Will the franchise stay in Phoenix or seek a new stadium elsewhere?
Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks ownership group plans to decide by mid-June whether it will remain at the stadium in downtown Phoenix or build another ballpark somewhere else in Maricopa County. In February, Diamondbacks’ Managing General Partner Ken Kendrick cited the need for either a new venue or renovating the present stadium and that it has to be done as quickly as possible as Kendrick’s stadium lease in Phoenix is done after the 2027 season. In the past, Kendrick and his partners have looked at Las Vegas as a possible home city and scouted out places in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Whatever the solution, it is going to cost taxpayers money whether it is in Phoenix, somewhere in the Phoenix area or somewhere else. A place that is willing to help Kendrick achieve his goal. A revenue generating facility. Kendrick made two claims in pushing for a new or renovated venue. The ownership group is willing to spend “hundreds of millions of dollars” in its pursuit for the venue that will produce greater revenue for the business and “we’re not looking for a handout.”
Kendrick’s vision for a new place is simple and it is following the latest trend in arena and stadium building or renovation. He wants a stadium-village. Kendrick wants the stadium to be a centerpiece of a complex that would include restaurants, office space, probably some residential places as well as retail space. And possibly having Arizona lawmakers create a special tax district where all of the taxable revenues go into the stadium-village instead of the general fund for the municipality. Diamondbacks management has put a $400-500 million price tag for renovations of the present park while it might cost as much as a billion dollars for a new facility. The present park opened in 1998 and is outdated according to Kendrick.
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