A new Everett AquaSox ballpark could be in the works, as Snohomish County Council and the Everett City Council could study what it would take to build a new venue for the High-A Northwest League team.
The AquaSox currently play at Funko Field at Everett Memorial Stadium, but like many Minor League Baseball teams, the team has been seriously challenged by MLB imposing new facility guidelines on MiLB teams. Funko Field doesn’t currently meet these new guidelines, and it’s highly unlikely the ballpark’s owner, the Everett School District, would spend the millions it would take to bring the ballpark into compliance.
Hence the proposal before the city and the county to look at a potential new Everett AquaSox ballpark, set to be discussed tomorrow (Wednesday). Already on the table: an offer from AquaSox ownership to sign a 30-year lease. And, as is usually the case in these situations, the two sides will discuss the baseball in the context of a multi-use venue capable of hosting 100 or so events a year in addition to the AquaSox.
The AquaSox are in the same position as several teams in the High-A Northwest League: they play in former short-season ballparks that were never designed to host full-season play. (Indeed, we reported earlier this morning on a funding plan for a new Eugene ballpark, and both Spokane and Hillsboro are looking at expensive renovation plans to meet the new guidelines.)
RELATED STORIES: New for 2019: Funko Field; Funko Fridays at Hit for AquaSox