Members of the City of Miami's Parks Advisory Board decided this month to explore an alternative that would demand developers trying to buy parkland trade the city another piece of land of equal value. The measure, which would have to be approved by the city commission, could bring one more factor to the negotiation table, in which the Marlin are trying to get a portion of the waterfront park to build a ballpark to be financed mostly by the public. The board is holding workshops for the public to participate. Robert Flanders, who sits on the 19-member board, said the trade would have to be fair. But she said it wasn't clear how the rest would be financed.
Some civic leaders fear the cost of the ballpark is underestimated.
I know it takes money to make money and that improvements in Miami are overdue. The groundwater and soil in Some areas of the park are contaminated with petroleum and need to be cleaned up before construction can start. From 1920-68, the space was home to the Belcher Oil Bulk Storage Facility, according to state records. Currently, the park is on a waiting list for a federal program to clean up the land, but if someone buys the land before it is cleaned, the new owner may have to pay for the cleaning. Ms. Treat said sharing the cost with the community made sense because the city is going to benefit from it.