Dbacks want out of Chase Field?

[Dback Jon]

http://www.12news.com/news/local/valley/diamondbacks-want-out-of-chase-field/100208682


The Arizona Diamondbacks have asked their Chase Field landlord for permission to negotiate with other entities for new stadium, according to documents obtained by 12 News.

In a two-paragraph letter March 16 to the Maricopa County Board, Diamondbacks chief executive officer Derrick Hall asked to modify the lease on the team's taxpayer-owned stadium:

"We are requesting that the Maricopa County Stadium District allow AZPB Limited Partnership (the team's owner) the right to take such actions as it deems necessary in order to move and play Diamondbacks' baseball games in a location other than Chase Field."

 

[82CardsGrad]

 

[puckhead]

Derrick Hall:

The Maricopa County Stadium District has made clear that it will not be able to meet its obligations to fund financial reserves for capital improvements, which it now estimates to be at least $187 million for the remaining life of the stadium. This spiral is insurmountable and will result in a Chase Field that will no longer be a state-of-the-art facility as our agreement requires and may, in fact, become unsuitable for continued use. We cannot risk being put in that position.

“Renovations and stadium projects take time. We would rather act responsibly today to explore alternatives for remaining in downtown Phoenix than turn a blind eye to what we now see clearly as the County’s economic reality. We were asking only for the opportunity to talk with other potential partners, a right that we assert we are due as a result of the County’s existing in ability to meet its responsibilities.

http://arizonasports.com/story/604829/report-diamondbacks-seek-to-end-chase-field-lease/

 

[Kel Varnsen]

The county can't even afford to run elections, but it better make this guy richer!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Matt L]

The county can't even afford to run elections, but it better make this guy richer!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

seriously.

 

[TJ]

Put a better product on the field, win some ball games, give fans a reason to attend games, and after that, you can go back to bitching about BOB, which is just fine, IMO.

 

[Shaggy]

There is nothing wrong with the stadium. Still in great shape from what I see. Stop complaining and just play ball!

 

[jw7]

The stadium is only 18 years old. Most sports team don't bitch about a new stadium until it is like over 30 years old.

 

[crisper57]

Timing is curious. A day after County Officials botch the election by being cheap, the D-Backs make this threat due to a supposed lack of spending on stadium upkeep.

Sounds like the team, as the tenant, is responsible for maintenance. Only major capital repairs are the responsibility of the County.

I think this comes down to the team wanting to pay lower rent and perhaps forcing the County to take on additional costs under mounting public pressure.

I think they miscalculated here. Their threat to sue is hollow, too. The contract calls for arbitration.

Really shady by the team, IMO.

 

[crisper57]

Other timing issues? The County Supervisor Chairman just took over last month. The County Manager is retiring in a month. I think the D-Backs are about to lose a formidable adversary when he goes.

 

[Bert]

Totally disagree. The county had a contract to do rennovations to the stadium, and just completely blew off their commitments.

The Dbacks simply asked for permission to seek out a new location and the County tried to stop them.

But yeah, the Dbacks are the bad guys here. It's not our disaster of a legislature at basically every level here in Arizona.

 

[crisper57]

Totally disagree. The county had a contract to do rennovations to the stadium, and just completely blew off their commitments.



The Dbacks simply asked for permission to seek out a new location and the County tried to stop them.

That is factually untrue. The County just asked the Team to review a list of renovations and the team asked them to postpone a year. Doesn't sound like the County blowing anything off.

And the County isn't trying to stop the team, they did that 20 years ago when the contract both parties signed called for it. They are just enforcing the agreement.

The County released emails and documents supporting their position. The team has not.

 

[crisper57]

People in P&R know I am the first to call out local officials when they screw up. This dispute does not have that feeling to me. It is posturing by the team, IMO.

 

[Azlen]

Listened to the Diamondbacks press conference. It seems that this isn't new but something the team and the county have been discussing for quite some time. The county has projected that $187 million in upkeep will be required for the stadium over the next 10 years. This is money that as owners of the stadium, the county is responsible for. The county has told the team that they don't have the money for the upkeep they are required to provide. Because of that, the D'backs asked to explore other options which could include someone else buying the stadium from the county or moving to another location. This will relieve the county of the money they are required to pay. The county denied the request and that is where we are today.
One thing to note is that Hall said that after Turner Field opens that Chase Field will be the 4th oldest stadium in the league. Haven't checked to verify that though.

Checked and it looks like it's true for National League teams but would be the 15th oldest in all of baseball.

 

[Bert]

That is factually untrue. The County just asked the Team to review a list of renovations and the team asked them to postpone a year. Doesn't sound like the County blowing anything off.

And the County isn't trying to stop the team, they did that 20 years ago when the contract both parties signed called for it. They are just enforcing the agreement.

The County released emails and documents supporting their position. The team has not.

Sorry, not buying it Crisper. I'm sure there is an element of truth to all that, but I'm having a hard time buying the county's poor me, we are 100% innocent act... Derrick Hall said that the county "backed out of their commitments." Seeing as how its headed to court, I cant see him making false claims that he cant back up with documentation.

My point was that everyone has this knee jerk reaction like "Oh the team is so greedy." And THAT is factually incorrect.

I'm sure there is fault to be found on both sides, but the knee jerk, oh the team is greedy, win a championship, this guy is rich, blah blah is just flat out incorrect. I'm not just defending the team, but every detail I read and heard today sounded like the County is unable to meet their end of the agreement as landlords of the building because they are broke.

