Archives: Feb. 4-10, 2008
Updated cost of new Yankee Stadium: $1.3 billion
Posted Feb. 8, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Not that this should surprise anyone, but the most recent tally of the cost of the new Yankee Stadium is now up to $1.3 billion, up from the original cost estimate of $930 million. It’s not surprising for a simple reason: costs usually go up once construction starts, and the derivation here is well within what we’re guessing the Yankees front office anticipated. (In other words, we don’t think there’s a correlation between the increased cost of the ballpark and the Yankees’ decision to pass on Johan Santana, who signed a record contract last week with the Mets.) There probably won’t be any public outcry, either (past the usual ballpark haters, of course), because the Yankees are picking up the added costs per the team’s agreement with the city. Some of the reasons for the increased cost: the Yankees decided on an upgraded scoreboard, which alone added $150 million to the cost of the project, and other upgrades to public spaces and concessions expected to pay for themselves. Otherwise, it sounds like construction of the ballpark is right on schedule. More from the New York Times and AP. The new ballpark may open without the legendary Bob Sheppard, whose health is suffering and may not even return this season.
Bowling Green moves forward with downtown development, ballpark
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Bowling Green city commissioners have committed $25 million in bonds for a major downtown redevelopment deal, in the expectation of finding a developer to work with the city on the rest of the deal. Art Solomon, who owns the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Class AA; Eastern League), has promised to sign a 20-year lease on a 4,000-seat ballpark and provide a minor-league team. The deal is different than what was first proposed: initially it was for a private redevelopment using bonds backed with the proceeds of a TIF district.
This also means Solomon should close on the purchase of a minor-league team, reportedly the Columbus Catfish (Low Class A; Sally League).
Drive, Red Sox extend PDC through 2012
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The Boston Red Sox and Greenville Drive (Low Class A; Sally League) today announced the extension of their Player Development Contract (PDC) for an additional four years. The extension keeps the Red Sox South Atlantic League Single-A affiliate in Greenville through the 2012 season. The Red Sox originally entered into an agreement with the Drive when the franchise moved from Columbia, SC to Greenville for the 2005 season. The PDC was extended for two years through 2008 prior to the 2006 season.
Do the numbers add up on new Gwinnett County ballpark?
Posted Feb. 8, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
If you’ve been reading our coverage of the new Gwinnett County ballpark for the relocating Richmond Braves (Class AAA; International League), you know one thing has bugged us: exactly how the county plans to pay for the new $45-million facility. Officials there sent us some estimates of how they’ll be paying for the ballpark, and it seems like there’s a large dose of wishful thinking going on. Here’s the deal. The county has already committed $12 million from its recreation fund toward the project, with some being used for land acquisition. That’s a defensible expenditure. The remaining $33 million (remember, with interest, the ballpark will really cost more than $55 million) will come from revenue bonds.
But how the county plans to pay off those bonds is where things get interesting, especially when you consider the county has already given the R-Braves a large chunk of the revenues already. The R-Braves will pay $250,000 in rent but will receive all the in-ballpark revenues (concessions, advertising, suite sales). A ticket surcharge is expected to generate $400,000 annually, while a car-rental tax should yield $800,000 annually.
The tricky spot is with the unusual naming-rights deal. The county — which is backed by consultants — thinks it can land one of the most lucrative naming-rights deals in baseball and is expecting $750,000 annually. Of that, the first $250,000 goes to the Braves, with the county then expecting $500,000 yearly (or whatever’s left). That would be the second-richest naming-rights deal in minor-league baseball behind Chukchasni Park, home of the Fresno Grizzlies (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League). Consultants say given Gwinnett County’s demographics it shouldn’t be hard to achieve. Perhaps. But you need to stop and consider that what Fresno has is just more than an Indian tribe throwing their name on the outdoor of the park: it also involves suites, tickets, tons of signage and other ingame promotions. To reach that level of deal, the R-Braves will need to be a pretty active participant in fulfilling any commitments, and it’s not known whether the lease with the team ensures that level of commitment. Otherwise, since the R-Braves get the first $250,000 of the naming-rights deal, they have little incentive to give away signage and other amenities that could cut into their revenue streams.
Hansen: build new ballpark in Henrico County
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Speaking of Richmond: Richmond Braves (Class AAA; International League) pitching coach Guy Hansen, a year-round resident of the area, says there’s only one place to put a new ballpark: in Henrico County, the area’s population base. Politically, it will be hard for Henrico County to agree to a multicounty ballpark deal that puts the facility in Richmond, and we’re expecting to see multiple ballpark proposals come up before the R-Braves actually leave town.
