Marlins Stadium Update: New ballpark plan unveiled
Miami-Dade County unveiled a new proposal late Tuesday for a $525 million ballpark for the Marlins at the Orange Bowl.
Still in draft form – and I’m told still in need of significant work – the proposal relies on more money from the public sector than previous proposals and, in turn, less from the Marlins, although the team would put its money up front, rather than in the form of rent payments.
According to a county memo, the plan calls for Miami-Dade County to contribute a total $249 million to the project: $199 million in hotel bed and sports facilities taxes and $50 million from the general obligation bond county voters approved in 2004 for renovation of the Orange Bowl stadium.
The last plan made public called for the county to contribute $145 million in tourist taxes and issue the bonds for the stadium the team would repay in rent.
The plan anticipates that the city of Miami would put up $121 million in tourist taxes. That’s up from $108 million in earlier versions of the deal. The city would also need to build a 6,000-space parking garage.
The team’s contribution would be $155 million up front, rather than $207 million, which would have come as $45 million up front and $162 million in future rent payments.
Miami-Dade County Commissioners are scheduled to consider the plan at their meeting next Tuesday and if they are in agreement, they would direct county staff to work out the full details of the plan. The Miami City Commission, meanwhile meets this Thursday, and is expected at least to discuss the Marlins stadium issue.
The county’s plan envisions a 37,000-seat retractable roof stadium at the site of the Orange Bowl to open by April 1, 2011.
The $525 million projected cost – up from $490 million earlier this year – has increased because it includes $10 million in Orange Bowl demolition and other infrastructure costs and requires a speedy 29-month schedule for construction, which would begin in November.
The plan requires the team to sign a non-relocation agreement prohibiting a move until the expiration of the management agreement or the bonds are retired, whichever is later. It also requires the team to change its name to Miami Marlins by the 2011 season.
The Marlins have been seeking a new home for years, since they pay rent at Dolphin Stadium and only receive percentages of parking, concessions and advertising signage. The team has lease options at the stadium through the 2010 season. The team and Major League Baseball have said the Marlins cannot survive in South Florida without a new ballpark where they could control their own revenue.
The team traded third baseman Miguel Cabrera and pitcher Dontrelle Willis, the last two remaining players from the 2003 World Series championship team, last week to the Detroit Tigers for six players in a move that shaved some $20 million from the payroll.
Comments
All people in broward and palm beach do is cry and those fans who say they wont come arent real fans anyways miami-dade county has more residents then broward and palm beach combined so how would that hurt attendance numbers?
Posted by: ruben | December 27, 2007 2:50 PM
FINLLY THE MARLINS WILL STAY IN MIAMI
Posted by: Anthony | December 13, 2007 5:32 PM
This plan, if accepted by Jeffrey Loria, would have a higher probability of approval than the previous plans because it doesn't rely on the State for financing, which is a good thing. Loria can afford to pay for the higher upfront initial costs from all that money he's saving by fielding a team with a total payroll less than $20M.
I prefer the name "Florida" Marlins" over "Miami Marlins" but I guess Miami and Dade-County are entitled to request a name change since they're basically paying for 2/3 of this new stadium.
It is my hope that if the stadium is approved, constructed, and occupied, the Marlins will increase payroll immediately and be able to afford to retain their players. Jeffrey Loria better not cry poor and cheap out any longer! I also hope that there will be future Tri-Rail and / or Metrorail connections because the OB site is far away from Delray Beach.
Posted by: Trade Loria | December 13, 2007 2:10 PM
I wont go to ob site very often like i used to go to Lfins stadium, but it will be nice to know we have a team here to stay for the next 30yrs at least. IF its B team run organization that makes a run at the playoffs every five years and then cycles over the players than so be it. Still a lot better than having no baseball and nothing to watch or talk about for the entire summer. Please just get it done
Posted by: Sstompers | December 13, 2007 11:35 AM
This plan has a long way to go before it becomes reality. The article in the paper also stated that the Marlins would be responsible for overrun costs which could be another 50-100 million dollars.
If the Marlins franchise is worth $140 million and if a new park would double that value to $280 million, then the Marlins are in effect putting more money in than they can expect to get back thru an eventual sale. From that point of view, the Marlins do not look like cheap skates at all.
Posted by: PETER | December 13, 2007 10:43 AM
no money for the rich, let him move to some other city and let them pay. loria sucks, wayne sucks.
Posted by: psl bill | December 13, 2007 9:20 AM
Miami Marlins! I like that!
Get the stadium deal done.
Posted by: Jorge Viera | December 13, 2007 7:56 AM
Eh, Miami Marlins isn't such a great name, but whatever it takes i guess
Posted by: vic | December 12, 2007 8:36 PM
CONCERTS (OR OPRAH) WILL SELL IT OUT AND PAY FOR IT IN A FEW YEARS. NAME THE TEAM "DADE DUDDS". IF LORIA HAD NOT GIVEN $20M TO A RICH SCHOOL 'YALE' HE COULD AFFORD MORE. THAT WITH THE PAYROLL SAVINGS WOULD HELP!!!
Posted by: HENRY | December 12, 2007 8:05 PM
Hey Go Fish! The New England Patriots are named for a region!
Posted by: Johnny Utah | December 12, 2007 7:55 PM
Who cares what you name the stadium. The most important thing is we will finally have a stadium.The Marlin fan base is huge. Don't tell me all the people watching the Marlins on TV and listening on radio don't silently root for the Marlins. The Panthers draw, the Heat draw, the MARLINS ARE NEXT. HOORAH FOR THE NEW STADIUM. IT'S ABOUT TIME.
