http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/...ty/16278228.htm

 

FORT LAUDERDALE

Fort Lauderdale balks, and Orioles may walk

 

Late in the game, Fort Lauderdale has spurned an offer from the Baltimore Orioles, likely pushing the team to look for a new spring training home.

 

BY ANI MARTINEZ

armartinez@MiamiHerald.com

 

The Baltimore Orioles, who have used the Fort Lauderdale Stadium as their spring training facility since 1996, will have to shop around for a new home away from home.

 

After years of negotiations, the Fort Lauderdale City Commission on Tuesday rebuffed a deal that would have rebuilt the aging Fort Lauderdale Stadium and replaced Lockhart Stadium with practice diamonds and soccer fields.

 

The team tried to make a final counter-offer, but commissioners refused to hear it.

 

''The incivility and lack of collegiality led to a tidal wave that had nothing to do with this offer and swept three years worth of work,'' said Bernie Friedman, an attorney representing the Orioles. "We stand ready, willing and able to come back for a special meeting.''

 

The Orioles' contract will keep the team in Fort Lauderdale for spring training in 2007, but that could be it.

 

''We haven't looked anywhere else, but there are other cities that this would mean a lot to,'' added David Romanik, also an attorney representing the team.

 

"Studies show a spring training facility will produce $25 million a year for a city. I think the problem we are having here is that $25 million doesn't mean as much to Fort Lauderdale as it would to a smaller city.''

 

Without the agreement, the city will forfeit $15 million in state sales tax rebates set aside by the Legislature to encourage teams to stay in Florida. To get the money, the deal would have to be signed by Dec. 28.

 

The state, Broward County and the Orioles would have primarily funded the stadium, which would continue to be owned by the city. The county signed off on the agreement last week. But the team's request that the city set aside a fund for yearly repairs, maintenance and improvements sidelined the deal.

 

On Tuesday, the pact voted down by city leaders called for $150,000 annually from city funds toward paying off the bonds that would be issued to finance the $41 million project.

 

They also would contribute the team's $350,000 annual stadium lease fee, for a total of $500,000.

 

Mayor Jim Naugle and Vice Mayor Cindi Hutchinson were the only ''yes'' votes. Naugle called the vote ''a short-sighted move'' by the commission.

 

''They want a full first-class facility and now they could end up in Arizona,'' Naugle said. "Then what are we going to do with an aging stadium? We are going to be stuck paying for that stadium.''

 

Another sticking point for commissioners was the planned demolition of Lockhart Stadium, which has long been used by high school baseball and soccer teams. Although it would be replaced with four baseball diamonds and an open field for soccer or other sports, stadium manager Mike Roland had his doubts.

 

''The destruction of Lockhart Stadium would mean that a future attempt for a team to hold a soccer championship would have to be held somewhere else like the Orange Bowl in Miami,'' Roland said.

 

First, the Indians said they were leaving. Now we might see the Dodgers and Orioles follow suit. All this after the Rangers and Royals left. A sea change is underway in spring training.

So they voted this plan down over paying an extra $150,000 a year? Wow, that is stupid. Having spring training and exhibition games there must bring in at least 10 or 20 times that amount to the city annually, probably much more. Then again I shouldn't be shocked seeing how politicians in this state have dealt with the Marlins stadium push for the past decade.

Wow! thats pretty interesting, you would think they city makes a boat load of cash for those games..

Wow! thats pretty interesting, you would think they city makes a boat load of cash for those games..

 

 

They do, that is why this is so incredibly dumb on the city's part if in fact it is because they do not want to pay an extra $150,000 a year. They must make that back and more from the Orioles players and staff that stay in the area for almost 3 months alone, not to mention the tourists that come to the area for spring training games that stay in the hotels and eat in the restaurants.

The O's leaving South Florida would suck...I always like making a few games there every March

Not good for me... I'm 15 min from there, I practically live there for every game... I am not making daily trips to Jupiter

Yes, this would suck. For everybody.

Yes, this would suck. For everybody.

 

Not really. Most people could care less that the orioles play in Ft. Lauderdale.

