MIAMI (AP) -Without offering any specifics, the Florida Marlins said Saturday their quest for a new baseball-only ballpark will continue in South Florida.
One day after Florida’s annual state legislative session ended without a deal for a $60 million subsidy to help the Marlins build a $490 million, retractable-roof stadium that would open in time for the 2011 season, the team released a brief statement expressing more disappointment with lawmakers.
A bill that would have provided the long-sought money passed the state House last month, but never got through the Senate – the reverse of what happened in 2006, when a bill passed the Senate but died on the House floor in the final minutes of that session.
The latest defeat was the sixth in a seven-year span for the Marlins at the state level.
“We are very disappointed that the Florida State Legislature was unable to assist Miami-Dade County, the City of Miami and the Florida Marlins in their desire to spur economic development through the construction of a new baseball-only retractable-roof facility in Miami,” the team said. “Starting immediately, we will all begin the process of moving forward to attempt to secure the future of baseball in South Florida.”
The Marlins offered no further comment.
There is a chance the Marlins’ bill could be heard when the legislature reconvenes for a special session beginning June 12. The team’s lease at Dolphin Stadium – where the Marlins have played since their inception in 1993 – runs out in 2010, and Florida officials have said they will not play there after that season.
The team, the city of Miami and Miami-Dade County have committed to paying $460 million of the $490 million project. The remaining $30 million would have come from bonds backed by the $60 million in state money.
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