While still far from a done deal, a ballpark for the Marlins could be a lot closer now that the city of Miami and Miami-Dade County have come up with a way to pay for it that doesn’t involve state funding.

It’s a complex plan that involves expanding the boundaries and extending the life of Miami’s Community Redevelopment Agencies to generate millions of dollars for city projects including paying down debt on the performing arts center and developing the museum park and a traffic tunnel to the Port of Miami. Using those dollars for the performing arts center frees up millions in hotel bed taxes that can be used to help pay for a ballpark at the Orange Bowl and, Miami Mayor Manny Diaz hopes, a soccer stadium, too.

Miami City Commissioners signed off on the CRA deal Thursday. There’s still a lot more work to be done to make a ballpark deal a reality – and the next test comes Tuesday when Miami-Dade County Commissioners get a crack at the CRA deal and a county proposal to finance a $525 million stadium that has yet to receive the blessing of the city or the team.

But more about soccer: Diaz envisions a sports complex at the site of the Orange Bowl stadium that includes not just a 37,000-seat retractable roof Marlins ballpark, but also a 25,000-seat soccer stadium.

Diaz has wanted to bring a Major League Soccer franchise back to South Florida almost since the league folded the Fusion in January 2002 and has been in contact with the league for years.

“I believe Miami should have a soccer franchise. I think soccer is obviously the world’s most popular sport. It’s a growing sport,” Diaz said. “I think it’s a natural for us to be able to do something. I’m excited at prospects of having a franchise here.”

Diaz says the CRA deal can generate $50 million for a soccer stadium. A soccer stadium would likely cost $100 million and it's unclear where the rest would come from, but according to an MLS spokesman it's not unusual for a team owner to contribute the rest.

There’s no guarantee the city will be able to secure an MLS team, but MLS spokesman Daniel Courtemanche said talks with the city are ongoing.

“Those discussions are still very preliminary, but we are closely monitoring the Miami market,” Courtemanche said.

The league has set its roster of teams through 2009 and Philadelphia and St. Louis have been identified as frontrunner cities for expansion beyond that, although situations could change.

Nevertheless, Diaz said the soccer stadium, which he would want to be called the Orange Bowl, helps the baseball stadium deal. A ballpark proposal requires the city to fund a 6,000-space parking garage, which Diaz estimates at $85 million to $95 million. He said with both teams enough revenue should be generated to service the debt on the garage.

“You need a certain number of events to generate the amount of income you need so it at least breaks even,” Diaz said.

Diaz hopes one day the neighborhood around the Orange Bowl will become a vital area with baseball and soccer games, bars, and restaurants.

“When you see a building that sits idle 359 days of the year, what does that do for the neighborhood? Absolutely nothing,” Diaz said referring to the Orange Bowl hosting six University of Miami football games annually.

“I saw the possibility of creating something that could now be a destination, beyond just an 81 game event days, to hopefully add soccer and then hopefully bring with it retail and mixed use components,” Diaz said. “So it’s not place you just go to watch a sporting event. It’s a place you can go to year round, 365 days a year, not just see a baseball game. Maybe you’ll go to a restaurant or have a beer with friends or shop. It’s got that potential. I think from a neighborhood revitalization perspective, it’s pretty exciting.”

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