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Lee County
offers renderings for new BoSox facility; Sarasota
to review plans tomorrow
NEW!
Posted
July 8, 2008 (feedback)
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Things are coming to a head over
the future spring-training home of the Boston Red
Sox, as Lee County officials will review
renderings and developer proposals for a new
complex or renovated City of Palms Park, and the
Fruitville Road Study Group, a Sarasota economic
development organization, is scheduled to meet
Wednesday afternoon at the Sarasota Fairgrounds,
a 90-acre site foreseen by many as the potential
new spring home of the Sox. Lee County officials
say developers have been pitching their property
as a perfect place for a new complex, and we're
guessing those offers run along the lines of,
"we'll give you the land for the ballpark and
complex, you build them, and we'll retain
development rights to the rest of the property."
From what we've been told it's highly unlikely the
BoSox would go for an offer of a new complex if
Fenway Ventures didn't have a cut of the
surrounding development, so we wonder whether Lee
County really has deep enough pockets to keep the
Sox. (And from what we've been told by team
officials a renovated City of Palms Park is a
nonstarter: the issue is the lack of land for a
complex next to the ballpark and associated
development.) And, of course, Lee County really
has no money to dangle, and no one in government
has a plan to raise it: "I have no idea [where
money for the Red Sox would come from," said Bill
Hammond, deputy county manager. (Yes, the same
Bill Hammond of Hammond Stadium.) "We’re so far
away from this thing right now. With our economy
right now I’d like to tell you this thing is on
the back burner for at least a couple of years. I
think we got some real pressing issues." It's
unlikely the Red Sox will wait a few years.
Meanwhile, we are seeing some politics pop up in Sarasota,
where city and county officials are hot to turn
over 90 acres of prime land and some cash to the
Red Sox to snare the lucrative spring-training
facility, seen as an $80-million project by the
time all is said and done. The Sarasota Fairgrounds isn't
necessarily against moving to Twin Lakes Park, but
so far the offer of 45 acres there for the 90
acres on Fruitville Road isn't seen as an
equitable trade. (They're right; it's not,
but the latest details on a swap are considerably
more palatable.) So
clearly negotiations needs to take place.
More from the News-Press.
Pima County
debates future of spring training
NEW!
Posted
July 8, 2008 (feedback)
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With the state legislature failing
to approve a plan to give taxing authority to the
Pima County
Sports
and Tourism Authority, Tucson business and
political leaders begin the debate on how to keep
spring training in southern Arizona. There's the
recognized need to upgrade Hi Corbett Field for
the Colorado Rockies and perhaps build another
spring complex in order to keep the Diamondbacks
and attract another team. But so much of this
effort is of a last-minute nature: from what we've
been told it's just a matter of when the Chicago
White Sox leave Tucson, not if, and when one team
leaves Tucson the two remaining teams can choose
to end their leases. We're extremely doubtful of
the ability of the private sector to come up with
$50 million or so to retain spring training, and
given recent heated debates over arena funding in
Tucson, we're guessing no local politician will
have the stomach to propose a local tax hike.
BoSox ready to
pull trigger on Sarasota move; local fair board
balks
Posted
July 2, 2008 (feedback)
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The
Boston Red Sox are ready to pull the trigger on a
new 11,200-seat ballpark in Sarasota, but the
local county fair board is balking at a land swap
that would free up 90 acres of land on Fruitville
Road for the new training facility. Sarasota
County has offered 40 acres at Twin Lakes Park for
a new fairgrounds, but the board wants more than
100 acres to replace its current 90 acres. Of
course, a lot of this posturing from the fair
board, which would probably be happy with 75-90
acres -- snaring the Red Sox is a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and we're be
surprised if any current board members want to be
known as the folks who lost that chance -- but
from what we hear most of the basic negotiations
are completed for the Red Sox move, though the Red
Sox have not yet set a final date to make a deal.
Lee County is still looking at a way to keep the
BoSox, but they don't have much to offer except
the potential of suburban land; Fort Myers has
halted efforts to acquire land next to City of
Palms Park because of the legal complexity of
eminent domain and the cost.
