Here is the LINK

Plan to help fund stadium likely to win vote today

 

By Charles Elmore, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, November 4, 2003

 

The first step in a plan to pay for a new Florida Marlins ballpark has enough sponsors to win a vote in the Miami-Dade County Commission today, though gaps remain in the plan and Miami Beach has not ruled out a legal challenge.

 

Some $50 million of the $73 million Miami-Dade is prepared to pledge to the stadium comes from a hotel-bed tax that Miami Beach wants to use to upgrade its convention center.

 

Miami Beach Mayor David Dermer was not yet ready to say Monday he will go to court, but he argues tourism rather than an already existing baseball team is the better use for the money.

 

"I think at this point I want to wait on that until I know what the county commission does," Dermer said. At a meeting Friday, Miami Beach officials expressed skepticism that the county can meet legal requirements involving bond financing in order to lock up the money for a ballpark by Dec. 1.

 

The 38,000-seat, retractable-roof ballpark is projected to cost $325 million, though team officials have not yet explained how this is $60 million cheaper than a plan under previous owner John Henry four years ago. The Marlins say they will put up $137 million, which is expected to come from stadium revenue such as parking, concessions or naming rights. The Marlins say financing must be in place by March 15 to open the stadium in 2007.

 

Javier Soto, chief of staff to Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas, called today's vote "the first step" in a plan that still has to fill in some blanks. The site remains undetermined. Land near the Orange Bowl or the Miami Arena are among options that have been discussed. Then there is the matter of finding another $115 million from the city, the state or other sources.

 

Seven of the 13 Miami-Dade commission members signed on as sponsors, presumably meaning the votes are there to pass the measure today. At least one alternative is expected to be offered at the meeting from one of the six commissioners in the minority, Bruno Barreiro. His district includes Miami Beach and he wants to pay for a ballpark some other way.

 

Meanwhile, a number of fans who live in Palm Beach and Broward Counties, which account for more than half of the team's fan base, have questioned why the ballpark must be in downtown Miami. Representatives of boxing promoter Don King met with Palm Beach County sports commission officials Monday to talk about the possibility of building a stadium in Mangonia Park on the grounds of an old jai-alai fronton, and using the site for boxing and entertainment events as well. P.J. Loyello, the Marlins' vice president of communications and broadcasting, declined comment.

Meanwhile, a number of fans who live in Palm Beach and Broward Counties, which account for more than half of the team's fan base

BS

Meanwhile, a number of fans who live in Palm Beach and Broward Counties, which account for more than half of the team's fan base

BS Duh, Juanky. Look at where the writer is from. :thumbdown

 

Anywho, I passed by the OB on my way to youth group last night and we were looking at it and tried to figure out where the hell are they gonna stick the new stadium. We couldn't see much land. Oh well, we'll see what happens. They'll figure something out.

I read somewhere, I believe on this board, that 40% of the season ticket holders were from Miami-Dade, 40% from Broward, and 13-15% from Palm Beach (where I live), and the rest from where ever. I believe there were 5,000 season ticket holders this year. Even at the 15%, that's 750 from Palm Beach. I would expect a loss of all of them to be easily covered by a move to Miami.

 

As for Palm Beach supporting the Marlins, during spring training at Roger Dean, the Marlins drew and average of 3,875. The Cardinals, who also play at Roger Dean, drew 6,024. So much for Palm Beach supporting the Marlins.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/st.../14/story4.html

I read somewhere, I believe on this board, that 40% of the season ticket holders were from Miami-Dade, 40% from Broward, and 13-15% from Palm Beach (where I live), and the rest from where ever. I believe there were 5,000 season ticket holders this year. Even at the 15%, that's 750 from Palm Beach. I would expect a loss of all of them to be easily covered by a move to Miami.

 

As for Palm Beach supporting the Marlins, during spring training at Roger Dean, the Marlins drew and average of 3,875. The Cardinals, who also play at Roger Dean, drew 6,024. So much for Palm Beach supporting the Marlins.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/st.../14/story4.html

There you go!! ::high fives MarlinsAddict::

I read somewhere, I believe on this board, that 40% of the season ticket holders were from Miami-Dade, 40% from Broward, and 13-15% from Palm Beach (where I live), and the rest from where ever. I believe there were 5,000 season ticket holders this year. Even at the 15%, that's 750 from Palm Beach. I would expect a loss of all of them to be easily covered by a move to Miami.

 

As for Palm Beach supporting the Marlins, during spring training at Roger Dean, the Marlins drew and average of 3,875. The Cardinals, who also play at Roger Dean, drew 6,024. So much for Palm Beach supporting the Marlins.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/st.../14/story4.html

I guarantee those numbers go up 50% for this ST...I'm warming to the idea of a PBC ballpark, although I still prefer to play in a county-owned PPS.

You have to go where the money is. I dont know exactly how that projects in Dade County, but certainly the income level is a littlehigher on the average in Broward and Palm Beach. But there is nothing to say that those markets wont support the Marlins if they are located in downtown Miami. The key thing is that the new facility HAS to be easy to get to, and easy to leave. It would only be about another 10 minutes from JRS anyway. So Palm Beachers/Browardians need to stop whining. But, the Marlins have got to make sure that they are catering to these markets' needs too.

I've been watching the County Comission meeting on tv just to see when they would talk about the stadium(its on one of your government access channels if you live in Miami-Dade). The chairperson just announced lunch as said they will return at 2:00 to discuss the Marlins stadium.

I think the $325MM looks low because prior estimates included buku bucks for the land.

 

I believe the City of Miami deal will give the land for free or real cheap.

I believe the City of Miami deal will give the land for free or real cheap.

$1 for 99 years?

Yep.

 

Other estimates also included moving FPL station from the River site. This will not be necessary at Arena West (or, god forbid, OB).

You have to go where the money is. I dont know exactly how that projects in Dade County, but certainly the income level is a littlehigher on the average in Broward and Palm Beach. But there is nothing to say that those markets wont support the Marlins if they are located in downtown Miami. The key thing is that the new facility HAS to be easy to get to, and easy to leave. It would only be about another 10 minutes from JRS anyway. So Palm Beachers/Browardians need to stop whining. But, the Marlins have got to make sure that they are catering to these markets' needs too.

the Arena site is certainly not 10 minutes away from JRS....

 

But you're correct. If it's easy to get to & traffic/parking isn't a big problem, you'll get plenty of people to make the drive south.

Yep.

 

Other estimates also included moving FPL station from the River site. This will not be necessary at Arena West (or, god forbid, OB).

 

It boggles the mind what it would cost to move FPL's facilty.

anything new?