Orioles Seeking $65M Deal For Sarasota Spring Training Home

Orioles Seek 7,500-8,000-Seat Sarasota Stadium As Part Of Proposed Deal For Spring Training Home

The Orioles are seeking a $65M deal to make Sarasota their Spring Training home in a proposal calling for a "new 7,500 to 8,000 seat stadium across Tuttle Avenue from the current Ed Smith Stadium," according to Roger Drouin of the Sarasota HERALD TRIBUNE. The $65M figure is about 10% less than the Red Sox were seeking to move their home to Sarasota. Sarasota County Commissioner Joe Barbetta is "already balking at the size of the deal, which would require a [1%] hike in tourism tax that would be devoted to baseball." Barbetta, who was "one of the biggest proponents of luring the Red Sox from Lee County," said that he would "like to see a deal that uses only [0.5%] of the tourism tax for the Orioles, a team with less of a national profile, and less of a draw than the Red Sox" (Sarasota HERALD TRIBUNE, 11/15).

SHARED SPACE: In Phoenix, Elias Arnold reports the city of Goodyear, Arizona, yesterday held a groundbreaking for the Reds' new $33M Spring Training facility. The $108M spring-training complex includes a 10,000-seat stadium and practice space for both the Reds and the Indians (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 11/18). The Reds hope that by "having the two teams playing in the same park that travel packages will be put together for fans across Ohio to make the trek to Arizona" (MLB.com, 11/17).

FUTURE FACILITY: HOK Sport, pending approval by tribal and local community officials, is expected to be tabbed to design a new Spring Training facility for the Gila River Indian Community on 140 acres just south of Chandler, Arizona. HOK in the next several weeks will begin design on both the ballpark and a conceptual master plan for collateral development. The park could open as early as 2011 and will be designed to accommodate two teams. The site is “one of many options” the D'Backs are considering for a new spring training facility, according to team President Derrick Hall (Don Muret, SportsBusiness Journal).