More from the Sarasota Herald Tribune.
Tucson funding
proposal dies
Posted
June 30, 2008 (feedback)
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A proposal to keep spring training
in Tucson via increased tourism taxes died in the
final days of the Arizona Legislative session,
leading Tucson and Pima County officials
frustrated in their attempt to raise money for new
and renovated facilities.
The proposal would have set up a Pima County
sports authority and levy a three-quarter-cent
sales tax on hotels, restaurants, bars and rental
car; the proceeds (up to $14 million annually)
would be used to fund a new complex and a
renovated Hi Corbett Field. But the proposal died
after lawmakers first attempted to extend it to
all county purchases. With the Chicago White Sox
all but out of Tucson, the Colorado Rockies and
Arizona Diamondbacks are sure to be looking at an
exit as well.
More from the Arizona Daily Star.
Funding for
Tucson ballparks goes down to the wire
Posted
June 20, 2008 (feedback)
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A proposal to keep spring training
in Tucson via new and renovated facilities funded
through
an
increased sales tax is meeting opposition in the
Arizona Legislature, which is nearing its final
days of session. The proposal would set up a Pima
County sports authority and levy a
three-quarter-cent sales tax on hotels,
restaurants, bars and rental car; the proceeds (up
to $14 million annually) would be used to fund a
new complex and a renovated Hi Corbett Field. It
sounds like there's some serious opposition to the
measure, as lawmakers are already looking at other
sales-tax hikes in the area and local
restaurateurs are opposed to the hike. The Chicago
White Sox are already one foot out the door -- the
only issue is when the team moves to Glendale, not
if -- and the Rockies have talked about a Phoenix
move as well.
More from the Arizona Daily Star. Pima County
is pitching the retention of spring training as an
economic measure;
more here.
Lee County
offers sites for new BoSox complex
Posted
June 20, 2008 (feedback)
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Lee County is trying to counter a
pretty sweet offer from Sarasota to lure the
spring training site of the Boston Red Sox, as
county and Red Sox officials toured potential
sites for a new or expanded complex. One idea that
keeps coming up from county officials to acquiring
land around City of Palms Park to allow for the
move of the minor-league complex and other
development. But the county can't actually do that
-- Fort Myers must -- and given that Fort Myers
has no money and little inclination to go on an
eminent-domain conquest, that proposal seems to be
a nonstarter. Bonita Springs, where local
officials once looked at the idea of bringing in
the Cleveland Indians, now has no interest in
giving up land to a Red Sox training facility.
Sarasota is discussing basically giving 50-70
acres to the team and providing $70 million for a
new training facility, and there's really no way
Lee County can match that offer as things stand
right now.
More from the Naples Daily News.
Orioles, city
lobby FAA for spring-training approval
Posted
June 14, 2008 (feedback)
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The
Baltimore Orioles and city of Fort Lauderdale
officials continue to meet with Federal Aviation
Administration officials over their decision to
charge $1.3 million annually for the team's use of
the Fort Lauderdale Stadium association site. That
valuation just won't work if the Orioles and city
renovate the ballpark and expand the complex, so
there's the very real chance the FAA decision
would drive the Orioles from the city. The city
was asked to file new papers saying why the
valuation should be overturned; a decision should
be forthcoming.
More from the Baltimore Sun.
Boston expected
to make decision on new spring-training facility
this month
Posted
May 2, 2008 (feedback)
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The
Boston Red Sox have decided to move from City of
Palms Park into a new spring-training complex,
according to several sources, and the decision is
whether to locate it in Sarasota -- where local
officials are making an impassioned push for a Red
Sox move -- or somewhere else in Lee County,
probably south of Fort Myers in the Bonita
Springs-Estero area. It's gotten to the point
where development groups are being formed in
Sarasota to help fund a private development to
accompany a spring-training complex; Fenway
Ventures would be involved, but outside capital is
being sought from wealthy investors in the area.
