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Sara Talalay Blog on the New Marlins Stadium


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I was watching the commission meeting online because I wanted to see what was said about the stadium. It started off about the police and then some commissioners (Martinez and Souto specifically) tried to turn the session into a debate on the whole "global megadeal". Martinez was going back and fourth with Burgess, with Martinez being confused that money for this project is coming from Miami residents and an expasperated Burgess trying to explain why he was wrong. Martinez sounded like he just didn't understand how the financing worked, with Burgess saying they needed to sit down together again so he could explain it. Martinez said he wasn't sure they had the 9 votes to approve the deal. The whole thing makes you uneasy about the final outcome, but I think in the end, when evertything is written out on paper, they will end up approving it. You don't run a marathon and then stop after the 25th mile. The July meeting will be worth watching though.

Just the be factual the one that's "confused" is Burgess. All you need to do is to not get lost in a quick shell game.

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I was watching the commission meeting online because I wanted to see what was said about the stadium. It started off about the police and then some commissioners (Martinez and Souto specifically) tried to turn the session into a debate on the whole "global megadeal". Martinez was going back and fourth with Burgess, with Martinez being confused that money for this project is coming from Miami residents and an expasperated Burgess trying to explain why he was wrong. Martinez sounded like he just didn't understand how the financing worked, with Burgess saying they needed to sit down together again so he could explain it. Martinez said he wasn't sure they had the 9 votes to approve the deal. The whole thing makes you uneasy about the final outcome, but I think in the end, when evertything is written out on paper, they will end up approving it. You don't run a marathon and then stop after the 25th mile. The July meeting will be worth watching though.

Just the be factual the one that's "confused" is Burgess. All you need to do is to not get lost in a quick shell game.

 

And you know this why? I've seen a bunch of these meetings because of the Marlins, and the one that is always confused is Martinez. He never has a freaking clue. From what I've seen Burgess is probably the smartest person there. Gimenez seems like an intelligent person also.

 

Besides, from the talk on TV and radio, and even nationally, I thought this was a done deal? I thought the minor issue of the police/rescue duties was all that was left to iron out. Now we need more than a majority on the final agreement? Come to think of it, I remember that was mentioned in the last vote, but it slipped my mind with all the talk about the stadiums approval. Man, I really hope that Pepe Diaz can round up the votes before July 1st. I have faith in the MARINE.

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I was watching the commission meeting online because I wanted to see what was said about the stadium. It started off about the police and then some commissioners (Martinez and Souto specifically) tried to turn the session into a debate on the whole "global megadeal". Martinez was going back and fourth with Burgess, with Martinez being confused that money for this project is coming from Miami residents and an expasperated Burgess trying to explain why he was wrong. Martinez sounded like he just didn't understand how the financing worked, with Burgess saying they needed to sit down together again so he could explain it. Martinez said he wasn't sure they had the 9 votes to approve the deal. The whole thing makes you uneasy about the final outcome, but I think in the end, when evertything is written out on paper, they will end up approving it. You don't run a marathon and then stop after the 25th mile. The July meeting will be worth watching though.

Just the be factual the one that's "confused" is Burgess. All you need to do is to not get lost in a quick shell game.

 

And you know this why? I've seen a bunch of these meetings because of the Marlins, and the one that is always confused is Martinez. He never has a freaking clue. From what I've seen Burgess is probably the smartest person there. Gimenez seems like an intelligent person also.

 

That has been my impression too. If anything, Burgess seems to be talking over Martinez's head and has trouble trying to dumb down what he is saying to try to make him understand what is going on. As for Souto, I just think he's a loon.

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Well, I don't think Burgess and whoever else travels up to D.C. to view the beautiful new stadium are going to be impressed with the less than beautiful crowd. Did anyone notice the lack of crowd there on Monday. Granted, it was cold, but this was the first week in a new stadium, and it looked like a crowd of around 10000, maybe. Probably only 6000. Why? What happened to all the big corporate dollars that are supposed to flood into that stadium and this stadium? Bad baseball area? Bad location? Bad economy?

