Site Selection for Proposed Cubs Stadium in Question

While the City of Mesa insists the far eastern portion of the metropolitan area is the best site for a proposed new spring training facility for the Chicago Cubs baseball team, a number of people experienced with existing stadium developments say a more central location within Mesa would produce a greater return for the city. The greatest impact from Cactus League activity is created by the large number of out-of-state fans who travel to the Phoenix area. Expenditures by these people include hotels, rental cars, restaurant meals, etc. Dedicated fans of baseball will attend the homes games of a specific team as well as those played elsewhere and for this reason they are not likely to stay in the immediate vicinity of one particular stadium unless it is convenient to other venues. At the same time, the hoped for auxiliary commercial real estate tax base is more likely to be developed in an area which is more centrally located simply because the pool of prospective consumers is larger. An extended travel time is not an attractant for fans or shoppers.