Florida Presses Cubs on Spring Training Relocation

While there hasn’t been much news locally regarding a proposed new Chicago Cubs spring training facility in Arizona, the folks in Florida have interpreted this lack of progress as an opportunity to once again pitch the relocation of the team’s spring training to the Naples area. This is perhaps understandable because, as the months are passing by, there is still no Arizona plan for funding, no specific site location and no particular design.

Basically, the practice fields and stadium development in Florida would be about the same in scope as that outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding between the Cubs and the City of Mesa. What is different is the way in which funds would be raised. The Florida plan calls for $50 million in private funds, $15 million in a state grant and a 1% increase in a tourist tax which is projected to generate $3 million per year. The tourist tax increase could support about $40 million in bonds making the whole package worth somewhere in the range $105 million. Although the boosters in Florida give the impression that all these ducks are in row, it is useful to remember that was also the signal from Arizona backers prior to the recent collapse of funding plans here. It would seem the next move is up to the Cubs baseball team management.