By Delos Living:
NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2011 — “Phoenix Stadium” to Revitalize Haiti’s Most Overlooked and Impoverished Community
NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Morad Fareed, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Delos Living, LLC®, the pioneering developer of healthy-living real estate, today announced a commitment to the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) to co-develop the first-ever professional soccer stadium in Haiti with sports icon Robert “Boby” Duval. Duval is the founder of Foundation L’Athletique D’Haiti (FLADH) – a non-profit group that will build and manage the “Phoenix Stadium” in collaboration with Morad Fareed.
“Bringing professional soccer to Haiti has been Boby’s dream for years. We are honored to partner with his foundation to make that dream a reality,” said Fareed. “We’re grateful to CGI for bringing us together to help provide a more hopeful future for the Haitian people.” The project is estimated to cost $5 million, and will include: a youth soccer academy, an elementary and middle school, as well as innovative infrastructure projects related to agriculture, composting, and water treatment.
Duval has acquired land to build the stadium in the heart of Cite Soleil – among the island nation’s most impoverished towns desperately in need of economic growth and social rehabilitation. Duval has trained 6,000 youths through his tireless efforts, which have been recognized by Sports Illustrated, HBO Real Sports, and CNN Heroes.
The partnership to bring professional sports to Haiti began when Duval was introduced to Delos Living’s Co-founder, and member of the first Palestinian national soccer team, Morad Fareed, by the Clinton Global Initiative. The two men turned their shared passion for the sport and the values it teaches into an opportunity to provide a beacon of hope for the Haitian people still struggling to recover from last year’s tragic earthquake. “It is my passion to bring access to sport to poor areas,” says Duval. “Our Project to build a stadium and a professional league will bring hope, create jobs, and encourage investment in “red zones” like Cite Soleil. I am grateful to Morad Fareed and the Clinton Global Initiative for their invaluable help in connecting us with sponsors with the same vision.”
Terry McAuliffe, who serves on Delos Living’s Advisory Board, says, “I have seen a number of incredible projects over the years, and Morad and Boby’s commitment to build the first professional soccer stadium in one of the most dangerous cities in the world is one of the most exciting projects that I have seen presented at CGI. The work I am doing with Delos Living, LLC, and their introduction of Wellness Real Estate, is a “game changer” in the real estate market. I am confident that this new Phoenix Stadium will have a similar game changing effect for the millions of soccer fans in Haiti.”
Once completed, the 12,000-person stadium will become home of a new Haitian soccer league, foster local job creation and sustainable economic development. An additional 10,000 seats can be added if demand meets expectations. It is expected to create 500 immediate jobs and reinvigorate the professional sports industry.
About Delos Living, LLC®:
A U.S.-based real estate developer, Delos Living has pioneered Wellness Real Estate™, which incorporates amenities that help sustain both the environment and enhance residents’ health and well-being. Delos Living’s designs include an array of innovative, built-in amenities that research suggests will improve various aspects of individual occupant health including: cardiovascular, respiratory and sleep health, orthopedic health, weight and metabolism management, stress reduction, mood enhancement, cognition and memory enhancement, health literacy and health behavior motivation. More information on Delos Living is available at www.delosliving.com.
About Atlet Peyi Dayiti — L’Athletique d’Haiti — Athletics of Haiti:
L’Athletique d’Haiti is a youth development program that provides underprivileged youth with a safe, clean, supportive environment where they can learn firsthand how the discipline of sports and the structure of teamwork can enhance skills, enrich lives and change futures.
About the Clinton Global Initiative:
Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Since 2005, CGI Annual Meetings have brought together nearly 150 current and former heads of state, 18 Nobel Prize laureates, hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations, major philanthropists, directors of the most effective nongovernmental organizations and prominent members of the media. These CGI members have made more than 2,000 commitments, which have already improved the lives of 300 million people in more than 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued in excess of $63 billion. The 2011 Annual Meeting will take place Sept. 20-22 in New York City.
This year, CGI also convened CGI America, a meeting focused on developing ideas for driving economic growth in the United States. The CGI community also includes CGI U, which hosts an annual meeting for undergraduate and graduate students, and CGI Lead, which engages a select group of young CGI members for leadership development and collective commitment-making. For more information, visit www.clintonglobalinitiative.org.
SOURCE Delos Living