The San Francisco Giants have made progress in their push to move training facilities to Phoenix’s Papago Park, as the proposal has cleared a key hurdle.
As part of a broader effort to improve their spring training facilities, the Giants are looking to relocate their training complex to Papago Park in Phoenix. Major league spring training games would remain at Scottsdale Stadium–-the club has been discussing future renovations to that ballpark as part of a separate process–but an upgraded Papago Park would be used by the Giants for minor league spring training games, year-round training, and other purposes.
In a key step in the process, the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Board has recommended a plan for the City of Scottsdale to lease the complex and work with the Giants on completing upgrades. The board’s recommendation means that the issue will now be considered by the Phoenix City Council. More from Fox 10:
The proposed plan involves the City of Scottsdale leasing the complex for 35 years and spending $35 million along with the Giants to upgrade the facility, adding a parking lot and also improving hiking trails in the area.
“The Giants will have use of it year-round for training and minor leaguers, but there will be some availability for the City of Phoenix for tournaments and some things we do there,” said Gregg Bach with Phoenix Parks and Recreation.
If this proposal moves forward, the Giants would eventually shift operations from their current training complex, Scottsdale’s Indian School Minor League Complex. Papago Park served as a training complex for the Oakland A’s when they played spring training games at nearby Phoenix Municipal Stadium, but the A’s shifted their operations to Mesa in 2015.