The Phillies are developing plans to turn BayCare Ballpark and Carpenter Training Complex in Clearwater, Fla., into a "world-class facility with the latest in player development technology" for an estimated cost of around $300M, according to Tracey McManus of the TAMPA BAY TIMES. Phillies owner John Middleton and President of Baseball Operations David Dombrowski "gave a presentation on the plan" during the team’s annual reception weekend for Clearwater officials Sept. 9 and 10. Mayor Frank Hibbard confirmed the $300M estimate but "warned that the proposal had not yet gone through a process known as value engineering to decrease costs." None of the officials who saw the proposal "could confirm when the Phillies will present their plan publicly, how much the team would pay or how much money the city, county and state would be asked to contribute." The "largest share of public funds would likely come from the county’s bed tax, which city officials say they plan to request." The Phillies have held their spring training in Clearwater since 1947. In January 2019, Clearwater and the Phillies "presented the Pinellas County Commission with plans" for a $79.7M renovation to the stadium and training complex. Commissioners "balked at their request" for $40M from the Pinellas bed tax. When the Phillies submit their new redevelopment proposal to the City Council, it will be "part of a renewal of the team’s contract that expires at the end of 2023." The 2019 application "proposed a 20-year renewal" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 10/11).
