More Confusion and Secrecy on Proposed Cubs Spring Training Project

City of Mesa mayor Scott Smith was quoted today in the Arizona Republic as saying the odds are very good that the city and the Chicago Cubs will have a deal in place for financing the proposed new spring training facility for the team within the time frame described by the Memorandum of Understanding signed back in January. While the mayor did not say how the development would be financed, he did say “Yes, there will be something for voters.” The mayor contradicted recent comments from Cubs officials by emphasizing there would not be an increase in property or sales taxes. So, it remains unclear just exactly what the “something” he referred to is.

At this juncture, it appears the city is continuing a purposeful campaign to conceal details of this project in an effort to blunt opposition.

Two-Team Stadiums Draw Most Spring Training Fans

The Cactus League team which drew the most fans this past spring training season was the San Francisco Giants playing in the City of Scottsdale. However, the stadiums which had the greatest attendance, ahead of Scottsdale and in order of rank, were Camelback Ranch in Glendale, the Peoria Sports Complex and Surprise Stadium. Hohokam Park in Mesa, where the Chicago Cubs play, came in fifth place. This set of circumstances came about because the top three facilities were each shared by two baseball teams. Obviously, it is the number of people attending games which is the most important factor in determining the economic impact and potential tax revenue generated by a spring training project. Next year there will be another two-team stadium in Maricopa County which will be shared by the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies.

Unfortunately for City of Mesa taxpayers, the Chicago Cubs early on in negotiations rejected the two-team format for a proposed new spring training facility. In January of this year the Cubs president was quoted as saying they had been approached by other teams about the possibility of a shared project, but they rejected the concept. Too bad nobody asked the opinion of the people who will be asked to pay for this development.

Mesa City Council Meets to Discuss Cubs Stadium Deal

The Mesa City Council met today to discuss new proposals to fund the proposed Chicago Cubs spring training project. Unfortunately, as with most of the previous official gatherings on this subject, this meeting was not open to the public. Perhaps there will be some announcement within a few days as to what was discussed. Recently, far more information about this development has been revealed by the Cubs organization than by the city. Representatives of Mesa have dodged questions and misled taxpayers for several months on this matter.

Hopefully, one of the proposals discussed at the latest meeting deals with bringing in private funding for at least some portion of this undertaking. This option has the best chance of overcoming objections which have arisen since the spring training proposal was first announced in January.

Mesa Promises Facts on Cubs Stadium

After weeks of silence on the subject, the City of Mesa has announced that they will be revealing new facts concerning the proposed Chicago Cubs spring training facility to be built in east Mesa. Mayor Scott Smith was quoted on May 11th as saying there has been a lot going on behind the scenes and he expected to provide details during the week of May 17th. Perhaps this will include the exact location for the project at Red Mountain Ranch or maybe specifics on the planned new property tax to pay for this development. In any case, it would be a pleasant change to get any information from the city since almost all news recently has been leaked by Cubs representatives.

Mesa Plans to Double Property Tax to Pay for Cubs Spring Training Facility

The City of Mesa has decided the best way to fund a new Chicago Cubs spring training project is to implement a new property tax. This is the second time in two years that the city has proposed using a secondary property tax to raise bonding money. The last occasion was in 2008 when $170 million in bonds were approved by voters to pay for roadways and essential safety services. Back then officials estimated that the impact of the tax would be about $50 annually on a home valued at $250,000. However, as frequently happens with government estimates, the actual amount has ended up being 50% higher. There is no reason to believe the current situation would be any different. Today, officials estimate the impact of the Cubs tax as being about $60 on a $250,000 home. No doubt the actual amount will again be somewhat more.

Still No Information on Source of Funds for Cubs Spring Training Project

While the State of Arizona Legislature has concluded its 2010 session without taking any action on raising funds for a proposed new Chicago Cubs spring training facility, the City of Mesa insists the project is still alive and that it would be “insanity” not continue to pursue the development as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the baseball team and the city. Interestingly, Mesa has never said how it intends to come up with any portion of the money necessary for this venture. Since the months are passing by, it would seem prudent to advise the community about whatever plans may be under consideration. Perhaps Plan B has always been to proceed without the assistance of the state or any private source and to place the entire burden of funding upon Mesa taxpayers.

Economic Impact of Cubs Spring Training Dips in 2010

Due to a drop in attendance, the statewide economic impact of Chicago Cubs spring training declined nearly 25% in 2010. While the just completed season totaled a bit more than 152,000 attendees at Cubs home games, the team drew over 203,000 fans in 2009. This translated to an economic impact of $37.2 million in 2010 versus $46.2 million in the previous year. Expressed as a percentage, the Cubs represented about 10% of all economic activity created by Cactus League spring training in Arizona. Spending this year which was related to the Cubs spring training generated about $1.3 million in tax revenue for state and local governments.

Mesa Standing Alone on Cubs Training Facility

With any sort of state funding apparently dead for this legislative session, it appears the City of Mesa is now the only party still in the game regarding a proposed new spring training establishment for the Chicago Cubs. From the outset, only the city and the baseball team were signers to any sort of written agreement, but there was an understanding that the State of Arizona would kick in at least half of the money necessary to get the development constructed. The current circumstance pretty much leaves Mesa where the City of Glendale stands on their recently built facility which accommodates the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Glendale borrowed all the money necessary to build the complex while hoping to be reimbursed tens of millions by the state. So far, it has been two years and this hasn’t happened.

For the sake of Mesa taxpayers, one can only hope this will not be a repeat performance.

Parking Questions Loom on New Spring Training Project

The only written guideline pertaining to the proposed new Chicago Cubs spring training facility is the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the city and the baseball team. This is intended to be the framework for a final agreement to be entered into this summer. Among other things, this document specifies a stadium with a capacity of 13,500 to 15,000 fans and a parking lot for 2,500 to 3,500 vehicles. This would indicate one space for every four or five fans.

A study commissioned by the Cactus League in 2007 determined that the average party size attending Chicago Cubs games was 2.1 persons in size. Because virtually everyone arriving at the stadium will do so by private automobile, this ratio of persons per party would dictate a parking requirement equal to 6,400 to 7,100 vehicles or over twice the amount specified in the memorandum. This sort of a shortfall could spell disaster for the surrounding neighborhood as cars search far and wide for a place to park.

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.