Billy Joel to play last concert at Shea Stadium
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Long Island native Billy Joel will play the last concert at Shea Stadium before the ballpark closes. Scheduled for July 16 — the day after Yankee Stadium hosts the All-Star Game — the concert will be billed as a celebration of all the noteworthy concerts held at Shea Stadium over the decades, beginning with the landmark Beatles concert that established ballparks and stadium as acceptable music venues.
New Billings ballpark ahead of schedule
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Construction of a new Billings ballpark is ahead of schedule, with Billings Mustangs (rookie; Pioneer League) Gary Roller estimating the ballpark is 70 percent complete. That’s pretty good considering the ballpark isn’t slated to open until June, as the local college and Legion programs will be playing elsewhere next spring. Roller also says the Mustangs have sold more season tickets than anticipated.
Crews pick up pace to renovate Metro station
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Given the lack of parking around Nationals Park, the new home of the Washington Nationals, mass transit is going to be a key part of bringing fans to the games. That’s why the opening of the Metro Navy Yard Station is key: the station on Metro’s Green Line is being expanded to handle 15,000 passengers an hour from the current level of 5,000. That probably won’t be enough for sellout games, and Metro plans 14 extra trains on game days.
County: Chiefs need to work with us
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The Onondaga County committee that’s supposed to oversee marketing and finances at Alliance Bank Stadium has never met in the 11 years since the county signed the stadium lease with the Syracuse Chiefs (Class AAA; International League). That will change if county Legislature Chairman Bill Meyer gets his way. Meyer announced Thursday that he had sent a letter to Charlie Rich, board chairman of the Syracuse Chiefs, telling him this stadium committee’s annual meeting is coming up and reminding him that the Chiefs’ marketing and promotions plan is to be submitted to the panel by March 1.
County: We need to close Marlins ballpark deal
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Negotiations between Miami-Dade County and the Florida Marlins over the cost of building a new ballpark in Little Havana must be complete by the end of the month, county commissioners, led by Jose ”Pepe” Diaz, demanded Thursday. Since County Manager George Burgess came forward with a preliminary outline for a $525 million retractable-roof stadium financing plan between the county, city of Miami and the Marlins in November, negotiations have been at a standstill. A vote on the county’s end of the deal has been deferred three times, mainly over differences between the Marlins and the two governments over how to pay for a $20 million parking garage. Miami commissioners also must still vote on their end of the financial package. There appears to be a high level of optimism for the plan passing, however.
Public steps up to the plate to discuss Al Lang Field
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Moving to appease residents who want the site of Al Lang Field preserved as parkland, the city council decided Thursday to seek community input on the fate of the 10-acre waterfront site if it does not become a new $450-million waterfront ballpark for the Tampa Bay Rays. The council approved a resolution to solicit public feedback on alternative uses for Al Lang Field, including a public park, if the Rays’ proposal to build a $450 million ballpark at the downtown spring training site fails to get on November’s ballot or is defeated at the polls. The so-called visioning process would occur while the city continues to evaluate the Rays’ ballpark proposal and seeks bids from developers to remake the team’s current home at Tropicana Field.
Steinbrenner Field?
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It doesn’t sound like the New York Yankees are behind this move, as the Hillsborough County Commission and the Tampa City Council both passed non-binding resolutions this week asking the Yankees to rename their spring home, Legends Field, after owner George Steinbrenner. The Yankees have the ultimate say on the name of the ballpark, which is also home to the Tampa Yankees (High Class A; Florida State League).
In memoriam: Ed Vargo
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One of the most respected major league umpires of all time, Ed Vargo passed away Feb. 4 at age 77 in Butler, Pa. Vargo worked in the National League from 1960-84 and was a supervisor for 13 years after that. He was behind the plate when Sandy Koufax threw his perfect game against the Cubs in 1965 and was in the spot for the first night game in World Series history. More importantly, he had the respect of his colleagues and the players. As ex-Pirate pitcher Steve Blass put it, "He ran ballgames the way like they should be run."
Ballpark Notes
Posted Feb. 8, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Service Electric Cable TV 2 Sports, located in Allentown, will broadcast the Capital BlueCross exhibition game between the Reading Phillies (Class AA; Eastern League) and the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Class AAA; International League), live from FirstEnergy Stadium, on Tuesday, April 1 at 6:30 p.m.. Mike Zambelli and Steve Degler will be in the booth to call the game. SECTV will carry 23 regular season R-Phils games and all 72 IronPigs games…
O-Royals ready to bail on new downtown ballpark?
