Judge expected to rule Monday (today) on the Megaplan

[_paralyzer_]

http://www.miamiherald.com/459/story/696344.html

 

Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Jeri Beth Cohen is expected to rule at noon Monday whether the financing plan for a host of downtown Miami public works projects is legal.

 

It's the lone remaining count in auto dealer Norman Braman's attempt to derail the construction of a new $515 million, 37,000-seat, retractable-roof stadium for the Florida Marlins.

 

The ball club, Miami and Miami-Dade have already won rulings on Braman's six earlier counts, including one in which the judge ruled using public funds to build the stadium serves a paramount public purpose.

 

Cohen had been waiting for a state Supreme Court ruling on an Escambia County case that used a similar financing plan on a roadway project. The court reversed its earlier decision against that county last week and ruled 4-2 that the financing was legal.

 

Braman has said he'll likely fight each ruling to the state Supreme Court, if necessary. The county unveiled the plan in December to use about $800 million in Community Redevelopment Agency money to help build a tunnel to the Port of Miami, a park at Bicentennial Park, pay off a large construction debt at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts and possibly create a streetcar system.

 

The total plan is estimated to cost close to $3 billion.

 

Though the financing plan for the ballpark, which would be built in Little Havana where the Orange Bowl once stood, does not use any of the community redevelopment money -- instead it uses a slew of tourist tax dollars that are created with the sale of hotel rooms -- Braman considers it a ``shell game.''

 

He says the stadium could not be built without CRA money, which is supposed to be set aside to create economic gain in destitute neighborhoods. The county doesn't argue that point, but says Braman is off the mark because none of that money will be used to help build the stadium.

 

I'm in school (PC Support 2 FTW?) and I'm really hoping to come home and see this done. I know it doesn't make it a done deal w/ the court and everything but it'd be pretty satisfying.

 

That Braman motherf*cker sure is annoying, eh? Plz, go away to Philly or w.e. the hell you came from.

[jmenjes]

Just heard of channel 10 that the judge delayed signing off on the official ruling until October 2.

[louiecastillo1]

Just heard of channel 10 that the judge delayed signing off on the official ruling until October 2.

 

That f***ing skank is really starting to piss me off. :censored

[fauowls44]

Settle down...She ruled in the Marlins favor. She is just waiting until the 2nd because that is when the Supreme Court ruling is official.

 

http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southf.../22/daily9.html

[louiecastillo1]

Settle down...She ruled in the Marlins favor. She is just waiting until the 2nd because that is when the Supreme Court ruling is official.

 

http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southf.../22/daily9.html

 

Ah, ok. She still pisses me off, though. Lol.

[Orlando Rays]

So, the official ruling is that it IS legal. We're just waiting for the Supreme Court decision to become official before signing off on it.

[louiecastillo1]

Braman called the decision by the county to start construction on a new stadium ?ludicrous and absurd ? when there is a financial meltdown occurring in this country.? He and his lawyers reiterated their intent to appeal.

 

:chair

[Orlando Rays]

Braman called the decision by the county to start construction on a new stadium ?ludicrous and absurd ? when there is a financial meltdown occurring in this country.? He and his lawyers reiterated their intent to appeal.

 

:chair

And the stadium will be finished by the time his appeal is even heard.

[gizmo]

man i can't wait till all of this crap is over and done with.

[louiecastillo1]

Braman called the decision by the county to start construction on a new stadium ?ludicrous and absurd ? when there is a financial meltdown occurring in this country.? He and his lawyers reiterated their intent to appeal.

 

:chair

And the stadium will be finished by the time his appeal is even heard.

 

Heck, his old ass will probably be dead by the time his appeal is heard but he still irks me.

[anotherrealfan]

Settle down...She ruled in the Marlins favor. She is just waiting until the 2nd because that is when the Supreme Court ruling is official.

 

http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southf.../22/daily9.html

 

Ah, ok. She still pisses me off, though. Lol.

No, don't be-she took her time-made rulings ackowledging the issues on both sides (maybe even made Braman feel like she threw him some ammo for his appeal) but eventually ruled using sound judgement and reasoning. Nothing hasty-to me that means Braman has about as much chance on appeal as he does in getting a monument built for him in Philly after what he did to the Eagles.