New Florida Marlins Ballpark

WHEREAS the sport of baseball is still widely identified as Americas National Pastime and represents a sport that is loved and played throughout Latin America, Asia, and many other parts of the world thereby creating an important cross-cultural sport, AND

WHEREAS the Florida Marlins have won two World Series Major League Baseball championships and have done an excellent job representing the citizens and communities of South Florida through their impressive and respectable play since their inception, AND

WHEREAS having a Major League Baseball team located in the Miami area is vitally important to South Floridas international image as well as the hotel and hospitality industries of South Florida, AND

WHEREAS the University of Miami Hurricanes football team has now committed to relocating their games from the present Orange Bowl site located approximately 1.5 miles west of downtown Miami, to Dolphins Stadium, thereby creating another sports vacuum in the City of Miami, AND

WHEREAS the approximately $88 million that the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County had earmarked for renovations to the Orange Bowl can, and should, now me used to close the existing $30 million gap in the $490 million plan to build a retractable-roof ballpark for the Florida Marlins


WE, THE UNDERSIGNED, HEREBY PETITION THE FOLLOWING:

(1) Elected and Appointed Officials of the City of Miami
(2) Elected and Appointed officials from Miami-Dade County
(3) The Legislator of the Great State of Florida
(4) The Governor of the Great State of Florida
(5) The Owner and Staff of the Florida Marlins Baseball Club
(6) The Commissioner and Staff of Major League Baseball, Inc.

To work together harmoniously and within the best interests of the people of South Florida toward developing a feasible scenario in which a permanent, retractable-roof baseball stadium for the Florida Marlins Baseball Club can be built within, or as close to, the downtown Miami area as soon as possible, AND

To create adequate public transportation and parking facilities to accommodate the projected average attendance for Florida Marlins baseball games at the new ballpark, AND

To invest a portion of the funds toward upgrading traffic infrastructure, utilities, and public common areas within the neighborhood surrounding the selected site for the ballpark, AND

To create a historic site or museum which pays tribute to the legacy and history of Miamis Orange Bowl stadium.