Driving by the site of the new Marlins Ballpark, fans can't help but get excited. Now taxpayers who might not care about America's pastime have a reason to cheer the home team, too.
The new publicly funded stadium being built in Little Havana is under budget and ahead of schedule, Florida Marlins president David Samson said Wednesday during a stadium tour.
"This building will come in at the $515 million mark. Not one dollar over budget," he said.
The $515 million stadium is 80 percent complete and already looks the part as the state-of-the-art home of a Major League franchise.
Most of the seats have been installed and even the foul polls have been erected. Some of the concession stands are already equipped with popcorn machines.
Samson said the money the team has saved during construction will be used to add amenities to the park like more lighting and the all important additional toilets in the restroom.
Construction could be complete as early as February, well ahead of the baseball season. Samson said the ballpark will host several grand opening events before it makes its baseball debut when the Marlins host the New York Yankees on April 1.
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"We've been working on this for so many years, and all we want to do is deliver a first-class ballpark to our deserving fans and let them see what it's like to watch baseball in a baseball facility," Samson said.
