what I think is right, period.”
The next time the F1 race is expected to come up during a commission meeting is Feb. 18.
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