New Marlins stadium to open in 2012
Florida Marlins的新主場要在2012年開幕使用，就是South Florida auto dealer
Norman Braman的作為，使得此項計劃一直延後，但是Marlins president David Samson
會積極推動，所以我們近期期待新主場的完成，下面文章是在說明Florida Marlins的
新主場處理情形，謝謝。
資料來源：
http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081125&content_id=3691803&vkey=news_fla&fext=.jsp&c_id=fla
11/25/08 10:20 AM EST
New Marlins stadium to open in 2012
Project unchanged but opening pushed back by lawsuit
By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com
MIAMI -- For more than a decade, the Marlins have been pushing for a new
ballpark. Their move in date is going to have to wait a little longer than
originally planned.
After months of speculation, the timeline for the stadium has now changed.
According to Marlins president David Samson, the team's new home is now
slated to open in 2012, rather than 2011 as hoped.
The delay is a direct result of the lawsuit brought forward by South Florida
auto dealer Norman Braman, who unsuccessfully challenged the public funding
aspect of the project.
Even though the Marlins won all seven counts in the lawsuit, which was
concluded last week, what was lost was time to get the building completed by
the initial target date.
Samson makes it clear that the one-year setback in no way threatens the
stadium from being built. The cost for the 37,000-seat, retractable-roof park
at the Orange Bowl grounds will also remain the same -- at $515 million.
To make 2012, the Marlins say they must break ground in May 2009.
"This is because of Braman," Samson told MLB.com. "It's not because of the
economy. It's not because of any issues with the [final] documents. It's not
because of any of that. We are on schedule [for 2012], and everything is
going to be fine."
Samson noted that he hopes to release renderings of what the building will
look like in a couple of weeks. The team has been waiting until after the
lawsuit to reveal the drawings.
The decision to open in 2012 came after months of evaluations between the
team and the builders, Hunt/Moss, and HOK Sport, the stadium designer.
"The delay caused by the frivolous litigation has directly led to this
decision," Samson said. "We were put into a position that the risk of opening
in 2011 was no longer manageable.
"Opening in 2012 will not impact the project cost at all. The total project
cost is still $515 million. The team is still covering every penny of
overrun, if any. No matter what the overruns are."
The Marlins had been eyeing 2011 because their current lease with Dolphin
Stadium expires after the 2010 baseball season.
Because of the delay, the Marlins are seeking a place to play in 2011. The
team is optimistic it can work out an agreement to remain at Dolphin Stadium
for an additional year. Samson said the organization already has begun
preliminary talks with Dolphins co-owner Stephen Ross to extend the team's
lease.
The Marlins, Miami Dolphins and University of Miami football team all are
currently sharing Dolphin Stadium.
Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria has been in direct contact with Ross. The team is
confident the extension will be reached.
As a courtesy, Samson also contacted University of Miami president Donna
Shalala to inform her of the Marlins' revised plans.
"Of course, we want to get into the new building as quickly as possible,"
Samson said. "But recognizing that a one-year delay does not change the fact
that we are all securing the future of Major League Baseball in South Florida
forever.
"By opening in 2012. Hunt/Moss will have a construction schedule without
acceleration costs that makes the entire project less risky, thus enabling
all of us, to manage an on-time, on-budget construction."
Before the end of the year, the Marlins are hopeful the remaining documents
that must receive local approval will be presented to commissioners from the
city of Miami and Miami-Dade County. The hope is to have those last documents
voted on by commissioners in January.
"We firmly expect to have definitive documents in front of commissioners
within weeks," Samson said. "And hopefully prepare for a vote in front of the
city and the county commissions in January. We plan to break ground during
the month of May 2009."
Stadium construction is expected to take 34 months.
Since their inaugural 1993 season, three separate Marlins owners have tried
to get a baseball-only ballpark. Loria assumed ownership in 2002, and the
team has aggressively and tirelessly worked to get the project this close to
construction. After winning the World Series in 2003, the Marlins felt they
would have already been in a new stadium. But any momentum generated then was
stalled when their bid for state funding was repeatedly rejected by the
Florida Legislature.
In February, the project was approved, and it doesn't include any state
backing. It is a public-private venture between the Marlins, the city of
Miami and Miami-Dade County.
"There is no question that our original intent was to open the stadium in
2005," Samson said. "Having said that, Jeffrey Loria's commitment to Miami,
and the governments and the people's commitments to having a first-class
facility, and a first-class baseball team, in a world-class city, remains as
strong as ever."
Because of their financial limitations playing in a football stadium, the
Marlins have repeatedly been at or near the bottom of the league in player
salaries. In 2008, Florida spent a league-low $22 million on its players, but
still finished a respectable 84-77.
Team president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest is working with a
payroll of around $35 million in 2009. Even though they are economically
strapped, the Marlins are continuing to produce a quality product, featuring
some of the top young talent in the game, including All-Star shortstop Hanley
Ramirez.
In their new building, the Marlins payroll projects to rise to the middle of
the pack among the 30 Major League teams. But until the team is actually in
the ballpark, it is expected to remain cost conscious.
"We are going to continue to have a payroll that matches revenues," Samson
said. "We are very mindful of that as we put the team together. Larry is
aware of the new schedule. But we do not use our payroll as an excuse to not
having a competitive team. We expect to have competitive teams every year. We
are not waiting to get into the new stadium to have a competitive team. We
expect we will have one next year, as well."
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