MIAMI, July 1 (UPI) -- Miami-Dade County commissioners have approved a proposal to build a new baseball stadium for the Florida Marlins in Little Havana.
Site preparation work was scheduled following an early Wednesday morning meeting to deal with last-minute changes and $300 million of the $306 million in bonds that will pay for construction of the new baseball stadium in the city's Little Havana section.
Team president David Samson told the commissioners the team would will pick up the $6.2 million difference.
"This is it, now it is just construction, jobs and baseball," Samson told the Miami Herald after the meeting.
Formal groundbreaking for the estimated 37,000-seat facility is scheduled for July 18.
The stadium will include a retractable roof and officials hope to have the ballpark built in time for Opening Day in 2012.
The Marlins currently play at Land Shark Stadium and have one of the Major League Baseball's lowest attendance averages.
