Marlins Schedule July 18 Groundbreaking For New Ballpark

Marlins President Says There Will Be Activities For Fans During Groundbreaking Ceremony

The Marlins have scheduled a July 18 groundbreaking ceremony for their 37,000-seat retractable-roof ballpark at the Orange Bowl site. The venue is scheduled to open in '12 (Marlins). In Ft. Lauderdale, Sarah Talalay notes construction is contingent on financing being secured, but "so far officials are optimistic given the ratings the bonds received so far from the rating agencies." Miami-Dade County officials are expected to begin selling the bonds tomorrow and Wednesday (SUN-SENTINEL.com, 6/8). Marlins President David Samson said of the groundbreaking, "There is going to be a ceremony. There will be activities for fans to do. There will be dirt dug. It is an official beginning to the construction" (MLB.com, 6/8).

DOWN BY THE BAY: Former MLB Giants Enterprises President Pat Gallagher yesterday appeared on CSN Bay Area's "Chronicle Live" to discuss the A's quest to build a new ballpark. Gallagher: "The A’s deserve a new facility at some point and they’ll figure it out at some point. But who knows where it’s going to be? It may have to be a crisis situation. Who ever would have believed that the Giants could build a new ballpark in San Francisco? Nobody. Nobody would have taken that bet, and it happened, and it happened because it was a desperate situation” ("Chronicle Live," CSN Bay Area, 6/9).