MIAMI, SEPT.9 – Miami-Dade County, The City of Miami and the Florida Marlins Tuesday welcomed the decision by Miami-Dade County Circuit Court Judge Jeri Beth Cohen that a new baseball ballpark built on the city-owned site of the former Orange Bowl serves a paramount public purpose.

“Today's ruling is a victory for the residents of Miami-Dade County.  The Marlins are part of South Florida’s history with two World Series Championships in the past 10 years.  A Marlins stadium helps us to continue to create a world-class community.  The new stadium will also be an economic engine for our community.  It will generate thousands of local jobs and attract baseball fans from all over the globe,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez.

“Today’s decision is a victory for the City of Miami and its residents. A world-class city like Miami deserves a world-class stadium,” said City of Miami Mayor Manny Diaz. “The stadium will bring revitalization and economic development to our city and it represents an investment towards building the future that our residents deserve.”

Marlins owner Jeffrey H. Loria said, “Judge Cohen’s ruling confirms that our elected officials have made the right decision for the future of our community.  This is a critical step in securing the long-term future of Major League Baseball in Miami.  We look forward to the Marlins playing in the new ballpark for generations to come.”

Loria said the Marlins will immediately begin to finalize discussions with the County and the City to put in place all the long-awaited final agreements. 

“We are very excited with this decision,” said City of Miami Manager, Peter Hernandez. “We have been working very hard for over two years to see this project through, and now we are one step closer to that goal.”