Feb 23, 2008 7:24 am US/Eastern
Marlin Stadium Naysayers Go To Court
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
After Miami-Dade County and City of Miami commissioners voted to approve a $515-million-dollar, retractable-roof stadium, lawyers for those opposed to it went to court on Friday, and were granted 'fast-track' status on their lawsuit.
Led by Miami attorney Harley Tropin, hired by car dealer Norman Braman, a lawsuit was filed seeking to block the project. Tropin went before Judge Pedro Echarte at Miami-Dade County court today calling the use of mostly tourist tax dollars to build the stadium a shell game. Braman is challenging the lack of public hearings during the development of the plan.
"This is another example of the type of contempt that our public officials have for the citizens who live here," said Braman. Not everyone was happy with the decision as demonstrated last night when Commissioner Javier Souto was so angry over the push to approve the stadium plan that he took the plan in hand and ripped it in half.
"This is a disgrace to the democratic process, what we're doing here today," South said. "We're not consulting with the people."
Souto joined other commissioners who believe taxpayers should have been given the chance to vote on the plan which will be mostly funded with tourist-tax dollars.
City commissioners approved the Baseball Stadium Agreement by a 4-1 vote several hours earlier.
The 37,000-seat facility would be at the site of the Orange Bowl, which is to be demolished in the coming months. This is the closest the Marlins have been to fulfilling their stadium quest. It would open in time for the 2011 season.
But several issues remain unresolved. Among them is the thorny matter of deciding if city or county police and fire departments will be patrolling the new facility. An agreement on that issue must be struck within 30 days, or the plan would likely be doomed.
The Marlins were thrilled by the vote. "I think one of the longest running hopes for a baseball stadium in the history of the came has finally ended, successfully," said Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria.
"The way I see it, we're not building a stadium for the Marlins," County Mayor Carlos Alvarez said before the city vote. "We are building a stadium for Miami-Dade County residents. We are going to own that stadium."
The city will direct $13 million toward the ballpark and transfer the land for the new stadium to the county. The city will also build a $94 million parking garage and spend another $10 million to demolish the Orange Bowl stadium in the city's Little Havana neighborhood.
Miami City Commissioner Tomas Regalado voted against the plan, not because he opposes a new stadium, but because he opposes the way the project came together.
"We got the plan hours before the vote," said Regalado. "It was rushed through the Miami City Commission and on to the county commission. Three-billion dollars in projects, and the people didn't even have a chance to speak on it."
In addition to the new stadium, the plan calls for a tunnel for the Port of Miami and a $200-million street car system.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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