(Hit to enlarge image)Just in case you missed it, the Miami Herald Business Section had this juicy little notice published in the Thursday, February 19, 2009 edition.
Golly gee, the bid waivers are already beginning, and the issue has not even been voted on. Wouldn’t one think that asking for a bid wavier before a project is put a vote is a rather telling that the fix is in? What are THEY thinking?
Lobbyist for Hunt Construction Group: Brian May and Courtney Cunningham.
14 comments:
Florida Marlins Negotiating Construction Management Contract With Hunt/Moss, A Joint Venture
Miami, Florida, June 13, 2008
http://www.mosscm.com/company/news/news.php?id=37
The Florida Marlins are negotiating with Hunt/Moss, a Joint Venture, on a construction management contract for the Major League Baseball club’s new ballpark on the site of the Orange Bowl near downtown Miami. Claude Delorme, Marlins senior vice president of stadium development, made the announcement June 10 following a unanimous vote in favor of Hunt/Moss by the team’s Construction Manager Selection Committee.
“The Marlins are extremely pleased to enter this stage with Hunt/Moss as we prepare our plans to open a first-class, retractable-roofed ballpark in Miami,” said Delorme. “Hunt’s extensive experience in retractable-roof stadium projects and Moss’ strong local presence, along with their knowledge of this market, make them an excellent team.”
Hunt/Moss is a joint venture consisting of Hunt Construction Group, the nation’s leading sports builder and Moss & Associates, a Fort Lauderdale-based construction management company with extensive experience in complex commercial projects.
Hunt and members of Moss’ executive team previously joined together to construct BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, home of the National Hockey League’s Florida Panthers. In all the Hunt/Moss team has completed more than $1 billion worth of projects in the South Florida region.
The Marlins said negotiations with the joint venture will start immediately, while the club moves forward with stadium design documents. The Hunt/Moss team will work with architects H.O.K. Sport on the state-of-the-art facility. H.O.K. Senior Principal Earl Santee, who has worked on more than 15 Major League Baseball stadiums, has been assigned to the Marlins’ project.
Hunt Construction Group was established in 1944 and is ranked by Engineering News-Record as one of the nation’s top commercial construction firms and ranks #1 in sports. In 2007, Hunt completed $2 billion worth of work across the United States of which $537 million was on sports venues alone. Hunt’s sports portfolio includes 16 Major League Baseball stadiums, as well as five retractable roof stadiums. For more information visit www.huntconstructiongroup.com.
Moss & Associates is a privately held construction company that is ranked among the nation’s top 100 building contractors and 2nd largest in the State of Florida with annual revenues exceeding $649 million in fiscal year 2007. Through its headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, and regional offices in Miami and Ocala, the firm provides design-build, general construction, construction management and preconstruction consulting services for projects ranging in both size and complexity being developed throughout the United States, Bahamas and Caribbean.
The firm’s financial stability, market reputation and long-term executive relationships have provided them the opportunity to construct some of the area’s most unique and logistically challenging projects – from major landmark mixed-use urban developments and high-rise structures to luxury hotels, commercial office buildings, schools, retail establishments, health care and life sciences facilities, government buildings, and correctional facilities, among others.
In the past four years alone, Moss has been involved with more than $1.3 billion of construction assignments in Miami-Dade County specifically. Among their most notable projects are the University of Miami’s $133 million Biomedical Research Center, Garage and Central Energy Plant located at the Jackson Memorial Hospital campus; the $158 million Downtown Dadeland and $98 million Colonnades mixed use developments near the Dadeland Mall; the $233 million Ivy and Mint Condominium Towers located along the Miami River in downtown Miami; and the $34 million Plaza San Remo Medical Office, Garage and Retail Center across from Sunset Place. For more information about Moss, please contact www.mosscm.com.
Wow. There has not even been a vote yet and Carlos Alvarez is desperate to give away $600 mil to $900 mil in No-Bid contracts to several out-of-state contractors. In an era when Miami-Dade County procurement officials put even $1,000 contracts out for bid imagine giving away $900 mil? No-Bid. Who are the lobbyists?
More importantly, who is paying the $900 mil? And the $1.5 billion in debt service?
For those who haven't realized it yet -the deal was cooked behind closed doors long time ago. The commissioners and county and city mayors are going through the motions only to give the deal a shade of legality.
It gets better. There is no longer a supermajority of the Commission required to approve the Stadium. The County is going to seperate the no-bid (that requires 9 out of 13) from the Baseball Stadium Agreement. That means, the Commission will only need a simple majority of 7 for the Baseball Stadium Agreement, and then the no-bid will be taken later, so, Commissioners that may not be comfortable voting for the Stadium, can vote no, and then vote yes on the no-bid, and say that they voted against the deal.
Amazing!
Lets not kid ourselves, I don't believe the County Mayor and County Manager whose expertise happens to be budget would be so gun-ho on this one sided appearing deal unless there was more to this deal than we know.
This leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Why is the commission and the mayor thinking the public is so dumb? We can't vote Alvarez out of office. He is untouchable, but he is the one responsible for the contracts.
How dare they put the BID wavier out before they vote and public has input. It sounds like there was a whole bunch back room meetings out of the sunshine. Is that public corruption?
I don't believe the County Mayor and County Manager whose expertise happens to be budget would be so gun-ho on this one sided appearing deal unless there was more to this deal than we know.
What does that mean?
Brian May was one of former mayor Penelas' Chief of Staff. He probably has other inside links if you look hard enough.
$2 billion from the taxpayers? Before cost overruns? Before change orders? And the Marlins put in almost no money down? Yet the Marlins get 98% to 100% of the equity? What sort of municipal official or elected politician would ever agree to that?
Then you have $800 mil in No-Bid contracts? Who is responsible for this inevitable disaster?
The mayor who handles the negotiations for the contract and the commissioners who vote for it.
From GoD's blog comments on Micheal Lewis and the marlins:
“There was a referendum, and it was called the Mayoral election,” Samson said. “Mayor Alvarez was convincingly re-elected by the people of Miami-Dade County, thereby showing their support of him, the mayor, and these projects, including our stadium."
What a BUTTHEAD. IT probably will be a cold day in hell when I step into that stadium, and I am sure I am going to be more involved in political campaigns from here on out. I am taking names when they vote.
The Coconut Grove Grapevine mentions a flip deal, saying that Samson will sell to Jorge Perez overnight, doubling his money, the tax-payer money. There is a lot of truth in this. The rumor is that is why Sarnoff stopped the vote.
Many people think the Marlins already have a buyer lined up. The taxpayers will get stuck paying $2 billion over 35-40 years and the NYC based owner of the Marlins will flip for a $350 million profit. Bear the mind the profit will be solely based on the one sided No-Money-Down deal negotiated by Carlos Alvarez et al.
The other possible buyer is Steve Ross, the owner of the Dolphins.
Why should the taxpayers pay just so one man can make a massive profit?
The taxpayers are getting screwed.
Post a Comment