TALLAHASSEE | The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity determined that three professional sports stadiums qualify for state sales-tax money.
Now the focus of the game shifts to the state House where lobbyists seeking money for backers of the three stadiums — EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Sun Life Stadium in Miami-Dade County and Daytona International Speedway — must convince reluctant House leaders to agree to set aside tens of millions of dollars over the next 30 years to pay for improvements.
House Economic Development & Tourism Chairman Rep. Frank Artiles, R-Miami, said Monday he remains skeptical of government funding for stadium deals largely due to the money that went into baseball’s Marlins Park, which opened in 2012.