The Readers’ Forum

Both the Miami and Miami-Dade mayors back the building of the ballpark. It’s time now for all of us to support them. Both mayors realize that it’s a win-win situation for us.

It will bring in jobs, tourists and pride to our community. Time to have a true ballpark that our community can be proud of.

SUSAN R. RIOS, Miami

The Readers’ Forum

Congratulations to elected officials for getting it right. They made the right decision in approving the ballpark. They realize that there are two major factors — jobs for our local residents and building for the future of our community — to make us a true world-class city.

JONATHAN SAGER, Coconut Grove

The Readers’ Forum

There are many residents, taxpayers and property owners in Miami-Dade who support the Marlins stadium, or at least support some type of public-private partnership as is common in other Major League Baseball venues. The Adrienne Arsht Center was also built with public financing and is heavily in debt.

Commissioners listened to their constituents and agreed with those of us who support our hometown and the two-time World Championship Marlins.

PAUL E. CZEKANSKI, Cutler Bay

The Readers’ Forum

Re Jackie Bueno Sousa’s March 9 column, Stadium stats not adding up for economy: Why would Broward County unanimously approve spending $2 million to attract people to the 2010 Super Bowl at Dolphin Stadium if officials didn't know that it will increase tourism and money brought into hotels, restaurants and shops?

Cleveland, Denver, San Diego, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco all have built successful stadiums. The areas surrounding these ballparks transformed from decaying neighborhoods into thriving economic centers. This is what a new stadium can do for Little Havana and the surrounding areas.

Every city in America would love to have a Major League Baseball franchise. It not only is America’s favorite pastime, but it will also help boost our economy by providing 2,000 construction jobs.

RAYMOND ORTIZ, Miami

Letters to the Editor

In response to the Feb. 20 Friday Forum, “Bad time to pay for a baseball stadium”: The time is now to get the stadium’s final contracts approved. The economic benefits of a world-class retractable-dome baseball stadium are significant. It will provide much-needed jobs, immediately resulting in $341 million of income for Miami-area workers during construction, which will generate $24 million in revenues for state and local governments. The Marlins will be purchasing from the county $100 million worth of parking spaces and pay for all maintenance, repairs, operations and insurance of the facility.

The stadium will attract tourists from around the nation and Latin America, helping local businesses thrive. It’s about time our two-time world champion Marlins had their own home like the other three pro sports franchises.

SUSAN FREEDMAN, Plantation

The Readers’ Forum

While any large public-works project like the proposed Marlins stadium in Little Havana deserves scrutiny, Beacon Council President Frank Nero correctly pointed out the larger benefit that the stadium could hold for the broader community (Stadium is for community more than it is for the Marlins, Feb. 8). The public’s misperception is that Miami-Dade residents’ tax dollars will finance the stadium and drain needed resources from education, social services and other pressing community needs.

In fact, as Nero noted, the stadium will be primarily financed by the team and taxes that tourists pay, which cannot be used for anything other than convention centers, museums and, yes, stadiums. A stadium owned by the public that revitalizes Little Havana and keeps the Marlins in Miami for years to come is indeed a good deal for the community and merits support.

JOHN ISE, Biscayne Park

The Readers’ Forum

During the past decade, The Florida Marlins Community Foundation has given more than $6 million to our community, including to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade County. The Foundation has given tickets to charitable organizations so that children who have never had the chance to go to a game had the opportunity.

The Foundation has helped my organization, the nonprofit Pythian Youth Foundation, a subsidiary of the Knights of Pythias, send special-needs children to summer camp. The Marlins organization is a valuable member of our community that bestows generous contributions where needed. It's time to step up to the plate for our home team.

NORMAN BERGSTEIN, president, Pythian Youth Foundation, Delray Beach

Opinion

How can we turn our backs on a golden opportunity to revive Little Havana, which in its glory days was known for its vibrancy? Let’s move beyond the image of a stadium that’s dormant except for 81 days of the year. The new Marlins stadium has been designed to be an accessible activity center year-round, serving as a neighborhood anchor with shopping, restaurants and condos. With the stadium, Little Havana will blossom.

Every great city or county has destination neighborhoods. Miami-Dade County is no different. It has beaches, Coral Gables, South Miami, Brickell Avenue, downtown Miami and more. Let’s give Little Havana and its residence a chance to be a part of what makes Miami-Dade a great metropolitan area.

HARVEY FREEDMAN,Miami

Opinion

Re the Feb. 14 letter Marlins “mediocre”: The writer compares the Marlins to the Dolphins, Heat and the Hurricanes. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I do believe that the Marlins have won more championships in the past 12 years than any of those other teams.

If the writer doesn’t want to go to a baseball game, don’t. But he shouldn’t mislead the public.

MARY OWENS,Miami

Opinion

The Feb. 14 letter Marlins ‘mediocre’ says: “Let’s face it, after purchasing tickets to University of Miami football, the Miami Dolphins and the Heat, how many dollars are left for baseball?”