 

[crisper57]

Sorry, not buying it Crisper. I'm sure there is an element of truth to all that, but I'm having a hard time buying the county's poor me, we are 100% innocent act... Derrick Hall said that the county "backed out of their commitments." Seeing as how its headed to court, I cant see him making false claims that he cant back up with documentation.

My point was that everyone has this knee jerk reaction like "Oh the team is so greedy." And THAT is factually incorrect.

I'm sure there is fault to be found on both sides, but the knee jerk, oh the team is greedy, win a championship, this guy is rich, blah blah is just flat out incorrect. I'm not just defending the team, but every detail I read and heard today sounded like the County is unable to meet their end of the agreement as landlords of the building because they are broke.

They aren't broke. They get $4.2 million in rent from the team to replenish the CIP fund each year. However, if the fund is ever exhausted, the County then is in violation of the contract and the DBacks can do whatever they want. Which makes it kinda funny that the team wants its rent cut to $200,000. Maybe they want the fund to go broke.

 

[HeavyB3]

This is less about Chase field and more about the future climate in stadium building. The Suns and the Coyotes are both vying for new places to play and they know that public funds to build stadiums are finite. They are just stepping into to try and get a piece of the pie before we are all straddled in stadium debt.

 

[Iceman]

This is less about Chase field and more about the future climate in stadium building. The Suns and the Coyotes are both vying for new places to play and they know that public funds to build stadiums are finite. They are just stepping into to try and get a piece of the pie before we are all straddled in stadium debt.

Now this makes the most sense! Trying to get theirs before there is no public money left

 

[82CardsGrad]

Sounds to me like yet another Pro Sport Franchise & Municipality "partnership" gone awry... Uggghhh...
According to Derek Hall, the country came to them back in 2013 after they had their own engineering analysis performed on Chase Field, and the conclusion was that in order to keep the facility up to par over the course of the remaining years of the lease, $187 Million worth of maintenance and repairs would need to be performed, of which the county (the landlord) doesn't have the first penny.
As the tenant, with the desire to live in a proper, "state of the art" facility", what are the Dbacks to do?

I am leaning on the side of the Dbacks at this point...

 

[overseascardfan]

It's going to cost the taxpayers in the end no matter what. The $187M would be collected in taxes or if the D'backs get a new stadium somewhere else the money is going to come from the taxpayers to build.

 

[devilalum]

I love rich guys that benefit from living in one of the lowest taxed states in the country asking us to use tax dollars to help them out even more.

 

[Bert]

Sounds to me like yet another Pro Sport Franchise & Municipality "partnership" gone awry... Uggghhh...
According to Derek Hall, the country came to them back in 2013 after they had their own engineering analysis performed on Chase Field, and the conclusion was that in order to keep the facility up to par over the course of the remaining years of the lease, $187 Million worth of maintenance and repairs would need to be performed, of which the county (the landlord) doesn't have the first penny.
As the tenant, with the desire to live in a proper, "state of the art" facility", what are the Dbacks to do?

I am leaning on the side of the Dbacks at this point...

This.

Nobody from the Dbacks has said that they hate Chase field or that it's squalor or a dump. I think this will be a long process that will wind up with renovations being made to the stadium one way or another and it will be much ado about nothing.

I hope so because I love Chase field.

 

[Shaggy]

This.

Nobody from the Dbacks has said that they hate Chase field or that it's squalor or a dump. I think this will be a long process that will wind up with renovations being made to the stadium one way or another and it will be much ado about nothing.

I hope so because I love Chase field.

So do I. After almost 20 years, to me its still feels new. I just don't get why tax payers/counties have to put in tax money to build stadiums for teams when the owners of thoses teams make all the money. Never understood that.

 

[Bert]

So do I. After almost 20 years, to me its still feels new. I just don't get why tax payers/counties have to put in tax money to build stadiums for teams when the owners of thoses teams make all the money. Never understood that.

It's not a one sided relationship tho. It's the very definition of synergy. How many millions/billions of dollars have the Diamondbacks brought into the Phoenix economy over the last 20 years? How much sales tax is paid at their games? How many surrounding buildings make a ton of money off parking? How much positive exposure for the Phoenix area?

So asking the municipality you are doing all that for to chip in for the building that will allow you to do all that isn't really that unreasonable. But that's just my opinion. . I get your side as well.

The bottom line here is that the county is the Dbacks landlord. The Dbacks want their leased space to be renovated. Their landlord tells them he can't afford to do those renovations, so they are looking to possibly move to a new office since, if they are going to have to pump millions into a stadium, why not make it a new one?

I just don't see how the Dbacks instantly became villains in the public eye.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Kel Varnsen]

It's not a one sided relationship tho. It's the very definition of synergy. How many millions/billions of dollars have the Diamondbacks brought into the Phoenix economy over the last 20 years? How much sales tax is paid at their games? How many surrounding buildings make a ton of money off parking? How much positive exposure for the Phoenix area?

So asking the municipality you are doing all that for to chip in for the building that will allow you to do all that isn't really that unreasonable. But that's just my opinion. . I get your side as well.

The bottom line here is that the county is the Dbacks landlord. The Dbacks want their leased space to be renovated. Their landlord tells them he can't afford to do those renovations, so they are looking to possibly move to a new office since, if they are going to have to pump millions into a stadium, why not make it a new one?

I just don't see how the Dbacks instantly became villains in the public eye.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What exactly are the upgrades they want? Is it structural work?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD