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HIALEAH

Idea raises hopes for Marlins stadium

Under discussion: A plan to take property taxes from a planned Hialeah industrial park and use them to help pay for a ballpark for the Marlins.

By BARRY JACKSON

bjackson@MiamiHerald.com

Hialeah city leaders, who recently won clearance to build an industrial park on 1,100 acres of land that had been off-limits to large-scale development, are discussing a plan with Miami-Dade County that would devote property taxes from the industrial park to building a new stadium for the Florida Marlins.

 

Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina says he expects developer Armando Codina to donate part of the land to the city, which would then give it to the Marlins, who have been trying for years to find money to build a new stadium with a retractable roof.

 

But even with lots of public help, the team was still about $100 million short of the stadium's $400 million price tag -- and that's where the property-tax plan would come in.

 

Miami-Dade County Manager George Burgess and Hialeah Council President Steve Bovo said the idea is under discussion. ''It's a viable alternative,'' Burgess said of the plan, which would need the county commission's approval. ``It's an approach we have . . . agreed makes sense. We're moving quickly.''

 

Though the deal is far from final, a successful resolution would keep the Marlins, who have recently flirted with the idea of relocating to San Antonio, Texas, in South Florida.

 

Burgess stressed that no homeowners would see their property taxes earmarked for a stadium, and he said it was too soon to determine how much money the industrial-park plan could generate. But Bovo said ''you're talking about a huge amount of money'' potentially. Burgess agreed that the industrial park ``could generate significant incremental tax value.''

 

''We have to look at this carefully, to see what kind of development could occur there,'' he said.

 

The property taxes paid by businesses that locate in the industrial park would be split nearly evenly: half to Hialeah and half to the county, Robaina said Wednesday. Burgess said shares from both governments' property taxes would go toward the stadium -- though Robaina earlier in the day said he envisioned that no Hialeah money would be used. Any Hialeah involvement would require Hialeah City Council approval.

 

Under the scenario, the stadium would be built on a construction debris landfill site near the Turnpike and 170th Street. Codina's plans for the industrial park there would include offices and warehouses.

 

Codina had said as recently as last week that he had no plans to donate any of the property to Hialeah or to the Marlins. Codina was not available to comment on his plans Wednesday night, said his spokesman, Bruce Rubin. However, Robaina said he expected Codina would make the donation.

 

The Marlins, who are declining comment on the stadium issue, are facing a May 15 deadline to respond to San Antonio's proposal to ask voters to extend hotel and car-rental taxes that would help finance a stadium there. The Marlins have said they prefer to remain in South Florida but haven't ruled out San Antonio.

 

If the proposal goes before the Miami-Dade County Commission, it would need the approval of seven of the 13 commissioners. The county already has pledged between $110 million and $120 million from other sources toward the deal, Burgess said.

 

Commission Chairman Joe Martinez reserved judgment about whether he would support the plan. ''It's a possibility,'' he said.

 

Robaina also has said he expects Major League Baseball to contribute toward the project, but that's considered highly unlikely.

 

Bovo called the idea of pledging property-tax money in the area ``very enticing. We're almost done with the conversation part. We're about to start negotiations with the county and the Marlins.''

 

 

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Miami Herald Staff Writer Rebecca Dellagloria contributed to this report.

 

 

 

Sounds like a good plan to me. Let's hope this one works!

HOLY CRAP Barry is early to the party. :blink:

thanks for posting Owls!

 

 

Go Robaina! :thumbup Got to hand it to Hialeah. Whether this all works out or not, they've handled things very well. I thought they were a longshot, but they've been optimistic, haven't burned bridges or resorted to petty personal attacks or negotiating through the media (ahem Arriola), and have worked hard to find viable sites and solutions to the funding gap.

 

Sounds like a promising plan. I had cautiously hoped a while back that Codina could be of some help. Since he was already to have been involved in the Marlins deal back at the Orange Bowl site, he was at least not anti-Marlins.

 

Obviously he's only going to be involved if it helps his own cause, but hey if both parties get what they want it's fine by me.

This could be the what Barry is talking about.

 

"If Hialeah wants to talk to the Marlins, that's up to them," Codina said. "But that's not the focus of my planning."

 

Codina is a huge part of the project and is ready build a ballpark village.

This could be the what Barry is talking about.

 

"If Hialeah wants to talk to the Marlins, that's up to them," Codina said. "But that's not the focus of my planning."

 

Codina is a huge part of the project and is ready build a ballpark village.