If they expect to see 20-30k tonite, as most of you believe will show up in a new Marlins ballpark, then they may be in for an unpleasant surprise. Burgess just may go back to Miami with the feeling that they've fallen for MLB's and Loria's shell game that they're building a stadium for great crowds, much more public, to revitalize the area. In reality, it's going to be maybe 5000 more people than we currently see at Joe Robbie. Maybe 5000 more.

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I was watching the commission meeting online because I wanted to see what was said about the stadium. It started off about the police and then some commissioners (Martinez and Souto specifically) tried to turn the session into a debate on the whole "global megadeal". Martinez was going back and fourth with Burgess, with Martinez being confused that money for this project is coming from Miami residents and an expasperated Burgess trying to explain why he was wrong. Martinez sounded like he just didn't understand how the financing worked, with Burgess saying they needed to sit down together again so he could explain it. Martinez said he wasn't sure they had the 9 votes to approve the deal. The whole thing makes you uneasy about the final outcome, but I think in the end, when evertything is written out on paper, they will end up approving it. You don't run a marathon and then stop after the 25th mile. The July meeting will be worth watching though.

Just the be factual the one that's "confused" is Burgess. All you need to do is to not get lost in a quick shell game.

 

And you know this why? I've seen a bunch of these meetings because of the Marlins, and the one that is always confused is Martinez. He never has a freaking clue. From what I've seen Burgess is probably the smartest person there. Gimenez seems like an intelligent person also.

 

 

Without the current version of the baseball agreement this was situation:

PAC - debt will be paid-off with tourist taxes

Stadium - there's no stadium

Tourist taxes - will be used to pay off the PAC debt

CRA funds - will be used for the benefit of the CRA area (overtown, Liberty City, Omni)

 

With the current version of the baseball agreement this is the situation:

PAC - debt will be paid-off with CRA funds (from Miami residents)

Stadium - there's a new stadium

Tourist taxes - will be used to pay off the stadium debt

CRA funds - will be used to pay off the PAC debt

 

So what changes? The PAC debt still gets paid and the tourist taxes and the CRA funds still get used so no changes there. The changes are the new stadium is built and the Overtown, Liberty City and Omni areas don't get the benefit of the CRA funds collected from thiose areas. In other words, the CRA funds (from Miami residents) are being used for the stadium.

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Well, I don't think Burgess and whoever else travels up to D.C. to view the beautiful new stadium are going to be impressed with the less than beautiful crowd. Did anyone notice the lack of crowd there on Monday. Granted, it was cold, but this was the first week in a new stadium, and it looked like a crowd of around 10000, maybe. Probably only 6000. Why? What happened to all the big corporate dollars that are supposed to flood into that stadium and this stadium? Bad baseball area? Bad location? Bad economy?

If they expect to see 20-30k tonite, as most of you believe will show up in a new Marlins ballpark, then they may be in for an unpleasant surprise. Burgess just may go back to Miami with the feeling that they've fallen for MLB's and Loria's shell game that they're building a stadium for great crowds, much more public, to revitalize the area. In reality, it's going to be maybe 5000 more people than we currently see at Joe Robbie. Maybe 5000 more.

 

I think you're missing something, though. While there may have been 10,000 actually present at Nationals Park on Monday night, that doesn't mean that 10,000 tickets were sold. The "paid attendance" on Monday night was 20,487. That is what matters to the "bottom line" not how many fannies are in the seats. For every suite or box sold, that equals multiple single seats, especially when the suites and boxes are sold in long term deals. I'm sure there are already corporate packages sold, and while some seats are empty, it doesn't mean they're available.

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Well, I don't think Burgess and whoever else travels up to D.C. to view the beautiful new stadium are going to be impressed with the less than beautiful crowd. Did anyone notice the lack of crowd there on Monday. Granted, it was cold, but this was the first week in a new stadium, and it looked like a crowd of around 10000, maybe. Probably only 6000. Why? What happened to all the big corporate dollars that are supposed to flood into that stadium and this stadium? Bad baseball area? Bad location? Bad economy?

