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GRAPEFRUIT LEAGUE
What Florida municipalities have gained from, and spent on, spring training sites, according to their leases. Municipalities are listed in order of their net cost to operate the respective facilities last year. Lease provisions for city/county for spring training What the city/county got from spring training in 2011 City/county expense responsibilities during spring training  
Owner Stadium(Ballpark opening/renovations) Tenant(s): 2011 attendance (dates) Current lease for MLB team(s) started/ends Ticket revenue Concessions revenue Merchandise/novelties revenue Advertising/sponsorship revenue Parking revenue Ticket revenue Concessions revenue Merchandise/novelties revenue Advertising/sponsorship revenue Parking revenue Rent Total revenue Operations Maintenance and repair Utilities Debt service, FY2011 Net cost to municipality to operate facility, FY2011
Palm Beach County Roger Dean Stadium (1998) Cardinals: 92,652 (15)Marlins: 70,450 (16);Palm Beach Cardinals, Jupiter Hammerheads 1998/2027 None None None None None $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 No No No $2,150,744 $2,539,660
Per a 10-year lease extension signed last spring, the MLB clubs will put forth a total of $1.25 million each, and the county $10 million, over the decade for maintenance and general improvements. The county also will put $4 million into a capital improvement fund by April 2017, and the teams will contribute $500,000 each by April 2027. A $500,000 annual grant from the state to the county goes to debt service. The lease extension allows the clubs to relocate if at any time there are fewer than four MLB clubs training on Florida's East Coast. Currently, the Mets play 40 miles north, and the Nationals are 110 miles north.
St. Lucie County Digital Domain Park (1988/2003/2005/2011) Mets: 87,413 (16)St. Lucie Mets 2003/2023 30% 20% 14% None 50% $330,542 $122,546 $52,888 (merchandise); $9,970 (programs) $0 $58,560 $55,000 $748,276 Yes Yes Yes $6,225,000 $2,075,013
The county in September extended its tourist development tax through 2023 to pay for a now-completed $2.5 million renovation that turned some right-field bleachers into premium seats and added a new scoreboard. Mets officials are working to attract another MLB team to the stadium for spring training. Club will pay the county 30 percent of net revenue from sale of game programs. County also receives 5 percent of gross receipts from the sale of either discounted or promotional concessions items or merchandise items if either of those annual totals exceeds $15,000.
Lee County Hammond Stadium (1991) Twins: 129,110 (16)Fort Myers Miracle 2004/2020 None None None None None $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $300,000 $300,000* Yes Yes Yes^ $721,000 $1,807,936
There is $3.6 million in principal remaining, and five annual payments, on the current debt service, with the final payment due Oct. 1, 2016. The team has asked the county for a stadium upgrade. Team reimburses the county for field lights during night games and electricity.
City of Dunedin Florida Auto Exchange Stadium (1930/1990/2002) Blue Jays: 68,195 (15)Dunedin Blue Jays 2003/2017 5% first 3,800, 10% 3,801+; plus $1.07 surcharge on all tickets $0.50 per attendee for paid attendance of 3,801+ None None^ None^ $123,561 $3,854 $0 $25,857^ $28,702 $125,000 $306,974 No No No $1,218,448 $1,583,736
The revenue received by the city is calculated based on actual attendance per game rather than the usual spring training formula involving the season's average. Attendance topped 3,800 for seven of the team's 15 games last year, meaning the city received revenue from concessions for those seven games. Parking revenue listed is from off-site spots, and the city has additional expenses related to traffic and parking. The city received $25,857 from the ballpark's naming-rights deal, which took effect in 2011. Equivalent amounts went to the team and to a stadium capital improvement fund.
Osceola County Osceola County Stadium (1984/2003) Astros: 65,367 (17) 2001/2016 25% 75% 25% 20% of scoreboard ads 85% $214,713 $91,990 $13,801 $2,000 $104,692 $0 $427,196 Yes Yes Yes $1,206,439 $1,444,936
The team has the right to market the venue's naming rights, and any such revenue would be split evenly between the club, the county and the ballpark's capital improvement fund.
City of Clearwater Bright House Field (2004) Phillies: 153,286 (16)Clearwater Threshers 2004/2023 None None None None^ None $0 $0 $0 $33,000^ $0 $70,000 $103,000 No No^ Yes^ $1,087,000 $1,250,000
The estimated average annual value of the ballpark naming-rights deal is $170,000. Of that total, $99,000 is in cash. The team gets two-thirds of that amount, and the city gets one-third. The balance of the value comes to the team in the form of advertising on Bright House Networks stations. The city receives 25 percent reimbursement for utilities; that money goes back into the ballpark's general fund. The city is responsible for all capital maintenance, which represents items in excess of $2,500 and with a useful life of more than five years.
