State funding for an extreme makeover of PNC Field, home of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (Class AAA; International League), is on hold while new Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett reviews it and other last-minute grants made by outgoing Gov. Ed Rendell.
There’s no indication the spending will actually be scrapped; local officials were expecting the review and are confident Corbett will eventually release the funds.
The background: Lackawanna County and the Multi-Purpose Stadium Authority are moving forward with a $40-million renovation of PNC Field. Virtually the entire ballpark, save part of the seating bowl and the field, will be redone. An architectural firm is expected to be in place by the spring, with construction set to begin in September after the Yankees season. The state would pay for $20 million of the cost; most of the rest of the cost would come from a sale of the SWB Yankees to the New York Yankees and Mandalay Baseball Properties.
RELATED STORIES: Luzerne County: SWB Yankees worth at least $25 million; Lackawanna County issues RFQ for PNC Field renovations; Debate rages over SWB Yankees sale; Yanks, Mandalay agree to buy SWB Yankees, unveil ballpark renovations; Compromise on the way in SWB ballpark squabble?; Rendell: Clock is ticking on new SWB ballpark financing; Counties continue spat; SWB Yankees likely to be sold this week; Lackawanna County: In a ballpark bind and mad; Squabbling could derail new SWB Yankees ballpark; Pols: Let’s not fix up PNC Field — or sell team to Mandalay, either
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