It wasn’t what the teams originally sought, but the Surprise (Az.) City Council today approved $21.9 million in improvements to Surprise Stadium, spring home of the Texas Rangers and the Kansas City Royals.
In conjunction, the teams agreed to seven-year contract extensions with the city, tying them to the Surprise Stadium spring-training complex through 2029.
The teams had sought more money to fund fan-experience upgrades to Surprise Stadium. However, the city council ended up passing a smaller budget, with the $21.9 million split between the two teams. It’s expected both teams will renovate and expand clubhouses while adding new weight rooms and workout facilities. Other upgrades could include new multipurpose rooms, media rooms and meeting spaces. Designs should be done in coming weeks, with changes in place for 2016 spring training.
The Rangers and Royals have been training in Surprise since 2003.