Stadium News - Sort of

The Marlins stadium deal keeps progressing just like it always has.  Or another way of saying it, the delays just keep coming.

As the deadline to complete the new Marlins stadium looms in less than three years, Local 10 has learned there has been yet another delay in the construction and development contracts.

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The building of the new stadium has been delayed because the contracts are very complex documents and they must be perfect before they are voted upon, Local 10's Michael Putney reported. The contracts were supposed to be ready to go to the city and county commissions in October, but they are not yet finished.

 

Miami-Dade County Manager George Burgess is the lead negotiator for local government on the stadium deal, which was approved in concept in December 2007.

 

Marlins President David Samson said the team needed final approval by December 2008 to start play at the stadium in 2011.

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Samson said he expects commissioners to see contracts in January.

 

"We're very focused on (a 2011 opening date), but we're waiting to hear from our construction managers about the delays and the impact on the construction schedule," Samson said. "We expect to make an announcement in the next 10 days."

 

The Marlins could push the deadline for the opening of the new stadium to 2012, Putney reported.

It don't come easy.

If the Marlins push the opening of the new stadium to 2012, it could impact the 2009 team's makeup.  Until the Marlins are sure that a new stadium is on the way along with an legitimate timeframe for its completion they will continue to hold down cost.

If Samson is right, and that is a big if, we may know more in 10 days.