If they expect to see 20-30k tonite, as most of you believe will show up in a new Marlins ballpark, then they may be in for an unpleasant surprise. Burgess just may go back to Miami with the feeling that they've fallen for MLB's and Loria's shell game that they're building a stadium for great crowds, much more public, to revitalize the area. In reality, it's going to be maybe 5000 more people than we currently see at Joe Robbie. Maybe 5000 more.

 

I think you're missing something, though. While there may have been 10,000 actually present at Nationals Park on Monday night, that doesn't mean that 10,000 tickets were sold. The "paid attendance" on Monday night was 20,487. That is what matters to the "bottom line" not how many fannies are in the seats. For every suite or box sold, that equals multiple single seats, especially when the suites and boxes are sold in long term deals. I'm sure there are already corporate packages sold, and while some seats are empty, it doesn't mean they're available.

I understand that. But a "paid attendance" of 20,487 is not very impressive still, and to only have 1/3 of the paid attendance there looks bad. And so few showing up may help the franchises bottom line, but it doesn't help revitalize the area very much.

And again, this is the FIRST WEEK in a new stadium.

Isn't the general thought on these boards that with a bright shiny new stadium down here, that we'll have a paid attendance in excess of 20k, when all those corporate dollars supposedly are going to pour in.

And the D.C. area is a place with some baseball heritage, and not alot of transplants. Unlike here.

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I was watching the commission meeting online because I wanted to see what was said about the stadium. It started off about the police and then some commissioners (Martinez and Souto specifically) tried to turn the session into a debate on the whole "global megadeal". Martinez was going back and fourth with Burgess, with Martinez being confused that money for this project is coming from Miami residents and an expasperated Burgess trying to explain why he was wrong. Martinez sounded like he just didn't understand how the financing worked, with Burgess saying they needed to sit down together again so he could explain it. Martinez said he wasn't sure they had the 9 votes to approve the deal. The whole thing makes you uneasy about the final outcome, but I think in the end, when evertything is written out on paper, they will end up approving it. You don't run a marathon and then stop after the 25th mile. The July meeting will be worth watching though.

yes it will because that meeting final vote could happen and sign of papers work

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Well, I don't think Burgess and whoever else travels up to D.C. to view the beautiful new stadium are going to be impressed with the less than beautiful crowd. Did anyone notice the lack of crowd there on Monday. Granted, it was cold, but this was the first week in a new stadium, and it looked like a crowd of around 10000, maybe. Probably only 6000. Why? What happened to all the big corporate dollars that are supposed to flood into that stadium and this stadium? Bad baseball area? Bad location? Bad economy?

If they expect to see 20-30k tonite, as most of you believe will show up in a new Marlins ballpark, then they may be in for an unpleasant surprise. Burgess just may go back to Miami with the feeling that they've fallen for MLB's and Loria's shell game that they're building a stadium for great crowds, much more public, to revitalize the area. In reality, it's going to be maybe 5000 more people than we currently see at Joe Robbie. Maybe 5000 more.

 

I think you're missing something, though. While there may have been 10,000 actually present at Nationals Park on Monday night, that doesn't mean that 10,000 tickets were sold. The "paid attendance" on Monday night was 20,487. That is what matters to the "bottom line" not how many fannies are in the seats. For every suite or box sold, that equals multiple single seats, especially when the suites and boxes are sold in long term deals. I'm sure there are already corporate packages sold, and while some seats are empty, it doesn't mean they're available.

I understand that. But a "paid attendance" of 20,487 is not very impressive still, and to only have 1/3 of the paid attendance there looks bad. And so few showing up may help the franchises bottom line, but it doesn't help revitalize the area very much.

And again, this is the FIRST WEEK in a new stadium.

Isn't the general thought on these boards that with a bright shiny new stadium down here, that we'll have a paid attendance in excess of 20k, when all those corporate dollars supposedly are going to pour in.

