Heat Shoot to Complete Arena Deal

A new deal between the Miami Heat and Miami-Dade County is poised for passage by the county commission Tuesday.

The new deal, according to the Miami Herald, would give the Heat’s annual subsidy from the county a boost in exchange for a yearly donation of $1 million by the team to the Miami-Dade County parks department.

According to the Herald, the current subsidy of $6.4 million would increase to $8.5 million in 2031 and continue through 2035, adding five years onto the current agreement. The deal would replace the current profit-sharing agreement that has only paid the county $260,000 in 14 years.

The Herald reported the county’s finance department estimated the new deal would cost Miami-Dade roughly $19 million through 2035. Miami-Dade County will pay the subsidy with hotel taxes, according to the Herald.

If it passed the county commission, the deal would be Gimenez’s first stadium agreement to move forward. He rode into office on the backlash against the deal for Marlins Park, but still has two other stadium issues ahead of him in the coming year.

Gimenez must decide on what to do with Sun Life Stadium after Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said he would pay for stadium renovations in exchange for payments if the team secured major events like the Super Bowl at the stadium. In addition, Gimenez and the County Commission must decide how to deal with a new stadium pitched by soccer star David Beckham.

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