The Minnesota Twins and Lee County are close to announcing a $45-million plan to upgrade Hammond Stadium, the team’s spring home, as part of a 30-year lease extension. The plan calls for the state to pay $15 million toward the project under the terms of a Florida fund set up to retain spring training, the […]
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JetBlue Park receives LEED certification
JetBlue Park, which opened this year as the spring home of the Boston Red Sox, has received LEED certification from the Green Building Certification Institute. The certification came as a result of decisions made early in the design process of the facility by the long-standing public-private partnership between Lee County and the Boston Red Sox […]
Repairs on tap for Space Coast Stadium
The Washington Nationals and the Brevard County Manatees (High Class A; Florida State League) will see some improvements to Space Coast Stadium in 2013, but they won’t be as extensive as the Nats requested. The $325,000 in improvements from Brevard County will address some very basic infrastructure needs, mostly relating to water damage, leaks and […]
The Week That Was: September 9
Affiliation shifts, spring training, attendance stats and Ballpark Digest awards all made news this past week. The most popular stories on Ballpark Digest, as measured by page views. Nats, Lee County to continue discussions on spring training 2012 Organization of the Year: Pensacola Blue Wahoos All signs point to Kernels seeking new affiliate Worker dies […]
Nats, Lee County to continue discussions on spring training
Lee County and the Washington Nationals will continue to discuss a move of the team to City of Palms Park for spring training, as officials look at whether the county can afford requested upgrades. The Nats have already presented a wish list of changes they’d like to see at City of Palms Park, and many […]
Nats: We’re still interested in Fort Myers — if spring complex is upgraded
Washington Nationals front-office personnel told Lee County reps the team was interested in moving spring-training operations to City of Palms Park — if the ballpark was upgraded, to the tune of $45 million or more. With the Nats unwilling to commit to Viera’s Space Coast Stadium and openly seeking a new spring home, a move […]
Pro baseball an endangered species in Viera?
Pro baseball has never been an overwhelming success in Viera, and now it looks like there’s a serious chance the Florida city may lose both spring training and Class A ball at Space Coast Stadium. Currently Space Coast Stadium hosts Washington Nationals spring training and the Brevard County Manatees (High Class A; Florida State League). It’s no secret the […]
Election loss could impact future of Twins, Nats in Fort Myers
The defeat of Ray Judah, a big supporter of spring training in Fort Myers, could impact the future of Minnesota Twins and Washington Nationals spring training in Lee County. Judah was running for reelection on the Lee County Board of Commissioners, but came in third in Tuesday’s Republican primary behind a candidate who strongly criticized […]
Lee County to Nats: We really, really love you
Lee County still wants to see the Washington Nationals as a tenant at City of Palms Park, but with little money for upgrades, county and Fort Myers officials are embarking on a new strategy: convince the Nats front office they are loved. It’s a common strategy: when you don’t have the money to address a […]
Twins, Lee County negotiating over player dorms, naming rights at spring-training complex
A renovation of Hammond Stadium and the Lee County Sports Complex, spring home of the Minnesota Twins, may or may not feature player dorms and naming rights, as the two sides negotiate a new lease covering some $30 million in improvements. It’s an unusual situation. In order to qualify for $15 million in state funds […]
Twins sign 30-year spring-training lease extension
The Minnesota Twins and Lee County agreed on a 30-year lease extension to keep the team in Fort Myers, but the rest of the agreement — covering improvements and funding — is not yet public. It’s an unusual situation, to be sure. And there are plenty of contingencies at play, so it’s not nearly important […]
Lee County: Twins spring-training improvements hinge on state grant
Any improvements to spring-training facilities for the Minnesota Twins will need to be funded largely by state funds and the Twins, as Lee County officials say they won’t raise taxes to cover new funding. After spending months saying they’d take care of the Twins after spending $80 million on a new spring facility for the […]
Lee County commissioner: “50-50” chance Nats will move spring ops to Fort Myers
A Lee County commissioner pegged the odds at “50-50” about the chances of the Washington Nationals moving spring-training operations to Fort Myers after the two sides met today. Lee County (Fl.) Commissioner Frank Mann, who did not attend a meeting between Lee County officials and two Nats reps but did discuss it with them afterwards, […]