And the D.C. area is a place with some baseball heritage, and not alot of transplants. Unlike here.

so not for new ballpark for marlins? you remember that if THEIR donot get ballpark marlins WILL MOVE OUT

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As for the game on Monday night in DC, I was there. While there were not 20k in the stadium, there were probably about 15,000. Three things to understand: (1) it was freezing, (2) the NCAA finals was that evening, and (3), no disrespect, but the Marlins are probably the weakest out of town draw the Nats face. While DC is a city of transplants, there are virtually none from South Florida. Attendance should be better tonight and tomorrow (although I would doubt more than 25,000), but will definitely pick up as the season progresses. Summer in DC, with tourists and kids out of school will bring much better crowds. And if the Nats ever started winning like they did in 2005 . . . .

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Well, I don't think Burgess and whoever else travels up to D.C. to view the beautiful new stadium are going to be impressed with the less than beautiful crowd. Did anyone notice the lack of crowd there on Monday. Granted, it was cold, but this was the first week in a new stadium, and it looked like a crowd of around 10000, maybe. Probably only 6000. Why? What happened to all the big corporate dollars that are supposed to flood into that stadium and this stadium? Bad baseball area? Bad location? Bad economy?

If they expect to see 20-30k tonite, as most of you believe will show up in a new Marlins ballpark, then they may be in for an unpleasant surprise. Burgess just may go back to Miami with the feeling that they've fallen for MLB's and Loria's shell game that they're building a stadium for great crowds, much more public, to revitalize the area. In reality, it's going to be maybe 5000 more people than we currently see at Joe Robbie. Maybe 5000 more.

 

I think you're missing something, though. While there may have been 10,000 actually present at Nationals Park on Monday night, that doesn't mean that 10,000 tickets were sold. The "paid attendance" on Monday night was 20,487. That is what matters to the "bottom line" not how many fannies are in the seats. For every suite or box sold, that equals multiple single seats, especially when the suites and boxes are sold in long term deals. I'm sure there are already corporate packages sold, and while some seats are empty, it doesn't mean they're available.

I understand that. But a "paid attendance" of 20,487 is not very impressive still, and to only have 1/3 of the paid attendance there looks bad. And so few showing up may help the franchises bottom line, but it doesn't help revitalize the area very much.

And again, this is the FIRST WEEK in a new stadium.

Isn't the general thought on these boards that with a bright shiny new stadium down here, that we'll have a paid attendance in excess of 20k, when all those corporate dollars supposedly are going to pour in.

And the D.C. area is a place with some baseball heritage, and not alot of transplants. Unlike here.

D.C's baseball heritage includes a long and illustrious history of losing...which is why 2 previous franchises have relocated from there...i wouldnt exactly call it anything to write home about

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Well, I don't think Burgess and whoever else travels up to D.C. to view the beautiful new stadium are going to be impressed with the less than beautiful crowd. Did anyone notice the lack of crowd there on Monday. Granted, it was cold, but this was the first week in a new stadium, and it looked like a crowd of around 10000, maybe. Probably only 6000. Why? What happened to all the big corporate dollars that are supposed to flood into that stadium and this stadium? Bad baseball area? Bad location? Bad economy?

If they expect to see 20-30k tonite, as most of you believe will show up in a new Marlins ballpark, then they may be in for an unpleasant surprise. Burgess just may go back to Miami with the feeling that they've fallen for MLB's and Loria's shell game that they're building a stadium for great crowds, much more public, to revitalize the area. In reality, it's going to be maybe 5000 more people than we currently see at Joe Robbie. Maybe 5000 more.

 

I think you're missing something, though. While there may have been 10,000 actually present at Nationals Park on Monday night, that doesn't mean that 10,000 tickets were sold. The "paid attendance" on Monday night was 20,487. That is what matters to the "bottom line" not how many fannies are in the seats. For every suite or box sold, that equals multiple single seats, especially when the suites and boxes are sold in long term deals. I'm sure there are already corporate packages sold, and while some seats are empty, it doesn't mean they're available.