Posted Feb. 6, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Are Omaha officials in danger of losing the Omaha Royals (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) because of their unwillingness to acknowledge the team’s needs in the wake of a search for a new ballpark? It looks like that might be the case. The mayor’s office has been obsessed with a 25,000-seat ballpark in downtown Omaha for both the Royals and the College World Series, but that plan has met with opposition from the board running the Qwest Center. Now it looks like the city may need to move ahead without the O-Royals, as we’ve heard the team is looking at alternatives to the new downtown ballpark, engaging in discussions and meetings with officials from nearby Council Bluff and Sarpy County about the prospect of a new ballpark. We’ve also heard the team continues to look at the Woodlands (Texas), Vancouver and Tucson markets, but that dramatic a move might be more complicated based on the past ownership of the team. It still seems to us the wisest investment of public monies would be a new downtown ballpark for the O-Royals — something that can be built on a smaller parcel of land that won’t impact the Qwest Center — and renovating Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium for the NCAA College World Series, moves that can be done for $50 million less than what the mayor is proposing. Shoehorning the needs of the NCAA and the Royals in a single facility doesn’t seem to make much financial sense for anyone, and we’re not surprised to see the Royals continuing to look at their options.
Marlins ballpark plan hits parking snag
Posted Feb. 6, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
This isn’t the only issue surrounding negotiations between the city of Miami, Miami-Dade County and the Florida Marlins over a new ballpark on the Orange Bowl site, but it’s turning into a bigger one than anticipated. A preliminary agreement in December gave the city the responsibility to build a 6,000-space garage near the ballpark at the Orange Bowl site and find 6,000 more spaces nearby. But city officials, including Manager Pete Hernandez, have maintained since last month they plan to provide only the 6,000 garage spots. It’s a big issue: the project needs revenue from parking spots and the team doesn’t want to see fans park offsite in a residential area. The delay caused by the disagreement could force the construction of the ballpark to be delayed a year: meeting a 2011 deadline is already problematic, and further delays into March or even April could mean a 2012 opening.
Ryan named new Rangers president
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The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is reporting Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan will be named the next president of the Texas Rangers, with a formal press conference schedule for this afternoon. Hicks and Ryan had met in Georgetown, along with Tom Hicks Jr. and media relations director Jim Sundberg, for lunch on Jan. 25 to talk about the possibility of Ryan forgoing the final year of his personal services contract with the Houston Astros in order to return to the Rangers’ fold. Ryan has had success on the business side with his ownership of the Round Rock Express (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) and the Corpus Christi Hooks (Class AA; Texas League).
Rockies adding super suite to Coors Field
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The Colorado Rockies are converting nine Coors Field luxury boxes into one super suite that can accommodate larger groups upwards of 200 fans, something that is a definite trend in baseball these days. The nine suites are located on the first-base side of the ballpark. Access to the suite — which is aimed toward groups — will be $110 to $140 a person, including food but not beverages. Smaller groups can be accommodated, as the suite can be divided into three smaller areas. The team is picking up the tab and has already sold naming rights to RocHenge, an area design firm.
Southern Indiana limestone forming new Yankee Stadium
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Hundreds of panels of southern Indiana limestone have been making their way to New York, where they are forming the new Yankee Stadium’s outer facade. Indiana Limestone Fabricators has already shipped more than 600 stone panels, each 5 feet by 3 feet, to the Bronx for the new $800 million ballpark, set to open for the 2009 season. Work continues at the company on preparing the ballpark’s 93,000 square feet of limestone from Empire Quarry in Oolitic, about 20 miles south of Bloomington. The ballpark’s stone is coming just a few hundred yards from that quarried for the Empire State Building in 1931.
River Bandits, Cardinals extend PDC through 2010
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The Quad Cities River Bandits (Low Class A; Midwest League) and the St. Louis Cardinals extended their PDC through the 2010 season. The Cards have sent some attractive players through Modern Woodman Park and supported the team with some rehab assignments. One concern expressed by the Cards: the playing condition of the field. A new groundskeeper should address that, although it may take a little work to change the center-field drainage issue.
Man charged with harassing officials over Twins ballpark vote
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An opponent of public funding of a new downtown Minneapolis ballpark has been charged with sending harassing, anonymous letters to elected Hennepin County officials. A Nov. 27 search warrant executed at the home and vehicle of Steven Wellens in Golden Valley, Minn., included saliva and fingerprint samples found to match those collected from the mailings. The search also yielded a handgun — which Wellens had a legal permit to carry — and a handwritten note that read, "Have you ever heard the phrase ‘Death to tyrants?’."
Butte plans upgrades to Alumni Coliseum, wants to attract minor-league team
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