Marlins Park Construction

[PeteU]

The area is fine, I was there for the groundbreaking and it's really not going to be a problem. There are worse areas in town, and it's right off the highway. And it's not like they won't have policemen around. There are going to be four giant parking garages right on the site, and for decades, 70,000 Hurricanes and Dolphins fans managed to survive parking there, without any garages.

I am a young person, and plenty of people I know really do care about the team. Most of the retirees bail out on Florida in the summer anyway because it's too damn hot, and there are plenty of baseball fans among the ones who remain. The Mets and Phillies will continue to draw well, and the occasional interleague series against the Yankees or Red Sox will sell the place out no problem. The new ballpark will be much more like the air conditioned couch you refer to. If I was 80, I would love to go see a ball game in air conditioned comfort.

Yeah, Little Havana isn't Star Island by any stretch of the imagination, but from what I've heard crime isn't particularly bad in that area. I think with the parking garages there will be more on site parking than there was at the Orange Bowl, plus 33,000 less seats, so hopefully it wouldn't be too bad.

I think one thing that's being missing--even if the Marlins move into the new ballpark and God forbid they don't improve on attendance and keep drawing 17,000 a game, they would still be infinitely better off in that position than they are at Joe Robbie--they are going to be getting luxury box, advertising and parking revenues that they've been locked out of at the current ballpark for years.

[PeteU]

I drove by the site today.....those roof columns are huge! The webcam doesn't do it justice....those things are bigger than highway overpass columns.

[jaredhartung]

I've noticed this discussion of having teal seats in the stadium... isn't there some talk of a reduced role of teal in the Marlins color scheme? I thought I read that the team would be embracing orange, grey and black more.

[dabigyankeeman]

I hope they dont use orange. Right now, Land Shark Stadium looks like a clown palace inside, i would like to see a little more class in a baseball park.

[marlins739]

I think the emphasis on orange in the past (and present) is a result of the amount of orange at the Dolph. Orange is a very minor part of the Marlins logo (just the seams of the baseball in the background) but it's the dominant color at the stadium, so it makes sense to associate the color with the team. I expect a logo change in 2012. However, the seats will be "sea blue" and hopefully look better than the renderings. The owner hath spoken, and it's final

[Paul W]

REALITY CHECK - READ THIS

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/21/sp...tml?ref=sports

"...the city and the county will receive no new revenue from the park, and the team can keep all the money from the 50 luxury suites, concessions and advertising, as well as from naming rights, which alone could generate more than $100 million."

a good deal for the taxpayers or david sampson?????

[jaredhartung]

I think the emphasis on orange in the past (and present) is a result of the amount of orange at the Dolph. Orange is a very minor part of the Marlins logo (just the seams of the baseball in the background) but it's the dominant color at the stadium, so it makes sense to associate the color with the team. I expect a logo change in 2012. However, the seats will be "sea blue" and hopefully look better than the renderings. The owner hath spoken, and it's final

According to this interview with Jeffrey Loria, the Marlins will have new uniforms and colors for their new stadium in 2012.

Q. Will the team have new uniforms?

A. We’re two years away, but we started working on a new look for the uniforms, new colors, something special for the new home. Teal is a color for the ’90s. You have to be cognizant of your time. The seats will be a beautiful shade of blue.

[marlins739]

Regardless of how people feel about the deal, it's happening now, and it's better to have a finished ballpark than a hole in the ground with some columns sticking out.

How is teal a color of the 90s? Maybe of the 70s and 80s, but as a team color, it doesn't look dated at all. The Dolphins seem to be doing just fine with their version of teal

Paul W, how did you feel about Citi Field? It sounds like you're on the west coast, so you should have no objection to Miami tax money being spent on a stadium in a different state than yours

[GordonGecko]

REALITY CHECK - READ THIS

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/21/sp...tml?ref=sports

"...the city and the county will receive no new revenue from the park, and the team can keep all the money from the 50 luxury suites, concessions and advertising, as well as from naming rights, which alone could generate more than $100 million."

a good deal for the taxpayers or david sampson?????