Yes, this would suck. For everybody.

Not really. Most people could care less that the orioles play in Ft. Lauderdale.

Spring Training, regardless of who is playing, generates money for the city, the state and private business.

 

It affects everyone, including non-baseball fans.

It'd be great if the Yankees put a stadium down in New York Jr. instead of Tampa at Georgie's house. I really the hope the O's don't leave South Florida, although the Spring Training stadium site is not very glamorous.

could be good news for me - if the Os need a home, Goodyear is looking for a 2nd team to boost it's proposal for the facility they want to build

 

nothing is a done deal yet with the Indians & Dodgers - however the dodgers will at some point move to AZ - there is no way this will not happen, both the club and the state want it and it makes sense to have them here

 

there was some talk that either the goodyear or glendale proposals could kill each other - goodyear is a little more ready in the planning stages, however the STA really loves the idea of the dodgers and two team facilities (what glendale is proposing)

 

however, glendale's 2nd team is the white sox, who play in tucson and no one really wants to rip tucson of a team and their lease requires them to have a replacement team if they leave - maybe the orioles could fill that spot

 

right now there is some chatter that the STA is going to put out a compromise where they can help fund the projects for both cities, but we'll see how that goes

I went to that stadium every spring for 5-6 gamesfor the past 22 years now this would suck hugely

This would be annoying, as it is the closest ST site to where I live. I enjoy going to a couple of these games a year.

Yes, this would suck. For everybody.

 

Not really. Most people could care less that the orioles play in Ft. Lauderdale.

 

i'm in that boat

Good news for the Marlins, I guess

The Devil Rays just moved to Charlotte County for the 2009 season because they got tired of the auto race forcing them on the road the second part of the spring in St. Pete.

 

The Marlins in Jupiter, Yankees in Tampa, Red Sox in Fort Myers, Twins in Lee County, Cardinals in Jupiter, Nationals in Viera, Phillies in Clearwater, Blue Jays in Dunedin, Tigers in Lakeland, Braves at Disney, Reds in Sarasota, Pirates in Bradenton, Mets in St. Lucie County, and Astros in Kissimmee are going nowhere because they all have deals for their spring homes.

 

The Rockies are considering trading to get into Florida now; they looked at Charlotte County until the Rays moved. The Charlotte facility was vacated by the Rangers when they moved to Arizona.

 

So all you have are the Indians, Dodgers, and Orioles trying to join the D'Backs, A's, Royals, Brewers, Cubs, White Sox, Rangers, Giants, Rockies, Angels, Mariners, and Padres in Arizona. But teams can only move in pairs.

 

I think the Dodgers may move...if they can trade with the Rockies it will be quicker rather than later. The Indians and Winter Haven have, like the O's and Fort Lauderdale, a love-hate relationship. Cape Coral was courting the Indians, but it never grew.

 

All I know is Charlotte landed the Rays, the Fish are in Palm Beach, and that Fort Myers/Lee County has a huge thing in the Red Sox and Twins coming to town every spring.

the rockies play in tucson - the dodgers will not play there

 

although the preference by AZ is to get them to move in pairs, as shown by the Indians it's not 100% guaranteed to have to happen this way

 

and the dodgers are moving to AZ - it's just a matter of when - they will play in the Phoenix metro area, which is about a 4 hour drive from LA - this makes too much sense for everyone to not happen and it's what both the team and the city want

Dodgers and White Sox got their deals funded in Glendale it seems. Indians also got what they wanted in Goodyear.

 

So what happens to Tucson Electric Park? The White Sox need a team to come in to replace them. The Rockies?

 

As for the pairs, it has to be in pairs for scheduling reasons. Looks like the O's will be stuck moving to Arizona.

