May 4, 200422 yr Stadium financing plan depends on arena sale By Charles Elmore, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Tuesday, May 4, 2004 The Florida Marlins have not ruled out starting construction on a ballpark even without $30 million denied by state legislators last week, a team official said Monday. But city and county commissioners in Miami may wait for a pending Miami Arena sale before ratifying a financing agreement. "There are things that need to get resolved before we can even think about a groundbreaking," said P.J. Loyello, the team's vice president of communications and broadcasting. "We have a $30 million gap that needs to be addressed." The Miami city commission was prepared to vote on a ballpark financing plan as early as Thursday, but the matter was not on the meeting agenda as of Monday, said Alejandro Miyar, spokesman for Miami Mayor Manny Diaz. The plan depends in part on the pending sale of the Miami Arena, and city and county commissioners expect to know more about that sale by May 17. House and Senate leaders opposed the last-minute bid by the Marlins to top off their stadium plan, and did not bring the matter to a vote on the final day of the legislative session Friday in Tallahassee. ''We had hoped for a positive result this legislative session,'' Marlins President David Samson said in a statement late Friday. "We will now discuss with the county and city all possibilities remaining which will enable us to complete a retractable-roof stadium by opening day 2007.'' Marlins officials are expected to lobby state legislators for the money in next spring's session, even if they find a way to proceed with construction by October. That's as late as the team says it can wait in order in order to open a retractable-roof stadium beside the Orange Bowl in time for the 2007 season. An agreement with city and county managers in Miami announced Thursday would provide all but $30 million of a $367 million plan to build a 38,000-seat stadium along with a 2,500-seat parking garage. The Marlins would contribute $157 million, mostly from rent and future stadium revenues. Miami-Dade County would offer $120 million from convention taxes, and the city of Miami would provide $28 million from tourist development taxes. Another $32 million would come from parking fees. http://www.palmbeachpost.com/marlins/conte...5491f90008.html
May 5, 200422 yr Looks like they will vote on it to at least accept in principle: http://www.ci.miami.fl.us/Agendas/Supplemental/05-06-04S.pdf
May 5, 200422 yr Looks like they will vote on it to at least accept in principle: http://www.ci.miami.fl.us/Agendas/Supplemental/05-06-04S.pdf It is the only item on the agenda?
May 5, 200422 yr It is the only item on the agenda? No, it is a supplement that was added later after the original agenda was posted here: http://www.ci.miami.fl.us/Agendas/Commission/05-06-04.pdf
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