Sounds Promising

[OrlandoFish]

Miami-Dade County officials lobby for Marlins stadium

 

BRENT KALLESTAD

 

Associated Press

 

 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Miami-Dade County officials, accompanied by members of their legislative delegation, made a pitch Wednesday for state money to build a baseball park for the Florida Marlins.

 

It's at least the third bid in recent years from South Florida. This time they're seeking a $60 million sales tax rebate over a 30-year period to help pay for a new community-owned ballpark. The money would provide $30 million for the stadium plus inflation.

 

"I'm optimistic," said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez. "We have negotiated for a long time in good faith at the city level, at the county level and with the franchise."

 

No representatives from the baseball team were included in the delegation. Many lawmakers were unhappy that some team officials threatened to move the team out of state last year if the Legislature didn't come through with the money then.

 

And while community leaders received no promises from either House Speaker Allan Bense or Senate President Tom Lee, both leaders said they were sensitive to the community's fears of losing a team that has won two world championships in its 14-year existence.

 

"With the city and county coming with their leaders and elected officials, that's strong, a good sign," Bense said. "A project of this size will get a lot of face time, believe me."

 

The Marlins play in a reconfigured football stadium built in the 1980s by former Miami Dolphins owner Joe Robbie near Broward County. It continues to be the Dolphins home field.

 

The new stadium has the backing of Gov. Jeb Bush, who just last week applauded the Marlins for securing local and county support for the ballpark plan, saying it would likely help the team's quest of obtaining state money for the $420 million project in Little Havana.

 

City and county officials have pledged $166 million for the proposed retractable-roof facility, with the Marlins agreeing to put up $192 million more. A $32 million parking garage is expected to pay for itself through usage fees.

 

That leaves a $30 million gap, which officials hope to cover with the proposed sales tax rebate.

 

The South Florida delegation didn't meet with Bush on Wednesday.

 

Lee remains skeptical about spending taxpayer dollars to finance stadium projects, especially in a year when lawmakers could are trying to develop a long-term budget while also trying to fix Medicaid.

 

A recent Quinnipiac University poll indicated that most Floridians oppose spending tax money on sports facilities. That poll said 76 percent of Floridians are against the concept of tax dollars going to stadium costs; 84 percent were against the measure as it specifically relates to the Marlins. It had a margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

 

Bense shrugged off those results.

 

"I don't live by polls," he said. "If it's going to generate significant sales tax revenues, create jobs and long-term stability in Miami-Dade County, we'll certainly give it a fair looksee."

 

But he's concerned about setting an example that could be followed by other communities seeking millions of state dollars to refurbish the Orlando Magic's arena and to build a NASCAR Hall of Fame in Daytona Beach.