I understand that. But a "paid attendance" of 20,487 is not very impressive still, and to only have 1/3 of the paid attendance there looks bad. And so few showing up may help the franchises bottom line, but it doesn't help revitalize the area very much.

And again, this is the FIRST WEEK in a new stadium.

Isn't the general thought on these boards that with a bright shiny new stadium down here, that we'll have a paid attendance in excess of 20k, when all those corporate dollars supposedly are going to pour in.

And the D.C. area is a place with some baseball heritage, and not alot of transplants. Unlike here.

D.C's baseball heritage includes a long and illustrious history of losing...which is why 2 previous franchises have relocated from there...i wouldnt exactly call it anything to write home about

 

A smallish crowd on a freezing cold night in DC means that baseball cannot work in South Florida with a new ballpark? I don't see the connection. If anything, doesn't this help prove why we need the roof on the stadium? There are not many places that people will go and sit through rain, cold, or extreme heat to watch a ball game. I'm sure more people would have gone to the Nats game the other night if it was played in a 75 degree indoor weather protected ballpark.

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Each market is different, but I'm having a problem putting a positive spin on this as it portends to attendance at a future stadium on the Orange Bowl site. I was thinking that the cold weather was the primary reason, but SoFlaFish mentions a paid attendance of 20, 487. That means around 18-19k season tix, I assume. Seems too low, and well below the number of season ticket numbers that have floated around this board as to what the Marlins will achieve. If they could only sell 18-19k season tickets in D.C. with a new stadium, then what makes anybody think that we'll have more here? We'll probably have less. Maybe there's some other factor at work here that's affected the season ticket sales. That's the most positive spin I can put on it.

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Each market is different, but I'm having a problem putting a positive spin on this as it portends to attendance at a future stadium on the Orange Bowl site. I was thinking that the cold weather was the primary reason, but SoFlaFish mentions a paid attendance of 20, 487. That means around 18-19k season tix, I assume. Seems too low, and well below the number of season ticket numbers that have floated around this board as to what the Marlins will achieve. If they could only sell 18-19k season tickets in D.C. with a new stadium, then what makes anybody think that we'll have more here? We'll probably have less. Maybe there's some other factor at work here that's affected the season ticket sales. That's the most positive spin I can put on it.

i think the marlins are a franchise as much as any other in baseball that depends on walk-up ticket sales...so while i think we would have about equal season ticket sales as the nats...i think having the roof would really help in drawing the crowd of people wandering around in miami around 7 on a hot summer day who wants to watch hanley and miller and maybin in the prime of their career

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Each market is different, but I'm having a problem putting a positive spin on this as it portends to attendance at a future stadium on the Orange Bowl site. I was thinking that the cold weather was the primary reason, but SoFlaFish mentions a paid attendance of 20, 487. That means around 18-19k season tix, I assume. Seems too low, and well below the number of season ticket numbers that have floated around this board as to what the Marlins will achieve. If they could only sell 18-19k season tickets in D.C. with a new stadium, then what makes anybody think that we'll have more here? We'll probably have less. Maybe there's some other factor at work here that's affected the season ticket sales. That's the most positive spin I can put on it.

i think the marlins are a franchise as much as any other in baseball that depends on walk-up ticket sales...so while i think we would have about equal season ticket sales as the nats...i think having the roof would really help in drawing the crowd of people wandering around in miami around 7 on a hot summer day who wants to watch hanley and miller and maybin in the prime of their career

Who's wandering around in Miami at 7PM on a hot summer day......besides the homeless people?

