MIAMI 鈥� As they laid out the blueprint for what would eventually become loanDepot Park here in the part of Miami known as Little Havana, planners imagined a haven for the Marlins.
In their heads, city officials and the Marlins鈥� brass were about to construct a state-of-the-art shrine to America鈥檚 pastime, complete with all the bells and whistles of a modern venue, and even more of the charm inherent to part of the city that would be it鈥檚 home base, here in the heart of a neighborhood that has attracted Cuban immigrants for decades.
It would be surrounded by a lively mixed-use development, and all of it would be supported by a Latin Community in Little Havana where passion for baseball runs deep.
鈥淧lacing it in East Little Havana gives the stadium the imprimatur of Latin legitimacy,鈥� wrote Peter Richmond in when the stadium opened in 2012. 鈥淭he hope is that Miami's 65 percent Hispanic population will produce a large fan base that spends its dollars in the neighborhood, which then itself will rise.鈥�
READ MORE: The exhibit on baseball legend Roberto Clemente makes a stop in Miami
But in its now decade-plus of operation, the stadium has yet to provide an economic boost to the neighborhood 鈥� a promise made when taxpayers were forced to shoulder much of the stadium's bill.
鈥淚t鈥檚 one of those things where the impact of having a ballpark there isn鈥檛 really what was promised or anticipated,鈥� said Will Manso, a and longtime Miami-resident who has covered the Marlins for WPLG, an ABC-affiliate in Miami. 鈥淯nfortunately, in the decade plus of Marlins Park slash loanDepot Park, it hasn't come yet.鈥�
Despite numerous studies disproving the theory of stadium鈥檚 providing economic boons to their neighborhoods, public funds covered around $515 million of loanDepot鈥檚 original $634 million price tag, according to the , leaving the Marlins on the hook for less than 20% of the project cost.
Due to a shoddy financing plan by county officials, however, the stadium will cost the public north of $2.4 billion by the time construction bonds are expected to be paid off in 2048, as reported by the .
鈥淭he reality is, it was a lot of money for taxpayers to pay over time,鈥� Manso said. 鈥淧oliticians and the Marlins made it happen.鈥�
Yet, as the Marlins鈥� 13th season playing out of Little Havana is underway, the proposed mixed-use developments that would surround the stadium have yet to come to fruition, and residents say more businesses have left than set up shop.
The Marlins鈥� on-field performance hasn鈥檛 exactly been a huge draw to the neighborhood either. Their exciting finish to the 2023 season and brief playoff appearance 鈥� Miami鈥檚 first in a full season since 2003 鈥� provided a glimpse of what excitement about the team could do for the neighborhood.
鈥淟ast season it was a lot busier,鈥� said Kenia, who lives two blocks from Loan Depot but declined to share her last name. 鈥淚t was exciting because there was movement, right now it鈥檚 bad.鈥�
As did the 2023 World Baseball Classic, when over 295,800 fans descended upon Little Havana for the triennial international showcase, including a raucous, sellout crowd of 36,058 for the championship game.
鈥淲hen you walked in there鈥檚 instruments playing, there are people on the streets with banners and flags. Walking through, people are dancing to the music. It鈥檚 a different vibe,鈥� Manso said of the comparatively lively atmosphere at the World Baseball Classic.
But the Marlins鈥� play at loanDepot Park has been lackluster for the most part, and it鈥檚 reflected in attendance.
Since it opened in 2012, loanDepot has never once seen the Marlins field a winning season. Local fans have watched them miss the playoffs 10 of 12 times and garner last-place finishes in the American League East鈥攚hich they鈥檙e again on pace for in 2024.
Consequently, Miami鈥檚 attendance has been some of worst in the majors. In the past five full seasons, the Marlins have ranked 29th or 30th of 30 MLB teams in average attendance, including a three-year stretch of the league鈥檚 worst attendance from 2018 to 2021. They average 28th of 30 in the MLB attendance in their entire tenure at loanDepot and its inaugural season in 2012 was the only season they鈥檝e ranked above 27th.
鈥淭here鈥檚 always that wonder,鈥� said Manso, 鈥渋f the Marlins are good, genuinely good, how will things be around the ballpark?鈥�
Since the stadium hasn鈥檛 provided the jolt to Little Havana鈥檚 economy that was expected, some residents have found their own ways to take advantage of living in the shadow of loanDepot Park.
Surrounded almost entirely by residences, visitors to loanDepot must first careen past the rows of houses that line the streets around the ballpark. And several residents of these homes have discovered a simple yet surprisingly lucrative industry: parking.
The fans that do find their way to a Marlins game, can find endless options for discounted parking via residents' hawking spaces in the driveways, lawns and alleyways adjacent to their homes. And doing so has provided a tangible financial boost for many, including Kenia, who being a stone鈥檚 throw away from the stadium, is the owner of some prime parking real estate.
Another beneficiary of the parking business opportunities is the Ministerios Camino de Fe, a Hispanic church on the same street as the park. Milagros Zuazo, owner and pastor of the church, said that they鈥檝e been selling their parking since the park opened in 2011.
鈥淎s the fans go out, our people come in [for service],鈥� said Zuazo. 鈥淚t is a good location to be here.鈥�
Zuazo shared that the church plans on opening another location on the opposite side of 17th Aavenue, which is on the west side of the park, and they plan on selling parking there as well.
The church鈥檚 neighbor, , has been selling their parking since the loanDepot opened up as well. Donna, who declines to share her last name, said that her father has owned the business at this location for over 20 years.
She said that selling their parking has served as some extra change for the families pockets, and that the traffic doesn鈥檛 bother them because 鈥淢iami has always had traffic.鈥�
Despite the lack of economic incentive, there is no shortage of passionate Marlins fans within Little Havana鈥檚 limits, nor do many residents lament having a stadium entrenched in their neighborhood.
鈥淗aving them here is good because people like them a lot. There are a lot of people that love the Marlins, and that鈥檚 me,鈥� Kenia, a two-decade Little Havana resident, said through a laugh. 鈥淚鈥檓 number one fan, too.鈥�
But the grand plan of a thriving hub centered around a baseball stadium have yet to pan out.
鈥淚 don't think the people there have anything against loanDepot Park. The attention it brings people around the area isn't a bad thing,鈥� Manso said. 鈥淏ut it certainly hasn鈥檛 brought the economic impact.鈥�
This story was produced by MediaLab@FAU, a project of Florida Atlantic University School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, as part of a content sharing partnership with the SA国际传谋 newsroom. The reporter can be reached .
