March 10, 200620 yr Posted on Thu, Mar. 09, 2006 BASEBALL Marlins get a serious suitor The San Antonio area initiated a bid to entice the Marlins to move from South Florida to Texas. It will take time, money and the backing of voters to be successful. By BARRY JACKSON bjackson@MiamiHerald.com San Antonio made its move to snatch the Florida Marlins from South Florida on Wednesday, offering a deal that potentially would cover two-thirds of the cost to build a stadium. The Texas city made a proposal in which Bexar County would cover $200 million toward an estimated $300 million stadium, contingent on voter approval. In the process, San Antonio became the first of the team's out-of-state suitors to offer a firm financing proposal. Meanwhile, the Marlins continue to strike out in attempts to get more public financing to build a stadium in South Florida. The team, which says it needs a retractable-roof ballpark to generate more revenue and eliminate rain as a deterrent to fans, has been allowed to explore relocation but has not applied for permission to move. Asked on Wednesday about the chances of the Marlins leaving, owner Jeffrey Loria said, ``I can't tell. My interest is with baseball, not with a crystal ball. We have options and we're looking at all our other options right now.'' Loria expressed frustration that ``there has been very little progress toward a stadium. And I was thinking the other day, reflecting back on the last four years, if any of the thousands of fans . . . who were on that World Series parade route were in touch with their elected officials and expressed their desire to keep the team in South Florida . . . it probably would have been done by now. I'm very surprised it hasn't been done by now.'' But even if the Marlins leave South Florida, it would not be anytime soon. The Marlins have said they will play at least two years -- but no more than five years -- at Dolphins Stadium. The Marlins confirmed they received San Antonio's offer, but declined further comment. ''I wish them the very, very best of luck,'' said Miami City Manager Joe Arriola, who noted that the Miami financing package ''had 350 [million] on the table'' -- more than San Antonio's $200 million. `TOO MUCH MONEY' ''I don't think they can build a stadium for that money, but you never know,'' Arriola said. He added that it would have taken $450 million to build the roofed stadium the Marlins wanted, and ``it's just too much money. ``I don't want them to leave South Florida, I want them to stay in South Florida, but they've got to do what they've got to.'' San Antonio's proposal would ask the county's voters to extend a hotel and car rental tax that was approved in 1999 to help finance the AT&T Center, which houses the NBA's San Antonio Spurs. An election could be held no earlier than November. Though Major League Baseball President Robert DuPuy said last week that it was too early to determine a front-runner for the Marlins, San Antonio has become the most aggressive suitor and the ''focus'' of the team's relocation talks. The Marlins estimate a stadium in South Florida would cost more than $400 million and are insistent that the facility have a retractable roof. Even with a contribution from the team and Miami-Dade County, the Marlins would need an additional $100 million or so -- as well as free land -- to close a deal locally. The team has offered as much as $212 million, mostly through rent payments. The Marlins held conversations with Hialeah last month but those have not progressed. Unable to bridge a financing gap, the Marlins and Huizenga Holdings are no longer negotiating to build a ballpark on Wayne Huizenga-owned land next to Dolphins Stadium. ROOF OR NO ROOF? The San Antonio bid is being spearheaded by Bexar County, of which the city is a part. Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, the county mayor equivalent who is handling the negotiations with the Marlins, has used $300 million as an estimated cost for an open-aired stadium, citing the fact that construction costs are generally lower in Texas than other states. But land acquisitions could push that figure higher. The Marlins and Bexar County have not determined a likely site for a ballpark. Wolff said he does not believe the stadium needs a retractable roof -- which would add significantly to the cost -- but the Marlins would have a large say in that decision. RBC Capital Markets, JP Morgan and UBS Securities estimated the referendum could generate approximately $240 million. But $40 million of that would be reserved for improvements to the AT&T Center and other county projects. It's unclear what kind of support a referendum would have among San Antonio voters. In 1999, 61 percent of Bexar County voters approved increases in the hotel and car rental taxes, which produced $146.5 million toward the basketball arena. But that came several months after the Spurs won the NBA title. Though the Spurs have drawn well, San Antonio has failed in attempts to lure other teams, including the Montreal Expos before they moved to Washington, D.C., last year. The city has tried unsuccessfully several times to land an NFL franchise, including the New Orleans Saints, who moved five of their games to San Antonio last year because of Hurricane Katrina. The knocks against San Antonio have been the market size (38th in the country) and the amount of disposable income. BizJournal.com recently produced a study that suggested San Antonio would have difficulty supporting two major-league franchises. `UNDERSTANDING' In his proposal, Wolff -- the city's former mayor -- said he will recommend to Commissioners Court, equivalent to the county commission, that the county enter into negotiations with the Marlins ``to define the terms and conditions under which up to $200 million of [the $240 million] could be used as the county's contribution toward financing a new baseball facility.'' Wolff said the sides ''must successfully negotiate a memorandum of understanding prior to calling an election.'' The deadline for calling a Nov. 7 election would be early August. The letter reiterates that Loria would be required to add ''local ownership'' as a prerequisite to a deal. Wolff has declined to say how much of a minority share Loria would be asked to sell. The Marlins had indicated to Wolff that would not be a problem. But asked by The Miami Herald on Wednesday about adding other owners, Loria said, ``I don't even want to talk about that issue. The team is not for sale. When we came down here, we extended our hand to seek people interested in local ownership. Nobody came forward.'' POTENTIAL INVESTOR Former Minnesota Vikings owner Red McCombs, who lives in San Antonio, told The San Antonio Express-News on Monday that he would be interested in buying a piece of the Marlins if it helps lure the team. At the end of the letter, Bexar asks team president David Samson, ``Please let me know if and when your organization would like to proceed. I look forward to hearing from you.'' The Marlins, who are expected to visit Charlotte, N.C., already have visited Portland, Ore., and met with officials from Norfolk, Va. Monterrey, Mexico, and northern New Jersey also have expressed interest in luring the Marlins. Miami Herald sports writer Clark Spencer and staff writers Michael Vasquez and Noaki Schwartz contributed to this report. ? 2006 MiamiHerald.com and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.miami.com http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14054.../printstory.jsp Is Arroila for real? Why would Loria leave for less money?
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