Sarasota Trying To Locate Ballpark For Red Sox Spring Training

Sarasota County Commissioners Reject Land Swap For Red Sox Spring Training Facility

A three-way land swap to bring the Red Sox to Sarasota County (FL) for Spring Training fell apart yesterday when county commissioners "voted to reject Twin Lakes Park as a possible site for a relocated fairgrounds," according to Doug Sword of the Sarasota HERALD-TRIBUNE. The decision "appeared to make less likely than ever a deal to move the fairgrounds ... to make room for a spring-training facility." Sarasota County Commissioner Nora Patterson said of building a ballpark on the current fairgrounds location, "It's not dead, but it's not doing well." The city and county are "scouting at least four other possible sites" for the Spring Training facility. Meanwhile, county commissioners "favor moving toward entering an exclusivity agreement with the Red Sox." And there was "general agreement that the county would not support using property taxes to pay the perhaps $80[M] cost of a new spring-training facility" (Sarasota HERALD-TRIBUNE, 7/23).

ECONOMIC IMPACT: In Ft. Myers, Glenn Miller reported the Sarasota City Commission Monday "voted unanimously to accept a study that pegged the team's potential annual spring training economic impact at $46.5[M]."  The Red Sox economic impact in Lee County (FL) has been "estimated at about $25[M] for years." Lee County Sports Authority Exec Dir Jeff Mielke said that he was "amazed that the CSL study's estimates is nearly twice as high as the previously accepted figure." Mielke: "I have to wonder how legitimate those numbers are" (Ft. Myers NEWS-PRESS, 7/22).

ORIOLES: Vero Beach officials are "scheduled to continue negotiations early next week with [an MLB] team sources say is the" Orioles. Vero Beach City Manager Jim Gabbard said of negotiations with the MLB team, "I think we're making progress." However, Orioles officials "affirmed their commitment to stay in Fort Lauderdale next year" (TCPALM.com, 7/22).