Former foe lauds new Dolphins stadium proposal

The latest Sun Life Stadium renovation plan proposed by Stephen Ross and the Miami Dolphins garnered a positive response from one of their fiercest foes: auto mogul Norman Braman.

After Ross revealed the team’s pitch to privately fund $350 million in stadium upgrades in exchange for turning over the land to Miami-Dade County and being exempt from property taxes, Braman called the proposal a “step in the right direction,” the Miami Herald reported. Braman emerged as the most prominent opponent of last year’s request for publicly funded renovations. The Dolphins were unable to get the Florida House of Representatives to even cast a vote on that proposal.

“It’s a hell of an improvement over last year,” Braman said. “It’s a positive development that needs to be fine-tuned. That’s what negotiations are for.”

Several Miami-Dade politicians expressed concern that freeing the Dolphins from annual poverty taxes could severely impact the City of Miami Gardens. Sun Life Stadium accounts for about 4 percent of the city’s tax base. [Miami Herald] — Eric Kalis