The land is owned by Hialeah from what I have heard.

The city owns it I believe. During the campaign the future of the site was an issue. Robaina was siding with developers (his campaign had a lot of $$$ from them) looking to build homes and other argued it should be turned into an industrial area like medley.

http://capefish.blogspot.com/2006/01/hiale...to-discuss.html

 

Parties entered today $80 million apart. I expect that number to close in quickly.

http://capefish.blogspot.com/2006/01/hiale...to-discuss.html

 

Parties entered today $80 million apart. I expect that number to close in quickly.

 

 

I believe that the $80 million difference was between the Marlins and Wayne, not Hialeah.

Hialeah's first meeting is today. That is why I said I expect that number to drop. Marlins are looking for the best bidder, Hialeah is cheaper.

any word on how the meeting was??

It isn't over from what I hear

so if they are 80 million apart, any chance the county puts up 20 million marlins 20 million and hialiah 40 million?

 

and the state for overrunns?

so if they are 80 million apart, any chance the county puts up 20 million marlins 20 million and hialiah 40 million?

 

 

 

hialeah isnt made of money that they will just throw down $40 million

so if they are 80 million apart, any chance the county puts up 20 million marlins 20 million and hialiah 40 million?

 

and the state for overrunns?

 

 

I seem to remember them being less than 80 million apart when the Orange Bowl site negotiations broke down & no one was willing to give more. So I wouldn't count on it... although part of the problem w/ city of miami was clearly the individuals involved...

so if they are 80 million apart, any chance the county puts up 20 million marlins 20 million and hialiah 40 million?

 

 

 

hialeah isnt made of money that they will just throw down $40 million

 

I'm sure Hialeah has plenty of money...otherwise they would not be wasting the Marlins time. How much money is another question? It should be interesting to see what comes out of this meeting.

so if they are 80 million apart, any chance the county puts up 20 million marlins 20 million and hialiah 40 million?

 

 

 

hialeah isnt made of money that they will just throw down $40 million

 

I'm sure Hialeah has plenty of money...otherwise they would not be wasting the Marlins time. How much money is another question? It should be interesting to see what comes out of this meeting.

unlike miami and others they arent in debt. Hmm I could see them asking for something like that. Gotta be some cash they cna shift around for tourists or bed taxes or something.

come on hialeah...

 

KEEP OUR MARLINS IN SOFLA

when are we going to find out what exactly went on during the meeting?

It isn't neccessarily about how much money each municipal entity puts in but rather how much they are prepared to bond out.

 

The city of Hialeah has an annual budget of nearly a quarter billion dollars. That sounds like alot of money but if you look at their budget there doesn't seem to be $$$ readily available from any kind of surplus account. Simply, the city spends what it takes in each year.

 

The key here is to figure out a way to not impact the existing tax base or taxpayers to fund a stadium. The kiss of death would be to seek an increase in property taxes accross the board or to start taking money out of public services for stadium construction.

 

This is all about generating new tax dollars.

 

Without even reaching into the general fund, conceivably, based on increases in property and other taxes collected by the construction of a stadium and attendant services, the city might be able to generate $3-4 million a year that could be bonded out to represent a net (present value) contribution of as much as $60 million towards a new stadium.

 

If for example as was suggested above the use of bed taxes some type of CRA might be created that would encourage the construction of a hotel or hotels adjacent to the new stadium as well as new housing, shopping centers, etc.

 

If the legislature approved the creation of such a CRA and allowed all the sales and bed taxes collected in the CRA to stay in the CRA those dollars could be used to fund municipal bonds. The revenues derived from selling those bonds could be used to help fund the construction effort.

 

There's a number of established ways of going at this and I'll be the first to admit I'm not an expert in this area. Certainly there are a couple of people here who are more attuned to the financial and legal obligations and mechanisms that make CRAs work. But clearly Tallahassee has to rubber stamp everything.

 

It will be interesting to watch how this all works out.

What are the chances Tallahassee would approve this? I am skeptical of those rednecks.

What are the chances Tallahassee would approve this? I am skeptical of those rednecks.

 

Depends on who's paying how much.

What are the chances Tallahassee would approve this? I am skeptical of those rednecks.

 

It would be difficult for me to envision a scenario where the legislature didn't go along especially if it was not being asked to fund or make its own contribution. Defeating a package like this worked out and agreed to by two local governments and the Marlins would be seen as enormously punitive and would send the message that they were in fact telling the Marlins they were unwanted in the state of Florida.

 

Would Wayne have his minions up there lobbying against it? Absolutely. But I think in the end legislators understand that one hand washes another and when they need something in their districts the South Florida delegation, or enough of the South Florida delegation, might seize the opportunity to kill that piece of legislation as retribution.

 

So the short answer is the legislature would go along.

According to WPLG 10's 4 PM News Update,

 

Meeting is done for today. Homestead and Palm Beach officials have also chimed in on ballpark wishes.

Good. :thumbup

 

Another question, if you don't mind. Can they have Tallahassee approve this plan this year?

Tally could approve it any year, all that is needed are the votes.

Tally could approve it any year, all that is needed are the votes.

 

 

Of course, what I am asking is whether it's too late to introduce it. There is a process involved and it takes time to get things done.

AP STORY ON MEETING

 

MIAMI (AP) Florida Marlins officials met Monday with Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina to discuss two sites for a potential baseball stadium that could keep the team from moving out of South Florida.

 

Marlins President David Samson told reporters that the talks, although preliminary, demonstrated the team's desire to stay in the region. Hialeah is located northwest of downtown Miami.

 

"We've discovered now that our best chance, and the best chance for baseball in South Florida, is to get a building built somewhere and making it work,'' Samson said. "The important thing is keeping the team here.''

 

The Marlins announced in November that Major League Baseball has granted the team permission to seek relocation.

 

That followed the collapse of a deal to build a retractable-roof, 38,000-seat stadium next to the Orange Bowl in downtown Miami.

 

The Marlins have played in Dolphins Stadium since their inception in 1993. Their lease ends in 2007, but the team could stay there through the 2010 season using a series of one-year options.

 

In Hialeah, Samson said the two potential sites are the Hialeah Park horse track, which hasn't had live racing since 2001, and a tract along Interstate 75. He said there will be feasibility and traffic studies done to gauge the suitability of the sites, both of which are privately owned.

 

"We promised we would explore all areas and all possible sites,'' Samson said.

 

Samson has met with officials in Portland, Ore., and San Antonio in recent weeks and has visits scheduled soon in two other cities he would not identify. He also said the team will meet with officials in Homestead, located south of Miami.

Good. :thumbup

 

Another question, if you don't mind. Can they have Tallahassee approve this plan this year?

 

I'm just commenting in the hypothetical, one would assume though that if there is a will, there's a way.

 

 

 

 

 

(TSwift should take note I have my rebound copy of "A Thousand and One Cliches You Can Use on Internet Messageboards" back from the bindery.)

I just got the AP story.....very interesting on the feasability studies being commissioned.