However, a large amount of the site is located within the UDB and would onyl require local re-zoning from what I can tell.

 

You still don't understand about the UDB and how complex development is within it. The layers of approvals it will require stretch from here to Tallahassee and back again. SoFlaFish tried in vain to explain it, but you don't want to listen, or you think you know better than a land use lawyer with experience in these matters.

 

In order to get this done they're going to have to let the LB's construct the stadium, so much for any control over cost overruns. To make that kind of deal with the devil the good news is they obviously want to stay in South Florida very much.

However, a large amount of the site is located within the UDB and would onyl require local re-zoning from what I can tell.

 

You still don't understand about the UDB and how complex development is within it. The layers of approvals it will require stretch from here to Tallahassee and back again. SoFlaFish tried in vain to explain it, but you don't want to listen, or you think you know better than a land use lawyer with experience in these matters.

 

In order to get this done they're going to have to let the LB's construct the stadium, so much for any control over cost overruns. To make that kind of deal with the devil the good news is they obviously want to stay in South Florida very much.

LB's? How can development inside the UDB have problems other than local zoning? All the years I lived in Dade, Monroe, Broward, and Lee Counties never have I seen such commotion over it. It's amazing how when things want to get done the UDB is not a unsurmountable.

Latin Builder's Association.

Latin Builder's Association.

 

I realized the LB's, but I didn't seriously expect this ballpark to get built without them being involved. That would be like trying to not buy a car in South Florida from a Maroone dealer these days.

Latin Builder's Association.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for bursting my bubble. :thumbup

 

 

 

like I said, this is a rumor. I'm pleased that at least something is being done, I'm feeling neutral about this. And in wait and see mode. Lets see if Hialeah can show us the money. I know the source won't be pulling this stuff out his arse and there must be something going on.

 

 

 

If the Marlins are doing their due diligence and the UDB is an up-hill battle this will get killed in no time. Stay tuned

Wasn't Hialeah's Mayor (once) an/a LBA member?

Wasn't Hialeah's Mayor (once) an/a LBA member?

 

 

Probably, his last name is Robaina and he was a developer. :mischief

The Marlins have always seen the way of controlling costs was to bring in (for example) a Bechtel to build the stadium through HOK, cutting out the LB mafia.

 

That was one of the biggest stumbling blocks in dealing with the city of Miami. Arriola and Diaz's biggest allies are the LBA. The Marlins have (or perhaps had) a strong ally in the county mayor, but he's on the other side of the UDB battle, being strongly against expanding the boundary.

The Marlins have always seen the way of controlling costs was to bring in (for example) a Bechtel to build the stadium through HOK, cutting out the LB mafia.

 

That was one of the biggest stumbling blocks in dealing with the city of Miami. Arriola and Diaz's biggest allies are the LBA. The Marlins have (or perhaps had) a strong ally in the county mayor, but he's on the other side of the UDB battle, being strongly against expanding the boundary.

 

HOK will work with anyone, but the contractor is the problem in cost control. This situation sets up an interesting dilemma for the Marlins. I think money will continue to be the last stand on this fight.

Is Dade County going to help out at this location? Last I heard there were few politicians in the Dade commission that would not be in favor of this site and may not approve it.

Is Dade County going to help out at this location? Last I heard there were few politicians in the Dade commission that would not be in favor of this site and may not approve it.

 

Dade County's offer applies, but the site would have to be approved by the Commissioners.

I wanted to start a new thread on this topic but did anyone see George Burgess the Dade County manager on channel 10. He was being interviewed by Michael putney. There is a battle between him and Joe Arriola over Parrot Jungle owing money to the county and how he received a letter from Joe Arriola that was not acceptable. County Tax payers have been paying for this atttraction and not one penny has come from the attraction itself or the City of Miami. I believe it's like 25 million owed.

I wanted to start a new thread on this topic but did anyone see George Burgess the Dade County manager on channel 10. He was being interviewed by Michael putney. There is a battle between him and Joe Arriola over Parrot Jungle owing money to the county and how he received a letter from Joe Arriola that was not acceptable. County Tax payers have been paying for this atttraction and not one penny has come from the attraction itself or the City of Miami. I believe it's like 25 million owed.

 

I wish they had folded the City into the County many years ago. It all would have been so much easier.

Take it for what it's worth but I went through County Comission minutes last night and the last time Burgess briefed the comission was Feb. 21-22 (date might not be accurate). A briefing was scheduled for March 7th and it never materialized (atleast not in the official records).

I wanted to start a new thread on this topic but did anyone see George Burgess the Dade County manager on channel 10. He was being interviewed by Michael putney. There is a battle between him and Joe Arriola over Parrot Jungle owing money to the county and how he received a letter from Joe Arriola that was not acceptable. County Tax payers have been paying for this atttraction and not one penny has come from the attraction itself or the City of Miami. I believe it's like 25 million owed.

 

Can you expand on this?

 

 

 

 

Well I just found this from Miami Today

 

Burgess derails vote on arts center funding over tiff with Arriola

By Suzy Valentine

Citing a growing assumption of Miami's liabilities, the county manager Tuesday blocked a bid to channel millions of tax dollars into construction of the Miami Performing Arts Center.

