New site explored for proposed Marlins stadium

 

By Sarah Talalay

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Posted November 21 2006

 

Miami-Dade County officials are exploring a new downtown Miami location for a Marlins stadium, and they say the site has fewer obstacles than those already under review.

 

The spot, which is publicly owned by the county and city of Miami, is about 10 acres just north of the Miami-Dade government center adjacent to Metrorail. It is just east of I-95, a few blocks southwest of Miami Arena and is home mainly to parking lots.

 

Miami-Dade County Manager George Burgess said the new option is intriguing because it is publicly owned, which would significantly reduce the cost of a ballpark, and parking is available nearby. The county would need to find an alternate site for a new Children's Courthouse for juvenile and dependency cases, which is planned for the location. Burgess plans to send county commissioners a memo this morning explaining that the new option is under review.

 

"It's a really clean 9- or 10-acre site, all publicly owned that would be directly on transit," Burgess said Monday. "It's an exciting alternative that needs to be explored."

 

The Marlins declined to comment.

 

Burgess cautioned that the new location does not mean other discussions have ended. He said talks are ongoing with Hialeah, but it has been difficult to assemble the 70 to 80 acres needed for the stadium and parking, and to determine how much could be raised by collecting property tax on proposed development in the area.

 

Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina said he thinks Hialeah is a better option for reaching Marlins fans in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties because of its proximity to southwest Broward.

 

"My No. 1 goal is to keep the Marlins in Dade County and our South Florida community," Robaina said. "If it means it goes to downtown, it goes to downtown. If it goes to Hialeah, then it goes to Hialeah."

 

Major League Baseball, meanwhile, has been exploring a location south of Miami Arena and has options to purchase property there.

 

Although the county is not involved in those discussions, Burgess said the property is expensive and the location has rail lines and AT&T and BellSouth substations that cannot be moved.

 

In addition, representatives of Broward County, the city of Pompano Beach and the Marlins have been discussing possibly locating a stadium at Pompano Park Harness Track.

 

Burgess would not discuss how the financing might work at the new Miami location, but said it would need to include participation from the county, city of Miami, the Marlins and, if possible, the state.

Isn't a "9-10 acre" site awfully small for what we'd need?

Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina said he thinks Hialeah is a better option for reaching Marlins fans in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties because of its proximity to southwest Broward.

:thumbup

Isn't a "9-10 acre" site awfully small for what we'd need?

 

 

New site explored for proposed Marlins stadium

 

By Sarah Talalay

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Posted November 21 2006

 

Miami-Dade County officials are exploring a new downtown Miami location for a Marlins stadium, and they say the site has fewer obstacles than those already under review.

 

The spot, which is publicly owned by the county and city of Miami, is about 10 acres just north of the Miami-Dade government center adjacent to Metrorail. It is just east of I-95, a few blocks southwest of Miami Arena and is home mainly to parking lots.

 

Miami-Dade County Manager George Burgess said the new option is intriguing because it is publicly owned, which would significantly reduce the cost of a ballpark, and parking is available nearby. The county would need to find an alternate site for a new Children's Courthouse for juvenile and dependency cases, which is planned for the location. Burgess plans to send county commissioners a memo this morning explaining that the new option is under review.

 

"It's a really clean 9- or 10-acre site, all publicly owned that would be directly on transit," Burgess said Monday. "It's an exciting alternative that needs to be explored."

 

The Marlins declined to comment.

 

Burgess cautioned that the new location does not mean other discussions have ended. He said talks are ongoing with Hialeah, but it has been difficult to assemble the 70 to 80 acres needed for the stadium and parking, and to determine how much could be raised by collecting property tax on proposed development in the area.

 

Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina said he thinks Hialeah is a better option for reaching Marlins fans in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties because of its proximity to southwest Broward.

 

"My No. 1 goal is to keep the Marlins in Dade County and our South Florida community," Robaina said. "If it means it goes to downtown, it goes to downtown. If it goes to Hialeah, then it goes to Hialeah."