That picture isn't BP, it was taken during an actual game:

[GordonGecko]

I don't usually have a problem with public assistance for stadiums but this one is going to be a complete disaster. There's no way that stadium is going to come under budget of $645M. The government has pledged to pick up 75% of that and then when the cost overruns come flooding in Loria is going to extort the rest from them too. The real cherry on top is going to be when people still don't go out to watch the Marlins play.

[marlins739]

It's also a day game, from the second half of the 2009 season judging by the wall signs, and probably in the middle of the week. I'm surprised there are that many people there at all. Nobody in their right mind would go to a day game in August down there, myself included. Weekend night games draw decent sized crowds in the high 20,000s range. Our payroll is 1/10 of the Yankees, and our attendance is about 1/3 of the Yankees.

[jnakamura]

Well I guess TEAL seats are out of the question now since it's been all but confirmed that the Marlins will be abandoning it as a part of their team colors.

[MarthaT]

Well I guess TEAL seats are out of the question now since it's been all but confirmed that the Marlins will be abandoning it as a part of their team colors.

that really stinks, I liked the teal

[jnakamura]

that really stinks, I liked the teal

Dare to say most Marlins fans like and want teal to remain a part of their team's identity, but if the owner personally doesn't like it, which seems to be the case, it doesn't matter what the fans want.

To make the statement that teal is outdated is pretty stupid, and expecting the general public to believe it is even stupider.

[marlins739]

Maybe Loria does have a point. The seat color does look a whole lot like that. Not a speck of teal on him. Sea blue and gold 2012?

[jnakamura]

[marlins739]

He just wanted to change species of marlin. Billy's going to have to get a paint job

[jnakamura]

Maybe Loria does have a point. The seat color does look a whole lot like that. Not a speck of teal on him. Sea blue and gold 2012?

Since the Rays recently switched to blue and gold I doubt it.

[Paul W]

why not just use dollar bills to upholster the seats???

[PeteU]

I The real cherry on top is going to be when people still don't go out to watch the Marlins play.

Let me guess....because they are too busy at the beach and the clubs and sport fishing and alligator wrestling, right?

[Paul W]

from the miami herald...
About $2.5 million of that is earmarked for a ``home-run entertainment feature'' akin to Bernie the Brewer's slide (which used to be a beer slide, ending in vat of brew, until some complained), or the New York Mets' big apple rising from a top hat, or the Houston Astros' life-size locomotive that chuga-chugs across the rim of the stadium, or the granddaddy of them all -- the Chicago White Sox's fireworks-spewing, pinwheel-festooned ``exploding scoreboard.''

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/brea...y/1254212.html

at least the new apple @ city was payed for by the ballclub...
hide your wallets, taxpayers !!!!

[marlins739]

The point of the money in question was for public art projects. You notice the home run apple, and associate it with New York, and you associate the slide with Milwaukee. Something like that is an excellent use of money designed to enhance the city with public art. That will be noticeable on a national scale.

Paul W, get over it. The battle is lost, and it's not even your money being used here

[nyce475]

They are also planning on dropping the "Florida" state name in favor of the more localized "Miami"

So an overhaul at that time makes sense.

[Paul W]

T

Paul W, get over it. The battle is lost, and it's not even your money being used here

federal tax dollars being used, it's everybody's $$$$'s...

[Don_Taco]

federal tax dollars being used, it's everybody's $$$$'s...

it's not federal tax dollars, it's a Miami Dade thing. a local tax. did you even read the article you posted? The article is debating whether or not that kind of thing (homerun celebration displays) should be considered "art". I read it twice even, giving you the benefit of the doubt. Nowhere does it say they will be using federal money for this.

or are you getting your information from somewhere else? you should post that information if you want to debate about public financing. otherwise, it just looks like you want to pick a fight.