How about baseball’s fans? I do not go to UM football, Dolphins or Heat games. But I do go to Marlins games. I have my season tickets already and tickets to watch the team play the New York Yankees. I love baseball, and there are many baseball fans here and in other cities.

Why such hostility toward the Marlins? Live and let live.

ALFONSO BLAS,Miami

Opinion

Miami is a world-class city: Dolphin Stadium has been tidied up to host the Super Bowl next year. AmericanAirlines Arena is a gem on the bay.

The Marlins deserve a home of their own. Fans deserve to watch them play in a baseball stadium, and South Floridians need to support the effort to build them that stadium.

There is much wrong in the world today, but providing a place where folks can spend an afternoon or an evening watching a baseball game may just be the ticket for all of us. We have attended many games at Dolphin Stadium in support of the Marlins. They have accomplished amazing things with the lowest payroll in baseball.

KELLI ANN WILLIS, Miami

Letters to the Editor

There are risk-takers and there are those who live in fear. This seems to be the case in the debate over whether to build a climatized baseball stadium with a retractable roof. We should take the risk and help build a stadium for a sport that everyone can afford to enjoy.

SANDY DONER, Pembroke Pines

Opinion

The Marlins stadium stands apart from other publicly funded projects because the team is putting itself on the line. It will invest more than $100 million to construct the stadium and will pay for cost overruns. Let’s rally our community around this porject. It just might become that all-American symbol for hope and change.

BERTA RIOS, Miami

Opinion

Football season is officially over. You can smell the hot dogs and popcorn and hear the sound of the ball coming off the bat — spring training is right around the corner. We are lucky to have the Marlins here.

With a new ballpark, we can ensure that we will have them here forever. We can showcase what a wonderful place this is to live and play.

ROBIN WALDMAN, Plantation

Letters to the Editor

Re Fred Grimm's Nov. 13 column, Stadium plan won't rev up economy: I have been involved with numerous ballpark projects across the country as a consultant to Major League Baseball and several of its clubs. Repeatedly I have heard these arguments that claim no economic benefits can result from sports teams and their new facilities. I can agree with one statement, however, that Grimm includes from an economist: "Our argument just doesn't win."

Many public–sector supporters of new facilities are thoughtful and deliberative in evaluating the tangible and intangible benefits. They perform due diligence, compare projects with their peers and negotiate hard. They visit other major–league cities to understand firsthand what impacts the facilities have had on other communities, states and regions. They base decisions on facts as opposed to relying on economic theories.
The new ballpark in Miami will be a first–class facility that is fully climatized with a retractable roof, air conditioning, grass playing field, 37,000 seats and amenities similar to the MLB ballparks in San Diego, St. Louis, Houston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Milwaukee.

The new ballpark will improve attendance by providing certainty that games will start on time, without rain–outs or rain delays. The other four clubs with retractable roofs (Phoenix, Houston, Seattle and Milwaukee) have clearly enjoyed the benefits of providing weather protection for their fans.
The new ballpark offers ample opportunities for other developments on the site. It will use about 17 acres of the 42–acre site. The balance will be used by local government for a multi–use parking facility of at least 6,000 spaces for retail and for other uses to be determined, possibly including a hotel. Then there is the potential for development on surrounding parcels, similar to Denver, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
The new ballpark will generate 1,500 construction jobs over three years, and hundreds of permanent jobs will come thereafter. Major League Baseball will bring the Baseball Academy to Hialeah in conjunction with the new ballpark, and the future All–Star Games and World Baseball Classic that will be played in Miami will generate millions of dollars in economic impact. These are facts that Miami Herald readers should know about the new Miami ballpark –– not just losing arguments.

ROBERT STARKEY, president, Starkey Sports Consulting, Minneapolis

The Readers’ Forum

Everyone is feeling the stress of layoffs, from families to employers. Now is not the time for one of the wealthiest individuals in America (Norman Braman) to be telling our elected officials in Miami how to take care of the business of the people.

The timing couldn't be better to initiate public–works projects such as the new Marlins baseball stadium and the port tunnel. The construction will flush money into our economy and create jobs.

Contrary to some who see issues only in black and white, it often is beneficial for our free market to coexist with collective thinking and well–being to put our system back on its feet. If not, survival of the fittest would be the harsh result.

SUSAN GOODSTEIN, Miami

Letters to the Editor

After watching the World Series debacle, it's obvious why stadiums in at least four cities have retractable roofs. Fans and players had to endure soaking rains to chilling temperatures.

The new Miami ballpark, which will have a retractable roof, will prevent such an embarrassment. The roof will guarantee comfort during baseball games and concerts.

RICHARD POTASH, Miami

Letters to the Editor

Congratulations to the Tampa Bay Rays. Tampa/St. Petersburg has been highlighted during national broadcasts. This is what a new ballpark for the Florida Marlins could do, showcase beautiful South Florida to tourists around the country and Latin America while providing local jobs and enjoyment to local residents.

