Closer To New Ballpark

[love_that_reefer]

The Florida Marlins moved closer to getting their new downtown ballpark when a judge rejected the last piece of a lawsuit challenging the project.

Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Jeri Beth Cohen said in an order released Friday that no voter referendum was required for the stadium's financing plan.

Cohen earlier ruled for the Marlins and city and county officials on other claims in the lawsuit challenging the plan for the stadium and other projects by auto dealer Norman Braman. He has promised to appeal.

The Marlins hope to begin play in 2011 in the new 37,000-seat stadium on the site of the old Orange Bowl in Little Havana.

Does anyone really think this will bring in more fans? There might be a big spike in attendance the first year but after that I don't see it. The Marlins don't spend the big bucks to attract fans plus after two championships the fans still don't care. I hope this does work out for the Marlins but I think relocating would have suited them better.

[catman]

I'm not sure Miami is a "baseball" town. They have had some tremendous teams and have great talent there now and the people of the area simply don't support the team. They might be better off moving the franchise to another city.

[HollywoodLeo]

I'm still surprised the citizens of Miami even voted on a new stadium.

[realmofotalk]

Truth be told, the new stadium with a retractable roof deal should have been taken care when they were en route to their first championship in 1997, when the weather was then the #1 excuse for fans to not show up. But nobody in Miami wanted to build a new stadium for King Wayne Huizenga, and then Huizenga stopped caring and gutted the team.

[love_that_reefer]

According to president David Samson, the Marlins' new ballpark is now slated to open in 2012, rather than 2011 as hoped.
Samson blames the lawsuit brought forward by South Florida auto dealer Norman Braman, who unsuccessfully challenged the public funding aspect of the project. The Marlins' agreement with Dolphin Stadium runs out in 2010, so the team will have to seek a one-year extension.

So it not that much closer after all.

[HollywoodLeo]

I hate it when idiots sue to try and stop new ballparks.

All they do is waste time and money in pointless litigation that ends up failing and all it accomplishes is wasting time and money and screwing up the team's plans on moving in.

The citizens of Miami voted for the new stadium. Live with it ****ing ingrate.