Maricopa County, Diamondbacks meet privately on Chase Field deal
Dec 8, 2017, 9:46 AM | Updated: Dec 11, 2017, 11:39 am
(Cronkite News Photo/Tyler Drake)
(Cronkite News Photo/Tyler Drake)
PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks and Maricopa County have been speaking in private regarding Chase Field and the next steps for both sides.
An Arizona appeals court judge was leading the mediation between the two sides. Under state mediation rules, the judge does not have the right to force a deal.
If an agreement is reached, the public could have only 24 hours — the minimum amount of time required under state law — to review it before the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors take it to a vote.
Under the current lease, the team can begin negotiating for a new stadium in 2024 with the lease expiring in 2028.
Last March, it was reported that the D-backs were considering ending their lease at Chase Field.
The report stated D-backs president Derrick Hall spoke with Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton over a span of a few months about some concerns at Chase Field.
In a statement from Hall, he noted that the team’s highest priority was providing a high-quality experience for fans and the original agreement with Chase Field was meant to ensure Chase Field could do that the day it opened and into the future.
According to the team, the Stadium District — which oversees the ballpark and is run by the county — had not met its obligations to fund improvements, and will not be able to pay for $185 million worth of repairs the team said needed to be done.
Hall added the D-backs would like to remain in downtown Phoenix and would prefer to stay at Chase Field, if possible. He says the county is putting the investment made by the taxpayers and the team in jeopardy, and that the only goal in looking to break the lease is to do what’s in the best interest of D-backs fans and the franchise.
In January, the D-backs filed a lawsuit against Maricopa County that would allow them to leave Chase Field.
The lawsuit does not go after any damages, but would allow the team to explore options outside of Chase Field.
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Clint Hickman responded in a statement the same day as the filing, calling it “disappointing” that the Diamondbacks are “suing their fans who helped build Chase Field.”
Hickman’s statement also said,“The team simply wants out of the contract that makes them stay and play through the 2028 season. Saying the facility is in disrepair is outrageous. It seems the team just wants a new stadium now.”
The sides were ordered to arbitration in August, but could not agree on how an arbitrator should be chosen. Instead, they agreed to meet with a different judge to settle their differences.
Though it was possible Major League Baseball could explore a move for the team, Judge Karen Mullins ruled the team was required to fulfill its lease, which runs through 2028.
“The team is obligated under the [Facility Use Agreement] to play all games at the ballpark,” she wrote. “Allowing the team to pursue alternative options or partnerships does not preserve the status quo of that obligation.”
Chase Field has been the Diamondbacks’ home since their inaugural season in 1998. It is the fifth-oldest stadium in the National League.
