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November 22, 2008
Marlins stadium lawsuit dismissed; opening day pushed back?
Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Jeri Beth Cohen dismissed the last piece of former Philadelphia Eagles owner Norman Braman's lawsuit against the Florida Marlins stadium project on Friday, ruling that it was legal for the city to redirect community redevelopment money to free up funds for the stadium without a public vote. The end of the yearlong legal drama means the Marlins can move ahead with finalizing contracts with the city and county on the $515 million project - expected to be hammered out in the next month or two - and then actually start construction.
That would leave only about 15 months a little more than two years to have the stadium ready for opening day 2011 as originally planned; team president David Samson said he hopes to be able to make an announcement on whether that's doable by the end of the upcoming week. While the Miami Herald reports that "the timing could be critical" as "the team's current lease with former owner H. Wayne Huizenga at Dolphin Stadium expires at the end of the 2010 season," Huizenga has already said he'd consider granting a lease extension beyond 2010, so it shouldn't be a big deal. Or the Marlins could always play for a few weeks at a nearby spring-training facility - it's not like their fans would feel cramped.
Neil, wouldn't the Marlins have ~27 month between Jan 2009 and April 2011 to get their stadium ready?
Or was the original, planned Opening Day supposed to be the 2010 season (which would be 15 months away)?
Posted by Jonathan on November 24, 2008 09:31 AM
Thank you - I dropped a year somewhere. I'll correct it now.
Actually, 27 months doesn't seem that short a timetable, especially given that in Florida you don't have to stop for winter weather. Unless they get hit by a hurricane, of course.
Posted by Neil on November 24, 2008 10:12 AM
Instead of building a new stadium, why don't they just use the one in Homestead that was built for a major league team who never used it? I cannot believe the opponents to a new stadium never thought of it!
Posted by Gail Feddern on December 7, 2008 01:13 PM
That's a spring-training stadium, no? It wouldn't really work as a permanent regular-season home, not if the Marlins ever hope to draw enough fans to pay their electricity bill.
Posted by Neil on December 7, 2008 02:47 PM