anyone know anything??

Capefish should...

This is the latest article I believe...

 

Marlins ready to help pay for dome?

Official: Team has offered $100 million

BY BARRY JACKSON

[email protected]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

i hope they dont play in the orange bowl,, is it still a possibility for the bicentenial park plans??

i hope they dont play in the orange bowl,,? is it still a possibility for the bicentenial park plans??

 

In early 2001 the Marlins unveiled these visions of a new ballpark to the public...They were planning on building the "Park within a park"(Bicentennial Park ) surrounded by nearly 15 acres of revitalized greenspace, play areas, a baywalk and other family activities along Biscayne Bay. The deal called for using $266-million in local tax revenue. Fans would contribute another $47-million from a 4-percent ticket surcharge, and the team would kick in $72-million in rent payments, plus change its name to the Miami Marlins. But,the city of Miami voted against constrution in Bicentennial, so those plans are done with.

the Orange Bowl would be an interesting experiment but it is a dump!

Bicentennial Park will not happen cuz the City of Miami is stupid. But it is great land right on the bay in the middle of downtown. Instead it is a home for the homeless!

Id tghere a more beautiful park thou, maybe they can built it in the same spot?? and have the same plans for the construction of the stadium, when you guys say DOMED stadium, do you meen retractable??

when you guys say DOMED stadium, do you meen retractable??

Yes.

 

The best realistic option as of now is the Miami Arena.

Somebody tell me if there is a better ballpark than these plans, so i can kill you, wow the marlins would do great with a place like this, i would go every homegame

How are you going to turn the Miami Arena into a domed baseball stadium? I hope you mean the land...I wouldnt mind seeing both UM and the Marlins collaborate on a re-modeled OB and bring the OB game back to Miami. I love the Bicentenial park idea, but yeah, City of Miami is pretty stupid with no kind of vision. Amazed that we are even a world class city...seems to be based mostly on dumb luck than any kind of plan.

 

but right now, this stadium talk is ill-timed...we got the playoffs to play for!

Guys,

 

All those articles you read about the Miami Arena site are not true. The City of Miami made up the stuff. Penelas said he would be willing to help them get it as long as they become the Miami Marlins, but Loria doesn't want to give up the marketing power.

 

The biggest problem for Penelas is where can he find a source of funds that is guaranteed to repay the bonds issued for a new ballpark. As soon as that is answered, we will have a stadium.

 

Loria will have more once it is a done-deal. for more on his ideas, look at LaBatt Park in Montreal. It was his idea and would be a dream for down here, but it is not a retractable roof park, so instead of $200 million canadian LaBatt would have cost, a Miami park will cost #300-350 million.

so all it takes is changing the name to miami marlins?? that seems simple

for more on his ideas, look at LaBatt Park in Montreal.

Link?

so all it takes is changing the name to miami marlins?? that seems simple

no it isn't that simple. the money is the big problem.

 

the name change may happen, but the taxpayers will have to pay more than half.

 

Loria will put in $100 million as rent payments over the term of the lease as his part of the financing. The naming rights would be sold for around $50 million, and taxpayers would cover the rest.

LaBatt Park Proposal by Loria and Co.

http://www.ballparks.com/baseball/national/monbpk.htm

Do you think most of miami wants it or doesnt want it?? and do you think a ballpark in miami would do well, without the support for other markets outside of miami...

That LABATT looks like a cookie cutter, no dome?? wont it get cold?

Do you think most of miami wants it or doesnt want it?? and do you think a ballpark in miami would do well, without the support for other markets outside of miami...

Miami wants it, location is a dead issue. Dade County is about the only one with the resources to do it, but the voters, if left to them, woudl approve of it by over 70%.

That LABATT looks like a cookie cutter, no dome?? wont it get cold?

Montreal is not any colder than New York or Boston most of the time, so the dome is not needed for baseball season.

LaBat is not a cookie-cutter. The Big O is, but not LaBatt. It would be like the Great American Ballpark mixed with Kauffman Stadium.

Loria knows that any stadium builtfor the Marlins needs to be a retractable roof.

 

But hey, a stadium is a stadium, none the less.

Montreal is not any colder than New York or Boston most of the time, so the dome is not needed for baseball season.

Your right, if the spos make the playoffs thou, its gona be uncomfertable weather like it was in cleveland in 1997(snow) and its always freezing during the world series in new york, but i know what u meen

what type of capacity is realistic??

Do you think most of miami wants it or doesnt want it??

I think Miami would support the effort....The reason why Miami voted against the ballpark being constructed in Bicentennial was because of the location and environmental protests. It's the location,that's the problem to figure out.

*Raises hand

 

Miami has never ever gotten a ballpark measure on the ballot. Henry thought they would never approve it so he tried to do it throught the city council/county commission.

 

Mr. Loria, learn this lesson, never ever avoid the voters. Get it on the ballot and they will take care of it. going through councils/commissions/states houses won't get it done. get it on the ballot!