Marlins stadium settlement urged from bench

A lawsuit pitting critics of a $609 million baseball stadium designed to spur development in Miami’s Little Havana against the Florida Marlins and Miami-Dade County will have its day in court – later. Miami-Dade circuit court judge Jeri Beth Cohen ordered a two-day hiatus and urged the parties to find an out of court settlement before the trial resumes Monday. Norman Braman, the billionaire auto dealer who wants to block the plan, has alleged that the grounds that the stadium doesn’t offer enough public benefit to justify the public funds it would draw from. He has now said he would try to find a compromise with the team and city. Possible compromises include building a community center near the planned ballpark, or awarding more public access to the facility. Government and team officials are trying to finish a 37,000-seat stadium by 2011. The Marlins’ lease on Dolphins Stadium expires after the 2010 season.