The center, scheduled to open in October, was to receive at least $82 million through extension of the Omni Redevelopment District Community Redevelopment Agency.

However, Miami-Dade County Manager George Burgess stopped the deal because of problems negotiating with Miami city officials, he said, including a deal in which City Manager Joe Arriola reneged on funding commitments for Parrot Jungle Island. Mr. Arriola originally agreed to commit the city to repaying in full a loan to build the attraction but later changed the agreement to an 80/20 and then a 70/30 split with the county, Mr. Burgess said.

It is the second straight week that the county has stalled an item that would have enriched the city. Last week, the commission deferred approval of a contract to buy a downtown air-conditioning plant because it required the county to assume a $300,000 liability of the city.

Mr. Burgess attended a meeting of the Community Empowerment & Economic Revitalization Committee on Tuesday that was to include preliminary approval of an extension for the Omni redevelopment agency. "I would like to defer the community redevelopment agency items," Mr. Burgess said.

No date was set for reconsideration.

"To say I'm upset is an understatement," Mr. Burgess said. "I have worked with the city manager since the summer on an agreement on a number of different issues, one being the Parrot Jungle. I had an agreement with Mr. Arriola and with others in office in the city."

After the meeting, Mr. Arriola said that although the city and county had agreed to extend the Omni redevelopment agency and its Overtown neighbor, the Parrot Jungle Island deal remained an obstacle.

"The more I sleep on it, the more I can't agree to it," he said. "I can't put the city in that bind just now."

The conduct of Miami officials was ungentlemanly, Mr. Burgess said. "The way I was brought up, a handshake means something," he told commissioners. "Sadly, that's not the way it works everywhere, and at City Hall, a handshake does not carry the same meaning as it does here."

Mr. Burgess promised to furnish Miami officials and county commissioners with a copy of a letter dated Sept. 30 in which Mr. Arriola sets out the terms of the revised funding agreement.

"It's my understanding that the city sent another letter more recently," Miami Commissioner Tomas Regalado said later, "saying it is going to stop all negotiations regarding Parrot Jungle Island."

The city commission was to have considered funding for Parrot Jungle Island on March 9 but didn't, Mr. Regalado said. "The settlement seems like the $7 million fire-fee issue," said Mr. Regalado, who has been at odds with Mr. Arriola. "Everything these people do, they do unilaterally, and they expect the city commission and the county commission, in turn, to approve."

 

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/060316/story2.shtml

How that scumbag is still in office is beyond me. Shows the type of sh*t we have running the city.

This is certainly an interesting development, but like everything else stadium related down here, its all just wait and see.

It's been over 20 years, but in my one and only up close and personal political encounter here in South Florida I personally handed a Miami city commissioner $25,000 cash in an envelope, which is what they requested to secure their vote on some land deal. Their vote was the swing vote, and ironically the commissioner wound up double crossing me and voting against the proposal anyway. Ahhhh...politics. It's probably the same all over the land, but I do think that things are more sordid than the norm down here in the Banana Republic.

Latin Builder's Association.

 

I realized the LB's, but I didn't seriously expect this ballpark to get built without them being involved. That would be like trying to not buy a car in South Florida from a Maroone dealer these days.

 

I think we're misunderstanding what the LBA is. I was a former member of the LBA (2003-2004) and it is merely a trade organization made up of lawyers, contractors, builders, insurance salesmen, and other businessmen. It is not an entity that has powers to build a project or not. There may be members that partake in the construction project, but it will not be an LBA project (as a matter of fact, most members scoff at Samson when he spoke with them late last year).

 

The LBA is involved in the UDB fight as a lobbying organization (of which a former colleague of mine from my former law firm was counsel in the fight). That's all I see with LBA involvement in this site.

 

I'm going to try to get some information regarding this site from someone I know on the inside.

I want to apologize for something I said.

 

I should not have painted the LBA so harshly and with such a broad brush. It was inappropriate and left an incorrect impression. I think SoFlaFish knows who in particular I'm talking about. He's right that as a trade organization their role is that of lobbyist. It was poorly constructed shorthand on my part.

 

At the same time, the construction/development community in South Florida has more power and influence than even the Beacon Council or the GMBVC. And their influence has not always been in the public good.

Joe Frisaro in an interview is calling the Hialeah idea dead.

 

http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/index.jsp?c_id=fla

 

Scroll down to sights and sounds.

Joe Frisaro in an interview is calling the Hialeah idea dead.

 

http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/index.jsp?c_id=fla

 

Scroll down to sights and sounds.

 

I don't think Joe Frisaro knows more about this than the average fan

Joe Frisaro in an interview is calling the Hialeah idea dead.

 

http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/index.jsp?c_id=fla

 

Scroll down to sights and sounds.

 

I don't think Joe Frisaro knows more about this than the average fan

 

I sure hope you're right.

 

Del Castillo sure sounds pretty confident about this deal getting done and the reliability of his source(s).

and this news from del castillo seems like its pretty new information, unlike the fisaro piece which he drones on about the same thing we have known for a quite a while...i just pray that del castillo is right about his sources...as the old saying goes...there is truth in every rumor