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Each market is different, but I'm having a problem putting a positive spin on this as it portends to attendance at a future stadium on the Orange Bowl site. I was thinking that the cold weather was the primary reason, but SoFlaFish mentions a paid attendance of 20, 487. That means around 18-19k season tix, I assume. Seems too low, and well below the number of season ticket numbers that have floated around this board as to what the Marlins will achieve. If they could only sell 18-19k season tickets in D.C. with a new stadium, then what makes anybody think that we'll have more here? We'll probably have less. Maybe there's some other factor at work here that's affected the season ticket sales. That's the most positive spin I can put on it.

i think the marlins are a franchise as much as any other in baseball that depends on walk-up ticket sales...so while i think we would have about equal season ticket sales as the nats...i think having the roof would really help in drawing the crowd of people wandering around in miami around 7 on a hot summer day who wants to watch hanley and miller and maybin in the prime of their career

Who's wandering around in Miami at 7PM on a hot summer day......besides the homeless people?

i dont know...people wanting to be in the city...tourists, etc. etc. etc. i havent lived in miami in 20 years now...so i cant really say

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Who's wandering around in Miami at 7PM on a hot summer day......besides the homeless people?

 

Don't take "walk-up" literally. "Walk-ups" are people that don't have season tickets and may decide to go to a game within 24hrs of the first pitch. The idea would be to capture those folks that work downtown or in Coral Gables on a weekday. The weekend would be a different thing as then a trip to the ballpark becomes an "event." The idea (in theory, and I'm pulling this out of my a$$) would be that someone who has disposable income, and a fan, would decide that morning, "Hey, the Phillies are in town and we're neck and neck with them, maybe I'll catch the game when I get out of the office?" That person would leave Downtown (and if they're smart, they'd go west on NW 1 ST or NW 7 ST) and make it to the stadium in a short time (or just take the MetroRail). Afterwards head home to where ever they live (and in less traffic than they would have faced at 5:30 or 6:30 p.m. I see the OB location similar to that of Fenway in relation to downtown office space and not anything else. The Fens is nowhere near the Business/Financial Center of Boston. The only advantage Fenway has over the OB site is that there is a rail line that takes you pretty close to the gate (Kenmore Sq. is not Fenway Park, but the walk is definitely shorter than the walk from Civic Center or Culmer to the OB). That's what I used to do when I went to weekday games at Fenway and worked at Downtown Crossing.

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Who's wandering around in Miami at 7PM on a hot summer day......besides the homeless people?

 

Don't take "walk-up" literally. "Walk-ups" are people that don't have season tickets and may decide to go to a game within 24hrs of the first pitch. The idea would be to capture those folks that work downtown or in Coral Gables on a weekday. The weekend would be a different thing as then a trip to the ballpark becomes an "event." The idea (in theory, and I'm pulling this out of my a$$) would be that someone who has disposable income, and a fan, would decide that morning, "Hey, the Phillies are in town and we're neck and neck with them, maybe I'll catch the game when I get out of the office?" That person would leave Downtown (and if they're smart, they'd go west on NW 1 ST or NW 7 ST) and make it to the stadium in a short time (or just take the MetroRail). Afterwards head home to where ever they live (and in less traffic than they would have faced at 5:30 or 6:30 p.m. I see the OB location similar to that of Fenway in relation to downtown office space and not anything else. The Fens is nowhere near the Business/Financial Center of Boston. The only advantage Fenway has over the OB site is that there is a rail line that takes you pretty close to the gate (Kenmore Sq. is not Fenway Park, but the walk is definitely shorter than the walk from Civic Center or Culmer to the OB). That's what I used to do when I went to weekday games at Fenway and worked at Downtown Crossing.

exactly my point...in the days before most every seat became a corporate seat...they would rely on getting a fair share of their ticket sales in walk up tickets

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Without the current version of the baseball agreement this was situation:

PAC - debt will be paid-off with tourist taxes

Stadium - there's no stadium

Tourist taxes - will be used to pay off the PAC debt

CRA funds - will be used for the benefit of the CRA area (overtown, Liberty City, Omni)

 

With the current version of the baseball agreement this is the situation:

PAC - debt will be paid-off with CRA funds (from Miami residents)

Stadium - there's a new stadium

Tourist taxes - will be used to pay off the stadium debt

CRA funds - will be used to pay off the PAC debt

 

So what changes? The PAC debt still gets paid and the tourist taxes and the CRA funds still get used so no changes there. The changes are the new stadium is built and the Overtown, Liberty City and Omni areas don't get the benefit of the CRA funds collected from thiose areas. In other words, the CRA funds (from Miami residents) are being used for the stadium.

