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Florida Marlins stadium construction reaches first base

Marlins report progress in their efforts to build their new state-of-the-art home.


 

Construction of the new Marlins Stadium in Little Havana is moving ahead, with the project reaching an important step this week, officials from the baseball team said.

Already, workers have formed and placed track beams that will support the stadium's retractable roof. The milestone: Workers are lifting the track beams into their permanent position, said Carolina Perrina, the team's director of business communication.

The track beams will be placed above 12 super columns, which also support the roof.

So far, the Marlins and their contractor, Hunt/Moss, have built eight of the 12 super columns; four others are under construction, Perrina said.

The stadium is the first LEED-certified stadium with a retractable roof in the country, Edwin Perkins, a spokesman for Hunt/Moss, the Marlins' contractor, recently told The Miami Herald. Located at 1501 NW Third St., the new stadium is supposed to be finished by 2012.

To date, workers have completed the west mezzanine concrete deck as well as the east columns extending from the service to the main concourse level.

In the works are slabs for the west main concourse and form work for the slabs and walls for the east main concourse. Also west level suites will be built.

Perrina said the Marlins installed a storm drainage system along adjacent streets in January. The new drainage is part of planned infrastructure improvements in the neighborhood.

When it comes to jobs, Perrina said the Marlins have exceeded local participation goals. As of Dec. 31, the team reported that 30 percent of workers are from the city of Miami while 64 percent are from Miami-Dade County

Last year, when the county, the city of Miami and Marlins Operator LLC signed a contract agreeing that at least half of workers chosen for construction and other projects must be Miami-Dade residents. Of those, at least 20 percent must be Miami residents.

Source: The Miami Herald, TANIA VALDEMORO

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