VOTE ON MARLINS NEW STADIUM DELAYED

A vote among City of Miami leaders on the future of the Florida Marlins’ proposed 37,000-seat, retractable-roof stadium has been put on hold after city commissioners decided to delay last Friday’s scheduled vote until March 19.


The Marlins are seeking public assistance in building the $515 million stadium. When their proposal was originally considered by Miami commissioners in February, the vote ended in a 2-2 split. The city’s fifth commissioner, Michelle Spence-Jones, was on maternity leave.

A rift has developed between Miami and Dade County officials over the placement of the ballpark. The Marlins are seeking to move the stadium away from the former Orange Bowl site in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood to outside the city limits. Miami-Dade County mayor Carlos Alvarez has complained the negotiation process has been “hijacked.”