 

Major League Baseball, meanwhile, has been exploring a location south of Miami Arena and has options to purchase property there.

 

Although the county is not involved in those discussions, Burgess said the property is expensive and the location has rail lines and AT&T and BellSouth substations that cannot be moved.

 

In addition, representatives of Broward County, the city of Pompano Beach and the Marlins have been discussing possibly locating a stadium at Pompano Park Harness Track.

 

Burgess would not discuss how the financing might work at the new Miami location, but said it would need to include participation from the county, city of Miami, the Marlins and, if possible, the state.

 

 

 

How would 9-10 acres work in downtown, when the required land in Hialeah is 70-80 acres....hmmmm...is my math wrong on this or am I just not seeing it properly

Isn't a "9-10 acre" site awfully small for what we'd need?

 

 

New site explored for proposed Marlins stadium

 

By Sarah Talalay

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Posted November 21 2006

 

Miami-Dade County officials are exploring a new downtown Miami location for a Marlins stadium, and they say the site has fewer obstacles than those already under review.

 

The spot, which is publicly owned by the county and city of Miami, is about 10 acres just north of the Miami-Dade government center adjacent to Metrorail. It is just east of I-95, a few blocks southwest of Miami Arena and is home mainly to parking lots.

 

Miami-Dade County Manager George Burgess said the new option is intriguing because it is publicly owned, which would significantly reduce the cost of a ballpark, and parking is available nearby. The county would need to find an alternate site for a new Children's Courthouse for juvenile and dependency cases, which is planned for the location. Burgess plans to send county commissioners a memo this morning explaining that the new option is under review.

 

"It's a really clean 9- or 10-acre site, all publicly owned that would be directly on transit," Burgess said Monday. "It's an exciting alternative that needs to be explored."

 

The Marlins declined to comment.

 

Burgess cautioned that the new location does not mean other discussions have ended. He said talks are ongoing with Hialeah, but it has been difficult to assemble the 70 to 80 acres needed for the stadium and parking, and to determine how much could be raised by collecting property tax on proposed development in the area.

 

Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina said he thinks Hialeah is a better option for reaching Marlins fans in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties because of its proximity to southwest Broward.

 

"My No. 1 goal is to keep the Marlins in Dade County and our South Florida community," Robaina said. "If it means it goes to downtown, it goes to downtown. If it goes to Hialeah, then it goes to Hialeah."

 

Major League Baseball, meanwhile, has been exploring a location south of Miami Arena and has options to purchase property there.

 

Although the county is not involved in those discussions, Burgess said the property is expensive and the location has rail lines and AT&T and BellSouth substations that cannot be moved.

 

In addition, representatives of Broward County, the city of Pompano Beach and the Marlins have been discussing possibly locating a stadium at Pompano Park Harness Track.

 

Burgess would not discuss how the financing might work at the new Miami location, but said it would need to include participation from the county, city of Miami, the Marlins and, if possible, the state.

 

 

 

How would 9-10 acres work in downtown, when the required land in Hialeah is 70-80 acres....hmmmm...is my math wrong on this or am I just not seeing it properly

 

It seems to me that the issue is parking...at Hialeah, they have to create it from scratch...downtown, it already exists, plus is right on Metrorail and Metromover. This is the most promising site/plan i've seen yet.....if the city and state can get their contributions together, you might actually be able to build a stadium here for $450 million. :thumbup

If you're planning on having zero people park at the stadium (or are going to make a parking structure under the park for cars), then the site works. Otherwise the team/county is losing out on a lot of revenue from cars even if the Metrorail revenue will go up on game days.

 

I'd like to think it's possible but the site seems very small, even if a Downtown location won't need to be anywhere as big as a Hialeah one.

The newest proposed downtown site just east of I-95 looks like it is larger than the site just south of the Miami Arena. Perhaps there won't be any problems fitting a roof on the stadium if it were build there. It also has the Metro-rail and Metro-mover just next to it on the east.