City of Bradenton McKechnie Field(1923/1992/2007) Pirates: 88,003 (16) Bradenton Marauders 2006/2037 None None None None None $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 No No No $1,109,861 $1,109,861
The city receives an annual state grant of $500,000, which is applied toward servicing the debt generated during the renovation completed for the 2008 season.
Charlotte County Charlotte Sports Park (1987/2009) Rays: 95,859 (15) Charlotte Stone Crabs 2009/2028 None None None None None $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $537,042^ $537,042^ No Yes^ Yes $1,921,625 $1,017,510
The Rays paid the county $537,042 that was designated as rent, but this amount and each year's desginated rent payment goes toward paying down the debt for the 2009 renovation. The team also paid $123,648 for field maintenance. Both payments increase 3 percent annually. The county also has budgeted to receive about $102,000 annually from a naming-rights deal, but with no deal in place, no revenue has been generated.
Lee County City of Palms Park (1992) Red Sox: 120,613 (16) 2008/2011 None None None None None $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $500,000 $500,000* Yes Yes Yes^ $2,333,912 $967,557
The team closed out its stay at City of Palms Park last year, ending its lease eight seasons early, and is moving this year into new JetBlue Park. The Red Sox will pay an average of $539,000 annually for rent at that new ballpark over the next 30 years. At City of Palms Park, the city of Fort Myers paid the facility debt and the county paid for all operating expenses. The team reimbursed the county for field lights and electricity charges.
Brevard County Space Coast Stadium (1993/2007/2009) Nationals: 64,908 (15) Brevard County Manatees 1994/2017 None None None None None $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 No No No $781,000 $781,000
County only pays for capital improvements. At end of fiscal year 2011, there was $2 million left in the capital improvement fund, with $713,300 being committed by the county toward projects to be completed in 2011 and 2012.
Sarasota County Ed Smith Stadium (1989/2011) Orioles: 115,506 (16) 2010/2039 None None None None None $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $1 $1 No No No $891,930 $760,000
A $40 million renovation was completed this winter. The county receives a $500,000 annual state grant that goes toward paying the debt service. The debt service listed here (FY2011) was only for a partial year due to the timing of the issuance of the bonds and the fiscal year calendar. The average annual debt service will be $1,126,695. The O's can decide on yearly basis whether to charge and retain a ticket surcharge.
City of Lakeland Joker Marchant Stadium (1966/2002) Tigers: 119,516 (17) Lakeland Flying Tigers 2001/2016 15% + $1.50 surcharge 15% 15% 15% 100% $416,272 $105,288 Merch. figures included in concessions revenue $20,347 $216,408 $17,000 $533,408 No Yes Yes $1,090,245 $396,402
The club collects all revenue, then pays the city generally 15 percent from spring training use and 12% to 15% from Lakeland Tigers use. The team retains all revenue from sales of game-day programs. All money received by the city is put in a stadium capital improvement fund. The annual debt payment comes from a yearly state grant, Polk County and the Tigers, and is scheduled to be paid off at the end of fiscal year 2015.
Hillsborough County George M. Steinbrenner Field (1996) Yankees: 163,085 (15) Tampa Yankees 1997/2027 $0.75 ticket surcharge None None None None $134,519 $0 $0 $0 $0 $99,825 $234,344^ No No No $2,438,000 $0
Revenue is split between the Tampa Sports Authority and the county. As per MLB rules leaguewide, all media revenue is retained by the club, but if any Yankees spring game is televised within a 35-mile radius of the stadium, and the attendance at such a game is below the season's average, the team must pay to the city an amount determined by multiplying the ticket surcharge by the attendance shortfall for that game.
Walt Disney Co. Champion Stadium (1996) Braves: 137,236 (17) 1998/2017 DND DND DND DND DND DND DND DND DND DND DND DND DND DND DND DND DND
The only Florida spring training facility not owned by a municipality. Information on lease terms was not available.

Notes: Fiscal year 2011 covers the period July 1, 2010, to June 30, 2011. Non-MLB teams listed are Florida State League teams. Listed surcharges are per ticket sold. Revenue from game-program sales is counted as merchandise/novelties revenue. Portions of revenue can go to outside parties, such as concessionaires. Most leases include team-held options for additional years beyond the listed ending year of the deal. Numbers have been rounded.
^ See information in text line below
* In addition to revenue listed, 13.4 percent of revenue from a county bed tax is dedicated to a stadium debt service fund aimed at the Twins' spring training facility in south Fort Myers and the Red Sox's now-former spring home near downtown Fort Myers.
Sources: City/county annual reports, facility leases
Research by David Broughton, Kristen Heimstead

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