May 07, 2004
Miami city commission okays Marlins stadium
The $367 million Florida Marlins stadium proposal cleared another hurdle yesterday, when the Miami city commission unanimously voted to approve the project, agreeing to supply free land at the Orange Bowl site and $28 million in tourist taxes. Next up would be a vote by the county commission on $120 million in public subsidies.
The bizarro part: Marlins execs say they hope to break ground for the stadium's foundation this fall, then go back to the Florida legislature to fill a $30 million funding gap. Even if the city and county go along with spending money on a project before it's fully funded, it's hard to see any banks lending the Marlins money to begin stadium construction under the same circumstances - so unless the team just plans to break up some concrete in the Orange Bowl parking lot and call it a "groundbreaking," it's hard to see how this can go forward until the legislature reconvenes next spring. "It's a mathematical formula that's missing some numbers," admitted Miami city commissioner Joe Sanchez, who gave the plan a 65% chance of succeeding.