 

The article did mention that there was plenty of parking around the site, so I see no problem there. The land is all publicly owned with no buildings to move or demolish. That is also a big plus.

 

MLB wants the stadium in downtown Miami and the Miami-Dade County manager thinks it is a good idea. Was this the result of MLB discussions with the County? There was mention in the news a few day ago that Mr. Dupry was going to set up a meeting with Burgess. Now we need to hear from the County Commission, the City of Miami, the Marlins and the State, so hang on again for a long ride! Are the Marlins on board with this new site? Is the parking area big enough to satisfy Loria's need for parking revenue? Is it big enough to put a roof on it? If the answers are yes, then I don't see the Marlins having a problem with it.

 

Both the Republican and Democratic party leaders in the State House this year are form the Miami area. Does this mean we now have a better shot at the State money?

 

With all the positives this site has, why wasn't it brought up 5 years ago??????

Here are some maps of the area: http://capefish.blogspot.com/2006/11/look-...that-miami.html

Isn't a "9-10 acre" site awfully small for what we'd need?

I was thinking the same thing. Most downtown stadiums still manage to find room for lots and not rely on public transportation.

That area is surrounded by parking lots though.

Added a 3D look at the skyline view from the site proposed: http://capefish.blogspot.com/2006/11/look-...that-miami.html

At this point I dont even care where it goes and if there is parking or not. Just get something built!

^ Agree. It's just that I get the feeling that gov't employees might not like the possibility of having a stadium right on the doorsteps of where they work. There has to be pedestrian access issues involved from looking at the images.

 

The ballpark would be an odd fit for that location.

^ Agree. It's just that I get the feeling that gov't employees might not like the possibility of having a stadium right on the doorsteps of where they work. There has to be pedestrian access issues involved from looking at the images.

 

The ballpark would be an odd fit for that location.

 

You mean because third base is going to be located on the other side of Biscayne Blvd?

Wow, this is a great location. I echo fanfish, why has this site not been proposed before. I'd say this is the #1 spot since it doesn't require land purchases like the arena site. I'm in the anywhere-but-Hialeah faction, but this is the top prospect. It seems like the Marlins, Miami, and Miami-Dade could contribute enough to get within the $30M state contribution here. This makes me more confident than ever of a) the Marlins staying in South Florida, and b) the Marlins moving downtown and therefore improving their financial standing. Hopefully my confidence is not overblown.

Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina said he thinks Hialeah is a better option for reaching Marlins fans in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties because of its proximity to southwest Broward.

 

The best option is Pompano Beach, right in the center of the 3 county area. As the population grows northward, it will make even more reason to put it there.

I prefer a hialeah stadium but under the location described it might just work...Question are We still getting the retractable roof in such a small area?

in downtown site their will need to remove alot those building in that area

Isn't a "9-10 acre" site awfully small for what we'd need?

 

 

New site explored for proposed Marlins stadium

 

By Sarah Talalay

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Posted November 21 2006

 

Miami-Dade County officials are exploring a new downtown Miami location for a Marlins stadium, and they say the site has fewer obstacles than those already under review.

 

The spot, which is publicly owned by the county and city of Miami, is about 10 acres just north of the Miami-Dade government center adjacent to Metrorail. It is just east of I-95, a few blocks southwest of Miami Arena and is home mainly to parking lots.

 

Miami-Dade County Manager George Burgess said the new option is intriguing because it is publicly owned, which would significantly reduce the cost of a ballpark, and parking is available nearby. The county would need to find an alternate site for a new Children's Courthouse for juvenile and dependency cases, which is planned for the location. Burgess plans to send county commissioners a memo this morning explaining that the new option is under review.

 

"It's a really clean 9- or 10-acre site, all publicly owned that would be directly on transit," Burgess said Monday. "It's an exciting alternative that needs to be explored."

