Apr 6, 2007 7:45 pm US/Eastern
Loria Optimistic About Downtown Stadium
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MIAMI (CBS4) ―
Florida Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria said he isn't one for predictions.
Loria said he's not going to say where he expects his Marlins to finish in the standings, and he's also not talking about the chances of completing an agreement for a new ballpark this year.
Proposals to build a new stadium for the team have repeatedly failed, but at the Marlins' home opener on Friday against the Philadelphia Phillies, Loria said this might be the year for a deal.
"I'm very happy and optimistic that the city and the county are talking about the stadium being downtown, which is where we belong," Loria said. "And we'll see what happens."
Loria didn't predict how many games this year's Marlins will win, but he said they'll be fun to watch.
"They're young, but they're extremely talented," he said.
Supporters of the new stadium are seeking state support to help finance a ballpark that would cost an estimated $490 million.
"Other important cities have managed to get it done," Loria said. "It's time for us to get it done."
Marlins president David Samson said he hopes to hear good news from the Legislature by the end of this year's session May 4. The Marlins' Dolphin Stadium lease expires in 2010.
"The light at the end of the tunnel has too often been a freight train," Samson said. "I feel like if everyone's doing what they say they're doing, a deal will happen."
Proposed sites include downtown Miami, the Orange Bowl near downtown and suburban Hialeah. Loria said he's focused on the downtown location.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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