Sarasota is scrambling to replace the Cincinnati
Reds with a new spring tenant, but we're not quite
sure Lee County officials are fully aware of the
strong chance the BoSox could leave the area. Fort
Myers isn't the most convenient location in the
Grapefruit League; only two teams (Tampa Bay and
Minnesota) train in the immediate area, and
Sarasota (80 miles to the north) is more
accessible to the Tampa area and its four spring
complexes. On the other hand, there are lot of New
England retirees who have invested in Fort Myers
residences, and we've been told some within the
Red Sox are reluctant to leave them behind. The
decision to leave City of Palms Park shows how
drastically spring training has changed in recent
years: it's gone from a revenue-negative situation
to a revenue-positive one, and while the ballpark
itself is quite nice, the fact it's a landlocked
facility with no room for nearby development and a
borderline location have led the Red Sox to look
elsewhere. One wild card here for Lee County: we
continue to hear the Baltimore Orioles were rather
intrigued by the idea of an open City of Palms
Park, even if the Red Sox were to stay in Lee
County.
One interesting side effect to all this: how
the training shifts will play into the makeup of
the Florida State League. The Tampa Bay Rays
continue to negotiate a move of an FSL team to
their new Port Charlotte complex, but it's
expected to go through. The Baltimore Orioles have
been casting about for an FSL team as well, but
conditionally: we continue to hear the O's
probably wouldn't field an FSL team in Fort
Lauderdale, but would elsewhere (Dodgertown,
Sarasota, Fort Myers). And we've been told the Red
Sox have asked the Cincinnati Reds about
purchasing the Sarasota Reds franchise (which,
ironically, was formerly owned by the Red Sox),
although the BoSox already own another High Class
A, the Salem Avalanche. It's not likely Fort Myers
could support three franchises -- remember, the
Fort Myers Miracle (High Class A; Florida State
League) is not owned by a major-league team, one
of the few FSL teams to be independent -- and
we've heard the Twins may be the odd team out
should there be both Boston and Baltimore training
in the same area. A lot of early speculation, but
there's also been a lot of buzz about this
in minor-league circles.
Red Sox
exploring spring-training move to Sarasota
April
30, 2008 (feedback)
(discuss)
There will be a story in tomorrow's Sarasota paper
about this, but here's your first report: the
Boston Red Sox have been talking with Sarasota
city officials about moving the team's
spring-training camp to the area, discussions
confirmed by city officials. The Red Sox currently
train at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers, but the
team's lease allows for a buyout in 2011,
theoretically freeing the Red Sox to move. If
you're the owners of the Red Sox, a move makes
sense on a land-development level. In Sarasota,
there are 50 acres available for development (land
offered when the Cincinnati Reds were looking at a
new complex), and the Red Sox could combine a
ballpark, training complex, hotel and other
development (like condos for the hordes of Red Sox
Nation) into a more robust offering. While City of
Palms Park is nice enough, it's not in the best
part of town, there are no hotels within walking
distance and development
opportunities, and
there's no room for growth. Remember: the Red Sox
and Fenway Ventures are as much a development play
as the owners of a sporting team, and the
organization has been active in seeking out
development opportunities associated with sports.
So it's no surprise the Red Sox are talking with
Sarasota officials.
More from the Boston Globe and
the Boston Herald.

D-Backs: We'll
listen to other spring-training offers
April
29, 2008
(feedback)
(discuss)
Arizona Diamondbacks managing partner Jeff Moorad
and club president Derrick Hall say they're
listening to offers about a new spring-training
complex. At a meeting of the Associated Press
Sports Editors at
Chase Field, Hall said the possibility of the
Chicago White Sox bailing on Tucson Electric Park
could force the Diamondbacks to see a new home;
contractually, any team can leave Tucson if only
two remain. White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf has
been upfront about a move to a new complex in
Glendale to be shared with the Los Angeles
Dodgers, but the team's lease for Tucson Electric
Park carries some pretty stiff penalties if
Chicago leaves early, and negotiations to end the
lease or bring in a replacement team have failed.
The Diamondbacks are a decent draw in Tucson, but
none of the three teams there are exactly setting
the attendance world on fire, and Pima County
officials are making an effort to either renovate
current facilities (the Rockies have put in a
request for a Hi Corbett Field renovation) or
build new ones (downtown and suburban locations
have been bandied about).
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