Mar 1, 2009 10:19 am US/Eastern
Jones Wants Marlins To Play Ball For New Stadium
Miami Commission Delays Vote To March 6th
Miami-Dade Commission To Vote March 9th
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
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New rendering of the Florida Marlins Stadium to be built on the site of the now-demolished Orange Bowl.
Urban Design Review Board/CBS
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New rendering of the Florida Marlins Stadium to be built on the site of the now-demolished Orange Bowl.
Urban Design Review Board/CBS
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New rendering of the Florida Marlins Stadium to be built on the site of the now-demolished Orange Bowl.
Urban Design Review Board/CBS
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New rendering of the Florida Marlins Stadium to be built on the site of the now-demolished Orange Bowl.
Urban Design Review Board/CBS
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New rendering of the Florida Marlins Stadium to be built on the site of the now-demolished Orange Bowl.
Urban Design Review Board/CBS
Miami Dade Commissioner Michelle Spence Jones wants the Florida Marlins to step up the plate if they want her approval on a new stadium.
Jones, considered the swing vote the next time the issue is brought before the commission, is asking for a half a billion dollars worth of projects and a youth academy for the district she represents, according to CBS4s news partners at The Miami Herald.
"It's time for Little Haiti and Liberty City and Overtown to also receive or reap some of the benefits from, you know, we pay taxes too," said Jones.
The commissioner also wants assurances that no community redevelopment money will go towards building the stadium.
"We want to make sure that the dollars that are generated for the Overtown CRA stay in Overtown and not be diverted for a stadium," said Jones.
Miami's City Commission will put the stadium funding plan to a vote on Friday, March 6th; the county commission will vote on it March 9th if it receives city approval.
If Miami commissioners fail to approve the revised financing deal it will never even reach the County because approval by both commissions is needed before the Marlins can break ground on the proposed 37,000-seat, retractable roof stadium in Little Havana. The stadium is projected to open in 2012 and cost $515 million, with the public paying $360 million.
A last minute request for changes to portions of the deal nearly killed the deal when Miami Commissioners met last month. The request would have changed naming rights revenue, capped parking costs, and given the city more of the profits if the team were to be sold. The Marlins agreed to cap the parking costs at $94 million but refused the other requested changes saying the only way to change those would be to renegotiate the entire deal.
Supporters of the deal say a new baseball park will create two thousand badly needed construction jobs, would spark renewed development around the old Orange Bowl site and boost civic pride.
The initial plan has a $515 million price tag and will be funded by: $347 million in tourist taxes from the county, $155 million from the Marlins, and $13 million from the City of Miami.
Over the 35-year life of the loans, the cost with interest will be $1.8 billion. Opponents of the plan argue that taxpayers shouldn't have to foot the bill. They are calling the deal a "Marlins Bailout" and think the money would be best spent elsewhere.
The Marlins have sought a new home for more than a decade. Since their first game in 1993, the Marlins have played at Dolphin Stadium, which is also where the Miami Dolphins and Miami Hurricanes play football. The Marlins have always wanted their own stadium, instead of paying rent in order to compete financially with other ball clubs.
When Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria began making plans for the new ballpark, the target opening date was 2005. Now, the Marlins hope to play by Opening Day 2012.
Click here to see the most recent renderings of the proposed Marlins Stadium.
(© MMIX CBS Television Stations. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed material for this report)
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