The D-backs yesterday sued Maricopa County, "seeking to break the team's lease at Chase Field so that it can seek financiers to build a new stadium or renovate the 19-year-old ballpark," according to a front-page piece by Rebekah Sanders of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC. The team's lease with the county, which owns the ballpark, "prevents the team from talking with outside groups" until '24 and "requires the team to play in its current home" until '28. The lawsuit is the "latest twist in a long-running conflict over which party is responsible" for as much as $187M in repairs and upgrades to Chase Field. The county "argues that a portion of the upgrades are cosmetic and the team's financial responsibility, and that the county will have enough money over the long term to meet its share of the obligations." The D-backs "counter that the county-run stadium district has not set aside enough money for needed upgrades and is risking safety." D-backs Managing General Partner Ken Kendrick said the lawsuits would not impact the "day-to-day operations" of the team for the upcoming season. Kendrick: "For 2017, Chase Field is completely safe" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 1/4). In Phoenix, Mike Sunnucks noted the D-backs could "look at another ballpark location in downtown Phoenix -- but available parcels could be a problem unless the team moves to industrial areas to the south or east of the ballpark." Another option "could be the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community." The D-backs "already have their spring training ballpark on Salt River land" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 1/3).
