default-cbs-image

Chase Field -- in downtown Phoenix -- is the only home the Arizona Diamondbacks have ever had. It was built in advance of the team's debut as a National League expansion team in 1998, but now the club is asking for a chance to move.

We can't go any further without noting that the lease with the county expires in 2028, but the D-Backs can negotiate for a new stadium under said lease in 2024. So a lot of this talk won't matter into far into the future.

Still, the government and the ballclub seem to be rather peeved at one another. The Diamondbacks have sought to work with Maricopa County to complete $187 million in "deferred repairs and maintenance." Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall reportedly told the government that the ballpark and team have provided $8.2 billion in economic benefit (12news.com). 

Hall has released a statement:

"The Arizona Diamondbacks highest priority is to provide a high-quality experience for our fans and our agreement with the County was designed to ensure that Chase Field delivers on that promise not only on the day it opened, but throughout its lifespan. Our organization will not renege on that commitment and we expect our partners to share that value. Unfortunately, the County has demonstrated that it does not.

"The Maricopa County Stadium District has made it clear that it will not be able to meet its obligations to fund financial reserves for capital improvements, which it now estimates to be at least $187 million for the remaining life of the stadium. This spiral is insurmountable and will result in a Chase Field that will no longer be a state-of-the art facility as our agreement requires and may, in fact, become unsuitable for continued use. We cannot risk being put in that position.

"Renovations and stadium projects take time. We would rather act responsibly today to explore alternatives for remaining in downtown Phoenix than turn a blind a eye to what we now see clearly as the County's economic reality. We were asking only for the opportunity to talk with other potential partners, a right that we assert we are due as a result of the County's inability to meet its responsibilities.

"We want to retain in downtown Phoenix and we would like nothing better than for that to occur at Chase Field, if that's possible. The County is putting in jeopardy the investment that taxpayers have made, that the team has made, and the economic windfall the community has reaped as a result. Again, we only want to do what's best in the interest of the D-Backs fans and the franchise."

As such, according to KPNX, Hall had previously sent a letter to the Maricopa County Board asking to modify the Chase Field lease in hopes to pursue a new venue. The board rejected the request "to ensure that the taxpayers, who had paid $238 million in sales taxes to build the stadium (in addition to the District's undertaking an additional $15 million contribution for construction costs), would not be left with an empty stadium" (before the lease expires in 2028).

The takeaway, for now, is essentially that the Diamondbacks are unhappy with their stadium situation until it gets the renovations they believe it needs to stay on par with the other ballparks in the majors. Due to this, they would like to pursue a new stadium unless the county is willing to help with the $187 million.

And due to the lease, so long as it wants to, the county can hold the Diamondbacks in Chase Field until 2024.

So this is a subject that could well continue far into the decade.

caption text here
Chase Field, home of the Diamondbacks since 1998. (USATSI)