Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez says there will be no more negotiations with the city and the Marlins for a new ballpark until the city makes a solid commitment to making the deal work.Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez says there will be no more negotiations with the city and the Florida Marlins for a new ballpark until the city makes a solid commitment to making the deal work.
Alvarez, who called himself "appalled" by the way city officials were seeking to change the particulars of the construction agreements, says no more votes until everyone settles down.
Of course, it’s politically smart to walk away from a proposal that, quite honestly, would lose if put to a vote today. Currently there’s no enough votes on the City Commission for the $606-million ballpark proposal to pass after Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones, a swing vote on the deal, says she won’t vote yes unless $500 million is spent on development in her district — a demand that stood yesterday even after she spent hours meeting with Marlins President David Samson. Without her vote, the ballpark is dead on the city level, though some votes are slated for Friday.
And even if it passes the city level, there’s no assurance it would be passed by Miami-Dade County, no matter what Alvarez says. The county would spend $1.9 billion on financing the new ballpark, and many commissioners are appalled by that level of borrowing. The county was always seen as the tougher sell on the ballpark funding than was the city — and with the city balking, the whole project is in serious doubt.
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