Marlins ready to help pay for dome?

Official: Team has offered $100 million

BY BARRY JACKSON

bjackson@herald.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Marlins have told Miami city manager Joe Arriola they are willing to contribute $100 million toward a proposed new downtown domed stadium and the city would be interested in collaborating on the project under that scenario, Arriola said Wednesday.

 

''I feel we could come up with funding sources if they come up with the $100 million,'' Arriola said in a telephone interview.

 

``There's a lot of ways to come up with additional revenues. The luxury boxes could be bonded. A lot of the future income at a stadium could be bonded.''

 

How willing the Marlins are to commit future stadium revenue toward construction is not known.

 

Marlins president David Samson declined Wednesday to confirm or deny the $100 million offer or discuss the franchise's stadium efforts other than to say he is ``confident our plans for securing the franchise will work.''

 

Samson also said ''time is of the essence'' to increase the Marlins' revenues.

 

Arriola said he believes the park could be built for $325 million. ''We can't swallow that whole thing ourselves,'' he said.

 

As a matter of perspective, the two newest retractable-roof stadiums -- Minute Maid Park in Houston and Miller Park in Milwaukee -- cost $250 million and $400 million, respectively, according to ballparks.com.

 

Arriola said Samson ''has said several times'' the team is willing to contribute $100 million. But Arriola said he ''hasn't seen'' the money and there have been no negotiations on financing a stadium.

 

Arriola spoke with Samson by telephone this week and expects a meeting in the next few weeks. ''He said he's working on something,'' Arriola said.

 

The Marlins have committed to play at Pro Player Stadium in 2004 but could escape their year-to-year lease after that.

 

Arriola is the second prominent local government official to express interest in working with the Marlins on a stadium, provided the team contributes to the project.

 

In late May, Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas told The Herald he's ''very optimistic'' a stadium eventually will be built, but that any county contribution would be contingent on the team changing its name to the Miami Marlins.

 

''I'm very optimistic [a new stadium]will get done, whether during my tenure or someone else's,'' Penelas said at the time. His second and final mayoral term will end in the fall of 2004.

 

Penelas also has said that if the county contributes, the Marlins would be asked to pitch in. Any county-led Marlins financing proposal likely would face opposition from several members of the county commission.

 

The Marlins likely would seek money from a convention development tax, which produced $25.6 million in the 2002 fiscal year. Javier Soto, Penelas' chief of staff, said there have been no recent negotiations with the Marlins.

 

Although Broward has not been ruled out, the Marlins prefer a stadium in downtown Miami. Arriola reiterated Wednesday the most realistic sites would be on the grounds of Miami Arena or nearby.

 

Miami Mayor Manny Diaz has said demolition of Miami Arena is an option, but no decision on that is imminent.

 

Arriola said he wishes the Marlins and the University of Miami would collaborate on renovations of the Orange Bowl to make it playable for baseball, but he knows that's not going to happen. The city and UM are expected to combine on financing OB renovations that could cost $100 million, but it would not be used for major-league baseball.

 

Arriola has said the OB renovations will get done.

yeah, i read this too, sounds promising...

Hey at least both sides are listening.

I would love it if it were where the Miami Arena is...

I would love it if it were where the Miami Arena is...

Only thing is parking but you can always use metro-rail.

Exactly. I live in Boca, so I would take the rail down straight to the stadium.

WildCard would get on Tri-Rail and transfer to MetroRail at the MetroRail/Tri-Rail Transfer Station and get off at the Arena Station. Simple Enough! Approx. travel Time ????

bulls*** he would

Approx. travel Time ????

On the train with no traffic? 45 minutes to 1 hr.

bulls*** he would

Obviously not alone...

WildCard would get on Tri-Rail and transfer to MetroRail at the MetroRail/Tri-Rail Transfer Station and get off at the Arena Station. Simple Enough! Approx. travel Time ????

Travel time on tri-rail from Boca to metrorail: 1 hour

Travel time on Metrorail from tri-rail station to miami arena: 19 minutes

Not having to sit in traffic and search for parking: Priceless.

Travel time on tri-rail from Boca to metrorail: 1 hour

Travel time on Metrorail from tri-rail station to miami arena: 19 minutes

Not having to sit in traffic and search for parking: Priceless.

Hey, if i could take the train down to games, you could count on me going to a lot of summer games...

Travel time on tri-rail from Boca to metrorail: 1 hour

Travel time on Metrorail from tri-rail station to miami arena: 19 minutes

Not having to sit in traffic and search for parking: Priceless.

I heard the Tri-Rail system was really nice, but I know MetroRail isn't/wasn't, have they improved MetroRail's appearance (cleaned it up), put more security beyond the Okeechobee and new Palmetto stations, and describe how far the Arena station is from the Arena site? I like the MetroMover, but that's only when your in downtown.

And the People Mover is free now. I'm completly against it because taxes suck but w/e as long as it helps more people get to the Marlins.

Doesn't the rail pull up directly AT the arena?

And the People Mover is free now. I'm completly against it because taxes suck but w/e as long as it helps more people get to the Marlins.

I hate taxes, but traffic down there is hell, they needed to do something drastic and unfortunately the raised your sales tax.

 

Hey, at least you will have a state of the art transportation system by the time it's done in like 2100 :lol

The Arena metrorail station is literally across the street from the Miami Arena.

Doesn't the rail pull up directly AT the arena?

Basicly a 2 minute walk from metro-rail to arena.

Basicly a 2 minute walk from metro-rail to arena.

Many things can happen in 2 minutes :unsure :

 

Question: is a domed stadium the same as a retractable-roof stadium? When they mention a domed stadium, Tropicana Field comes to mind. I would not like the idea of such a monstrosity being built in Miami, please... It is ugly and you have to use artificial turf, which is one of the worst things ever invented for baseball. With a retractable-roof they can have natural grass, and the stadium can stay open unless it rains. Am I making any sense here?

Question: is a domed stadium the same as a retractable-roof stadium? When they mention a domed stadium, Tropicana Field comes to mind. I would not like the idea of such a monstrosity being built in Miami, please... It is ugly and you have to use artificial turf, which is one of the worst things ever invented for baseball. With a retractable-roof they can have natural grass, and the stadium can stay open unless it rains. Am I making any sense here?

It would be retractable roof, look at the quotes in the artical. The Herald calls it a dome for some reason.

It would be retractable roof, look at the quotes in the artical. The Herald calls it a dome for some reason.

That's what confused me. In some parts of the article they call it a domed stadium. Then they draw a comparison with retractable-roof stadiums. So, they either have their definitions crossed, or... I don't know. I just hope they are talking about a retractable-roof.

No domes will be built in baseball again...unwritten law. Tropicana Field was built in the 1980's so it had to be a dome since retractable roofs hadn't worked then (Olympic Stadium in Montreal).

That would be good for the Marlins to get a dome. IT would be very exciting for the players and the fans. Lora and the FO will make alot more money since the dont have to pay nothing no more and now more fans will come. I hope Arriola Acepts Loria's plans! I cant wait...

That would be good for the Marlins to get a dome. IT would be very exciting for the players and the fans. Lora and the FO will make alot more money since the dont have to pay nothing no more and now more fans will come. I hope Arriola Acepts Loria's plans! I cant wait...

:confused