To all those assuming that UM’s announcement it will move to Dolphin Stadium next year will mean a quick and painless Marlins ballpark financing deal, I say:

Calm down. Take a deep breath.

I’m not about to suggest that a retractable-roof ballpark won’t be built at the site of the Orange Bowl in Little Havana. All I’m saying is don’t plan the parade on Calle Ocho just yet. Don’t assume, despite what the politicians say, that the $490 million financing deal debated earlier this year only to stall when the state Senate adjourned without considering a $60 million sales tax rebate, can just be moved to the OB site.

Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, Miami City Manager Pete Hernandez, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez, and county commission chairman Bruno Barreiro all spoke this week of their optimism for a new ballpark. Barreiro said dollars are already attached to the project. Diaz and Hernandez agreed.

“I believe we had the financing in place, even six to eight months ago,” Hernandez said. “The only item missing was what we were looking for from the state. At this point, I don’t think it’s insurmountable. We have the funding in the place.”

Added Diaz, “The meat of whatever agreement is there, the adjustment is the site. We’re really modifying the agreement. I’m hoping we can move with all deliberate speed to get a deal done as soon as possible.”

If it were that simple, the deal could have been negotiated while UM was mulling its decision to move.

Consider: It’s not clear a stadium at the OB will cost $490 million – in part because the longer the delay, the more the price goes up. There’s the cost of demolition, the design of a ballpark on the OB site. UM's move frees up $50 million that Miami-Dade voters approved in 2004 as part of a $2.9 billion general obligation bond for parks and recreation facilities. But those dollars were for an OB renovation. It is possible the money could be moved, but according to the county attorney’s office, only if a public hearing on the switch is held.

There’s also the thorny question of whether the Marlins and Major League Baseball, who would prefer a spot downtown, will accept the OB location. They may have to, but it is unlikely they will do so without trying to renegotiate the Marlins’ contribution to the deal. They are concerned a ballpark at the OB won’t be as successful as one downtown, which would be easier to reach, closer to major roadways and public transportation.

The Marlins say time is running short, with their lease at Dolphin Stadium set to expire in 2010. UM’s lease with Dolphin Stadium requires the infield dirt be removed by 2011, but stadium officials say they are exploring options for moving and replacing the dirt, should the Marlins want or need to stay beyond 2010. The Marlins don’t want to stay, not just because of the dirt issue, but because they want to control their own revenue.

A ballpark may eventually be built at the site of the OB. Just don’t expect a financing plan as soon as tomorrow.