On a day that alters history as much as today does I thought I would suggest to everyone that maybe change is truly upon us and anything is possible.
The vote that could create a new baseball stadium for the Florida Marlins was initially planned for this Thursday. However it has been pushed back until next month due to the holidays and President Obama’s inauguration. The absence of many elected officials who are in D.C. for the presidential inauguration, had a hand in the voting delay. A 
series of votes by Miami and Miami-Dade commissioners that could lead to a new baseball stadium will now take place in February.
The proposed new ballpark will be located on the site of the now-demolished Orange Bowl near downtown. Where it will be a major piece of a public works package.
When Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria began making plans for a new ballpark, the target opening date was the 2005 season. Since their first game in 1993, the Marlins have played at Dolphin Stadium. The Marlins brass view a permanent home as a lifesaver. They say it will keep them in South Florida for at least the next 30 years. They have publicly said that they are handcuffed in their current lease agreement. They are contractually bound and stuck only pocketing limited concessions revenues.
The proposed stadium has 37,000 seats and also features a retractable roof. The construction of such a stadium is expected to cost at least $515 million. The Marlins will be contributing $120 million out of pocket and repaying the county another $35 million of borrowed 
money. This leaves a large $400 million gap for the county to front. Critics say that spending almost $400 million of county taxes for a private enterprise is a misuse of public funds.
Apparently both political parties have voiced support for a new stadium and fans seem optimistic. However, now comes the difficult votes regarding funding.
For one, I hope that the Marlins can remain in Miami, Florida. New Yorkers just got it stuck to them by the Yankees and Mets (especially the Yanks). This is nothing new in the world of stadium financing.
The Marlins will almost certainly not survive as a viable franchise if they are playing games in Dolphin Stadium. All this stadium drama has been brewing for so long and we are taking about a team that is less than two decades old. A franchise that is still in its infancy and has already won two world series rings. Who wouldn’t want to play in Miami!? Well, under a couple conditions; the player is going to want to know the team is going to still be in existence and also have a stadium to play in. It makes Major League Baseball look bad if this team has to move or contract because of stadium or ownership issues. Get it done. Yes we can.
Marlins excited about inauguration [mlb.com]
Ahem, New York did not get it stuck to them by the Mets and Yankees. They simply asked for more bonds to finish their stadiums. The Yankees did ask for well over what was previously allocated to them and used fuzzy math to value the land. The Mets just received extra bonds that they were originally allocated and just now decided to use. All of those granted are tax free but will be paid back in full. New York paid for infrastructure around the stadiums but at the end of it New York is NOT paying a cent for the stadium construction. Are they losing tax revenue, sure. But they arent paying for the actual stadiums.
You are completely wrong. First, MLB and Selig will never let anything happen to this franchise, it is too important to baseball to have a presence in south florida near all the hispanic and caribbean countries that are hotbeds for talent. Second, putting a stadium where the orange bowl used to be is a terrible idea. The traffic to get in and out will be insane (not to mention that it’s not the best part of town). Third, and most important, playing in Dolphin Stadium is a HUGE advantage for the marlins. Yes I know they rarely fill that place up, but when they do, playing in front of 75,000 people, as opposed to 30,000 which is the normal baseball stadium size, is such an advantage for the Marlins. Why do you think they have been so successful in the playoffs? Because that is the only time they sell that place out and it is really intimidating for the other team. Also, I’m not a big fan of having the public pay for a stadium for a private ballclub, if that team is making money, which the Marlins are, let them pay for it, that’s how business works.
@MATT:
@ MATT:
Not sure if you’ve ever watched a game there – but even in the playoffs the Marlins rarely reach 66k, except in the World Series. They’ve had NLCS/NLDS games where they had 40,000 or so in the stadium (leaving about 25,000 available seats!!!).
Given their fans, I don’t see the larger crowds in Florida as much of an advantage and think it had to be their players not their fans that gave ‘em those playoff victories.
I agree with “matt is crazy” about the crowds.
Also, if they did construct a new stadium I would think the highways and roads around the stadium would also undergo a makeover to accommodate expected traffic.
Either way, in my opinion every baseball team should have its own stadium.
Is there any information about this subject in other languages?
ok