Feb 16, 2008 11:10 am US/Eastern
Sources: 'Tentative' Deal Near For Marlins Stadium
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
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Sketch of one proposal for a new Marlins stadium. A final plan is likely to differ based on cost and location.
CBS4 News has learned that representatives from Miami-Dade, the City of Miami and the Florida Marlins have reached a tentative deal for the construction of a new Marlins stadium at the site of the soon-to-be demolished Orange Bowl. A public meeting to discuss details of the plan has been set by the Miami-Dade commission for next Thursday at 1 p.m.
Three separate
CBS4 News sources confirmed the meetings and the resulting tentative agreement, but details of the stadium plan were not immediately available.
One source, speaking on background, described the deal as a
"foundation" of a plan to build the stadium on the Little Havana site, and cautioned that commissioners could move the deal "up or down".
No stadium can be built without the approval of both the Miami-Dade commission and the Miami City commission. The land on which the stadium would be constructed is owned by the City of Miami, and both the city and county will be asked to contribute substantial amounts of money for the new stadium.
At last week's Marlins FanFest, Marlins president David Samson said the team was negotiating hard to help build the stadium, which has been included in a city of Miami master improvement plan that also includes a new tunnel to the Port of Miami and other projects.
Samson said he expected to be talking with fans about the construction of the stadium by next year's FanFest.
However, that plan was not a guarantee a stadium would be built. An agreement like the one sources say has been reached would be the first step to actually turn discussions into digging.
Estimates for the cost of a retractable domed stadium on the Orange Bowl grounds have now exceeded half a billion dollars, most of which would come from public sources.
There was no immediate comment from Miami-Dade county manager George Burgess or from the Marlins.
The Marlins are in desperate need of a new stadium if the team is to remain in South Florida. It's current deal to play at Dolphin Stadium runs out in just a few years.
Efforts to get a new stadium constructed in Miami have been hampered by squabbles about location, cost, and who will pay for the venue.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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