Dolphins Cancel Stadium Renovations After State Of Florida Refuses Funding

The Miami Dolphins cancel stadium renovations after the Florida Legislature ended it session without passing any funding plan that would assist the team’s quest to refurbish its facility. The move was a crushing blow for Florida’s oldest professional sports franchise.

The refusal of the GOP-controlled Legislature to aid the team wasn’t just a defeat for the Dolphins – but it could also eliminate South Florida’s efforts to lure another Super Bowl to the region in the next few years.

Others who lost out include the city of Orlando, which was helping to lure a Major League Soccer team, as well as the Jacksonville Jaguars and Daytona International Speedway in the decision.

The professional sports teams were all backing a Florida Senate proposal that would have allowed each of them to compete for a share of the state’s tax dollars.

But the State’s House of Representatives – led by Speaker Will Weatherford – refused to bring up the legislation that would have helped Florida’s major athletic teams.

According to Weatherford, part of the complication was it wasn’t just the Dolphins rooting for share of tax revenue.

Weatherford said, "You had five or six different franchises that were looking for a tax rebate, and that's serious public policy. You're talking about hundreds of millions of dollars and I think the House just never got comfortable there when the session ended."

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross blasted Weatherford, saying in a statement that the Republican leader had guaranteed to at least bring up the legislation for a vote on the House floor.

Ross said, "He put politics before the people and the 4,000 jobs this project would have created for Miami Dade, and that is just wrong."

In a tweet, the state’s house speaker contended that it wasn’t true that he promised an up or down vote.

The Miami Dolphins owner said the decision sent a “terrible message” to NFL owners who will soon decide whether to bring a Super Bowl back to Florida in either 2016 or 2017.

The Dolphins wanted both state and local funds to pay for the $400 million in renovations needed at the Sun Life Stadium. The football team was requesting $3 million a year for the next 30 years from the state.

In order to convince skeptical politicians, the team agreed to a series of concessions – including that it would pay part of the money after 30 years.

The Florida Senate passed legislation that would have created a process where pro teams would compete for $13 million a year in state incentives to allow them promote and develop their programs.

The defeated bill would have allowed the Dolphins to tap into local taxes to help pay for renovations to their stadium. However, in the waning moments the Senate passed a revised version that stripped the local tax portion and instead just made the Dolphins eligible for state money. Despite the revision, efforts failed.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Oscar Braynon from Miami Gardens said, "I took it 80 yards. We could have kicked a field goal but we're seven points down. I think I've done everything I can."