The Florida Marlins pledged additional charity contributions and an increase in profit sharing should the team be sold to gain approval of a new ballpark from the Miami City Commission. Will the team need to do more before the Miami-Dade Commission signs off on the deal Monday?
The Florida Marlins pledged additional charity contributions and an increase in profit sharing should the team be sold to gain approval of a new ballpark from the Miami City Commission. Will the team need to do more before the Miami-Dade Commission signs off on the deal Monday?
Probably. Though many of the key swing votes are keeping quiet about their intentions, we’ve been hearing talk of the Marlins being asked to sweeten their part of the deal. Naming rights — a visceral subject for taxpayers and commissioners alike — will be part of the discussion. Currently the deal calls for the Marlins to put up $135 million toward the $636-million retractable-roof ballpark, with the city putting up $13 million and the county picking up the rest. By the rest, we mean everything, including the costs of borrowing the money — a total that could reach $2 billion by the time all is said and done, especially now that Miami-Dade County Manager George Burgess is proposing to borrow even more money as part of the deal.
Whether the ballpark opponents have the votes to actually change the project remains to be seen. As it stands, the Marlins are poised to snare a pretty sweet ballpark-financing deal without having to put up much money or giving up much in the way of sure revenue.
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