Less than two days remain, as of today, for a heavily lobby-backed bid to appropriate more than $100 million in state sales tax dollars to help finance construction of a proposed 40,000-seat, retractable-roof stadium on the Downtown shores of the Miami River.
It is uncertain exactly what impeded the progress of the bill, which emerged as a special-order calendar item Tuesday in the House, but then stalled as legislative sponsors of the bill requested a temporary postponement from final debate and a floor vote.
It appears, however, the bill struggled under the weight of at least 11 accompanying amendments, including one that would require the Florida Marlins to contribute $6 million a year in private money to support economic development growth around the proposed stadium site.
The bill is expected to re-emerge this morning on the House special-order calendar. Time may be the least worry for proponents of the financing plan that would use only the sales tax revenue that exceeds the present amount the team collects.
Even if it passes the House today, the bill faces a significant obstacle in the state Senate, where it requires a confirmation vote. Senate President John M. McKay (R-Bradenton) would allow the House bill to proceed to the Senate floor only at the urging of the Senate membership.
If the bill makes it to the Senate floor, McKay intends to pass the gavel and lead debate against the proposal because it purportedly creates a negative impact of more than $5 million on the state budget.
A published site-selection study estimated its could cost upward to $521 million to build the riverfront stadium on a scale similar to Enron Field, a retractable-roof ballpark in Houston.
The study estimated it would cost an additional $40 million to $45 million just to acquire the 19.8 acres from several private landowners.
It could cost $53 million to relocate utilities infrastructure, $11 million to $18 million for site-demolition work and $10 million to $20 million for other road work, fill and site-work costs.
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