It would seem if this goes through Ft. Lauderdale and local businessmen will be less likely to make a competitive offer to the Marlins. It was probably doubtful that Loria/Samson and all would have moved out of Dade County, bt they could have used this as a bargaining chip.

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...-2004Feb18.html

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Feb. 18 -- Faced with the possibility of being without a spring training headquarters six weeks from now, the Baltimore Orioles stunned Fort Lauderdale city commissioners Tuesday night with a proposal that would keep the team at Fort Lauderdale Stadium for 15 more years.

 

"They made it clear," said Vince Gizzi, the city's superintendent of special facilities, "that they want to stay."

 

The proposal, presented before the city commission by Orioles Executive Vice President John Angelos, involves lobbying the state legislature for between $7 million and $15 million to renovate and expand the stadium complex -- funding which the legislature has approved in the past for other Grapefruit League teams around the state -- with the Orioles promising to match those funds.

 

"We've taken the position that if we're able to get a similar grant as other teams have gotten from the state, we would accommodate [the Orioles]for a 15-year period," Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle said Wednesday.

 

"It's just a beginning step towards trying to secure a permanent home for spring training," Angelos said.

 

"It's no secret we've always professed a desire to be in south Florida," said Orioles spokesman Bill Stetka.

 

However, with the budget-strapped city of Fort Lauderdale seeking a private entity to operate the 43-year-old stadium, which city officials say they can no longer afford to maintain, the Orioles had been exploring other options for their spring training base.

 

Among them were West Palm Beach, Fla., roughly 45 minutes north; a shared complex in Winter Haven, Fla., with the Cleveland Indians; Port Charlotte, Fla., on the west coast of the state; and other potential stadium sites north of Fort Lauderdale, in Broward and Palm Beach counties. The team also was approached by city officials of Tempe, Ariz., about moving to the Cactus League.

 

The Orioles have been training in Fort Lauderdale since 1996, after the New York Yankees moved their operations across the state to Tampa.

 

"Having the Orioles here has been wonderful," Naugle said. "We've enjoyed having spring training here from the days the Yankees were here. But in particular, the Baltimore-Washington market is ideal for us for this time of year."

 

The Orioles have been trying for years to find a site that would allow them to combine their major and minor league spring operations, like most teams do. The Orioles' minor leaguers train across the state in Sarasota, roughly a three-hour drive away.

 

As part of the Orioles' renovation and expansion proposal, Lockhart Stadium, the football-soccer stadium that adjoins Fort Lauderdale Stadium, would be demolished to make room for more baseball fields -- allowing the Orioles to merge their major and minor league camps.

 

However, the football-soccer stadium is under lease to the Broward County School Board, which holds high school athletic events there, through 2008.

 

"That's another whole issue," Gizzi said.

 

The extent of the renovation and expansion of Fort Lauderdale Stadium would depend upon how much funding the legislature approves. The legislative session will begin in March in Tallahassee.

 

"If you're going to build a brand new complex and be comparable to other facilities around the state, you're talking $30 million," Gizzi said. "If you're talking about a rehab, you could be talking $15 million."

 

According to Gizzi, the city plans to shut down the stadium on April 30, when city funds directed toward it run out, unless an agreement with a private operator is reached.

 

The city Tuesday night rejected a proposal from the Broward County Fair that would pay the city $100,000 to operate the facility and hold its fair there each November.

 

Fair spokesman Chuck Malkus said fair officials would continue to negotiate with the city, and would continue to pursue a tenant agreement with the Orioles if it were awarded the contract to operate the stadium.

A similar story was in the Herald a few days ago and what I found fascinating was that the Herald made nothing of the Orioles desire to get tax rebates from the state (ala the Marlins proposal with which they take significant issue).

 

I'm not sure how this negatively impacts the Fish in that, to the best of my knowledge, Broward County is not a player in courting the Marlins. Having been burned on hockey and being broke, Broward County doesn't have the resources to mount a credible offer to our team.

 

Thanks for the post anyways, I enjoyed the read.

agreed, broward county never really was an option to begin with.

 

it's interesting that they (orioles proposal) want to knock down lockhart stadium to build more fields for the orioles minor league facility. kinda sad...

I dont like the idea of giving money to an out-of-state team...at all... :mad :