Posted by: Eddie | December 12, 2007 6:37 PM
MARLINS NEED A STADIUM,, MIAMI WANTS TO GIVE THEM ONE. ONLY ONE BIG PROBLEM, NOBODY WANT TO GO TO THE OB SITE OR EVEN DOWNTOWN MIAMI. MARLINS NEED TO GO FURTHER NORTH IN SO. FL.
Posted by: STEVE | December 12, 2007 5:38 PM
Right on ken! They must get this deal done!
And I don't care what the team is called or if I have to drive an extra 20 min to get there or if the owner seems like a schmuck or if people think a staduim will raise there property taxes (stupid), or if they trade Uggla, Jacobs & Hermida for more propects.
Git-R-Done, NOW!
Posted by: Tom in Jupiter | December 12, 2007 2:14 PM
Link - It's not stupid at all. In fact, it was sillier to call them the "Florida Marlins" in the first place. Did anyone actually believe that Joe Schmoe in Dunedin or Apalachicola would actually care about the Marlins?
Now, "South Florida Marlins" would've been a pretty cool name...other than the Tampa Bay teams, no other professional team is named for a region.
Posted by: Go Fish | December 12, 2007 1:09 PM
I love how non-Miamians cry about the MARLINS but yet to see any other city come up with any proposal that would actualy work. I agree if Miami finds a way to get greedy Luria to open his tight fist they should be named the Miami Marlins since the citizens in Miami would end up paying for the thing....
Posted by: Stop crying | December 12, 2007 12:12 PM
THE CITY OF MIAMI LOST THE DOLPHINS, THE PANTHERS, THE 'CANES AND THE ORANGE BOWL GAME.--WHY??--LOUSY FACILITY PLUS A LACK OF FAN SUPPORT--I REMEMBER BACK IN THE '80'S WHEN MANY PEOPLE ATTENDED EVENTS AT THE O-BOWL PACKING HEAT OUT OF FEAR FOR THEIR LIVES!!--I SAW A JETS FAN LYING DEAD OUTSIDE THE MEN'S ROOM.--AND WHO'S GOING TO PROTECT THOSE CARS IN THE PARKING GARAGE??--CROCKETT AND TUBBS??--FAT CHANCE!!--THE CITY OF MIAMI HAS THE MIDAS TOUCH IN REVERSE--EVERYTHING THEY TOUCH TURNS TO SH*T.--THE MARLINS WILL FOLD AT THE O-BOWL SITE--AND THE TAXPAYERS WILL BE LEFT WITH A $500 MILL STADIUM THAT STANDS EMPTY--KINDA LIKE MIAMI ARENA!!
Posted by: FAU CLASS OF 69 | December 12, 2007 12:03 PM
Git-R-Done~!
I've helped pay for your Cultural Centers (which are poorly designed and run) and I could give a hoot about performing arts, sculptures or some intellectual's interpretation of "art".
I don't have children, so I could careless about schools - and still I MUST pay school taxes. We created the Lottery years ago to take care of that - bitch to your politicians like you are now about the stadium! See what good it does you.
Git-R-Done, NOW!
Posted by: ken | December 12, 2007 11:05 AM
Why support the Marlins? They are the greediest team in the Majors. Get 60 Million a year from MLB revenue sharing only to spend not even 10 on the team. Complete joke. Trading away D Train and Cabrera for practically nothing, ESPN even agrees it was a joke trade for us. Why build a stadium for some sorry team. They should continue to play at Dolphins stadium with the 0-13 losers there. With the marLins and doLphins, that place is practically turing into a shelter for BUMS.
Posted by: Bobby | December 12, 2007 9:44 AM
Miami Marlins?? Yuck. Nice to exclude a huge part of the fan base that will help pay for this. Oh and a 6000 space garage? That's not even going to come close to housing all the cars that will be there. I agree the spot in Sunrise would have been a perfect place to build a Florida "Meadowlands" complex.
Posted by: JP | December 12, 2007 9:41 AM
The OB site is such a dump and it will never change. Building a stadium there would be a massive waste of taxpayer money, barely increase game attendance and result in the same crap product on the field. The only thing this deal would do is increase profit for the all ready schisty owners.
Posted by: King | December 12, 2007 8:24 AM
Didn't Don King offer free land as well up in West Palm Beach?
I hate to say it, but the further north the Marlins move, the better off they'll be as far as a fan base.
Most of their fans live north of the stadium now as it is. Plus there's more money in Broward and Palm Beach than there is near the Orange Bowl site.
Once upon a time, there was a large plot of land next to the Panthers arena that was undeveloped that would've been perfect for a ballpark. Instead, it became a bunch of townhomes. That is the perfect location for a sports team.
Posted by: MikeC | December 12, 2007 8:22 AM
I disagree that Miami was the only city to step up to the plate. The owners of the casino "Isle" and dog track offered land and the "powers that be" shot him down. The "powers" wanted and got Miami! So be it...but they have lost a lot of season ticket holders. including yours truly......
Posted by: Bobbi | December 12, 2007 8:05 AM
Is this Miami's way of saying, "All I want for Christmas is a new stadium?" The city could not pass the last round of negotiations and they expect to do it now at more cost to the taxpayers and public money? Let's just enter year 11 of attempting to get a new stadium for the soon to be "Miami" Marlins (yuck!)
Posted by: Kevin | December 12, 2007 5:56 AM
Sorry Link. Can't agree with you. If Miami is putting up all the money, then the least the team can do is publicly acknowledge where it's opportunity came from. I know it doesn't have the same ring to it, and it doesn't mean that Broward/Palm Beach/global fans aren't welcome, but it tips its hat to the fact that when push came to shove, Miami was the only city that stepped up to keep baseball in S. Fla.
Posted by: joshw | December 12, 2007 4:02 AM
having to change the name to Miami Marlins is just plan stupid.
Posted by: link | December 12, 2007 2:23 AM