The trial to challenge the building of the Florida Marlins’ new ballpark is set to start next week. A postponement would’ve pushed the trial to September, but Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Jeri-Beth Cohen rescheduled the trial so that it could start by next Wednesday. This is good news for the Marlins, who are looking to break ground for the ballpark by year’s end at the site of the recently deceased Orange Bowl stadium.
Auto dealer Norman Braman (the manssiere!) filed a lawsuit targeting the financing of the ballpark claiming the stadium, as well as other multi-billion dollar mega projects by the city, violates taxpayers’ rights. Braman claims these plans will basically screw the folks living in these areas by boxing them out Alonzo Mourning-style via these booming new urban redevelopment projects, backed by community dollars. Some have called Braman a local hero looking out for the well being of the less fortunate in the community. Others, not so much.
When all is said and done, however, the Marlins should have a brand new stadium for people not to show up to. And maybe that’s Braman’s beef in the first place. Maybe he’s just using Miami-Dade shysters and litigation as yet another excuse not to go to Marlins games. “The weather, the traffic, the legal red tape…. it’s all too much. I’ll just stay home and watch it on FSN.”*
(*Not an actual quote)
- Chris Joseph