 

 

The expansion of the Omni CRA will include the area where the PAC and the museums will be located. This means that the taxes collected in this area will be kept in that area and help pay for the PAC debt and the museums. I see no problem with that since the PAC is indeed located there and the museum will be very close by.

 

The tourist taxes that were originally allocated toward the PAC debt will now be available to pay for the stadium.

 

The OMNI area gets the benefit of having the PAC and the museums in that area and all the business they will attract such as restaurants, new condo buildings etc.

The Overtown CRA is a different area which is not affected by the OMNI CRA expansion.

 

What Martinez was wondering is this: He thought that the expansion of the OMNI CRA would take away money from the county's general fund (that could be used elsewhere) by forcing the monies collected in the expanded area to stay in the area where it is collected. What Burgess was trying to explain to him was that the expansion of the CRA to the area in question ( where the museums will be built) would not subtract from the general fund since no taxes are collected from that area now since presently the area is empty and does not represent any tax income to the county. However by expanding the CRA the monies collected would be able to be used to help pay for the museums.

 

I am sure that Burgess will have the opportunity to explain this to the commissioner way before the important meetings. I think Martinez will be back on board as will Commissioner Sejas.

 

I believe Sorenson, Gimenez and Souto will vote against anything stadium related. I think the vote will pass by 9-3 margin, giving it the 2/3 majority it needs.

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Marlins Stadium Update No. 5 million something

 

> Posted by Sarah Talalay at 1:04 AM

The Marlins ballpark project has never been simple, but just when people start to believe there will be smooth sailing? well, welcome to Miami.

 

On Thursday, Miami City Commissioners took what was described as essentially a procedural vote amending the budget of the Omni Community Redevelopment Agency ? raising the $1.43 million commitment to Miami-Dade County to pay down debt on the Performing Arts Center to $5 million in the coming year ? into a debate about the ballpark and the rest of the $3 billion worth of projects in the city-county plan approved in December. They also raised concerns that Miami police are objecting to a plan to split patrols at the new ballpark between the city and county.

 

Although city officials took great pains to say the funding change wasn?t needed to pay for a ballpark, commissioners took the opportunity to lash out at the county and the projects in the city-county plan.

 

?We are not responsible for the debacle that is the Performing Arts Center. It?s not our fault cost overruns went up to $500 million, yet we say this is the jewel of the city,? said Commissioner Tomas Regalado, who opposes the city-county plan. ?We have to take the building, the white elephant. Why should the residents of Miami pay for the mistakes the county makes??

 

Commissioners Angel Gonzalez and Michelle Spence-Jones also complained about the county taking advantage of the city and both said they felt they?d been misled about the details of the city-county plan.

 

?Once again the city has to swallow whatever the county gives them,? Spence-Jones said. ?I know people may be angry or upset [but] at the end of the day, my constituents elected me to make the right decision.?

 

But when it came time to vote on the budget amendment, both Gonzalez and Spence-Jones stepped away from the dais so the amendment passed 2-1 with Regalado dissenting.

 

The city?s vote came just days after several county commissioners expressed concern about the plan to finance a $515 million Marlins ballpark at the Orange Bowl, meaning there is likely to be significantly more debate before the project gets the go-ahead. The Baseball Stadium Agreement approved by city and county commissioners in February is binding ? meaning there are financial penalties should the project not go forward -- but that hasn?t stopped commissioners from objecting to elements of the plan. Final management, construction and financing agreements must be approved by July 1, under the terms of the agreement.

 

Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, a ballpark proponent, said the city, county and team have agreed to build a ballpark and can do so without worrying whether a port tunnel, museum park and other projects are built.

 

?The baseball deal stands on its own,? Diaz said late Thursday. He said the city and county agreed to fund a variety of projects that have been discussed for years. ?Our goal is to build a great urban core, but each of [the projects] have to be implemented individually.?

 

As always, stay tuned?

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