The El Paso City Council tonight will discuss a funding plan and possible term sheet for a new downtown ballpark for the relocating Tucson Padres (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League).
The proposal calls for a 2 percentage point hike in the city’s hotel tax, raising it to 17.5 percent — a move that’s drawn the ire of local hotel owners, but sure to be a hit with taxpayers who must approve the increase in a fall referendum. Hotel taxes, as well as other tourism taxes like rental-car taxes, are usually popular with voters because out-of-towners are seen as the ones bearing the brunt of the funding.
What will be discussed tonight: whether to move ahead with a term sheet with MountainStar Sports Group LLC, contingent on the fall referendum passing. A new ballpark would be built at the current City Hall site, in the midst of the city’s cultural district, with a tentative 2014 opening date.
RELATED STORIES: Diablos casualty of new El Paso ballpark; Downtown ballpark planning moving forward in El Paso; El Paso to debate ballpark bond issue; El Paso group seeking downtown ballpark, T-Pads; Moorad to Escondido: We need quick action on ballpark; Obstacles to new ballparks in California: not as bleak as expected; Escondido moving forward with business park on proposed ballpark property; City, not Moorad group, to acquire Escondido land; Escondido mayor: Time to scrap new-ballpark plan; Moorad: Leaving Padres in Tucson a possibility; Escondido ballpark vote put off indefinitely; Escondido ballpark vote delayed;State government could kill Escondido T-Pods ballpark; New for 2011: Tucson Padres;Escondido approves Triple-A ballpark — with reservations; Moorad group, Escondido sign MOU for new ballpark; Escondido council fills vacancy in advance of ballpark vote; Crunch time for new Escondido ballpark; Padres raise ante in Escondido ballpark negotiations;Escondido ballpark vote delayed again; new council will decide; Padres make it official: Beavers to Tucson in 2011; Election shows mixed support for new Escondido ballpark; Tuesday elections could determine fate of Bevos; Bevos to Tucson for 2011; Escondido ballpark vote delayed after pollution found at site; Fate of Bevos in the air until November, maybe December; Padres pitch one-sided lease to Escondido; Escondido: Show us some money, Padres; Escondido in, San Marcos out of Bevos ballpark mix
—-
Share your news with the baseball community. Send it to us ateditors@augustpublications.com.
Are you a subscriber to the weekly Ballpark Digest newsletter? You can sign up for a free subscription at the Newsletter Signup Page.
Join Ballpark Digest on Facebook and on Twitter!
Follow Ballpark Digest on Google + and add us to your circles!