Stadium Update

Here is the Stadium update for the marlins....oh and the parking at the pro is $20 Bucks now.

Diaz: Deal for new stadium is `too close to

call'

BY BARRY JACKSON

bjackson@herald.com

Miami Mayor Manny Diaz has been spending time with Marlins owner

Jeffrey Loria during the World Series, including a party at Vizcaya on

Monday night. Asked if he expects a deal for a new retractable-roof

stadium to be worked out, Diaz said he's hopeful but, ``It's too close to

call.''

Diaz said he wants to meet with the Marlins and Miami-Dade County

Mayor Alex Penelas shortly after the World Series to see if a financial

agreement can be struck. The Marlins are expected to be asked to cover

more than half of the cost to build a $350 million ballpark.

''As a businessman, I'm going to try to make it work,'' Diaz said. ``We

owe it to the team to say we can do a deal or we can't do it. And they

owe it to us to say they can do a deal or they can't.''

Sites on the grounds of Miami Arena and next to the Orange Bowl remain

under consideration.

''I've never been a believer a stadium is the driving force to enhance a

neighborhood,'' Diaz said. ``It's not a catalyst.''

So what's the motivation for collaborating on a stadium with the Marlins?

''I love baseball, and Miami should have Major League Baseball,'' Diaz

said. ``It's economically good for the area.''

PARKING JUMP

After insisting parking prices would remain $9 throughout the playoffs,

Pro Player Stadium officials upped the price to $10 for the division series

and $20 for the World Series.

Stadium president Bruce Schulze insists the edict to raise prices wasn't

made by the stadium's owner, Wayne Huizenga, who said he makes only

a modest profit from the Marlins.

Schulze said ticket prices went up for World Series games, so he

considered a parking increase justified.

''The parking rates now are more [in line]with Super Bowls,'' he said.

The Marlins reportedly keep 37.5 percent of the parking revenue.

Link