Posted February 12, 200915 yr MIAMI -- A decade-long pursuit may reach a resolution on Friday, when South Florida officials are scheduled to vote on final documents for a new ballpark for the Florida Marlins. The outcome will hinge on the votes by commissioners in the city of Miami and Miami-Dade County. For passage, the stadium needs the approval of at least four of the five city commissioners, who will vote in the morning. If the city passes the five final documents, the remaining obstacle will involve the county. On Friday afternoon, the 13 county commissioners will decide. To pass, the stadium needs a minimum of nine votes to complete a quest by the franchise that has lasted for more than a decade. From all indications, the stadium faces a tough sell at the county level. Last February, the county passed a Baseball Stadium Agreement, which pushed the process forward to this point. The vote narrowly passed, 9-3, with one commissioner being absent. In an open forum, the actual vote may not come until late in the evening. All week, Marlins officials have been working vigorously, addressing and answering questions regarding the $515 million stadium, which would be scheduled to open in 2012. The project has the backing of Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez. At the State of the County address on Tuesday morning at the Fillmore Miami Beach, Alvarez "humbly" asked the commissioners for their votes. The major concern of local officials is the depressed economy. Those opposed question directing public money into a ballpark at this time. Alvarez disagrees. "In spite of the economy, we have the financial wherewithal to proceed with this project in a timely and cost-effective manner," Alvarez said at his State of the County address. The Marlins are not speaking publicly before the vote. The team, though, is encouraging fans to attend the meetings. Last Saturday at the team's annual Jiffy Lube FanFest at Dolphin Stadium, team president David Samson told large crowds to show their support by attending the meetings. If voted down, the team has not disclosed if there is a Plan B. Major League Baseball and the Marlins have both repeatedly stated that the ballclub couldn't survive long-term in South Florida without a new ballpark. The team's lease with Dolphin Stadium expires after the 2011 season. In 2005, when the Florida Legislature voted down a sales-tax rebate for a new ballpark, the team explored relocation options, visiting several cities, including San Antonio and Portland, Ore. Initially, the stadium vote was expected on Jan. 22, but it was pushed to Friday, which is the day before Florida's pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla. The five documents that commissioners will address are: City/parking agreement; operating agreement; construction/administration agreement; non-relocation agreement; and the assurance agreement, where all parties are bound by all agreements. "Until the votes actually happen, of course, I'm going to be concerned," Samson said recently during the Marlins' caravan tour through South Florida. "However, I believe that when the commissioners analyze the deal, and all their questions are answered, I hope that they will come to the conclusion that the benefits of this ballpark deal for the community -- from job creation to economic development, economic stimulus and ongoing community intangible aspects -- will lead to them voting yes. "That's not even talking about the measurable economic impact that comes with an All-Star Game or World Series game or World Baseball Classic events -- none of which can happen without a ballpark. So that is measurable. The non-measurable part is sort of the community feeling that surrounds sports that everyone knows exists, but it's hard to measure." Major League Baseball has played an active role in the Marlins' efforts to have the 37,000-seat, retractable-roof ballpark built on the Orange Bowl grounds in the Little Havana section of Miami. MLB president and chief operating officer Bob DuPuy is expected to be at the commission meetings on Friday. In January, DuPuy was in South Florida to attend a news conference to tentatively announce that the city of Hialeah, in Miami-Dade County, would be the site of an Urban Youth Academy, similar to the one MLB sponsors in Compton, Calif. That initiative, however, is tied into the Marlins getting their new stadium. Without the ballpark, the Hialeah academy would fall through. If the stadium passes, the paperwork is already in place to launch the academy, which would benefit youth baseball and softball players. The stadium vote also comes at a time that South Florida is hosting second-round games of the World Baseball Classic, from March 14-18 at Dolphin Stadium. The Marlins already are pushing Major League Baseball to make the new ballpark the site of the World Baseball Classic finals in 2013. And the team expects to host an All-Star Game shortly after '14. First, the commissioners must pass the project. "As we've said, this is the final [commissioners] vote," Samson said earlier this month. "We recognize that there are going to be a lot of questions and a lot of deliberation. We welcome it because finality is significant. We are looking to break ground. I used to think [that would happen] between May 15 and June 15. Now I'm thinking between June 15 and July 15, and that still allows us to be on time for 2012 without a problem." Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/news/articl...sp&c_id=fla
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