Here's a good news, bad news blurb from the Sun-Sentinel. The bad news: 3 Marlins officials are keeping a previous appointment to tour potential stadium sites in San Antonio. The good news: The quote by Samson is promising. It sounds like the Marlins are just keeping their options open if things don't work out down here.

 

Being a pessimist at heart, I'm probably more concerned about the tour than I'm happy about the quote.

 

Here's the article:

 

Officials to view San Antonio sites

-- Sarah Talalay

Posted May 3 2006

 

Despite significant progress in talks to finance a stadium in Hialeah, three Marlins executives will make a previously scheduled trip to San Antonio this week to look at potential stadium sites, Marlins President David Samson said Tuesday.

 

The visit was scheduled about a month ago, "before the recent progress with [Miami-Dade] County and the city of Hialeah," Samson said, adding, "I'm very pleased with the progress."

 

Samson, who will not make the trip, reiterated the team's intention is to stay in South Florida, but decided its head of stadium development, chief financial officer and general counsel should still attend.

 

The Marlins have yet to respond to a May 15 deadline set by a San Antonio official for a response to his offer of help to finance a stadium.

Here is the article in the SA paper refering to the trip

 

 

Marlins to view S.A. sites: Officials will visit as planned with Florida park talks continuing

 

Web Posted: 05/03/2006 12:20 AM CDT

Tom Orsborn

Express-News Staff Writer

 

Although they remain cautiously optimistic about a new stadium-financing plan in Miami-Dade County, the Florida Marlins are sending three team officials to San Antonio today to tour possible stadium sites with Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff.

 

Wolff said he and Marlins president David Samson set the date several weeks ago. The two spoke by phone Friday to confirm the details, Wolff said.

 

Claude Delorme, the Marlins' senior vice president for stadium development, will head the contingent, Wolff said.

 

The tour comes as Hialeah (Fla.) and Miami-Dade County officials are exploring using property taxes generated by industrial and office park development proposed for Hialeah to raise funds for a ballpark.

 

"We'll see how it plays out, what happens," Wolff said Tuesday. "I had a long, long talk with David on Friday, and I think they really are struggling with what to do and exploring every opportunity there is so they can come to their decision.

 

"It's a tough deal for them. I don't envy them."

 

Wolff presented the Marlins on March 8 with a stadium-financing plan that called for Bexar County to contribute as much as $200 million toward a $310 million ballpark.

 

The property taxes in Hialeah would be paid by businesses that locate in a proposed 1,100-acre industrial park. The funds collected then would be split between Hialeah and Miami-Dade County, with shares from both going toward the stadium.

 

Approval from the Miami-Dade County Commission and the Hialeah City Council would be needed to go forward.

 

Samson reiterated the team wants to remain in South Florida.

 

"We have continued to tell San Antonio that South Florida is our first choice," Samson told the Miami Herald. "We are pleased with the very recent progress that has been made with Miami-Dade County and the city of Hialeah."

 

Wolff said most potential sites for a stadium in San Antonio are in northeast Bexar County.

 

"They've done quite a bit of research on their own, but we'll brief them on the major population areas," Wolff said.

 

Mayor Phil Hardberger is also expected to meet with the Marlins' officials before they return to Miami on Thursday, Wolff said.

 

Wolff's conversation with Samson last week was his first with anyone from the organization since his decision to give the club a May 15 deadline to commit to San Antonio.

 

The Marlins say they need a new baseball-specific stadium to improve attendance.

 

The Marlins' lease at Dolphins Stadium expires after the 2007 season, but they could continue playing there through 2010 by exercising a series of one-year options.

 

 

 

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torsborn@express-news.net

I think it is good news. No reason to cancel the trip

 

Samson is not going to burn any bridges and he confirms that negotiations with Hialeah are going well.

I'm indifferent to the trip because nobody is really going on the trip. Just keeping a appointment. It's the least the fish can do i guess.

They arent going to burn bridges and kill their leverage with south florida but both papers even state south florida is the first choice.

 

It will be done in a month or two I bet.

Delorme toured the Hialeah sites a few weeks back according to miamibaseball.

 

The visit was scheduled about a month ago, "before the recent progress with [Miami-Dade] County and the city of Hialeah," Samson said, adding, "I'm very pleased with the progress."

 

:o