With the Toronto Blue Jays deciding to stay put in Dunedin, the Houston Astros will partner with the Washington Nationals on a new spring-training facility in Palm Beach County.
The first proposal from the Astros met with resistance from Palm Beach Gardens residents because it was cited too closely to a school and protected wetlands. Now, the Astros and Nats have their eye on a new two-team facility in nearby Lake Worth, a development that has locals giddy. Lake Worth is about 25 miles south of Jupiter’s Roger Dean Stadium, the spring home of the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins, creating a nice four-team spring-training cluster. From WPTV:
“It’s been a lot of fun. We’ve been running around singing, ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame!” said Michael Bornstein, the city manager of Lake Worth.
Bornstein said the potential spot is the perfect centralized location. He the area offers a Tri-Rail stop, easy highway access and plenty of roads.
“(It’s good) not just for bringing people into the city that maybe participate and spend some money in our economics. But also to boost our ego. You know this is a city that has had some hard knocks in the past,” said Bornstein.
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