Menu
Facilities

Plans For $81M Upgrade Of Blue Jays Spring Training Facilities Get Partial Green Light

Plans for an $81M upgrade of the Blue Jays' Spring Training facilities in Dunedin, Fla., "received a partial green light" yesterday from the Pinellas County Commission, which "voted to advance the project into negotiations but withheld final approval," according to Shi Davidi of SPORTSNET.ca. The decision is "seen as a positive development for the club but it now must finalize details of the proposal with the county," which is to provide $46.5M, along with $13.6M from the state government and $5.6M from Dunedin. The Blue Jays are providing $15.7M and will be "responsible for all maintenance, grounds keeping and operational costs at the facilities over a period of 25 years," a cost currently at $1.2M (SPORTSNET.ca, 4/26). Blue Jays President & CEO Mark Shapiro "asked the board to provide 'affirmation' on where it stood on the project." He said that although the ballpark is "known primarily for spring training, the team uses the Dunedin facility year round." Last year, Shapiro "called for a 'state-of-the-art' facility that could give players the resources they need to 'achieve their potential.'" The project "would give the team an opportunity to stay in the city where it has spent every spring" since the team's '77 debut. The Blue Jays are the only team in MLB history that has "never changed its spring training site" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 4/26).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2017/04/26/Facilities/Blue-Jays-ST.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2017/04/26/Facilities/Blue-Jays-ST.aspx

CLOSE