CAROLE FLASTER, Davie

Letters to the Editor

We thank staff writer Sarah Talalay for her articles on the Marlins. We look forward to reading that the judge has finally signed the final order. Baseball needs to stay in South Florida, and we need the stadium for that to happen. We have been Marlins fans from the very beginning and are looking forward to a beautiful new stadium and a winning team!

Marlene & Jerry Rader, Coconut Creek

Letters to the Editor

The Marlins deserve money from their own stadium so the team can create a larger payroll and be more competitive than it already is. We fans deserve a stadium that is environmentally controlled. Enough squabbling. Let's get this done.

JEFF COLLINS, Miami

Letters to the Editor

The city of Miami and Miami-Dade County commissioners were right in their decision to support a new, enclosed ballpark for the Florida Marlins.
Miami's summer weather demands a retractable-roof stadium. This alone will improve attendance. Think of the number of new jobs that will accompany a new stadium.
Think of the great national TV exposure that will promote Miami tourism. This is a win, win, win situation. So let's turn over the first shovel and get on with construction.

CHARLIE GREENE, Palm Bay

Letters to the Editor

Re Martin Marguilies' Sept. 19 letter, Stadium drains needed funds: The money for the new Marlins ballpark is from tourist-based tax dollars, not money that can be used for schools or housing. The Marlins are contributing 30 percent of the capital budget, which is higher than the industry average. The Marlins are assuming 100 percent of the ballpark overruns and construction risks, as well as permiting use of the facility for up to 16 nonprofit community events.

The team will also have affordable ticket prices so that families can afford to go to the ballpark. We need to look ahead and build for the future of our community.

OLIVER KATZ, Davie

Letters to the Editor

Miami-Dade County residents have spoken by reelecting Mayor Carlos Alvarez. They trust him to make the right decisions for their community now and for future generations.

Building a stadium for the Florida Marlins will bring tourists and attract South Florida residents, too. This is building for the future and making Miami a world-class city.

ALEXANDER DIAMANT, Plantation

Letters to the Editor

My husband and I have been Marlins season ticket plan holders since 1997. We moved from Broward County in 2006 to Palm Beach County and continued our season plan. We look forward to a new stadium with a retractable dome, which would ensure us an uninterrupted game without a rain delay considering that we will have traveled a long distance.

It will be a pleasure to know that no matter what the temperature is outside, we will be comfortable in a temperature-controlled environment.

SUSAN BERGSTEIN, Delray Beach

Letters to the Editor

More people are attending baseball games than any other sport across the nation. Why? The tickets are the best value for the dollar. An entire family can afford to attend at a time when wallets have grown thin. Baseball promises a few hours of excitement away from the worries of the world.

Civic leaders in Miami-Dade County made the right decision to use tourism tax dollars to build a new ballpark in Miami, set to open in 2011. They were even smarter in striking a tough bargain with the Florida Marlins baseball team, which will pay 30 percent of the construction bill, all cost overruns not incurred by the government and maintenance costs until the year 2046.

The most stunning aspect of the proposed state-of-the-art stadium will be its retractable roof. For somebody like me, who drives from Broward County, I know I can go into Miami without worrying whether the game will be played.

When the stadium opens, our economy will be on an upswing. The area around the Orange Bowl site will surely benefit from the new development. Within a mile radius, there are health industries, academic institutions and businesses that will continue to expand. I envision a bustling metropolitan area complete with a ballpark that will invite families and new businesses for years to come.

SUE FREEDMAN, Plantation

Letters to the Editor

We are lucky to live in a free nation where we have an opportunity to vote. We elect candidates whom we feel will best represent our interests. The public has spoken by reelecting Mayor Carlos Alvarez as well as Miami-Dade County Commissioners Bruno Barreiro, Audrey Edmonson and Joe Martinez, all of whom supported a new retractable domed stadium for the Marlins. Now that our voices have been heard it's time for Norman Braman to drop his lawsuit and let the construction begin.

BERTA RIOS, Miami

Letters to the Editor

My family and I look forward to the day when the Marlins' new state-of-the art ballpark opens. We can drive to the ballpark knowing that we will not have to worry about rain delays, rain-outs or the humidity with the retractable dome. Before or after the games, we can visit the local areas' restaurants or attractions.

Baseball is an affordable family outing, and I am thrilled that the Miami-Dade leaders realize what an economic boon this will be for South Florida.

SELMA MILLER, Plantation

Letters to the Editor

While I’ve read a lot of criticism about building a stadium for the Florida Marlins, has anyone asked how much local professional athletes and their families contribute to charitable organizations with their time and money -- even though most of them are not from this area?

Also, don’t forget that these high-priced professionals live in the area, buy high-priced homes and likely pay high property taxes.

JOE HOCKER, Homestead