MIAMI -- As the deadline to complete the new Marlins stadium looms in less than three years, Local 10 has learned there has been yet another delay in the construction and development contracts.

The new stadium will be built at the site of the old Orange Bowl, and it is set to open in April 2011.

For months, city of Miami and Miami-Dade County officials have said they were finishing up construction and development contracts for the new stadium and that they would present them to politicians for their approval.

The building of the new stadium has been delayed because the contracts are very complex documents and they must be perfect before they are voted upon, Local 10's Michael Putney reported. The contracts were supposed to be ready to go to the city and county commissions in October, but they are not yet finished.

Miami-Dade County Manager George Burgess is the lead negotiator for local government on the stadium deal, which was approved in concept in December 2007.

Marlins President David Samson said the team needed final approval by December 2008 to start play at the stadium in 2011.

"We're making progress, but our goal is December. It slipped a little -- we had hoped for October, November, but it's probably looking like December for them to have them to digest. It doesn't mean, again, that it would be officially agendaed for the board to vote on," Burgess said.

"Can you tell us what, if anything, is a sticking point?" Putney asked.

"Nothing in particular," Burgess said. "The devil's always in the details."

The mayor and commissioners have been waiting to hear details of the stadium construction and development agreements.

"Are you inclined to generally support this stadium?" Putney asked Miami-Dade County Commissioner Carlos Gimenez.

"No, I’m not inclined to support the deal we currently have on the table," Gimenez said.

The deal calls for a $525 million retractable-roof stadium with a $100 million adjacent parking garage.

"All major cities have major facilities. If we're in the financial position to build a stadium or to help build a stadium, then I think we should do it," said Miami-Dade County Commissioner Dennis Moss.

Approving the building of the stadium will require 9 yes votes from the 13 county commissioners.

"I think that in this economic environment for the community to see multimillionaires getting tax breaks for stadiums, it really won't sit well with the public," said Miami-Dade County Commissioner Katy Sorenson.

Samson said he expects commissioners to see contracts in January.

"We're very focused on (a 2011 opening date), but we're waiting to hear from our construction managers about the delays and the impact on the construction schedule," Samson said. "We expect to make an announcement in the next 10 days."

The Marlins could push the deadline for the opening of the new stadium to 2012, Putney reported.