 

The Reds, Pirates, and 3 other Florida teams just got funding. The Reds will get a new Sarasota facility downtown while the current stadium, Ed White Stadium, will be used for minor league games and minor league spring training. The Pirates have a facility dating to 1923 in Bradenton and they will be upgrading it big time. The last upgrade there was in 1993. The O's were supposed to gt 1 of the 5 grants in Fort Lauderdale. We shall see if they move to another place (Cape Coral was looking at the Indians) and get the deal they need. The grants were to go to the Reds/Sarasota, Pirates/Bradenton, Orioles/Fort Lauderdale, Devil Rays/Charlotte County, and Mets/Port St. Lucie. The Red Sox/Fort Myers were vying, but were rejected. If the O's move out of Florida, I fully expect the BoSox to get the 5th grant, but the O's stay....their new home would get it.

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle has called a special meeting of the City Commission for today to try to resuscitate a deal that would keep the Baltimore Orioles spring training facility in the city, even as Vero Beach claimed the team was coming their way.

 

Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday turned down a proposal that would have rebuilt the aging Fort Lauderdale Stadium and replaced Lockhart Stadium with practice diamonds and soccer fields.

 

Three commissioners balked at being asked to spend $150,000 in city funds annually to help pay for the project, even though the city would get 5 percent of the revenue and a $15 million one-time state payout as an incentive to keep spring training teams in Florida.

 

''This is like the bottom of the ninth, two outs, two strikes, three balls and the batter is up for the last pitch,'' Naugle said.

 

``I got a call from the city manager that one of the commissioners changed their position so I called the special meeting.''

 

Vero Beach Mayor Tom White said the Orioles were interested in moving, and have visited the Treasure Coast city's Dodgertown Sports & Conference Center, home of the Los Angeles Dodgers who have held spring training there for almost 60 years.

 

The Dodgers appear to be moving spring training to Glendale, Ariz., where the Phoenix suburb's City Council on Wednesday approved a memorandum of understanding with the Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox that allows the city to apply to the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority to help pay for a shared stadium. If approved, the Dodgers wouldn't move until 2009.

 

But the Orioles insist they want to stay in Fort Lauderdale.

 

''I think we are hopeful the commission will continue forward in attempting to cement the partnership we have been working for,'' said John Angelos, the team's executive vice president. ``We hope we can get back on track by early next year.''

 

''We are cautiously optimistic that we will have the support for a revenue-neutral proposal that would be a win-win for everyone,'' added Bernie Friedman, an attorney representing the Orioles.

 

Today's meeting is at 4:15 p.m. at City Hall, 100 N. Andrews Ave.

 

 

LINK

Well, the speculation was a lot of fun while it lasted.

 

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-cfo...ports-headlines

 

Lauderdale approves stadium upgrade

 

Orioles agree to pick up some costs

 

By Sarah Talalay

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Posted December 23 2006

 

Fort Lauderdale ? City Commissioners reversed a decision they made earlier this week and voted Friday to continue the tradition of spring training at Fort Lauderdale Stadium. The unanimous decision came after the Baltimore Orioles agreed to spare the city any costs to upgrade the venue and add baseball diamonds and soccer fields.

 

The state and Broward County would contribute $39 million for the stadium over 30 years. The Orioles, who have held spring practice at the stadium since 1996, will pay the rest, including interest and insurance for the complex, projected to cost $40 million.

 

The plan calls for Lockhart Stadium eventually to be torn down and fields to be built in its place. The city will be responsible only for maintaining the complex's fields, if it chooses to use them.

 

Commissioners voted 4-0 for the last-minute agreement that was still being hashed out Friday. On Tuesday, commissioners voted 3-2 against contributing $150,000 a year for 30 years to the deal. Commissioner Carlton Moore was absent from Friday's meeting and asked after the meeting had begun to participate by phone, but commissioners said it was too late.

 

The Orioles have a lease to play at the stadium through next spring, but want to overhaul the 45-year-old venue.

 

With the 15-year agreement that includes three five-year options, the city is eligible to receive $15 million in state sales tax rebate dollars for each of five communities with aging spring training venues.

 

The state Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development is scheduled Jan. 2 to decide which communities will receive the dollars.

 

"We're happy with the decision of the commission," Orioles Executive Vice President John Angelos said. "We've been pursuing this for a number of years."

