This has been a hot topic for Miami-Dade for a while. I remember 10 years ago, Miami Gardens didn't exist. Before the name change, Miami Gardens was called Carol City (many locals still refer to the area as Carol City). Once the name changed, Miami Gardens annexed areas like Carol City, Norwood (Norland), Bunche Park, etc into one giant city. Many major cities put their sports stadiums in the city center so fans won't have to drive for miles to get to attractions. Take AmericanAirlines Arena, home of the Miami Heat. AA Arena is located in Downtown Miami, along Biscayne Bay. Close proximity to Brickell, South Beach over the bridge, among other attractions in Central Miami. SunLife stadium is 15 miles from Downtown Miami so for Dolphin fans, they would have to travel into Miami city limits for social activities. There are no hotels or major attractions in Miami Gardens; sure, there's Wal-Mart right across the street from the stadium, but that's it. The stadium was expected to bring millions into the city, but we see how that turned out. Another reason why there's not much benefit is this: Location. First mistake was putting Sun Life in a dilapidated ghetto. Who wants to travel to the hood for a Dolphins game? Very few people. Put SunLife closer to attractions, and watch the benefits roll in. It's very simple: People want to be close to where the action is, and if I'm going to a sporting event, I want to know what's jumping off nearby so I can decide if I want to attend. Driving 10 miles out of the way to attend events is NOT the move. Since there's little to no economic impact for Miami Gardens, maybe the stadium could relocate to the city of Miami. Miami is big enough to accommodate the stadium.
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