March 07, 2007
Marlins Orange Bowl swap?
How to fit a 37,000-seat retractable-roofed stadium on a nine-acre site may not be an issue for the Florida Marlins much longer: The Miami-Dade County commission voted 11-1 yesterday to pursue a baseball stadium on a site to be determined, with a large contingent of commissioners reportedly backing a plan to build a new stadium on the site of the Orange Bowl, and move the University of Miami's football games to the Marlins' current home of Dolphin Stadium.
The county has been planning to renovate the 71-year-old Orange Bowl, and voters approved $50 million in bonds for that purpose in 2004. But with UM reportedly preferring to move to Dolphin Stadium anyway, some commissioners say the Orange Bowl site would be better used for a baseball stadium, leaving the previously considered downtown Miami site to be used for the children's courthouse that was slated to go there until the Marlins got interested.
The other interesting twist: Assistant County Attorney Gerry Heffernan told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that the $50 million in Orange Bowl renovation money could potentially be redirected to a Marlins ballpark, if the county commission holds public hearings. That could be enough to close the $30 million budget hole that's faced the Marlins project since before anyone alive can remember - though if some money is needed to demolish the Orange Bowl, that could increase costs as well.
Marlins president David Samson, meanwhile, has apparently decided to stop issuing deadlines and just think happy thoughts about a stadium: "I'm out of the deadline business," Samson told the AP yesterday. "I'm back in the prediction business. ... We're hopeful sooner rather than later. But the way things go these past 13 years with the Marlins, you never know. ... We're just hopeful it's as soon as possible, because we really need it." That's certainly covering all the bases.
A children's courthouse? Isn't there an arena league football team or something we can stick there, rather than waste the land on the public good? I mean, come on, they've got some land, why WOULDN'T you give it to a sports team.
Posted by: Matthew on March 7, 2007 03:48 PM
What's the point?? The Marlins' attendance is awful. Nobody cares.
Posted by: Eddie on March 7, 2007 05:16 PM
What's the point?? The Marlins' attendance is awful. Nobody cares.
Posted by: Eddie on March 7, 2007 05:17 PM
Careful. All the Marlins fans are going to beat you up now.
Okay, *both* Marlins fans.
Posted by: Neil on March 7, 2007 05:21 PM
If Miami get's an arena football league team they would play at American Airlines Arena.
Posted by: Daniel F. on March 7, 2007 05:22 PM
Check out this idea for a downtown Miami stadium that doesn't usurp public land meant for kid's courthouses, etc. Instead, it ties in with at-grade commuter rail, elevated mass transit, and a potential monorail link from downtown Miami to Miami Beach-- all elements that will ensure the success of MLB in the city while slashing building costs. Please look at this link for more info and why we call it the "Grand Central Station of the American Pastime":
http://miamivisionblogarama.blogspot.com/2007/03/mvb-miami-megaplex-manifesto-build-it.html.
Rebuild the ORANGE BOWL NOW!!!!!!
Excatly as it was before!!!! but without the rust!
and go play Baseball somewhere else!!!!
JB
