The Fort Lauderdale Strikers are leaving Lockhart Stadium for Central Broward Stadium at the end of July, as uncertainty over the 57-year-old facility forces the NASL team to pull the trigger on a move.
Lockhart Stadium is slated to be renovated as part of a larger plan to overhaul adjoining Schlitterbahn Water Park. But with that project tied up in court proceedings and the potential of collapse imminent, the Strikers front office decided to move to Central Broward Stadium sooner than later. From the Sun-Sentinel:
The Strikers have used Central Broward Stadium as their training facilities since January, but having a bigger presence there was not part of the Strikers’ plan — until now.
“Central Broward wasn’t even on the radar for us until recently,” Guerin said. “They were very accommodating to us and have shown interest in getting more soccer in their facility.”
The park has been home to Major League Soccer’s annual January combine since 2011 and county officials have courted the Strikers since 2013, when the venue could not attract enough cricket events for full use….
The Strikers will be working with the county to build another locker room, to expand the media room and to add referee space with the eventual goal of bringing the Strikers’ complete operations to the park, West said. The stadium is currently getting a new paint job, he said.
Issues with the Lockhart Stadium lease and a potential move to Central Broward Stadium were certainly anticipated before the beginning of the 2016 NASL season. Central Broward Stadium features 5,000 covered seats, with additional seating for 15,000 spectators.
The last Strikers game at Lockhart Stadium is set for July 30, with a Central Broward Stadium debut on Aug. 20, contingent on league approval.
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