The potential stadium delays just keep coming.
Attorneys for Norman Braman have filed a court motion seeking financial details on a garage at a Marlins ballpark site and to question City of Miami officials based on "newly discovered evidence."
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Assistant City Attorney Henry Hunnefeld told the court in July that a garage with a "likely cost" of $94 million would generate close to $200 million over 35 years.
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He did not note Miami Parking Authority estimates of a year ago that a garage could cost $150 million and lose the city more than $8 million annually, or June 2008 projections by consultant Jones Lang LaSalle estimating costs of $135 million for 6,000 garage spots.
The judge never saw those numbers and used $94 million and the claim the garage could turn a profit in ruling "that the project met the test of paramount public purpose," Mr. Braman said, making the higher estimates relevant.
I have no idea whether what team Braman says is correct. And I don't have any faith in the Miami Today's reporting on the matter. But I have no doubt that Braman will be a pain in the butt until the stadium is completed, then maybe beyond.
Even if he is right, and I don't think he is. The situation with the stadium, i.e. construction cost, has changed since a year ago. In case anyone hasn't noticed, there is a bit of a recession going on in South Florida.
When a recession happens, governments tend to build things, and correctly so. Of course, I don't believe the local governments saw the recession coming when they approved the measure. But is the right thing to do at this time and obviously, there are other projects that should be enacted besides the stadium.
Short: Braman is a piece of.....uh....well.....let's just say his actions aren't helping anyone, including himself. But yet, he persist.
Have I ever mentioned that Braman, is far from my favorite person?