 

The Marlins declined to comment.

 

Burgess cautioned that the new location does not mean other discussions have ended. He said talks are ongoing with Hialeah, but it has been difficult to assemble the 70 to 80 acres needed for the stadium and parking, and to determine how much could be raised by collecting property tax on proposed development in the area.

 

Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina said he thinks Hialeah is a better option for reaching Marlins fans in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties because of its proximity to southwest Broward.

 

"My No. 1 goal is to keep the Marlins in Dade County and our South Florida community," Robaina said. "If it means it goes to downtown, it goes to downtown. If it goes to Hialeah, then it goes to Hialeah."

 

Major League Baseball, meanwhile, has been exploring a location south of Miami Arena and has options to purchase property there.

 

Although the county is not involved in those discussions, Burgess said the property is expensive and the location has rail lines and AT&T and BellSouth substations that cannot be moved.

 

In addition, representatives of Broward County, the city of Pompano Beach and the Marlins have been discussing possibly locating a stadium at Pompano Park Harness Track.

 

Burgess would not discuss how the financing might work at the new Miami location, but said it would need to include participation from the county, city of Miami, the Marlins and, if possible, the state.

 

 

 

How would 9-10 acres work in downtown, when the required land in Hialeah is 70-80 acres....hmmmm...is my math wrong on this or am I just not seeing it properly

 

It seems to me that the issue is parking...at Hialeah, they have to create it from scratch...downtown, it already exists, plus is right on Metrorail and Metromover. This is the most promising site/plan i've seen yet.....if the city and state can get their contributions together, you might actually be able to build a stadium here for $450 million. :thumbup

I hate to keep making this comparison but PETCO Park, another downtown park has absoloutly no parking at the stadium. They have one ACE pay by the hour parking lot adjacent to the stadium and one parking garage for press only. Most people park at the Q and take the 20 minute trolley ride downtown. Maybe the MetroRail could be used accordingly if this site were actually chosen for the new stadium.

Metrorail drops u off right there and there is alot of parking in the area...alot! Everywhere basically! This is the best location yet for a downtown stadium

That area is surrounded by parking. Just go to http://capefish.blogspot.com/ and click on Downtown Parking Map at the top and look.

I want a stadium, and that is more important that its precise location, but that location is going to be hell to get to on weeknights and much of the parking is in use until 7 or so.

The original miami site is 11.5 acres. this site would be smaller than that. Seems not to accomplish much

I want a stadium, and that is more important that its precise location, but that location is going to be hell to get to on weeknights and much of the parking is in use until 7 or so.

 

So in other words there is no parking during the week? Relying on fans using public transportation is the wrong attitude for South Florida. Not going to work. Especially for fans coming in from PBC and northern Broward. Basically it would take the season tickets right out of our hands.

I'm staying on record as saying Pompano works best for me so natch I would love that but I would prefer the Hialeah site as I feel it is the best and fairest for the tri counties.

Commissioner Pepe Diaz was on Descarga Deportiva tonight talking about the new stadium site. He clearly prefers the Hialeah site but realises that MLB is set on having the stadium in downtown Miami and that is where the stadium will probably be built. He thinks the newly proposed site has many advantages over the site south of the Miami Arena, namely that the land is publicly owned. He also has hopes that the State will be able to contribute toward the stadium now that Mr. Rubio is the leader of the House or Representatives.

This was posted on Ballpark Digest yesterday.

 

 

New downtown Miami site explored for proposed Marlins ballpark NEW!