 

right, & he doesn't exactly deny anything there either... :mischief2

 

Miami-Dade County Manager George Burgess and Hialeah Council President Steve Bovo both seem to be on board with this idea too, which is a very good sign.

The idea of using taxes generated by the development is a good one and more importantly...

 

a) is widely used already throughout Miami-Dade county (South Beach in Miami Beach, Overtown in Miami, in Doral, etc.)

 

b) does not require voter approval.

 

c) does not impact existing (property) taxpayers in Miami-Dade and kills the notions that "taxpayer dollars" or "welfare for the rich" are at work here.

 

d) will provide $$$ for quickly doing the cleanup and water treatment plant plans and provide funds for road improvements and construction of access to and from the stadium.

 

All in all this is a win-win solution for all parties involved and could be agreed to quickly.

:thumbup

Although, I must admit that it makes me nervous that the English media got a hold of this story. Makes me think the "local terrorists" will now try their best to mess this up.

Although, I must admit that it makes me nervous that the English media got a hold of this story. Makes me think the "local terrorists" will now try their best to mess this up.

 

That thought certainly crossed my mind when I read the story this morning but I wanted to keep my comments positive. One has to wonder why the city of Miami didn't offer to do the same thing in the blighted (no insult meant) area around the Orange Bowl or a couple of other sites that were under consideration early in the process.

 

And yes I do expect the "local terrorists" as you call them to marshal an effort to derail this for their own purposes.

HOLY CRAP Barry is early to the party. :blink:

 

Barry isn't early to any party....he is WAY late...only one person was early to the party and that is where Barry got the story from....

Although, I must admit that it makes me nervous that the English media got a hold of this story. Makes me think the "local terrorists" will now try their best to mess this up.

 

I hope that this is far enough in the process that the "local terrorists" can only talk but not act

are we talking about the local terrorist Osama Huizienga?

I wonder how much money we are talking here. Hopefully it gets 7 votes out of 13, and then we are in excellent shape.

 

Get er done

Interesting. Very interesting. The Herald printing a very juicy article on a stadium plan under consideration.

 

I would think this would make it easier for the league to chip in for the stadium since more secure funding sources may be coming in line, but that's speculation on my part. At least they've committed to forgive the loan they gave to Loria should a stadium happen.

Yay ideas!

I posted about this a while back when Hialeah was first mentioned. Nice to see they noticed the idea as well. This was actually brought up in the 90's by Hialeah to help redevelop Hialeah Park with a ballpark before it closed and Hialeah would like to have a Special Tax District somewhere to get the ballpark.

when someone know the date of county commission's voting going happen let us know? it most likely be web cast like other one was this other step for us getting park built in hialeah

Its amazing the threat of relocation will do to get the old blood circulating in the cranium. :mischief But I guess none of should be surprised by this considering that almost every team that has threatened relocation (I suppose with the exception of the Expos/Nationals), has found a way through the private/public sector to give them the money they need for a new ballpark.

 

 

:thumbup

But even with lots of public help, the team was still about $100 million short of the stadium's $400 million price tag -- and that's where the property-tax plan would come in.

 

This is what I was talking about in the other thread and this apparently is their plan to resolve it. Nice to see something happening. I follow Murphy's law with the Marlins stadium seach however.

Interesting. Very interesting. The Herald printing a very juicy article on a stadium plan under consideration.

 

I would think this would make it easier for the league to chip in for the stadium since more secure funding sources may be coming in line, but that's speculation on my part. At least they've committed to forgive the loan they gave to Loria should a stadium happen.

 

I believe that the terms of the loan are only changed if a ballpark deal is not signed by February 2007. So, this means either we wait until next spring to see any final stadium deal that was financed this way, or any other way, signed sealed and delivered, or MLB changes the terms of the agreement.

From the story it would appear Barry Jackson confirmed several of the comments from Robaina. It was a positive piece and one would hope it would add to any excitement generated by the proposal.

thanks for posting Owls!

 

 

Go Robaina! :thumbup Got to hand it to Hialeah. Whether this all works out or not, they've handled things very well. I thought they were a longshot, but they've been optimistic, haven't burned bridges or resorted to petty personal attacks or negotiating through the media (ahem Arriola), and have worked hard to find viable sites and solutions to the funding gap.

 

Sounds like a promising plan. I had cautiously hoped a while back that Codina could be of some help. Since he was already to have been involved in the Marlins deal back at the Orange Bowl site, he was at least not anti-Marlins.

 

Obviously he's only going to be involved if it helps his own cause, but hey if both parties get what they want it's fine by me.

 

 

Well said... :thumbup