Davie, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has decided to pay for upgrades to Sun Life Stadium with private funds in order to attract the Super Bowl and other high-profile events.
However, in return he is reportedly asking the state for tax breaks. The Miami Herald said Ross wants to stop paying property taxes.
A plan for taxpayer support for stadium improvements was rejected by Florida voters last May and the Dolphins lost on bids later that month for the Super Bowl in both February 2016 and 2017.
Ross has come up with a new plan, which he says will create more than 4,000 local jobs.
"I have made clear I want the stadium modernized because it's right for our fans and it's right for Miami-Dade and South Florida," said Ross in a statement Tuesday. "I have decided the best way to get this done is to pay for the project with private funds. All we ask in return is that we are treated the same as all franchises in the state of Florida. A world-class city needs a world-class stadium.
"We haven't won a Super Bowl bid in Miami-Dade in far too long, and we know that with the stadium as an issue, we never will unless it is modernized."
Miami has hosted the Super Bowl 10 times, the last coming after the 2009 season when New Orleans beat Indianapolis.
"We can bring back the Super Bowl, the College Football Playoff Championship and world-class soccer matches -- and all the revenue those big events generate for the local community," Ross added. "I am going to make the commitment and provide the resources because Miami deserves the economic benefits of a modernized stadium."
The next Super Bowl up for bid is in February 2018.