Posted Nov. 21, 2006

Miami-Dade County officials are exploring a new downtown Miami location for a Florida Marlins ballpark, and they say the site has fewer obstacles than those already under review. The spot, which is publicly owned by the county and city of Miami, is about 10 acres just north of the Miami-Dade government center adjacent to Metrorail. It is just east of I-95, a few blocks southwest of Miami Arena and is home mainly to parking lots. Because the land is publicly owned, a new ballpark could be built for less. It's a very interesting situation in Miami: the Marlins ownership seems resistant to the idea of a downtown ballpark, which is being pushed (rightly so) by MLB officials, who see Miami as a key market and the gateway to Latin America. We've heard HOK Sport (which is advising the Marlins) is also resistant to the idea of a downtown ballpark on a small site, but some of that criticism has been blunted by the fact the Minnesota Twins are building a new ballpark (designed by HOK Sport) on an eight-acre downtown site. Meanwhile, we've heard proposals for a new Marlins ballpark in Hialeah and Pompano Beach have stalled, mostly because affordable land was more difficult to acquire than originally anticipated.

 

 

This was published in Miami Today

 

New site, new Legislature give stadium hopes new life

 

By Dan Dolan

Hopes for a $420 million stadium for the Florida Marlins in downtown Miami moved closer to reality this week after Miami-Dade County officials unveiled a new site proposal and renewed plans to prod the Legislature into giving the Major League Baseball franchise a massive tax break.

Miami-Dade commissioners said the Marlins' chances of winning a $60 million state tax subsidy key to the construction of a stadium were greatly improved by this month's elections.

With a new governor taking office in January and Rep. Marco Rubio of Coral Gables installed as Speaker of the House, commissioners say the mood in Tallahassee likely has changed for the better.

"Now that the legislative leadership is from Miami, I think we'll get a fresh perspective on the stadium project," Commissioner Carlos Gimenez said. "This really helps. It gives us a very good chance."

Commissioners Rebeca Sosa and Bruno Barreiro agree. Ms. Sosa said, "The public has spoken loud and clear that they want a new stadium." She said she expects the House of Representatives to listen now that Mr. Rubio is running the show.

Mr. Barreiro, a former state legislator, said Mr. Rubio's new job will give the county a bit more political muscle.

A formal request for the Legislature to approve the Marlins' tax break will be considered by the commission Tuesday. Two years ago, the House gave the baseball team what it wanted only to have the proposal stall in the Senate. Last year, the Senate passed a Marlins tax-relief bill at the 11th hour only to have the legislative session expire before the House and the governor could act.

"With that history, we have a very good chance of getting the proposal through the Legislature during the next session," Mr. Barreiro said. "It's good for the county. And I think the newly proposed site for the stadium is a good thing, too."

In a memo issued days ago, County Manager George Burgess recommended a site just north of the county administrative building on Northwest Third Street.

Mr. Burgess' proposal calls for the stadium to be built on about 9 acres of city- and county-owned land currently earmarked as the site of a new $110 million juvenile-justice center. But the land, now being used for parking, would be perfect for a stadium because it is next to the main transit station for buses, MetroRail and Metromover, Mr. Burgess said. He said the site provides easy access to Interstate 95.

"Locating the ballpark next to mass-transit access would provide a positive site characteristic that has not been present at most of the sites we have previously studied," Mr. Burgess said in his memo to Mayor Carlos Alvarez and the county commission.

The county has looked at several other locations for the stadium, including Hialeah and the Orange Bowl.

Major League Baseball executives have considered a site by Miami Arena. But Mr. Burgess said the county was never actively involved in that plan.

Major League Baseball and the Marlins have been approached with Mr. Burgess' new proposal, according to county officials. But the plan to build the juvenile-justice center could scuttle the stadium project, officials say.

"My main concern is the children's court," Commissioner Natacha Seijas said. "Hopefully, that's not an issue."

Mr. Burgess said he believes he has found a solution to the problem. He said the court building could be relocated to the east side of the county administration building ? on privately owned land that's currently used for parking. He released no further details.

Pending more information, commissioners Sosa, Gimenez and Barreiro were generally positive about Mr. Burgess' plan.

"It sounds really good," Mr. Barreiro said. "If we can work things out with the children's court, this could be a perfect location. It has the Metrorail, parking and easy access. I really think it's ideal."