With the Arizona Legislature approving a Chase Field funding plan, renovations to the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks are being planned out.
The bipartisan legislation calls for $750 million to make needed improvements and repairs to Chase Field, which opened in 1998 as home to the expansion D-Backs. Some of the repairs are necessary; for instance, the ballpark’s air-conditioning system is due for an overhaul after operating for over 25 seasons in the hot desert climate; Chase Field is set up to cool the fan areas, including the seating bowl, but in recent years the system has struggled to maintain certain levels of fan comfort.
The Chase Field funding plan legislation calls for the Diamondbacks to pay $250 million of the $750 million in upgrades and repairs, with the rest coming from the recapture of sales and income taxes generated by the facility. The measure passed after compromises with the city of Phoenix, which agreed to a lower level of sales-tax payment, and opposing legislators who successfully argued for a provision that any luxury upgrades to Chase Field be funded by the team and not the diverted tax funds.
So with between $20 million and $25 million expected to be annually generated by the tax recapture, what’s the Diamondbacks’ game plan? Looks like lots of boring infrastructure stuff is top of the list, like replacement of HVAC systems to more efficiently deliver essential air conditioning throughout the ballpark. Definitely look for some additional luxury and group areas, upgraded bowl video signage, and perhaps some expansion of concourses–though it sounds like the team won’t dramatically alter capacity, per the Arizona Republic. We are talking about a long game here, though: team leadership expects work to be completed in the next five to six years.
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