A $30M "hurdle may put the price of attracting" the Spring Training home for two MLB teams "too far out of Palm Beach County's ballpark," according to Andy Reid of the South Florida SUN-SENTINEL. The Astros and Nationals have proposed a $140M deal that "calls for building a publicly funded stadium and training facility in West Palm Beach that would be shared by the two teams." The new facility would be "mostly paid for with money from taxes on local hotel stays." The new deal calls for the state and the teams to pitch in about 44% of the "projected price tag, with the county covering the rest." But the county's share could end up about $30M "more than anticipated, which may require dipping deeper into the public piggy bank." The County Commission on Sept. 23 is "expected to decide whether to proceed." The teams' proposal "projects that increased revenues from existing tourism taxes will be able to cover" the $30M difference. County officials are still "crunching the numbers, but so far have not committed to delivering any more public funding to the stadium deal" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 9/14).