 

Broward County has agreed to put $800,000 in hotel bed taxes annually for 30 years into the deal. If the state grants the $15 million, the Orioles plan to strip the 8,340-seat stadium to its basic structure and then upgrade it with 7,000 fixed seats and grass berms with room for 2,000 fans. Lockhart Stadium is to be demolished and three full-size practice fields and four multi-purpose fields added for public use.

 

Broward School Board officials have objected to leveling Lockhart because it hosts high school football games. The Orioles say those games can be held at the renovated baseball stadium.

 

Commissioners reconsidered the plan after Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom agreed to a special meeting and convinced the team to craft a deal that would not tap city dollars.

 

Vice Mayor Cindi Hutchinson wanted to ensure Broward County wouldn't object to the city's new terms. The city agreed in September to pay $240,000 annually for 30 years. But this week city commissioners rejected a scaled-back plan to spend $150,000 a year, pushing instead for no city contribution beyond the land.

 

County commissioners voted unanimously last week to commit $24 million over 30 years to the project. County Commissioner John Rodstrom, who is Charlotte Rodstrom's husband and was at Friday's meeting, said he would not change his position.

 

Sarah Talalay can be reached at stalalay@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4173.

 

 

I don't think tearing down Lockhart is worth keeping the O's in Lauderdale. That would suck royally for the high school football and soccer teams. :thumbdown

YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES!

 

And my favorite baseball tradition lives on!

an updated from AZ

 

Baseball facility gets OK

 

Maura J. Halpern

The Arizona Republic

Dec. 23, 2006 12:00 AM

 

Land for a stadium: Check.

 

A signed commitment from the Cleveland Indians: Check.

 

Sound financial plan: Check.

 

Funding from the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority: Check.

 

It looks like baseball in Goodyear is a go as the sports authority approved funding Thursday for a $56 million, one-team, spring-training facility.

 

This gives Goodyear the green light to design and build the future "Ballpark Village" near Estrella Parkway and Yuma Road.

 

While the Indians agreed in September to move to the Southwest Valley, the deal hinged on securing funding from the sports authority by Dec. 31.

 

If Goodyear didn't meet the deadline, the team could have looked elsewhere.

 

During Thursday's meeting, the sports authority also approved $50 million toward an $80.7 million complex in Glendale to bring the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox to the West Valley city.

 

With funding in place, Goodyear and the sports authority will complete agreement details next month.

 

The city plans to have the practice fields completed by early 2008 and the stadium finished for the 2009 spring-training season.

 

"We have a rock-solid commitment and we're anxious to move this endeavor forward," Goodyear Mayor Jim Cavanaugh told the sports authority Thursday during a meeting at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.

 

"We want to start playing baseball in 2009, and we're ready to do that," Cavanaugh said.

 

In its proposal to the agency, Goodyear requested two-thirds funding for a $77.5 million, two-team facility; or 50 percent funding for a $56 million, one-team facility.

 

City officials will continue to pursue a second team to join the Indians.

 

"We are aware the STA's funds would be depleted," said Goodyear Deputy City Manager Brian Dalke.

 

Dalke said the city would explore other options to fund additional practice fields and facilities if a second team is secured.

 

"That's for another time because today we're excited about bringing the Indians here," he said.

 

Goodyear will receive an estimated $37.5 million from the authority, which covers half of the $56 million stadium and half of the cost for the land, estimated at $18.75 million.

 

"This is definitely a fair deal and we appreciate the STA's support," Dalke said.

 

The Indians trained in Tucson for more than 40 years before moving to Winter Haven, Fla., in 1993.

 

With the addition of the Indians and Dodgers, Arizona's Cactus League expands to 14 teams, or 15 if the White Sox find a replacement team in Tucson.

 

"To have two iconic teams relocating to Arizona is great," said Cleveland Indians President Paul Dolan said in a conference call Thursday afternoon. "Between spring-training operations and the (Arizona) Diamondbacks, Maricopa County really becomes a baseball mecca in our country.

 

"This is a great day for the Cleveland Indians and culminates a long journey," Dolan said.